Demand for punishment for those involved in 1984 anti-Sikh riots, 2002 Gujarat pogrom, Odisha anti-Christian riots, and recent Assam violence too reverberated.
By M. Reyaz, TwoCircles.net,
New Delhi: A number of civil rights groups and political parties marched toward Jantar Mantar today in the capital marking the twentieth anniversary of the demolition of historic Babri mosque in Ayodhya on December 6, 1992 by Hindutva forces led by Sangh Parivar.
Civil rights groups led by Lok Raj Sangathan marched towards Jantar Mantar.
Lok Raj Sangathan (LRS), in collaboration with the Association for Protection of Civil rights (APCR) organised a march from Mandi House in Delhi to the capital’s ‘protest street.’ Several Sikh groups, including Sikh Forum too participated in the march.
Protesters attacked the ruling establishment of attacks minorities to pit one community against another and create tension.
Professor Bharat Seth of the LRS termed the events of December 6 as “criminal act carried out by political and communal forces.” He added that the genocide of Sikhs in 1984, the killings of Muslims in Mumbai in 1992-93, in Gujarat 2002 and the subsequent episodes of communal and sectarian violence including in Odisha and Assam have revealed that secularism and communalism are two sides of one policy of the Indian rulers to divide and rule.
Akhlaq Ahmad, national coordinator of the APCR called the demolition an “attack on the democratic values and secular character of India.”
Civil rights groups demand justice on 20th anniversary of Babri mosque demolition
He requested the civil society members to come together to demand justice. He also put aside talks of reconciliation unless justice is done, adding, “Justice cannot be done unless mosque is rebuilt at its original site.”
Speaking on the occasion, Secretary of the Sikh Forum Wing Commander Randhir Singh Chhatwal said, “Few weeks back we had assembled here to demand justice for the victims of 1984 anti-Sikh riots and today we are here to extend our solidarity.”
General Secretary of the Welfare party of India, Dr SQR Ilyas accused both the Congress and the BJP of collusion that led to destruction.
Few steps away CPIML and its students wing AISA too had gathered demanding justice and punishments for the guilty.
In another rally organised by Popular Front of India, Okhla MLA Asif Mohammad Khan demanded that guilty must be brought to justice as per the law.