The Telangana Social Front takes a serious note of the increasing incidence of attacks on the Minorities, Dalits and the weaker sections putting their autonomy, dignity, rights, property and lives in great peril and perpetuating constant fear.
The lynching of Mohd Akhlaq of Dadri in western Uttar Pradesh on the night of 28 September is a heinous instance of the hate crimes that are now part of an emergent pattern of intolerance, hatred and destruction of the social and political harmony based on the values of diversity, mutual respect, pluralism and tolerance enshrined in Indian constitution.
It is time we understand that what are increasingly projected as isolated and stray incidents are in fact the handiwork of the proliferating fascist Hindutva outfits that are organized and fringe that form a pattern and are bent upon destroying the constitutional values and the plural social fabric which is arduously built over the decades through a conscientious civil society and grassroot peoples’ organizations and movements.
The murders of Mohd Akhlaq or Prof Kalburgi are not isolated incidents resulting from the actions of some lunatic fringe elements but are result of a conscious design of the Hindu right.
It is time that we realize and rise in one voice against the emergent scenario of Hindutva fascist danger to the secular plural values, diversity and tolerance in the people’s lives.
The Telangana Social Front joins all the secular democratic forces in condemning in unequivocal terms the brutal senseless murder of Mohd Akhlaq and demands the speedy arrest all those responsible for his murder and institution of a criminal investigation into the role of Hindutva organizations so that real culprits be exposed and brought to book.
The following professors and other members of the Social Front are signatories to the statement.
Prof P L Visweshwer Rao, Prof K Srinivasulu, Prof M Channabasavaiah, Prof D Ravinder,
Dr Akhileshwari Ramagoud, K Sudhakar Goud, Prof S Simhadri.