Instead of cow slaughter, ban manslaughter: Activists

JALANDHAR

: As representatives of Sikh, Dalit and Muslim organizations gathered at

Gurdwara Guru Nanak Mission

at a function and later a protest march organized by Dal Khalsa on the eve of August 15 celebrations, they took serious note of misuse of archaic sedition laws, lynching of Dalits and Muslims by cow-vigilantes and imposing “pseudo-nationalism” on minorities.

Taking a dig at the Sangh Parivar, the speakers held that that Sangis on the pretext of protecting the animal were using it as an electoral milch cow. “Even the Congress is soft-peddling Hindutva,” they said. They questioned that why cow slaughter ban in India and why not a man slaughter ban in the country while referring to mass killings of minorities and Dalits by frenzied communal mobs with the logistics support from mainstream parties and the establishment in different parts at different times.

Punjab and Haryana High court advocate and noted human rights lawyer Rajwinder Bains said that while there were talks about sscrapping Article 370 of the Constituition but instead this Artucle should be implemented across the country to give more rights to the states. “This would rather help to check calls for separation. The states wouldhave more rights and they would also remain together and parts of the same country,” he argued.

He also held that sedition law was a tool in the hands of authorities for harassment and to stifle dissenting voices. The resolution adopted in the gathering stated that it was a matter of shame that India failed to scrap the colonial-era law in the first few years after Independence. Britain and many other countries have abolished their sedition laws and it’s time India should join their ranks.

Meanwhile JNU student leader Umar Khalid also participated in the function. He heldt that what happened in Gorakhpur was not a tragedy but a man made major disaster which led to death of several little kids.