Rights groups to hold protest on Sept. 5

Nearly 400 women’s groups, LGBTQIA collectives, Dalit and human rights organisations will hold a campaign on September 5, the third anniversary of journalist Gauri Lankesh’s assassination, across the country to raise their voice against attacks on constitutional rights.

The campaign, “If We Don’t Rise,” will be held on social media and on streets where the government has not imposed a curfew due to COVID-19.

“Today is the time to rise against various forms of atrocities. Be it any section of our society — farmers, Dalits, Adivasis, fisherfolk and trans-people — the rights of the people are being diluted. A few liberal laws we got after hard won battles are now under threat, such as amendment to labour laws. There is a clampdown on dissent and our voices. The campaign on September 5 is a call to remember the real people who believe in the values of our Constitution and democracy and who are now behind bars. A day to remember Narendra Dabholkar and Gauri Lankesh, who paid for with their lives for speaking truth, and a call to the ordinary working class people to speak out against the violation of their rights,” said Meera Sanghamitra of the National Alliance of People’s Movement during a web conference.