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Bebaak Collective Statement April 2022
Bebaak Collective Statement April 2022
“Jai Shree Ram” slogans were chanted in front of mosques by sword wielding crowds
waving saffron flags. The processions taken out in Muslim neighbourhoods were
embellished with songs played on loudspeakers, the lyrics to which called for
violence towards the Muslim community. All these provocations let to vandalisation
of mosques and Muslim owned shops and buildings. In a seprate but connected
incident, ABVP goons attacked students and hostel staff in the Jawaharlal Nehru
University (JNU) for protesting against ABVP's demand that non vegetarian food not
be served in the hostel.
These incidents are a testament to the politically engineered social hatred of right
wing organizations like RSS and Bajrang Dal, reproduced to inflict violence on
Muslims. The Bharatiya Janata Party leader, Kapil Mishra, who was central in
inciting the pogrom at North East Delhi, was also present in the Ram Navami
procession in Khargone, Madhya Pradesh, where shops were demolished and at least
10 houses were burnt down. The complicity of the police has been a constant theme,
where they have chosen to let the violence play out and actively targeted Muslim
youth with arrests, while the perpetrators are free.
In Khargone, houses of families of those who were falsely accused were demolished
in Chandni Chowk and Khaskhaswadi Mohalla, acting out an archaic idea of
collective punishment.
As many have pointed out, the Ram Navami processions and the following violence,
had the same modus operandi across states. A yatra "celebrating" Ram Navami is
carried out through areas with a significant Muslim population. The crowd then stops
outside a mosque to raise communal slogans, while the DJ plays music with
provocative lyrics calling for violence against Muslims, destruction of mosques and
religious wars. Amidst all this, a stone pelting incident is reported, the perpetrators of
which are always unidentified people. This orchestrated aggravation is enough for the
mob to "turn violent", attacking and vandalising mosques, as well as Muslim owned
shops and houses with weapons and torches, as the police personnel look on. One
can't help but question why the crowd was armed with weapons and swords, and how
the police failed to take notice of both the actions of the crowd and the patterned as
well as planned nature of the violence.
These processions are not isolated instances that took place in a vacuum. These series
of events on the day of the Ram Navami violence were preceded by attacks on
Muslim vendors in Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh, students wearing hijab being denied
the right to sit in classrooms and appear for exams, saffron flags being hoisted upon
mosques in Uttar Pradesh, calls given for boycott of halal meat, Muslim vendors
being excluded from participating in temple fairs in Karnataka, the supposed ‘meat
ban’ being enacted in south Delhi which severely affected Muslim meat sellers, and
religious leaders like Bajrang Muni Udasin publicly putting out calls for sexual
violence against Muslim women.
The idea of ‘Hindus in danger’ has become the mobilising cry for anti-Muslim
violence. Cultural moments are defined by their potential to instill and invoke
majoritarian violence and hatred. Given that we as Indian Muslims are facing
economic boycotts, being publicly lynched, having our houses and shops burned
down, witnessing the criminalisation of our existence, and facing persecution on
multiple fronts; are Hindus really in danger?
Signatories:
Individuals:
Manisha Gupte
Roop Rekha Verma
Geeta Seshu (Journalist)
Teesta Setalvad (Activist and Journalist)
Maitree Muzumdar (Artist)
Frazer Mascarenhas (Academic Administrator)
Akanksha (Queer Feminist Ambedkarite Researcher and Activist)
Maimoona Mollah (women's rights activist)
John Dayal
Dr. Anjali Monteiro (Filmmaker and academic)
Ketki Ranade/ KP
Cedric Prakash (Human Rights Activist/writer)
Pratiksha Baxi (academic)
Dr Sylvia Karpagam (Public Health Doctor)
Yashodhara
Noorahmad
Arzu Sarfaraz (Journalist)
Feroz Khan
Yakub Mohammed
Ranjana Padhi
Jeh Chinoy
Rafi Veettil
Shivani Kumari
Nidhi K
Jennifer Ahmed
Apeksha Vora
Persis Ginwalla
Aastha
Freny Manecksha (Independent Journalist)
Anupriya
Anju
Alam Nawaz
Shubham Kothari
Devesh Mundepi (Social Activist)
Abhinav C.
