The times we are living in are so desperate that every person should be an activist, said A Narasimhamurthy, the state convenor of Slum Janandolana Karnataka, which works for the rights and empowerment of slum dwellers.
He was speaking during a panel discussion on 'Constitution rejects bulldozer politics' organised by Bahutva Karnataka, an umbrella organisation of groups fighting for plurality, at Aashirvad Community Centre here on Saturday.
Other panellists were journalist and researcher Laxmi Murthy and lawyer Mohammed Afeef.
The panel dwelt on the recent events, including the demolition drives in North India and the arrest of the government's critics. These incidents are an onslaught on the Constitution, the panellists declared.
Recollecting her work during the 2002 Gujarat carnage, Laxmi narrated in great detail the crimes that took place against women. It was carnage, not riot, she proclaimed. She explained how the events of 2002 set the stage for the ongoing violence.
Narasimhamurthy, sharing his ground experience in the fight to save slum dwellings, said the demolitions had been going on for years in several parts of Karnataka but some laws regarding rehabilitation of slum dwellers had helped over time.
"Demolition drives are not a new phenomenon. The houses of people from lower classes in cities have always come under attack for aesthetic and other purposes. But what is new is that it is no more a class thing. A religious angle has also been mixed. It has become a tool for retribution against Muslims who raise their voice against the power for whatever reasons," Afeef noted.
Speaking on the Zakia Jafri case, he said that the judgement was "unprecedented" in the history of the Supreme Court and it was full of absurd flaws facilitating Teesta Setalvad's arrest in some other cases.
"Everybody who is angry with the current happenings should come together and find common platforms and spaces to show dissent," Narasimhamurthy said.