PRESS RELEASE – SOUTH ASIA SOLIDARITY GROUP – 12th NOVEMBER 2015
MODI NOT WELCOME PROTEST – WHY WE ARE PROTESTING
THURSDAY 12th NOVEMBER, MIDDAY ONWARDS, DOWNING STREET AND PARLIAMENT SQUARE
At least three thousand people are expected to converge on PM David Cameron’s residence in Downing Street on Thursday 12th November during his meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. We will be protesting about Modi’s systematic human rights abuses and promotion of a fascistic politics of hatred in India, as demonstrated by the wave of attacks on Muslims, Christians, and on Dalits which have been orchestrated by Hindu right groups and co-ordinated by the RSS – an organisation modelled on the Nazi and Italian fascist parties – to which Modi owes allegiance. The protests are also against the tide of murders of rationalists and other dissenters, which underline the alarming shift towards fascism in India.
The London protestors stand in solidarity with the very large number of writers, artists, filmmakers, scholars and scientists who have recently returned prestigious government awards in protest at this violence. We also stand in solidarity with the people of Bihar, one of India’s most populous states, which in recent state-level elections have decisively rejected Modi and his party’s politics of hate.
We also cannot forget those who were murdered in the pre-planned genocidal violence against Muslims in Gujarat in 2002 when Modi was Chief Minister, who include three British citizens. We also condemn the hypocrisy of David Cameron who claims to be committed to combating gender violence internationally but is hosting Modi who presided over brutal mass rapes and mutilations of women in Gujarat in 2002.
We will also be protesting Modi’s economic policies in which labour laws are being swept aside, trade unions crushed, campaigning NGOs banned, and foreign and Indian corporates given a free hand to plunder and destroy the environment and indulge in massive human rights abuses. Modi’s latest announcement of further concessions on FDI is another example of his unprincipled selling off of India’s resources at the lowest possible price. It also smacks of desperation – Modi is now being criticized by corporate commentators such as Moody’s and Infosys who fear the tide of violence will be bad for the economy; he is even under attack from his own party’s senior leaders for his rabid bigoted election speeches during the Bihar elections.
In this context we also condemn the role of David Cameron in shamelessly promoting the interests of British corporates – the new East India Companies being welcomed by Modi – whatever the cost to the Indian people. For example planned deals on military aviation will facilitate state terror against India’s own people in regions such as Chhattisgarh, Manipur and Kashmir.
The protest exposes the hypocrisy of Narendra Modi in garlanding the statue of Gandhi in Parliament Square tomorrow when not only was Gandhi’s assassin Nathuram Godse affiliated to Modi’s RSS, but currently in India MPs of his own party such as Sakshi Maharaj have called for a temple to be built in the name of Gandhi’s murderer! It is also the height of hypocrisy to claim to honour Gandhi while continuously violating his values of tolerance and religious harmony.
The protests will see people attending from across the country including Coventry, Birmingham, Nottingham, Crawley, Bradford, Southall and all over London. They include the biggest Dalit organisation in the UK, Castewatch, and human rights, women’s and student groups, in addition to community organizations and groups of all faiths. The protest has been called by a coalition of organizations including South Asia Solidarity Group, who have come together under the banner of the Awaaz Network.
More information: southasiasolidaritygroup@gmail.com @SAsiaSolidarity
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