A citizens’ protest meeting was organized on 28 October 2018 at the Bhagat Singh Chowk in Patna against the state repression and arrest of human rights activists and their being thrown into jail. Hundreds of citizens including intellectuals, writers, poets, students and youth participated in the meeting.
Addressing the meeting, poet Alok Dhanwa said that we are passing through a period of undeclared emergency and demanded the speedy release of the jailed activists. He said that the present government is hell bent on crushing freedom of speech and is establishing the rule of capitalists in the country today. He said that the Prime Minister has thrown away the dignity of his post.
AIPWA Secretary Saroj Choube said that the people of the country will surely root out and throw out this government which has repressed and oppressed them. She said that the people will light up this dark period by protests on the streets. Bharti S Kumar called on the people to raise their voice and show this repressive government the way out. She said that the arrest and jailing of human rights activists under false charges has exposed the true face of this government.
Presiding over the meeting, former Director of the AN Sinha Institute Prof. DM Diwakar said that in these dark times the whole country is with those who raise their voice for farmers, workers, and the poor. The government is trying to suppress the voice of the people. The government has failed to fulfill all its promises, and is therefore trying to threaten and silence those who question their failure. The government is targeting all institutions whose job is to uphold democracy. He warned the government and said that the people of the country are raising their voice and coming out on the streets and will definitely throw out this government and the fascist forces.
