CASR (CAMPAIGN AGAINST STATE REPRESSION ) STRONGLY CONDEMNS THE INDIAN STATE’S BRUTAL REPRESSION ON PALESTINIAN SOLIDARITY DEMONSTRATIONS ALL OVER INDIA TO SHOW LOYALTY TOWARDS ISRAEL
Unlawful attacks by the Indian government have intensified since the 7th October 2023 Palestinian resistance against the Zionist entity of Israel, against all who are coming in solidarity with the Palestinian people. In Uttar Pradesh, four students at Aligarh Muslim University were booked under IPC’s Sections 153A (promoting enmity among different groups), 188 (disobedience to order promulgated by public servant) and 505 (statements conducting to public mischief) for taking a pro-Palestine march. Students at Jamia Millia Islamia University were detained, and their posters were torn by the police for a demonstration in support of Palestine. In Kashmir, the Jamia Masjid in Srinagar was pre-emptively shut down prior to its Friday prayers out of fear that pro-Palestine protests would emerge after the conclusion of the prayers. Chairperson of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has once again been placed under house arrest as part of this pre-emptive clampdown. In Karnataka, Aslam Basha was detained for a WhatsApp status in support of Palestine. Activists associated with Revolutionary Workers’ Party of India, Shivani Kaul, Prasen, Baban Thoke, Ashay, Shashank, Dhananjay were put under house arrest and then subsequently detained in Delhi, Allahabad, and Mumbai when they called for a protest on October 13. In Mumbai, activists Ruchir and Supreeth suffered physical injuries at the hands of the police and were detained too. Eight other activists were detained in Delhi for similar reasons. In Allahabad, members of Disha Students Organization were detained too while in Telangana, Bhargavi, Hina, Sreeja, Sam, Geetha, Anita, Mahipal and Anand were detained. On 16th October, in Delhi, various civil society and intellectuals called for a citizen’s protest at Jantar Mantar but people were detained before they could make it to Jantar Mantar, including Delhi University’s Professor Saroj Giri. The police brought forth large cohorts of male and female constables in a display of the desperation of the government to clamp down on this protest. These cohorts attacked and detained people joining the protest which also included various trade union activists. A Delhi University student was chased down by the police and physically assaulted. She was then detained.
The Indian government has made a mockery of its own mandates in this conflict, with the Minister of External Affairs re-iterating India’s old diplomatic position of supporting Palestinian self-determination and the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state yet brutal undemocratic suppression of all coming in support of Palestine is being undertaken by the government. In AMU, the university authorities and the police have gone so far as to say that Narendra Modi’s tweet, which offered its support to Israel, is the ‘stand of the country’ and any protest in support of Palestine and its self-determination is deemed to be in contravention to the law of the land, which happens to be determined by a tweet of the Prime Minister. Based on this tweet, the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has already ordered the police to clamp down on any social media or any other statement in support of Palestine. India’s formal position has little meaning in the eyes of Brahmanical Hindutva fascist forces who are using this to foster violence towards Muslims in India. Indian law has taken a backseat, with the police suppressing pro-Palestine demonstrations based on the tweets of the Prime Minister. An atmosphere of fear-mongering and of Zionist support is being built by this suppression of Palestinian support, even when Palestine’s just right to self-determination is recognized by the United Nations too.
Campaign Against State Repression condemns the Zionist attacks and the war crimes committed by Israel on the people of Palestine and further condemns the undemocratic actions of the Indian state in support of these attacks and against Palestinian self-determination.
CASR demands immediate release of all persons detained by the police.
Campaign Against State Repression
(AIRSO,AISA, AISF, APCR,BASF, BSM, Bhim Army, Bigul Mazdoor Dasta, bsCEM, CEM, CRPP, CTF, Disha, DISSC, DSU, DTF, Fraternity ,IAPL, Karnataka Janashakti, LAA,Mazdoor Adhikar Sangathan, Mazdoor Patrika, , Morcha Patrika, NAPM, NBS, Nowruz, NTUI, People’s Watch, Rihai Manch, Samajwadi Janparishad,Smajwadi lok manch, Bahujan Samjavadi Mnach, SFI, United Against Hate, WSS,Y4S)
