BENGALURU: With the International Day of Democracy round the corner, a coalition of about 50 civil society organisations, under the banner ‘Horaatada Hakkigagi Janandolana’, has issued an ultimatum to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, demanding the revocation of an order restricting protest at Freedom Park, by September 15.
The coalition’s open letter to the CM, which has garnered over 590 signatures from prominent figures, including historian Ramachandra Guha and writer Dr Vijayamma, strongly criticised the state government’s alleged clampdown on public protest.
During a press meet on Thursday, Guha, condemning the restrictions, suggested that Freedom Park must be referred to as “Unfreedom Park” or “‘Where freedom is hidden away’ park”, mocking the irony of restricting the right to protest in a space meant for free expression. “While the CM and Deputy CM publicly champion democracy, they simultaneously stifle free expression in the state’s capital,” Guha said, criticising the government for limiting peaceful protest under the guise of maintaining order.
“This kind of suppression is expected in states like Gujarat and UP , not in Karnataka,” Guha claimed, urging Siddaramaiah to reconnect with his earlier, more democratic self, and to withdraw the restrictive order originally implemented by the previous BJP dispensation in the state.
In their open letter, the coalition argues that restricting protest at Freedom Park effectively silences marginalised voices and shrinks public spaces vital for democratic dialogue.