On July 14, 2017, thousands held a dharna in Mau, Uttar Pradesh organized by the Mau Nagrik Manch, with the slogan ‘Mau United Against Mob Lynching’. On the same day, the CPI(ML) Liberation held a procession in Naihati, West Bengal against the recent communal incidents in the state, stressing the need for peace, unity and harmony.
A Sadbhavna March (March for Goodwill) was held in Ranchi on 6 July calling for peace against the growing incidents of mob lynching, including the killing of teenager Junaid in Bal-labhgarh and Alimuddin Ansari in Ramgarh, Jharkhand on 29 June.
The March was called by Sajha Manch, of which Anjuman Islamia and Left activist Ibrar Ahmad and social activist Lalit Ojha are conveners. The March began at Shahid Chowk in Ran-chi, and culminated in a mass meeting at the Rajbhavan (Governor’s residence). The March was a silent one, but hundreds of placards gave voice to demands for a stop to mob lynch-ings, an SIT investigation into the Jharkhand mob lynching and time-bound punishment for the guilty, compensation for the victims’ families and for a robust campaign of peace and harmony against hate-mongering.
Participants in the March included Simone Oraon, Jean Dreze, Professor Sajjad, scientist Dr Sushant Jha, Dayamani Barla, Bandhu Tirki, Ratan Tirki, Mahua Manjhi, Father Stan Swamy, Harminder Singh, PP Varma, Siraj Dutt, Aloka Ankita, Mohammad Asgar as well as CPI(ML) leaders Shubhendu Sen, Bhuvaneshwar Kevat, Nadeem Khan, CPI(M) leader Prakash Viplav, Sushanto Mukherjee and Ajay Tirki of MCC, and many others.
Singer Madhu Mansoori, as well as several cultural groups sang songs for communal harmo-ny during the March.
On 7 July, thousands of people in Giridih, Jharkhand, organised a 1.5 kilometer long Human Chain to raise their voice against communal mob lynchings in the State and in the country. The Human Chain extended on both sides of the road from Maulana Azad Chowk to Bada Chowk Station Road for about two hours from 2.30-4.30 pm. This event was organized by Awami Insaf Manch and Sajha Manch together.
CPI(ML) CC member and former MLA Vinod Singh, PB member Manoj Bhakta, and several other CPI(ML) activists, Irshad Ahmad Waris of the Human Rights Protection Association, and several other activists and intellectuals also joined this Human Chain.
The local administration and police kept trying to cancel this silent and peaceful demonstra-tion claiming it would disturb communal harmony!
