CHENNAI: Maltreated and abused by the rise of virulent Hindu Nationalism, around 1500 protesters gathered in the small town of Nagore in Tamil Nadu demanding the arrest of Nupur Sharma, and enforcement of an ‘Anti–Islamophobia Act’.
“Your Bulldozers cannot shatter our Iman,” all the 1,500 voices echoed as the demonstration began.
Muslim men and women had gathered near the Nagore bus stand in the Nagapattinam district of Tamil Nadu to protest against Nupur Sharma, who passed derogatory remarks against the prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) on Times Now, an Indian national television channel and stirred an anti-Muslim tension in the country.
A public demonstration was organized earlier in the evening as well by Nagore Anaithu Jamaath Kootamaippul – Nagore Jamaath Federation, near the town’s bus stand.
The controversy gained the attention of global Islamic nations and to avoid international strife, India’s ruling party as an eyewash had merely suspended the BJP functionary. Condemning the wilful remarks of Nupur Sharma, protesters emerged across the states of Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Bihar, Jharkhand, and Maharashtra demanding the arrest of Nupur Sharma.
Following suit, in Tamil Nadu, a peaceful demonstration was organized where the crowd condemned the police killings in Jharkhand and the punitive treatment of Yogi Adityanath’s government in the illegal demolition of Afreen Fatima’s house. Afreen is a prominent Muslim student activist and the National Secretary of the Fraternity Movement.
The demonstrators also condemned the police assault on Aysha Renna, the student activist, and one of the faces of the anti-CAA movement in the Malappuram district of Kerala two days ago.
Apart from demanding the arrest of Nupur Sharma and Naveen Jindal, the gathering demanded government compensation for victims. “We demand the government to take actions against Times Now for endorsing hate speech.
The families of martyred children in Jharkhand must be provided with an ex-gratia of Rs2.5 million each and compassionate government jobs should be provided to one of the family members,” read their press release.
