Kerala: LDF, Progressive Organisations Hold Solidarity Marches With Manipur Violence Victims
AIDWA members took out a rally in Thiruvananthapuram in solidarity with the affected people of Manipur.
The horrific incidents in Manipur, particularly after the video of Kuki-Zo women being paraded naked and sexually harassed appeared in public, several organisations have stepped up protest in Kerala, condemning the violence.
The ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) has been organising solidarity meetings in all Assembly constituencies, even as women, youth and student organisations have hit the streets against the inaction of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) governments in the Centre and Manipur.
The protesting organisations have condemned the atrocities against the members of the Kuki-Zo tribes and the “lethargic attitude” of the Biren Singh government ever since the violence began on May 3. The All-India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA) has called for sacking of the Manipur chief minister, given his failure to contain the violence leading to loss of lives, thousands of people being displaced, destruction of worship places and houses.
Speaking with Newsclick, P K Sreemathi Teacher, the national president of AIDWA, condemned the heinous crimes against the women of the Kuki-Zo tribes. “We have never witnessed such atrocities against women even under the fascistic rule of Adolf Hitler in Germany or even in the Taliban-ruled Afghanistan. They killed people, but parading women naked in the public, molesting and harassing them has taken place in Manipur”, she said.
DYFI members took out torchlight protests across 3,000 locations in Kerala against atrocities committed against the Kuki-ZO tribes (courtesy: DYFI Kerala)
The AIDWA units hit the streets without any call from the organisation when the video of Kuki-Zo women being paraded and molested by a group of Meitei men came out in the public.
“The BJP has no moral responsibility to remain in office. The failure to protect women from the rioters has exposed their inability”, Sreemathi Teacher added.
The CITU, AIKS and Kerala Samsthana Karshaka Thozhilali Sangam (affiliated to All India Agricultural Workers Union) held joint protests across Kerala (Courtesy: CITU Kerala)
Reacting to the observations of the Supreme Court on the failure of theUnion and Manipur state governments in ending the riots, the AIDWA leader said: “None of the women leaders including the Honourable President of India, Droupadi Murmu, the Manipur governor nominated by the president herself, Anusuiya Uikey, Union Minister for Women and Child Development Smriti Irani and Women’s Commission Chairperson Rekha Sharma are able to ensure relief for the Kuki-Zo women. None of the women in our country are safe”, she added.
A solidarity protest by the working women’s coordination committee of the Kerala Cooperative Employees Union (Courtesy: CITU Kerala)
Candlelight protests were held in homes, too, and rallies were held in district headquarters on behalf of the All India Working Women’s Coordination Committee demanding the BJP-led Union government to break its silence on the Manipur violence and detain those guilty of harassing and molesting women.
(Courtesy: CITU Kerala)
The Kerala State secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)], M V Govindan, drew parallels between the Manipur violence and the Gujarat massacre in 2002. “The murders and riots in Manipur are not isolated incidents. This is a continuation of the Gujarat pogrom. How can we claim ourselves to be a democratic country when humiliating incidents are unravelling from Manipur. The communal violence is changing into a genocide. The Prime Minister should reply in the Parliament”, a statement by Govindan read.
P K Sreemathi Teacher addressing a protest held in Kalliasseri Assembly segment in Kannur organised by the LDF.
The Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) held candlelight marches and protests in around 3,000 block level centres across Kerala. The Students Federation of India (SFI) has held protests, rallies and demonstrations in the campuses and district headquarters.
The United Democratic Front (UDF) is organising a solidarity meeting to uphold diversity on July 29.
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