Ghazanfar Abbas, IndiaTomorrow.net
New Delhi, Nov 21: Seeking justice for their sons, mothers of Rohith Vemula and Najeeb Ahmed, along with several hundred people including students, community leaders and social activists, marched towards the Parliament House here on Monday.

Hyderabad University student Rohith committed suicide in his hostel room in January this year. Jawaharlal Nehru University student Najeeb Ahmed mysteriously disappeared from his hostel room on 15th Oct, day after his scuffle with and being assaulted by some members of ABVP.

The protest march, organized by Students Islamic Organisation of India, began from Mandi House in the afternoon and ended in a public meeting at Jantar Mantar near the Parliament House.

Addressing the gathering, Rohith’s mother Radhika Vemula said, “The incident happened to Rohith in Hyderabad was repeated in JNU. Since BJP came to power in the centre, such incidents have increased against minorities and Dalits. As people made this chai wala (tea vendor) PM, people will also make him a chain wala (imprisoned) again.”

Najeeb’s mother Fatima Nafees said: “Those who brutally assaulted my son must be arrested and sent to jail. They must be interrogated harshly to find Najeeb. They have hidden him. If they are interrogated harshly, they will speak.”

Earlier this month, the proctorial enquiry, set up by the JNU administration to investigate the 14th Oct incident, has found some members of ABVP guilty of assaulting Najeeb who mysteriously disappeared from his hostel room day after the incident and has remained untraced till date.

In his speech, Christian leader and eminent civil rights activist Dr John Dayal said, “Country must see the pain of these mothers. It is not right that police can’t find Najeeb. This is the same police which catch people in 15 min and tell everything about them. This conspiracy is not just against Muslims but to take this country to a wrong direction. At the time of emergency (1975) many things happened but less than what is happening today.”

Secretary General of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind Mohammad Salim Engineer, said “This march is not just for these four cases of Rohith, Najeeb, Minhaj and Dalits beaten in Una. This is for Adivasis also who are killed in the name of Naxalites and Maoists. And ultimately this is to save our country. We should see that all these incidents happened because of one ideology which killed Mahatma Gandhi. It seems the country is on the path to fascism way.”

National president of SIO, Iqbal Husain said, “We can see how democratic institutions – from FTII to universities to NHRC – are being communalised. This is the first time in 70 years of free India that a vice president of a ruling party is being selected as member of NHRC. We have seen how the agencies are being misused, how Dalits were beaten in Una and how Adivasi villagers were shot dead in Jharkhand.”

Talking about Najeeb’s case, he said that when the inquiry of the university has found some students guilty of assaulting Najeeb and they have been served notice, then why the police are not taking any action against them.

S Raghwan, president of Lok Raj Sangathan said, “Democracy is under threat and this threat is not just against Muslims and Dalits, it is against all poor and common people from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. The recent demonetisation is also an attack against the poor and common people. We should fight together. Attack against one is attack against all.”

Navaid Hamid, president, All India Muslim Majlise Mushawarat, lawyer-activist Shehzad Poonawalla, Rajasthan Welfare Party president Rashid Hussain also took part in the protest march and addressed the gathering.

Shehzad Poonawalla said, “This attack is not against Najeeb, it is against all students. While it has been revealed by the proctor’s report what happened to Najeeb a day before his disappearance, then why Delhi police have not taken any action.”

“The country dreamed by Gandhi, Ambedkar and Maulana Azad is being made the country of Godse’s dream. They are dividing us into Hindus and Muslims. Till justice is not delivered we will continue our struggle,” he said.

At the end of the program, SIO submitted a memorandum to the President of India seeking his intervention in Najeeb’s case.

via – indiatomorrow.net