By Siddhant Mohan, TwoCircles.net
Taking a cue from the ongoing mass campaign Black Lives Matter, South Asian Minorities Lawyers Association has decided to launch a campaign for three most oppressed communities of India i.e. Dalit, Minority and Tribals and named it as Dalit Minority Tribal Lives Matter.
As a precursor to a formal nationwide campaign, a get together of like-minded people from these three communities is being organized to chalk out the future course of action for the movement on July 4 at the Indian Law Institute, New Delhi.
South Asian Minorities Lawyers Association (SAMLA) was formed with the aim of building an organisation of legal practitioners and other individuals having interest in espousing the cause of weaker sections of the society through legal and constitutional means. Though SAMLA is predominantly a lawyer’s association, it also strives to work for the upliftment of minorities in South Asia and aims at bringing social justice to people irrespective of caste, creed, religion, or sex.
SAMLA, which works in India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka, believes that protection of minority rights is necessary to attain peace and prosperity in the region.
SAMLA President and renowned lawyer Mehmood Parcha talked with TwoCircles.net about various aspects of the campaign. He said, “Not only we have took inspiration from the Black Lives Matter, but we are associated with them. Our campaign will run alongside of Black Lives Matter. Several leaders from Black Lives Matter will come to India to take part in our campaign and our representative will go US to take part in their campaign.
“With globalisation, all economic and social powers took advantage but marginal sections were left. That marginal section which include Dalits, Tribals and minorities has seen its oppression and importance in recent times so the uprising is happening,” Parcha added.
Talking about the perspective and future of the campaign, advocate Parcha said, “Our campaign is going to become larger than all and there are various reasons behind it. First that we have larger population than US or other countries, second there are severe cases of oppression and lastly the uprising is evident in recent times. More importantly, Black Lives Matter shall join hands with us.”