Kaneez Fathima (Civil Rights Activist)
Alima Fatima
Paroma Chakravarty
Kunal Chattopadhyay
Aparna
Uttam
Devika Saheli
Dr Aftab khan
Pawan
Shaina Anand (Artist)
Hamza Shaikh (Student)
Mansoor
Iqra
Vikas Nikumbh
Valenie Lopez
Hiren Gandhi.
Sana
Vani Subramanian
Dorothy Fernandes (Activist)
Sr. Justine Gitanjali Senapati (Human Rights Activist)
Sayantan Datta (Science Journalist)
Vihaan
Shehroz Zia
T Q. Contractor
Latha V
Dev Desai
Abdul Rehman Rangrej
Humaira
ShoonyaKhare
Meghna Nair
Mridul (Technology Professional)
Umer Saleem (Student)
Nikhat Fatima (civil rights activist)
Shals Mahajan (writer)
Manisha Chaudhry
Smriti Nevatia
Enakshi Bhattacharya
Prajval Shastri
Radha Khedkar (Entrepreneur)
Sumita Bertho (queer feminist activist)
Koel Chatterji (Social Activist)
Prajval Shastri (astrophysicist)
Lisa Pires
Vinit Vichare
Bhargav Oza (Independent researcher)
Khalida Parveen
Arjumand Nazia
dyuti
Neelam (PhD scholar)
Marya
Anu Samanvaya
Saima Anam Shaikh
Ummu
Charu Khanna
Misba Sayyad
Sangeeta Rege (Health rights)
sarah shaikh
Mehvish (activist and lawyer)
Sunil Tamminaina
Sharda Ugra (journalist)
Nisha Biswas
Padmalatha Ravi
Mini Mathew (Lawyer)
Ammu Joseph (Writer)
Rashmi
Jasveen Jairath (independent activist)
Muhib Khan
Parag
ChhayaBasu (retired teacher)
Marjorie Rodrigues
Mir Mudassir Ali
Amod Shah (PhD Researcher)
MohorChatterje (student)
Drishti Chawla (Independent Artist)
Dr. Mohan Rao (Independent researcher)
Saba khan s
Shloka
Azra khan
Sarthak Shukla (student)
Sumathi Rao
Jaafar ali
Ibrar (Student)
Eulalia Pereira
Nandini Rao
Deepti
Maisha Khan
Minha Khan
Revathi Narayanan
Shubham Kaushal (lawyer and independent researcher)
Misbah Ansari
Prashant Olalekar
Mileena Saju
Ikramah
Raj P. (journalist)
TanushreeGangopadhyay
Rema Kandaramath
Aparna Sundar (Independent Scholar)
Neha Nikam
Madiharakhangi
Amy Elangbam (M.A. MODM CHS)
Swatija Manorama
Swapna Liddle (Independent scholar)
Astha Sachan
Rishab Somani
Elizabeth Abraham, Kottayam, Kerala
Valenie
Khushboo Rohra
Rossi D'Souza
Rohan J
Rubeenakhatoon
Ankush Singh
Gajsujen
Shaibani Azam
Mumtaz (student)
Md Salman Haider
Kaveri
Anisha
Anwesha Das
Komal Saigal
Khairunnisha
Habib
Shadab
Piyushichhajer
Mohd Zia
Nihar
Eldred Tellis
kalpana banhatti
Reena Mohan
Chirodeep Chaudhuri
Lucas
Mubshira khan
Rakesh Gupa
Antara Dev Sen
Salah Iqbal
Sheeba Aslam
Manoj Kumar Jha
Syed Saifullah (Advocate)
Dr Nayeem Khatib
Jashodhara Dasgupta
Mamta Singh (Social worker)
Atul Gurtu (Retired scientis)
Syed Shujath Mehdi (Advocate)
Muneer Ahmed
Pamela Philiposr (Journalist)
Mudabbir shaikh
Nivi Menon
Tariq Hasib
Niharika Banerjea
Anirban Das Blah
Debi K (writer and performer)
Aruna Burte
Roopashri Sinha (Freelance Researcher)
Heena Sinha (Ngo sector)
Pallavi Belkhede (NGO sector)
Shweta Mahajan
Kirti Kumar
Nishtha Jain
Nisha Biswas
Shubhangi Sahebrao Gaikwad
Zubair (Student)
Dr Padma Deosthali
Armin
Amit Kumar
Vineeta Bal
Sunita S.
