Thousands gather in Delhi to defend people’s rights; #blindmedia ignores
Activists, labourers, farmers, numbering about 30,000 organized a massive rally Abki Baar Humara Adhikar (This Time, Our Rights; Hindi) in Delhi on 2nd December to demand and defend their rights that the current government is overzealous for amending people friendly laws to market friendly laws.
The rally started from the Ambedkar Stadium that ended in Jantar Mantar, the venue of the anti-corruption movement that swapped India over the past three years. About 170 rights based organisations participated in the rally, where veterans of similar movements in India like Medha Patkar, Aruna Roy and Jean Dreze addressed the mass gathering and raised concerns on the direction, the government is taking for amending laws that can infringe on related rights to forest, environment, information, food, education,health, land, labour, employment, women and minority groups. India has over the decades since independence toiled to develop progressive laws that give an opportunity and protects the rights of various vulnerable groups; especially in a country which still has millions of poor and oppressed people. The rally also saw participation from various political parties including the Aam Admi Party (AAP), that sprouted from the anti-corruption movement.
People from different parts of India have been camping in Delhi for the past week; living and sleeping on the pavements. They have been organizing various meetings across Delhi to inform and engage people with the concerned issues. Prior to the rally, Medha Patkar and other activists were detained by the police when they were protesting in front of the Indian Parliament which is currently in session.
Many on social media rued the lack of attention from mainstream media. Journalist and activist Akhil Kumar in Youth ki Awaz blog questioned the media coverage, “Was this just an oversight, or is it yet another proof of how the mainstream media is complicit in the criminal subjugation of peoples’ rights and silencing of their voices of resistance and assertion?” #blindmedia was popular on Twitter.
