Indian celebrities protest attacks on minorities

By Shuriah Niazi

NEW DELHI (AA) - Celebrities from different fields in India have written an open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to voice concerns over rising incidents of lynching in the country.

The celebrities have highlighted that 'Jai Shri Ram' (hail Lord Rama) has become a "provocative war-cry" in the present day that leads to law and order problems, and "many lynchings take place in its name".

"The lynching of Muslims, Dalits(Indian lowest-caste) and other minorities must be stopped immediately. We were shocked to learn from the National Crime Records Bureau reports that there have been no less than 840 instances of atrocities against Dalits [lower Hindy caste] in the year 2016, and a definite decline in the percentage of convictions," the letter said.

As many as 49 celebrities -- including singer Shubha Mudgal, actor Konkona Sen Sharma and filmmakers Shyam Benegal, Anurag Kashyap and Mani Ratnam -- have signed the letter.

"It is shocking that so much violence should be perpetrated in the name of religion! These are not the Middle Ages! The name of Ram (Hindu God) is sacred to many in the majority community of India. As the highest Executive of this country, you must put a stop to the name of Ram being defiled in this manner," they said in the letter.

Meanwhile, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, union minister and lone Muslim face in Modi’s Cabinet, has defended the government. He told Press Trust of India news agency that Dalits and minorities are safe in the country, adding those who are "yet to recover from" the defeat in the Lok Sabha polls are trying to communalize "criminal incidents".