[Reader-list] India: Statement by concerned IT professionals from Pune following hate crime

[Harsh Kapoor]

http://www.sacw.net/article8836.html

Circulated by concerned IT professionals from Pune

We, the undersigned express our deep shock at the gruesome incident of
hate crime reported in the city of Pune earlier this week. A 28 year
old IT professional Shaikh Mohsin Sadiq was thrashed to death by a
group of people suspected to be connected with a radical Hindu outfit
called Hindu Rashtra Sena.

Mohsin was reportedly returning home after offering namaz at a mosque
on Monday night when he found himself caught by the mob. As is the
case in every hate crime, a skull cap on head and beard were enough
for the killers to pounce on him with deadly intentions. The city was
witnessing bandh and violent street protests by Shiv Sena, BJP and
other radical Hindu organizations in the wake of Facebook post(s) with
allegedly derogatory references to Shivaji and former Shiva Sena Chief
Bal Thackeray. The assailants were apparently involved in similar
protests when they spotted Mohsin on Monday night in Bankar colony in
Hadapsar area of Pune.

One cannot help seeing this incident vis-à-vis forthcoming assembly
elections in Maharashtra. As a run-up to the elections which are due
in a few months, an attempt to polarize the masses on communal lines
with the sheer intention of electoral gains, as we have seen
elsewhere, seems to be on the cards. We appeal to the state government
to thwart any such attempts with alacrity while ensuring safety to
every citizen; we also appeal to the people of Maharashtra to not fall
prey to such hideous designs and uphold the progressive tradition of
the state that has seen peaceful co-existence of various sects,
religions and cultural groups with no place for hatred.

While offering our deepest condolences to the bereaved family members
and friends of Mohsin, we extend our heartfelt solidarity to each and
every member of minorities/disadvantaged communities in struggle to
preserve the values of democracy, secularism and justice.

Sd/—

Neeraj Kholiya

Dhanesh Birajdar

Bharatbhooshan Tiwari

Nitin Agarwal

Vinod Pillai

Kamesh

Gokul Panigrahi

Rajat Johari

Ujjwal Barapatre

Kshitij Patil

Sanind Shaikh

Akbar Ali

Prince Shelley

Mohamed Shazad

Shaikh Asfaque Hossain