Just a few days ago, over 100 filmmakers had appealed to the audience to not bring back BJP to power. Now, on Monday, the nation saw a statement signed by over 200 writers who have urged people to vote out hate politics. The appeal has been made in 10 languages – Hindi, Gujarati, Urdu, Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil, Bangla, Punjabi, Telugu and Marathi.
The writers include Girish Karnad, Arundhati Roy, Amitav Ghosh, Bama, Nayantara Sahgal, TM Krishna, Vivek Shanbhag, Jeet Thayil, K Satchidanandan , Romila Thapar, Zoya Hasan, Harsh Mander, and Apoorvanand Jha.
The appeal didn't mention the name of the party however, it was obvious that they were all aiming at BJP.
Read the entire statement below:
The upcoming election finds our country at the crossroads. Our Constitution guarantees all its citizens equal rights, the freedom to eat, pray and live as they choose, freedom of expression and the right to dissent. But in the last few years, we have seen citizens being lynched or assaulted or discriminated against because of their community, caste, gender, or the region they come from. Hate politics has been used to divide the country; create fear; and exclude more and more people from living as full-fledged citizens. Writers, artists, filmmakers, musicians and other cultural practitioners have been hounded, intimidated, and censored. Anyone who questions the powers-that-be is in danger of being harassed or arrested on false and ridiculous charges.
All of us want this to change. We don’t want rationalists, writers, and activists to be hounded or assassinated. We want stern measures against violence in word or deed against women, Dalits, Adivasis, and minority communities. We want resources and measures for jobs, education, research, healthcare and equal opportunities for all. Most of all, we want to safeguard our diversity and let democracy flourish.
How do we do this? How do we bring about the change we need so urgently? There are many things we need to do and can do. But there is a critical first step.
The first step, the one we can take soon, is to vote out hate politics. Vote out the division of our people; vote out inequality; vote against violence, intimidation, and censorship. This is the only way we can vote for an India that renews the promises made by our Constitution. This is why we appeal to all citizens to vote for a diverse and equal India.