TCN News
Attack over the Indian Dalit scholar, writer, and ideologue Professor Kancha Illaiah has sparked various groups and civil societies across the globe.
The Alliance for Justice And Accountability (AJA), an umbrella coalition of progressive organizations across the United States, condemned the life-threatening attacks against the renowned author and Dalit scholar Kancha Illaiah by members of the Arya Vysya community. The attack was an attempt on the life of the outspoken political philosopher who has authored several books including “Why I am not a Hindu,” “Buffalo Nationalism Post-Hindu India,” “Untouchable God,” among many others. The violence and ensuing death threats were apparently a response to the release of a chapter from his book on “Post-Hindu India.”
AJA has demanded court ordered 24-hour protection of Kancha Illaiah, and accountability for those that threatened his life, under the full extent of the law. The role of the police, who failed to even file a FIR, on Illaiah’s complaint needs further scrutiny. The life-threatening situation was exacerbated when a Member of Parliament from the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) T.G. Venkatesh addressed a press conference against the author and sought that he be “hanged publicly.” The silence of mainstream Indian media is telling of an atmosphere where expression of any ideas that go against the Hindutva narrative creates security risks.
Instead of expressing remorse for the incident, J. Venkateshwara-President of Andhra Pradesh Arya Vysya Mahasabha (AVP) demanded an apology from Prof. Illaiah, failing which AVP would protest wherever Prof. Illaiah went in the state.
“The police’s bias and refusal to uphold the law in defense of intellectual bodes ill for the safety and security of common citizens in India and for the future of political dissent,” said Mr. Ahsan Khan, President of Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC), an AJA-constituent. “That a sitting member of Parliament called for violence against a renowned scholar is reflective of the extent to which a fascist mindset has taken root amongst sections of the Indian political class,” added Mr. Khan.
In Illaiah’s complaint, he stated that no FIR was registered in the matter by the police. After the attack, Illaiah was followed by 200 protestors until he proceeded to Warangal city under a police escort. Illaiah put himself under house arrest in an effort to safeguard his life.
“The attack is outrageous and an affront to freedom of speech. People are not tolerant and open to criticism when information challenges Hindu doctrine,” said Umang Kumar, a member of AJA ad community activist from Boston.
The Alliance for Justice and Accountability has pledged to work with people of all faiths to defend India from the onslaught of hate and divisiveness.
Moreover, the India based Civil Liberties Monitoring Committee has strongly condemned the threatening language and attempts to attack Prof. Kancha Ilaiah on raising some basic questions in his book. The committee strongly believes that raising the questions and expressions of inequality prevailing in the caste system in the Indian culture is a step forward to eradicate social injustice and to maintain spiritual equality. It is a matter of fact that Brahmanical hegemony is suppressing the people in the name of caste and Prof. Kancha Ilaiah criticized the same as well as presented some facts and figures in his book and arguments on different TV Channels.