Seema Baquer (Cross Disability Consultant)
Ashiq Ahamed Chemmalasseri
Aman Irshad
Mariam
Souban Faridi
Ms. Sabreen Aslam Modak
Selina Sen (author and scriptwriter)
SadiyaBilgrami
Rita Puthenkalam
Ali Safeer Farooqi (lawyer)
Pavithra
Asha Sharma
Fióna Bolger (poet)
Asif Khan
Arshad Naseem
Akhileshwari Ramagoud (Journalist and Academic)
Shahin
Akif
Hal
Palakkalkabeer
Sheema
P Das
Anita Rao
Ashu
Shagufta Hakeem (Independent Scholar)
Shain
Noor Nisar
NikatFarooque
Bernadine Joseph
Sadhna Arya
Yaser
Arman
Gulshad
Usman
Shazeb
Sudha Bharadwaj
Ashish Kajla (Independent Researcher)
Amjad H Khan
Cherian Philip
Groups:
Bebaak Collective
Modern Youth Association
Justice Coalition of Religious-West India
Jan Swasthya Mumbai- West India
Global Concerns India
Saheli Women's Resource Centre, New Delhi
Hindus for Human Rights (nikhil@hindusforhumanrights.org)
Forum Against Oppression of Women
sandhyagokhale
Chayanika Shah
Ammu Abraham
Meena
All India Progressive Women’s Association – Kavita Krishnan
MD International Society for Peace & Justice
Rehan Khan
Indian Christian Women's Movement
Ms. V Saldanha
Raynah Braganza Passanha
Marcia D'Cunha
Hazel
Aruna Gnanadason
Bharat Bachao Aandolan
Afaque Azad
National Council for Women Leaders
Shewli Kumar
Edible Archives
Shalini Krishan
Parcham
Sabah Khan
Vidrohi
Avinash Kadam
Samajwadi Janparishad
Pyoli
Friends of India Texas
A. S.
Feminists in Resistance
Koel Chatterjee
AIMC
ManzoorA.S
Samvidhan Bachao Desh Bachao Abhiyan, Uttar Pradesh
Ramesh Dixit
Anhad
Shabnam Hashmi
Jamia Hamdard
Dr Khursheed Ahmad Ansari
Indian Social Action Forum (INSAF)
Wilfred Dcosta
NCHRO Goa.
Lumina da Costa Almeida
The Daily Eye
Vinata Nanda
Hillele.org
Rukmini Sen
Mavelinadu
HritikLalan
Alternatives International
Feroz Mehdi, general secretary
WhereAreTheWomen
Varsha Bhargavi
DYFI
R S Lakshman
Dhruv Golani
Right to Food Campaign
Swati Narayan
Partition Studies Quarterly Journal
Amrita Gupta
Sriniketan
Vishwa Bharati
Bharat Bachao Andolan
Feroze Mithiborwala
South Asia Solidarity Group, UK
Kalpana Wilson
All India Queer Association.
Panchali Kar
National Federation of Indian Women, Maharashtra
Lata BhiseSonawane
CUNY
Ankita Aggarwal
CSIR
Amitabha Basu
Socioh.com
Bhuvi Gupta
Aam Aadmi Party, Mumbai, Maharashtra
Prabha Pandey
High Court of Bombay
Afreen Khan
MKSS
Saba
AISA
AishikSaha
Women and Transgender Organizations
A. Suneetha
WSS
Ritash (aka Pushpa)
SJC
Jessin
Saheli
Sadhna Arya
Ashima Roy Chowdhury
Anuradha Banerji
Bharat Jan Vigyan Jatha
Soumya Dutta
OpenSpace
Anita Cheria
OBR global network
Abha bhaiya
Pinjratod
Ankita Dhar
Badayl, India
Ranjan Solomon
Muslim Students' Federation
Imthinan M
Guftagu
Sadaf vidha
National Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM)
Arundhati Dhuru
Meera Sanghamitra
Platform For Social Justice
Shweta Daamle
AICC
Noumaan