– Shabana Javed
Kolkata: Discussions on human rights in the context of Bangladesh lose credibility when raised by the BJP, remarked speakers at a programme held here Tuesday to commemorate the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The event, organised by various human rights organisations, including APCR and Bandi Mukti Committee at the Moulali Yuva Kendra, brought together academics, advocates, and activists who expressed deep concern over the global erosion of human rights.
Participants included notable figures such as Professor Sujato Bhadra (a distinguished civil rights activist and member of Ganotantrik Odhikar Rokkha Somity), Choton Das (General Secretary, Bandi Mukti Committee), Adv. Sheikh Khurshid Alam (Honorary Secretary, APCR, West Bengal Chapter), Prof. Bhaskar Gupta (Vice-Chancellor, Jadavpur University), Neelam Ghazala (Secretary, All India Muslim Women Association), Fr. Francis, Mufti Abdul Mueed, Haran Mato, Anirban Bhattacharya (Alumni, JNU), Renuka Sardar, Nepal Singh, Prasanta Bhattacharya, and Adv. Imtiaz Anwar. The speakers underscored the pressing need for collective action to uphold the principles of the Human Rights Charter.
Professor Sujato Bhadra emphasised the importance of condemning and resisting human rights violations wherever they occur, reaffirming their commitment to fight against injustice. Social activist Choton Das voiced concerns about the plight of minorities in Bangladesh and called for an immediate end to their discrimination. At the same time, he criticised the situation in India, where minority youth face false accusations, demolitions of their homes, and the destruction of religious sites, including mosques and churches. He drew attention to the ongoing violence in Manipur, where two years of unrest have claimed hundreds of lives, destroyed churches, and harassed minorities.
Das further argued that the BJP lacks the moral authority to comment on human rights issues in Bangladesh, given the atrocities against minorities within India. Adv. Khurshid Alam echoed this sentiment, criticising the RSS, BJP, and the Modi government for their treatment of Dalits, Adivasis, Christians, and Muslims, which he described as undemocratic and unjust.
Professor Anirban Bhattacharya called on the public to actively defend human rights and demanded the release of political prisoners and activists, including Thakur Muni Murmu, Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, and Karuna Wilson, who he stated are unjustly detained. He urged solidarity and immediate action to protect the rights of all marginalised communities.
