India: CASR strongly condemns the killing of 5 Muslim youth by UP Police
We hereby share a statement we have received.
25 November 2024
On 24th Nov 2024, the Uttar Pradesh Police unleashed violence on protestors leading to the murder of 3 Muslim youth initially. In a video that emerged from Sambhal, the police can be clearly seen shooting at civilians. Later, the death toll due to police firing has risen to 5, all from the Muslim community. Slain individuals include Kaif (17), Ayan (18), Naeem (28), Noman (42) and Bilal Ansari (25). The incident happened when the local Muslim population protested against the survey of Shahi Jama Masjid by a court-appointed team which arrived with a crowd of Hindutva goons chanting “Jai Shree Ram” to communally attack and humiliate the minority community.
The survey was ordered by the District Court in Sambhal in a petition filed by Vishnu Jain claiming that the Shahi Jama Masjid mosque is built over a Hindu temple named Hari Hari. It is very concerning that a court is openly acting as an instrument of Brahmanical Hindutva Fascist forces, entertaining absurd petitions and ordering surveys without hearing the other party i.e. the caretakers of Shahi Jama Masjid or local Muslim population. It is even further troubling that a court appointed survey team is marching up to the mosque with Hindutva goons, chanting communally charged slogans to hurt the sentiments of local Muslim minorities who were already aggrieved by the unlawful order of survey.
This whole incident up to the arrival of Survey team and the brutal repressive method used by the police against the protestors projects a disconcerting pattern of growing Saffronisation of institutions like the judiciary, the executive and the police machinery; leaving the aggrieved minority community with no recourse but to protest to protect their dignity. The protest should not be seen as a clash but a willful escalation of the situation by the state authorities. Furthermore, the District administration, instead of holding Hindutva forces accountable for escalation, are trying to cover up the issue by issuing an order restraining all social and democratic organisations and individuals from entering Sambhal. This is worryingly similar to the tactic that was used by the Nuh Administration in the Mewat incident, in Manipur, in Bastar and all regions where the state’s excess can be exposed by a fact-finding team visiting the region.
This attack on the right to practice and propagate one’s religion and subsequent attack on fundamental right to assembly and freedom of expression should be seen as an example of how the state and its machinery is becoming a tool to represent the interests of the ruling class ideology of Fascism and curtail the democratic rights and space of minorities. This attack on minorities belonging to the exploited section of the society is part of the state’s agenda to establish an unconstitutional and discriminatory Hindutva state by using the police force as its personal army to enforce its diktat. This clearly shows that the “Rule of the Law” is selectively applied to favour the fascist forces, while the masses have neither basic democratic space nor basic rights.
Campaign Against State Repression strongly condemn the barbaric murder of the 5 Muslim youth and demand the following:
1. Police personnel/officers responsible for extrajudicial killing of 5 youths must be held accountable.
2. Scrap the unlawful and communally motivated survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid.
3. Register FIR against the Hindutva goons for communally polarising the local atmosphere and breaching peace.
4. Allow social and democratic organisations to visit Sambhal.
CAMPAIGN AGAINST STATE REPRESSION
Organizing Team
(AIRSO,AISA, AISF, APCR,ASA,BAPSA BBAU,BASF, BSM, Bhim Army, bsCEM, CEM,COLLECTIVE,CRPP, CSM CTF, DISSC, DSU, DTF, Forum Against Repression Telangana, Fraternity, IAPL, Innocence Network, Karnataka Janashakti, LAA, Mazdoor Adhikar Sangathan, Mazdoor Patrika, NAPM, NAZARIYA , Nishant Natya Manch, Nowruz, NTUI, People’s Watch, Rihai Manch, Samajwadi Janparishad, Samajwadi Lok Manch, Bahujan Samjavadi Manch, SFI, United Peace Alliance, WSS,Y4S)
