After capturing the imagination of an entire nation, ‘Not In My Name’ protests reached Gujarat with around 600 people participating in the rally organised by Gujarat Jan Andolan at Ahmedabad yesterday. Though the Gujarat Police had denied permission for using public speakers at the event, hundreds of people gathered at Ahmedabad’s Jhansi Rani Circle to protest against mob lynching in the name of cow vigilantism.
Those who participated in the protests could be seen holding placards, ‘Not in my name’, ‘Jobs not mobs’ and ‘Shed hate not blood’ as they formed a human chain on the Satellite Road in Ahmedabad. On 28 June, thousands had turned up at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar and 12 other cities including London to protest the killing of 15-year-old Junaid Khan who was stabbed on board a train at Ballabhgarh in Haryana, earlier in June.
A day after the protests Prime Minister Narendra Modi, had said, “Killing people in the name of Gau Bhakti (cow worship) is not acceptable.”
Performance by a musical troupe was another highlight of the rally at Ahmedabad with artists chanting slogans like, “Zinda hai toh halla bol, Jeena hai toh halla bol (if you want to survive, then raise your voice).” Among those who participated in the event included senior advocate at Gujarat High Court Girish Patel, noted academician Ghanshyam Shah, former Gujarat chief minister Suresh Mehta and few students from IIM Ahmedabad, along with activists from the PUCL.
There have been debates over whether ‘Not in my name’ protests truly represent the voice of minorities as some termed them elitist. Pratik Sinha, founder of Alt News who participated at the event told The Quint, “These protests were an extension of what happened in Delhi. We are trying to raise the issue of mob lynching. This was a show of solidarity against a phenomenon that’s hurting our democracy.”
Former IPS officer-turned-lawyer Rahul Sharma told the press at Ahmedabad, “Human life does not have caste or religion. Lynching of human beings in the name of religion or in the name of protection of cow deserves to be condemned by all.”
Gujarat had hit the headlines last year after seven Dalits of a family were beaten up by cow vigilantes for skinning a dead cow, sparking protests across the state. A video of the victims being attacked by iron rods and sticks had gone viral resulting in massive outcry by activists and politicking over the incident.
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