Civil society group pledges to fight casteism, Islamophobia

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: A group of people gathered at Bengaluru’s Town Hall on Saturday to take a pledge against casteism and Islamophobia.

The event was organised by Bahutva Karnataka, a group dedicated to promoting equality and social justice.

According to the group, the event was held in response to the recent surge in hate crimes against Muslims and individuals from oppressed castes.

The pledgetaking protest follows several recent incidents of violence, including the murder of a Muslim man on a train near the Palghar railway station in Maharashtra and the honour killing of a woman for being in a relationship with a man from a lower caste.

Speakers at the event strongly condemned these hate crimes and called for concrete actions to prevent such incidents. They emphasized the importance of combating both casteism and Islamophobia, which they regarded as forms of discrimination that infringe upon people's fundamental rights.

The event concluded with a pledge to actively oppose casteism and Islamophobia. Participants considered the event a powerful demonstration of solidarity against hatred and discrimination.

They noted a growing movement in Bengaluru and across India that advocates for equality and social justice. In addition to their pledge, the organizers demanded that both the Union and State governments take action.

They urged the state government to follow through on the Chief Minister's statement regarding honor killings and arrange a public consultation to explore ways to prevent such crimes.

The organizers also called for the state government to address the demands of Dalit groups by convening special Assembly and Parliament sessions to discuss the issues faced by the Dalit community and by offering constitutional literacy classes.

Regarding the rising Islamophobia, the group members demanded that the Union government acknowledge this issue and take responsibility for the train shooting incident.

They further called for transparency regarding the steps being taken to ensure the safety of Muslims in public spaces.

Additionally, the group insisted that the central government should convene an all-party meeting to address Islamophobia comprehensively and explore how Supreme Court judgments on curbing hate speech and mob lynchings can be effectively implemented.