Save Constitution-Save Secularism Marches Held in All States on 6 December
THE Black Day of demolition of Babri Masjid and the Death Anniversary of Dr. BR Ambedkar was observed on 6 December as ‘Save the Constitution-Save Secularism’ Day at joint call by left parties including CPI(ML), CPI, CPM, RSP and Forward Bloc. Various programmes were taken and marches were held in all state capitals and major centres throughout the country.
In Delhi the march was organised from Mandi House to Parliament Street on the day which was attended by a large number including many prominent citizens. The march was led by Sitaram Yechury, Dipankar Bhattacharya, D Raja, Prakash Karat, Vrinda Karat and other left leaders.
CPI(ML) General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya said in his speech that to resist the forces attacking country’s multi-cultural identity, democracy and the Constitution is the primary task before all democratic, progressive and patriotic forces in India. He said that “those who demolished Babri Masjid on 6 Dec 1992 are now in the seat of power in our country. This indicates that the same danger prevails today manifold escalated. Then it wasn’t merely an attack on the Masjid, but an attack on the very premises of our Constitution, our democratic political system, the rule of law, and on the very identity of our country.
“Today they are subverting the Constitution, rule of law, and Parliamentary system. The attack on a Masjid, changing of names of cities, attempts to erase the muslim identity of our nation amount to conspiratorial attack on our country’s identity. Today we need to build a strong resistance against such forces to defend our Constitution, Democracy and Identity as a nation.
“As elections are approaching these people are again raising the issue of mandir because they have not fulfilled the promise of giving 2 crore employments per year, they also won’t answer why our four lakh farmers committed suicide as they are not serious about farmers’ problems; hence they are again conspiratorially trying to raise the Mandir issue. As for the Babri Masjid, the cases are pending in the Supreme Court – against those who demolished the Babri Masjid, and also for the title suite of the land of the Babri masjid. But they are clamouring for a legislation in the parliament because they have no faith in the SC.
“Our constitution ensures equality among all the citizens irrespective of religion or faith. Liberty, Equality and Fraternity are enshrined in the preamble of our Constitution. But they want to undermine our constitution to convert the country into a Hindi Rashtra. But we must not forget Dr. BR Ambedkar whose death anniversary is today, who had said that imposition of a Hindu Raj will be the greatest calamity for our country.
“We must pledge today to fight the forces active against social transformation, equality and justice which are trying to subvert the constitution of India, our democratic system, our Ganga-Jamuni culture and our country’s multicultural identity. Today Left parties in all parts of the country are in streets with thousands of people to take this pledge. We have seen how goonda-raj, torture, police terror in UP initially attacking muslims, women and weak has now extended its tentacles to the extent that now nobody is safe in that state where a Vinod Tiwary had to face a fake encounter and Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh was killed by the mob. It is now our responsibility to fight off this reign of terror.
“Today they are subverting our educational institutions, and changing curriculum. They want to bring a mob rule in place of democracy and are imposing on us things like what we should eat and what to wear. Yogi, Modi and Amit Shah are leading this terror of mob rule. Let us defend the Constitution, democracy and multi-culturalism against mobs.
“Elections are taking place in five states, so they are trying divert the attention from main issues of farmers, youth, workers, dalits, women etc by the communal propaganda in the name of mandir. We must forge a stronger and wider unity up to every village and town to take the vision of Dr. Ambedkar of a democratic modern India where liberty, fraternity and equality is guaranteed to all. We must fight and ensure that black day of history when the Babri Masjid was demolished would never be repeated ever again.”
In Patna, Bihar, prior to the march, BR Ambedkar’s statue at the High Court complex was garlanded and tributes were paid. From there, hundreds of people including Left leaders and activists, and civil citizens marched to Gandhi Maidan wearing black arm bands. A Sankalp Sabha was held at the Gandhi Maidan in front of the Gandhi statue, where a resolution was passed to defeat fascist forces and strengthen the fight to save the country, our Constitution, and secularism. The Sankalp Sabha was addressed by CPI State Secretary Com. Satyanarayan Singh, CPI(ML) PB member Com. Rajaram Singh, CPI-M CC member Com. Arun Mishra, Forward Bloc leader Com. Amerika Mahto, RSP leader Com. Virendra Thakur, AIPWA Bihar State Secretary Com. Shashi Yadav, AIDWA leader Com. Rampari Devi, and Bihar Mahila Samaj leader Com. Nivedita Jha and many other leaders. Left leaders said that the BJP-RSS Parivar is not only creating an atmosphere of hate and poison in the country, but is also openly flouting our cherished Constitution which was born of the struggle for independence.
Similar programs were organized at all other District HQs also on 6 December.
In Haryana, CPI(ML) organized a dharna at Jind in Haryana dedicated to the memory of Babasaheb Ambedkar and against communal hatred and violence. On this occasion, Com. Prem Singh Gehlawat said that BJP leaders LK Advani, MM Joshi, Uma Bharti, Vinay Katiyar, Sadhvi Ritambhara, Vishnu Hari Dalmiya, Ram Vilas Vedanti, Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, Champak Rai Bansal, Baikunth Lal Prem, and others were involved in the crime of the demolition of the Babri Masjid. They fanned the flames of communal hatred and divisiveness. The justice has not been done even after 26 years. All the perpetrators are roaming free. Party District Secretary Vinod Kumar said that communal hatred is being fanned in Haryana in the name of cow protection. The murder of cattle herder Pehlu Khan shows how the Manohar Lal Khattar government is encouraging communalism. They do not want to solve the problems of the common people.
In Uttar Pradesh, programs Left parties were organized in several districts. The programs included strong protests against the sponsored violence and killing of Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh in Bulandshahr by the Bajrang Dal and other Sanghi organizations in the name of ‘cow slaughter’. In the State capital Lucknow, a joint march was held from Parivartan Chowk to the Ambedkar statue in Hazratganj. The march resounded with slogans demanding punishment for the guilty in the Babri demolition, judicial enquiry into the Bulandshahr incident, arrest of Subodh Kumar’s killers, and the resignation of CM Adityanath who is responsible for the Bulandshahr incident. The march was led by CPI (ML) leader Ramesh Sengar, CPI-M leader Praveen Pandey and UN Singh from Forward Bloc. At Varanasi, a joint march was organized from Shastri Ghat to Kachheri. Dharnas were held at Kanpur and Gorakhpur, and conventions organized at Faizabad, Allahabad, and Moradabad. A convention was also organized at Mathura by the CPI(ML).
CPI(ML) UP Secretary Sudhakar Yadav led the march at Robertsganj in Sonbhadra. Marches were also organized at Ghazipur, Sitapur, Urai (Jalaun), Mughalserai (Chandauli), Puranpur (Pilibhit), and Lakhimpur Kheeri; and dharnas were organized at District HQs in Deoriya, Bhadohi and Mau.
In West Bengal, thousands of people participated in a massive march in Kolkata which was led by all prominent leaders of left parties. In other towns there were similar marches attended by common people in large numbers.
The ‘Defend Constitution and Secularism Day’ march was organized by Left Parties at Puducherry. CPI (ML) PB member Shankar, CPIM PB member G Rama Krishnan, National Secretary of CPI Narayana, Balasubranian, Puducherry secretary CPI (ML) along with other left parties addressed the gathering. Similar marches were also organized in Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand and several other states.
