More than 300 people gathered at Freedom Park on Saturday to protest the increased atrocities against Dalits and attacks on minority communities. “Karnataka is seeing a grave constitutional crisis today. There are open calls for violence, calls for inhuman economic boycotts, and violent attacks on Muslim street vendors in the presence of police,” said Bahutva Karnataka, a forum for justice, harmony and solidarity, which had called for the protest.
It stated that it had submitted memorandums to the Director general of police and to the Secretary, Social Welfare Department, against the rising atrocities in the last few months but no action has been taken.
“We want harmony and co-existence. That can happen only when constitutional promises of Justice, Liberty, Fraternity, Equality and Dignity of the individual are met,” said the statement.
At the protest, historian Ramachandra Guha addressed the climate of fear, while condemning the attacks on constitutional values. Citing the hijab ban, Laksmi from the Karnataka Domestic Workers Union spoke of how women bore the brunt of the targetted attacks on religion.
Writer Hulikunte Murthy spoke of how today the State is trying to control what people eat, wear, and speak.
“We all want a society of harmony and peace. However to achieve that we need to have justice, equality, fraternity and dignity of the individual — our basic rights protected. The gathering resolved to fight for these rights,” stated the release.
Participants also resolved to meet their MLAs and MPs with demands that they follow the constitution, not indulge in hate speech, ensure that Dalits and minorities are not attacked and that communal harmony be preserved.
