Protest against Israel not allowed in Mumbai, 13 detained
Syed Ali Mujtaba
Mumbai police picked up 13 individuals, 11 of whom are students
belonging to the Muslim community for taking part in a prayer meeting in
solidarity with children who were killed in Palestine. The prayer meeting was held
on November 14, 2023, the Children's Day, at the Juhu beach.
The detainees were charged under sections 37 (1), 37 (3), and
135 of the Maharashtra Police Act (MPA), according to a press note from the People’s Union
for Civil Liberties (PUCL) Maharashtra.
According to the PUCL handout, the youth detained had
responded to a multi-city call emanating from an Instagram account
‘solidaritymovement’ and had gone to Juhu beach to attend a peaceful prayer
gathering there.
However, after the
prayer, some students went to collect the posters and ply cards that they had
earlier voluntarily kept in the police cabin near the beach. The police there started questioning
them and asked them to pose with the posters and placards and photographed
them.
The police told them they would escort them to the Bus Stop to
ensure they leave safely. As they proceeded, a police van arrived and they
were forcibly pushed into the van and taken to the Juhu Police Station. Among
the detainees 4 were under-age youth (2 boys and 2 girls), the PUCL press
release said.
The youth were detained for almost 8 hours and when they were
released were asked to return the next day and provide all their personal
details along with their Aadhar Card xerox copy and 2 photographs.
PUCL Maharashtra expressed grave concern at the increasing
trend of criminalizing public protest and deplored the manner in which police
in Mumbai lodge cases against those participating in such democratic events.
The right to protest is a fundamental right of citizens
guaranteed under the Indian Constitution. However, the increasing number of
such instances shows that the right to protest of citizens is not only being
infringed upon but being met with harsh and intimidating police action and
criminal sanctions. In many places in India, Civil society organizations are
being denied and met with sanctions that are gatherings for anti-war public
protests on the ongoing Israeli war on Palestine.
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Syed Ali Mujtaba is a journalist based in Chennai. He can be
contacted at syedalimujtaba2007@gmail.com
