Stop the distraction tactics that seek to discredit this movement! The government must seriously commit to enacting the Rohith Act!
Stop the distraction tactics that seek to discredit this movement!
The government must seriously commit to enacting the Rohith Act!
Following the repeated attacks on 12 and 13 February upon protestors demanding the implementation of UGC Equity Regulations and Rohith Act, a malicious campaign has been undertaken to defame and destroy the mass movement happening across India. Despite this campaign and resistance to the demand for equity the call Akhil Bharatiya Vanchit Adhikaar Diwas was successfully taken up in over 100 centres across the country. Today’s press conference was held at the Press Club of India to address the ongoing movement and to reiterate the commitment to carry forward and strengthen the movement for the UGC Regulations and Rohith Act!
The speakers included Prof. Hemlata Mahishwar, Prof. S Irfan Habib, Prof. Apoorvanand, Anil Chamadia and Anita Bharti. Progressive student organisations AISA, DSF and SFI expressed their solidarity with the ongoing protests. The press conference included testimonies from Anjali and Tanvi, who were attacked by the violent mob and Maurice Nagar Police Station and Ruchi Tiwari before that.
Professor S Irfan Habib talked about the violent disruption of his public talk in DU by ABVP and how the new normal has been created which has established such hooliganism as the norm. The struggle for equity is a must to counter this assault and reclaim university spaces as egalitarian spaces.
Prof. Apoorvanand talked about the culture of erasure of discourse within universities. How recent attacks of an attack within a police station raise serious concerns.
Prof Hemlata Mahishwar talked about the years of oppression faced by SC/ST/OBC students and how such reforms are of extreme important to change the status of a majority of people from foot soldiers to flagbearers in the struggle for democracy.
Anil Chamadia, A renowned senior journalist also talked about the history of reaction against egalitarian struggles for equity against caste. He expressed his solidarity with the students and condemned media misrepresentation.
Aishe Ghosh from SFI talked about the importance of defending public education as places of struggle for social justice, Arif, a DU student as well as a member of SFI talked about the need to reclaim universities from the clutches of casteism, Mohit from AISF talked about tackling exclusionary practices and caste violence for inclusivity, Hardik from DSF spoke of his own experiences and the presence of systematic injustices within universities that must be fought against and Prasenjeet from AISA expressed solidarity to protesting students and declared that the fight for equity must continue with further rigour.
Students who faced the violence at DU also put forward their testimonies;
Rovin, a DU student, who faced the casteist assault talked about the disruptions caused by ABVP and casteist forces. He also highlighted his own experience of being subjected to casteist slurs by the mob.
Anjali talked about the social media threats that she has been subjected to since the incident and highlighted the shameful role of mainstream media in supporting these harassers.
Tanvi talked about the consistent culture of violence unleashed by ABVP and the repeated pattern against which this struggle is important.
The Forum declared that we shall not be silenced by these violent, shameful attempts of oppressive forces. We shall be taking up a full fledged campaign in the upcoming days and shall hold gatherings across states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, jharkhand, Rajasthan, madhypradesh and others to establish new chapters. In Bihar such a state convention shall be held by 24th February. We will also plan a mass campaign and district conventions across India.
Defeat the Nexus of Casteist Violence! We demand proper implementation of improvised equity guidelines!
