As a first step, SAMLA would run a nationwide movement with name of “Dalit, Minority, Tribal Lives Matter”
Ghazanfar Abbas, IndiaTomorrow.net,
New Delhi, July 4: In the wake of the growing culture of mob lynching and atrocities against religious minorities, Dalits and Tribals in the country, a group of lawyers on Tuesday launched a body to provide these communities with legal aid in order to get speedy justice.
The body named as “South Asian Minorities Lawyers’ Association” (SAMLA) will be working as a guard to protect the weaker and oppressed sections from discrimination and atrocities.
As the first step, SAMLA will launch a nationwide movement “Dalit, Minority, Tribal Lives Matter”.
Supreme Court lawyer Mehmood Pracha, who is president of SAMLA, said that the hallmark of launching the movement “Dalit, Minority, Tribal Lives Matter” was inspired from the African Americans’ movement “Black Lives Matter” to assert the rights of the oppressed communities in India.
A section of audience at the launch of SAMLA in New Delhi
“Although many minority people have been chosen for the highest position such President of the country but the plight of minorities that include Dalits, religious minorities and Tribals has continued unabated. One of the biggest problems being faced by these communities is that they are not only victimized but a campaign is being run against them to label them as wrong doers. Right from 1950s all these communities have been deprived of their rights and have faced direct or indirect discrimination from state itself,” said Adv. Pracha while talking to IndiaTomorrow.net on the sidelines of SAMLA’s launch at the Indian Law Institute here in Delhi.
“Various organizations have been highlighting these issues but no solution has been given and so this group SAMLA is going to find out solutions by taking direct actions and effective measures within the four corners of the Constitution and adopting all means which are legal and constitutional,” he explained.
“SAMLA is an organization of lawyers belonging to minority communities. We took the clue from the agitation which is an on-going campaign in America that has been launched by Black people to assert their right in a very direct and effective manner,” he told.
Young lawyers at launch of SAMLA in New Delhi
Informing about the contemporary issues the body will be focusing on, Advocate Pracha said, “Our foremost agenda is to take legal action against the government officials who are bound to protect the innocent people but failing to do their duties and to stop vigilantes who are undertaking lynchings and criminal activities. Direct legal action will be taken against organizations like Bajrang Dal, Hindu Sena and other such organizations as terrorist organizations. Naming and shaming of all these organizations and all those who commit horrendous offences will also be started.”
At the Tuesday meeting, the organizers invited suggestions from the audience for the movement. One suggestion came about setting up a helpline no. for victims of such incidents.
Other eminent speakers included eminent civil rights activist Dr John Dayal, Kartar Singh Kochhar, general secretary, Panthak Seva Dal, academician Abdul Samad Ibrahim, Advocate Shams Khwaja, minority rights activist Anita Benjamin and Journalist Alim Naqvi. Eminent Muslim scholar and Editor of The Milli Gazette Dr Zafarul Islam Khan also featured the event. Besides social activists and community leaders, many young lawyers also participated in the program.
“This legal body has its importance considering the recent increase in atrocities against Dalits, Tribals, minorities, women and cases of lynchings. I hope that this body will provide legal help to the discriminated people belonging to minorities, Dalits and Tribals,” Dr John Dayal said while speaking to IndiaTomorrow.net.
Supporting the initiative Kartar Singh Kochhar said, “Earlier there was some scope to get justice for the oppressed sections but today neither governments nor judiciary is with them. So, this is good initiative.”
In a noble gesture, Kochhar announced to donate Rs 50,000 to SAMLA.
Addressing the gathering Abdul Samad Ibrahims said, “Today the violence against minorities, Dalits and Tribals has crossed all limits. Lynchings are going on in the name of pseudo nationalism. We need to challenge Hindutva by empowering oppressed sections through education.”
