Recently, in Allahabad, some Sangh Parivar goons tried to threat some students who were doing postering exposing the reality of the Fascist Narendra Modi. This is an attack on the freedom of expression which symbolises the shrinking democratic space in the country. SFS appeals all the progressive sections of the society to stand in solidarity with the students and oppose the growing hooliganism of the Saffron brigade.
Here is the appeal by the ‘Shaheed Bhagat Singh Vichar Manch’ and ‘Stree Mukti League’.
An appeal to the intellectuals and citizens for safeguarding the freedom of expression
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Friends,
A progressive student-youth forum ‘Shaheed Bhagat Singh Vichar Manch’ and ‘Stree Mukti League’, an organization dedicated towards the emancipation of women, have been publishing two wall magazines ‘Samveg’ and ‘Pratirodh’ for the last two years in Allahabad. Apart from regularly writing against the cultural haze being spread in the society by media, films etc., these wall magazines have been working towards spreading the ideas of social change. These wall magazines are prepared by the the university students themselves and the the financial, material and intellectual contribution for these magazines are being provided by the students only. The wall magazines are not only pasted inside the campus but they are also pasted in the different parts of the city and thousands of people read it regularly.
For the last one month, the activists of 'Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad' and 'Bajrang Dal' have been giving death threat to the students and social activists who prepare these magazines. The reason is that these magazines have been carrying critical comments on the communal fascist activities of the Sangh Parivar and their nefarious design of spreading communal tension. The constitution and the law of the land give everyone the right to express one's thoughts within the ambit of the constitution. But we all are aware that the fraternal organisations of the communal-fascist Sangh parivar cannot tolerate any criticism. It has been part of their habit to silence all kinds of dissent and criticism through mob violence. Similar attempt is under way in Allahabad now. These communal-fascist goons are hurling abuses through phone to the social activists who prepare these magazines and they are also threatening to 'be prepared to be butchered like the muslims in Gujarat'. Clearly any organisation having progressive ideology would not be perturbed by such threats. But at the same time what is also important is that all the democratic and progressive forces of not only Allahabad but throughout the country be united against such fascist acts. It is to be noted that the recent edition of 'Samveg' carried some facts and figures exposing the claims of the development in Gujarat and in the last issue of 'Pratirodh' , Modi supporters' act of spreading through the social media the semi-nude picture Amartya Sen's actress daughter after his statement against Modi was strongly criticised. This was too much to the Modi supporter Sanghis of Allahabad. It is noteworthy that Amit Shah, Modi's right hand, has been appointed as BJP's election in-charge in Uttar Pradesh. He is the same person against whom the investigation in the Gujarat riots of 2002 is still under way. So Modi's fascism has been revealed even before his coming to power.
When the social activists who prepare these magazines asked the name and address of the person who was threatening over phone, he introduced himself as a medical college student and once he told his name as Pankaj and later as Rajesh and the room number he told was once 161 and later 170. Subsequently they also hurled abuses and gave threats with the help of two other students through mobiles nos 9415651857 and 8574380116. When three of our comrades went to paste the wall magazine once again, he started tearing it off. When opposed he started threatening to manhandle by calling the people of ABVP and Bajrang Dal. Later, from 7 pm to 12 pm they (some of them were introducing themselves as belonging to ABVP and some as belonging to Bajrang Dal and some were saying that they are from Hindu hostel) kept on giving threats through phone of teaching a lesson and butchering. When the activists of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Vichar Manch said that everyone is free to express his opinion in a democratic society and they could as well publish their posters and magazines to express their opinion, they said that they would tear off anything written against Modi and would not allow the magazine to be pasted in the medical college and they asked us to give our address so as to teach us a lesson.
When these fascists have this kind of attitude when they are not in power, one could only imagine what such forces would do with all kinds of political dissent and with minorites and Dalits when they will be in power. But such threats by these forces cannot stop us from writing in the interest of people. We will keep on speaking the truth and be ready with all kinds of struggle. We will soon organize a joint protest demonstration in the Allahabad city against such forces. We appeal to all progressive, democratic, justice-loving student-youth organizations, women organizations, citizen organizations and to all the citizens to join us in this struggle. We need to collectively fight the communal fascist forces and their nefarious design of spreading communal frenzy in the society.
First they came for the Jews,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a Jew.
Then they came for the labourers,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a labourer.
Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a trade unionist.
Then they came for the communists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a communist.
Then they came for me,
and there was no one left to speak for me.
(famous poem by Pastor Nimoller, a German poet during the Hitler era)
Shaheed Bhagat Singh Vichar Manch, Stree Mukti League
Phone No – 8115491369, 8303889357