‘Jantar Mantar is Everywhere’: Global Protests in Solidarity With India’s Anti-SIR Movement.

As protests against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) continue in India, solidarity demonstrations were held in at least 14 cities across 10 countries over the weekend under the common banner of “Jantar Mantar is Everywhere.”The demonstrations took place in Ireland, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, Australia, Sweden, England, Canada, Czechia, and the United States, echoing demands in India for the withdrawal of the SIR and Kumar’s resignation.The international demonstrations, organised by at least 15 various diaspora organisations, civil society groups, and students' outfits, followed days of protests across Indian cities, marked by allegations of police brutality, the detention of protesters and journalists, allegations of sexual assault by Delhi Police personnel, and the incarceration of Cockroach Janta Party leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka.IrelandOn October 17, Dublin, Ireland saw over 70 Indian diasporas protest under the banner South Asia Collective Ireland, formed following the 10 October protest call in Delhi's Jantar Mantar by CJP and several student bodies including the All India Students' Association."We started this community literally on a WhatsApp group to echo the education reform protests that were happening in Delhi back in July. I felt we had to be involved because of the extreme censorship of the press in India- if they can’t talk about what’s going on I felt we really needed to and got this group together," said Sana, an organiser."We are now being able to reach many communities within Ireland. Each time we do a protest there is more interest from Ireland to join the protest- and we gain more and more support. Hopefully our goal of adding pressure on the Indian Government finally succeeds and we’re able to restore our democracy fully," she said."People back in India are being violently silenced right now, so it is our responsibility to raise our voices here, grab international media attention, and build pressure on the government," said Abhay Sharma, another protester."This administration has manipulated people into believing that asking questions is anti-national, which destroys the very fundamentals of democracy. It is sheer hypocrisy for Indians living in the West to enjoy every possible democratic right here, while simultaneously discouraging those fighting for those exact same rights back home," he said.Over the course of the hour, speakers took the mic to read their collective statement and unite with slogans of resistance before unfurling the Tiranga in solidarity with all Indian protesters who were or are under detention. They opened the floor to poetry, songs, speeches, and calls of “Aazadi” — from vote theft to dictatorship.USASeveral cities in the United States of America also saw protests, led by various bodies including SANGAM and Hindus for Human Rights, where protesters spoke about SIR and alleged police brutality in India.Protesters gathered across Austin, San Fransisco, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and New York, raising slogans and carrying banners that said "Dissent is The Heart of Democracy," "Stand With Abhijeet Dipke", "Gali gali mein shor hai, Gyanesh Kumar chor hai" and "Vote Chor Gaddhi Chod"100 Harvard University alumni also issued a statement condemning police action and "violations of constitutional rights of all peaceful protesters" by the Delhi Police during the 10 October protest.The statement condemned the detention of Harvard Law School alumni Shadan Farsat who was detained and "manhandled" by the Delhi Police, and Harvard Kennedy School alumni Mehr Parischa, who was allegedly detained from Laxmi Nagar Market while not being a part of the protests, and kept in detention for 13 hours. "We call upon the government and all law enforcement authorities to immediately cease and desist from all violations of constitutional rights, respect rights to peaceful protest and access to legal assistance, and ensure that those responsible for abuses are held accountable in accordance with the rule of law." The statement saidIn London, On the 17th of October, hundreds gathered to protest at Parliament Square, led by various groups, including the Students' Federation of India United Kingdom, SOAS Ambedkar Society, India Labour Solidarity, Indian Workers Association, South Asia Solidarity Group, Indian Young Congress and was joined by YouTuber Dhruv Rathee, following his detention in Delhi ahead of the 10 October at Jantar Mantar.Alongside slogans and calls against the SIR and CEC Gyanesh Kumar, were slogans raised over the death of Sahik Wakhode at IIT Bombay. Wakhode's parents have been protesting at IIT Bombay, calling the death "murder" and were detained on 18 October alongside several other protesters on hunger strike.A small group of counter protesters also agitated against and harassed the gathering, and asked that the passports of the protesters be checked. They were removed by the police.On 17 October, around 300 people gathered at Oranienplatz in Gemrany's Berlin led by Indians in Berlin and Dept. of Entire Political Science in solidarity with people in India who were denied permission to demonstrate at Jantar Mantar. Participants raised slogans and sang songs invoking Bhagat Singh, inquilab and azaadi.In Göttingen, more than 60 people of different nationalities, including members of left-wing organisations in Göttingen and Students for Palestine, gathered in solidarity led by South Asian Film Club and Progressive Indians Europe.Protesters compared the SIR process to the NRC and CAA, arguing that "questions of citizenship, exclusion, and political participation cannot be separated from material inequality and state power."In Spain around 20 people gathered in Barcelona’s Placa de Tetuan on 17 October.The demonstration started with a recitation of the Preamble of the Indian Constitution. One of the members then delivered a short speech about SIR and the issues that the protest focused on. On 17 October, about 170 people led by Progressive Indians Europe gathered in front of the International Court of Justice in Den Haag for a protest organised by Progressive Indians Europe Community, raising concerns over alleged vote theft and SIR. Protestors sloganeered against the SIR and mass detentions by police across cities in India over Anti-SIR protests.On 10 October, around 50 people led by Progressive Indians in Sweden gathered in Gothenburg, Sweden, and stood in solidarity with the protestors in India calling for accountability in the Election commission of India. Several cities in Canada organised on 17 October in support, including Vancouver, Toronto and MontrealIn Vancouver, over 40 gathered at the Vancouver Art Gallery, led by Indians in Vancouver and organised by South Asian Network for Global Action & Mobilization (SANGAM), coinciding with with provincial election in British Columbia, and were held outisde an electoral polling station.Protests were also organised in Montreal by the South Asian Diaspora Action Collective, where 50 protesters were joined by speakers from International Women’s Alliance and Immigrant Workers Center. Protesters sloganeered against the SIR process and the RSS, and sang a Punjabi rendering of Bella Ciao, by Poojan Sahil, made during the Farmer's protest in India in 2020.Toronto organised a protest, led by SANGAM and Firdaus-e-Inquilab outside the Consulate General of India against the SIR, police detentions and allegations of brutality and sexual violence and the denotification of Jantar Mantar as a designated protest site.Demonstrators opened with recitations of the Preamble to the Indian Constitution, followed by the revolutionary poetry of Gorakh Pandey, Rahat Indori, and Faiz Ahmad Faiz, and recitation of songs such as “Hum Dekhenge” and “We Shall Overcome” and sloganeering of “Modi jab jab darta hai, vote chori karta hai” and “56 inch ka chhota bandar.”In Prague, Czechia, Indians in CZ - Solidarity with Indian Students led a protest against the SIR and the detentions of students and journalists in India.In Australia, protests were held in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, led by the Hindus for Human Rights Australia, The Humanism Project and the Ambedkarite Global Federation."Hum dhanihya ko ghar baithe track kar paa rahe hain. Kahan he dhaniya tu? Lekin hum humare votes nahin track kar paa rahe hain? Democracy ka location nahin dhundh paa rahe hain?" said a protester.

BECOME A MEMBER

In Photos | ‘Jantar Mantar is Everywhere’ Protests in 14 Global Cities

‘Jantar Mantar is Everywhere’ protests spread across cities worldwide in solidarity with India’s anti-SIR movement.

Read Latest News and Breaking News at The Quint, browse for more from news and politics

Topics: Police Brutality Special Intensive Revision