"This is Not the Future We Want": Mumbaikars March to Defend Humanity

Thousands of people in Mumbai marched on Monday against mob lynchings and hate crimes across the country. The march called “Nafrat ke Khilaaf Insaaniyat Ki Awaaz (The Voice of Humanity against Hatred) was called by civil society groups, trade unions, intellectuals and concerned citizens.  Raising slogans like “Don’t kill in the name of cows”, protesters marched from Mumbai’s Kotwal Garden to Chaitya Bhoomi, Dr. BR Ambedkar’s memorial in Dadar.

The march came five days after thousands protested at Carter Road in Bandra as part of the “Not In My Name” campaign. Documentary filmmaker Anand Patwardhan, Baripa Bahujan Mahasangh leader Prakash Ambedkar and CPI leader Prakash Reddy were among those who led the march.

Pointing out the rise in attacks against the marginalized under Modi regime,Patwardhan said "We are not expecting any action from the government. They won't do anything, we are sure. But we want to appeal directly to the people that they have to save the constitution and for that they need their voices to be heard".

"It is not just Muslims who are being targeted by gau rakshaks. Even Dalits and whoever else opposes the government's policies are being targeted," said Patwardhan.

Mentioning the Hindutva forces and its vicious attacks on the marginalized, Prakash Ambedkar said “The lynching culture is on a rise. Hindu religion has two sects these days, one that promotes lynching and hatred and the other that promotes brotherhood, equality and fraternity. We want to promote the other Hinduism".

Filmmakers Nishta Jain & Surabhi Sharma, writer Sameera Khan and Democratic Youth Federation of India Maharashtra state secretary Preethy Sekhar were also at the protest, alongside members of Communist Party of India (Marxist),  trade union activists, Govind  Pansare  Abhiwadan  Samiti and Janvadi  Lekhak  Sangh activists, members of grassroots organisations as well as students and Mumbai residents from all walks of life.

During the protest march, artists from the Kabir Kala Manch sang revolutionary songs to express their solidarity with the march.

Urging a ban on Gau rakshaks, Prakash Reddy said: “Thirty-eight organisations and trade unions joined the march to put pressure on the government. The protest will go on until lynchings stop.”

Earlier, a statement released by the protesters accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of keeping mum about the rise in atrocities under his Government. “The rise of the RSS and BJP in 2014 has been marked by lynchings and killings of Muslims, Dalits, and rationalists,” the statement said.

Appealing to the people to unite to save secularism and democracy, the statement said “This is not the future we want. We are Hindus, Muslims, Christians and people of all denominations, castes and creeds including some who have no religion. We do not believe that the present regime will stop the destruction of the secular, democratic India promised to us by our Constitution. So this is not an appeal to the government. It is a wake-up call to the conscience of the country.”