MP Nusrat Jahan’s Fiery Open Letter On Communal Violence

After 49 influential personalities wrote a letter to PM Narendra Modi on Tuesday to draw his attention to the increasing number of cases of mob violence in the country, Basirhat MP of Trinamool Congress Nusrat Jahan tweeted an open letter highlighting the issue in the parliament on Thursday. In her letter, Jahan criticised the central government’s selective silence and inaction against growing intolerance and cow vigilantes who attack people on the basis of rumours of eating beef and cow smuggling.

She praised the people who raised the issue in the face of talks of development, of “roads, power and flight operations.” The first time MP wrote, “I have a lot of hope on my fellow citizens to raise voices & do our bit.”

Jahan shared the letter on micro-blogging website hours after the letter undersigned by 49 celebrities started making headlines.

“Hate crimes and mob lynching are on a steep rise in our country. The 2014-2019 (period) has the most hate crimes against Muslims, Dalits, and minorities to its credit. 2019 has witnessed more than 11 hate crimes and four deaths, and they are all minorities and the suppressed,” the letter said.

Jahan shared the letter on micro-blogging website hours after the letter undersigned by 49 celebrities started making headlines. “There are numerous incidents of citizens being attacked by so-called “cow vigilantes” over rumours of eating beef, or cow-smuggling, etc. and government's selective silence and inaction hits us hard,” Jahan said in the post.

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“As young MP, representing new age secular India, I request the government and all lawmakers to frame a law to stop such assaults on democracy by mob lynches,” Jahan wrote.

She named the most prominent names who died due to mob lynching like Tabrez Ansari, Mohammed Ikhlaq, Pehlu Khan. “The Hon'ble Supreme Court last year called on the government to come up with a law to tackle these 'horrendous acts of mobocracy'. Par Sarkar Chup Hai.”

Lets keep fighting for humanity #InclusiveIndia pic.twitter.com/B3Drb9QfSO

— Nusrat Jahan Ruhi (@nusratchirps) July 24, 2019

“Sirf insaaaniyat ke naate, gaay ke naam pe, bhagwan ke naam pe, kisi ki dari pe, toh kisi ki topi pe - khoon kharaba bandh kare (In the name of humanity, please stop bloodshed in the name of cows and religion),” she added, while concluding with the famous lines from Iqbal's ‘Sare Jahan Se Achha Hindustan Humara.’

“As young MP, representing new age secular India, I request the government and all lawmakers to frame a law to stop such assaults on democracy by mob lynchers,” Jahan wrote.

Dignitaries including filmmaker Aparna Sen, historian Ramachandra Guha and noted director Mani Ratnam, Actor Kaushik Sen, etc. have demanded action by the government against mob violence directed at minorities in the country. Later, at a press conference, Aparna Sen had clarified that they were opposed to lynching per se – be it of Hindus or Muslims. Kaushik Sen claimed to have received an anonymous call threatening him and his family for criticising the Prime Minister.

Picture credit- India Today