Sydney; 08 March 2020 (UMMN): There have been numerous support protests around the world since Shaheen Bagh sit-in protest started, and there appear to be several in the pipe line. One such protest is being organised by the Citizens Forum for Democratic Rights on 22 March 2020. This is one of the many protests that have been planned across capital cities of Australia.
Apart from offering moral support to Shaeen Bagh protesters, these protests respond to systematic violence that broke out in East Delhi and resulted over 50 deaths, hundreds missing and thousands injured – both Muslims and Hindus. Mosques have been vandalised with hundreds of shops and houses that have been looted and burned.
Thousands of residents, mainly Muslim families have taken refuge in nearby areas – not far from their homes.
Violence was initiated by a BJP leader Kapil Mishra’s threat to remove peaceful protesters who were demanding withdrawal of a discriminatory law, popularly known as CAA, that allows citizenship to all the refugees from three surrounding countries, bar Muslims.
According to local reports, the violence erupted after rightwing Hindutva extremists attacked peaceful sit-in protesters, organised by local women against CAA.
Facts emerging from the testimonies and media reports also highlight complicit role of Delhi police which prepared the grounds by destroying CCTV cameras, and then collaborated with Hindutva rioters.
Many human rights activists have called this violence a systematic pogrom by the ruling party, driven by it’s divisive fascist ideology of hate, abetted by the political dispensation, and aided by the police force that reports to the Union Minister of Home Affairs - Amit Shah.
In their press release titled “Australia Against Hate”, Citizens Forum for Democratic Rights has asked Australian politicians across the political spectrum for an unequivocal condemnation of this pogrom.
“Silence at this injustice will not only feed the demon, but will showcase our complicity with them. This would also be a negation of our commitment, as Australians, in supporting our cherished values of human dignity, justice, equality and liberty across the world” stated the press release.
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has approached the Supreme Court seeking to intervene in the hearing on the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, saying there was a need to take into account the "international human rights law, norms and standards"
