Killing of rationalists done on instructions from Delhi or Nagpur: Gujarat MLA Jignesh Mevani

They spoke about the worrying restrictions on the use of the word Dalit, arrest of lawyers and journalists, and branding of activists as urban Naxals.
Late senior journalist Gauri Lankesh. | (File | PTI)
Late senior journalist Gauri Lankesh. | (File | PTI)

BENGALURU:The Right to Speak Convention, held here on Wednesday, saw intellectuals, activists, and supporters of slain journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh declare a fight against ‘fascist forces’. Pens were distributed to the speakers at the venue in a symbolic form of protest.

Gujarat MLA Jignesh Mevani, Jawaharlal Nehru University alumni Umar Khalid and Kanhaiya Kumar, Teesta Setalvad of Sabrang Communications, veteran playwright and theatre/film personality Girish Karnad, Gauri Lankesh’s sister Kavitha Lankesh, actor Prakash Rai, Swami Agnivesh, writer Chandrashekhar Patil, freedom fighter HS Doreswamy among others, were present at the convention in Bengaluru on Wednesday, marking Gauri’s first death anniversary of Gauri.

A girl with ‘I am Gauri’ placard participates in the Right to Speak Convention held at Jnana Jyothi auditorium in the Central College premises on Wednesday | Pandarinath B
A girl with ‘I am Gauri’ placard participates in the Right to Speak Convention held at Jnana Jyothi auditorium in the Central College premises on Wednesday | Pandarinath B

They spoke about the worrying restrictions on the use of the word Dalit, arrest of lawyers and journalists, and branding of activists as urban Naxals.The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, earlier this week, asked the media to refrain from using the word ‘Dalit’ and instead use the constitutional term ‘Scheduled Caste’. Jignesh Mevani told reporters here, “We have adopted the term Dalit after having some conflict with the term Harijan. So it gives us a sense of empowerment and shows our political position. Finally, we need to create a society where nobody remains a Dalit or Savarna, but just as human beings.”

He also said it was not surprising that the killings of Narendra Dabholkar, Govind Pansare, MM Kalburgi and Gauri Lankesh are linked. “This is done by someone with instructions from Delhi or Nagpur. Without the involvement of the state machinery, it can’t happen. I appeal to the SIT to bring out the motive with which Dabholkar, Pansare and Kalburgi were killed,” he said.

On the arrests of Sudha Bharadwaj, Varavara Rao, Arun Ferreira, Vernon Gonsalves and Gautam Navalakha, he said, “These arrests have revealed three things — undeclared Emergency, Gujarat model, and an unholy nexus between the state and RSS-kind of forces. It has never happened in independent India where Supreme Court judges have held a press conference and spoken about the destruction of democracy. This is unprecedented. This is more dangerous than the actual Emergency that happened (1975-77).”

‘Ambedkarites are being branded Naxalites’

Jignesh Mevani spoke about the ‘Gujarat model’ of PM Narendra Modi. “After the 2002 riots, to keep sympathy for himself intact, he maintained the Hindu-Muslim divide. Modiji and the trigger-happy forces always came up with the ‘assassination story’. When he needed sympathy in Gujarat, he said jihadi forces wanted to kill him. Now, when he needs sympathy ahead of the 2019 elections, he says Naxalites want to kill him,” Mevani said.

“It is the BJP’s strategy to discredit the Dalit movement because they have been protesting the maximum on the streets in the past four years. That’s why Ambedkarites are being branded Naxalites,” he said.
“The sense of urgency with which we need to work against RSS and BJP is missing. I got detained immediately in Rajasthan after the Karnataka elections ended here. A rock-solid alliance should come together against the ruling party with a coalition of Leftists, NGOs, civil society members etc. History won’t forgive those who don’t fight against them,” he said. The ‘Raj Bhavan Chalo’ rally, led by civil rights activist Swami Agnivesh, demanded that Sanatan Sanstha and its affiliates be declared “terror organisations”. A petition was submitted to the Governor to direct the state government and recommend the same.

Related Stories

No stories found.
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com