Genocide Calls at Dharm Sansad: APCR Sees Complicity and Patronage of the Ruling Dispensation

New Delhi, 28 Dec 2021 [Fik/News Sources]: The so-called Dharm sansad organised by Hindutva hardliners that turned out to be a hate assembly after new benchmarks of hate speech was held between December 17 and 19 with a motive to set lies and fear as a justification for a clarion call for ethnic cleansing of Indian Muslims.

Describing the call at the hate assembly for replication of Rohingya genocide in India as an attempt at majoritarian radicalisation, Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR) General Secretary Malik Motasim Khan saw a sinister motive to destroy pluralistic character of the Indian society and thereby safeguard their vested interests.

The APCR is a civil rights advocacy group dedicated to the protection and advancement of civil and human rights in India and has been advocating against hate speech and hate crimes for long to mitigate the menace of hatred in our country. .

Denouncing the hate-filled fear-induced speeches of the Hindutva leaders and activists, Malik Motasim Khan termed the Haridwar gathering an unlawful assembly which points to ominous portents for national security.

Malik Motasim Khan further said, “They called themselves nationalists while their substitute for our national slogan “Satya mev jayate”, “Shastra mev jayate”, clearly elucidates their anti-national sentiments.

Malik Motasim saw a serious threat to the inclusivity, diversity and social cohesion of the nation. The venomous outpourings of the hatemongers, he said, are slowly killing our vibrant social fabric.

Nadeem Khan, National Secretary of APCR noted that hate speeches have been historically proved a precursor to full-scale genocides from Rwanda to Bosnia, from Nellie massacre to Delhi pogrom, the narrative followed the same pattern.

He said, “If we dive deeper into the root cause of hate mongers and hate-offenders surfacing in India, we would find complicity, silence and patronage of the ruling dispensation behind it.”

“The blatant display of weapons at the event in the hands of children and the call for militarisation of the majority community against the minority is a chilling sign of the biggest ever human rights challenge gripping the world and silence of the international community would only aggravate the situation to worse than imagined.

In this context, the APCR reiterated its commitment to continue its fight against hate. “

“Recently, we filed a complaint under Sections 153A, 153B, 295A, 298, and 504, 505(2) and 506 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 against Suresh Chavhanke, Editor-in-Chief, Sudarshan News for inciting communal enmity, extending threats and making statements on 19th December 2021 at an event organised by ‘Hindu Yuva Vahini’ at Banarasidas Chandiwala Auditorium near Govindpuri Metro Station, New Delhi,” the APCR resolution reads.

While the Constitution of India, under Article 19(1)(a) provides for the right to freedom of speech and expression, it puts reasonable restrictions on it under Article 19(2). The 267th Law Commission Report states, “Hate speech has the potential of provoking individuals or society to commit acts of terrorism, genocides, ethnic cleansing etc.”

The APCR makes the following recommendations from the different stakeholders:

* The Supreme Court or the Uttarakhand High Court should take suo moto cognizance of the incident and issue direction for registration of FIR under relevant sections.

* The organisers, speakers, participants, promoters and facilitators of the Haridwar assembly must be arrested forthwith to initiate a free and fair investigation.

* The governments should break its silence and must come up with an action plan and policy to curb rising hatred against minorities.

* Citizens should come forward to speak and write against hate speech and hate mongers to out rightly reject their sinister plans with more and not less speech.