AISA condemns the arbitrary arrests of 13 students at Banaras Hindu University (BHU) by UP Police. The students were arrested for commemorating Manusmriti Dahan Diwas by burning the text and have since then been sent to judicial custody for 14 days under non-bailable charges. They have also been denied access to their families and legal counsel. AISA also condemns police action against Jay Saraf from Sitamarhi, Bihar for a similar commemoration on this historic day of resistance.
The burning of the Manusmriti is an act of resistance rooted in the legacy of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, who burned the Manusmriti first on December 25, 1927 in a denunciation of its casteist, patriarchal and regressive principles. A commemoration of this historic act in the form of Manusmriti Dahan Diwas is an assertion of the rights of Dalits, women and queer people against oppressive caste and patriarchal hierarchies.
From Ambedkar’s time to the present, anti-caste Dalit voices have faced repression whenever they have challenged caste hierarchies to demand equality. The recent insult by Union Home Minister Amit Shah to Ambedkar is indicative of the great discomfort of Manuwadi voices towards his anti-caste legacy. It resonates with the broader pattern of attacks on Ambedkar’s statues, the blatant attempts and declarations to change the constitution, shielding perpetrators of caste atrocities and building narratives to undermine affirmative action policies.
Rejecting not just the caste oppressive but also the anti-women legacy of the text, Manusmriti Dahan Diwas is also commemorated as Stree Mukti Diwas. An attack on the commemoration of Manusmriti Dahan Diwas therefore is an erasure of the historical and cultural movements that have challenged the deeply casteist and patriarchal ideas of Manu.
The Sangh brigade and its supporting state mechanisms have unleashed a campaign of harassment against individuals rejecting the Manusmriti, which js in fact, an assertion against oppression, and for justice, dignity and equality.
We demand:
- Immediate and unconditional release of all arrested students and activists who were detained for commemorating Manusmriti Dahan Diwas.
- Strict action against police officials responsible for unlawful detentions and suppression of peaceful protests.
- An end to the crackdown on the fundamental right to peaceful assembly, free expression, and resistance against systemic oppression.
AISA calls on all democratic, progressive and anti-caste forces to unite in solidarity. It urges every citizen committed to peace and equality to strengthen the fight against oppressive regimes and ideologies. The struggle for equal rights for Dalits, women, marginalised in India is deeply connected to global movements for justice, equality, and human dignity. By resisting this repression, we honor Ambedkar’s vision and reaffirm the unwavering resolve of anti-caste movements to dismantle caste-based oppression and build a truly egalitarian society.
- Issued by All India Students Association (AISA) on December 29, 2024
