Citizen-activists unveil ‘manifesto’ against hate’

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 4

A group of citizen-activists from the Capital today unveiled their “manifesto against hate” demanding time-bound justice for victims of mob lynching, fake encounters and “targeted assassinations” and said all intelligence agencies should be made accountable to Parliament.

A 16-page charter of demands released by community building organisation called United against Hate here accused the RSS of attempting to undermine the Indian Constitution, trying to impose a “uniform nationalistic idea” on India.

The activists urged anti-BJP and anti-RSS political forces to incorporate their demands in their respective election manifestos.

The manifesto, drafted by academics, entrepreneurs, student activists and advocates, said, “Hate crimes, hate mongering, profiling of communities and misuse of laws are antithetical to the idea of democracy. The current offensive on the Republic and its Constitution are part of the RSS agenda to turn our secular democracy into a Hindu Rashtra.”

The demands made by NGO leaders — academics Ghazala Jamil and Apoorvanand, advocate Sanjay Hegde and mediaperson Urmilesh — are ensure proper investigation of all cases of mob lynching, constitute high-powered judicial tribunal on hate crimes and targeted attacks on minorities, constitute an independent judicial tribunal on alleged encounters, pass the Prevention of Communal and Targeted Violence (Access to Justice and Reparation) Bill, frame a law against lynching and implement the SC guidelines on the same.

The other demands are abolish all draconian laws, including Unlawful Activities Prevention Act and National Security Act among others, scrap the Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2016, frame the religious Minorities Prevention of Atrocities Act.

The manifesto said there were at least 122 cases of mob lynching since 2014 and almost 60 per cent of the victims were Muslims.  Demanding a fair compensation for the families of lynching victims, United against Hate said judicial tribunals on the lines of the Armed Forces Tribunal and National Green Tribunal be constituted to prove hate crimes and deliver speedy justice in all cases.