Letter from eminent persons to PM Modi to stop lynchings and use of Jai Shree Ram as a ‘war cry’

Forty-nine eminent personalities including filmmakers Aparna Sen, Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Ketan Mehta, Shyam Benegal, Anurag Kashyap, actors Soumitra Chattopadhyay, Konkona Sensharma, historian Ramchandra Guha, wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the “number of tragic events” in recent times including incidents of lynching and use of the slogan “Jai Shree Ram” as a “war cry”.

“The lynching of Muslims, Dalits and other minorities must be stopped immediately. We are shocked to learn from the NCRB (National Crime Records Bureau) reports that there have been no less than 840 incidents of atrocities against Dalits in the year 2016, and a definite decline in the percentage of convictions,” the letter reads.

The letter mentions that though the Prime Minister has criticised the lynchings in Parliament, it is not enough and must be made non-bailable offences. “You have criticised such lynchings in Parliament… but that is not enough! What action has been taken against the perpetrators? We strongly feel that such offences should be declared non-bailable…”

It also says that “Regrettably, ‘Jai Shri Ram’ has become a provocative ‘war-cry’ today that leads to law and order problems, and many lynchings take place in its name. It is shocking that so much violence should be perpetrated in the name of religion! These are not the Middle Ages!”.

According to the letter, “There is no democracy without dissent. People should not be branded ‘anti-national’ or ‘urban Naxal’ and incarcerated because of dissent against the government.”

A number of signatories held a press conference in Kolkata on Wednesday where the matter was explained. Sen said that that attempts should not be made to politicise the matter, reacting to the argument that most signatories were from West Bengal.

“We hope our suggestions will be taken in the spirit that they are meant – as Indians genuinely concerned with, and anxious about, the fate of our nation,” the letter said.