Solidarity protests in Finland against religious violence in India
Helsinki and Tampere joined 16 other European cities, where members of the Indian diaspora and locals protested against the wave of violence in Delhi. Watch the photos and videos.
The Indian diaspora held during the weekend simultaneous protests, silent demonstrations and sit-ins in 18 European cities, including London –numbering nearly 1500 people– to express solidarity with the victims and survivors of the Delhi violence and to demand immediate action against the perpetrators.
This is the second time this year that Finland hosts demonstrations of solidarity with India.
The origin of the conflict is in a legal amendment to the Citizenship Act to grant citizenship to certain immigrant religious minorities while excluding the Muslims. Critics argue this is discriminatory and against the secular constitution of India. The conflict inside the country led to a wave of violence last week in Delhi.
"Brutality"
Indians standing for democracy braved snow, wind and rain to organize and make their voices heard against what they describe as "the brutality" that was visited upon fellow Indians in Delhi in the last week of February 2020.
In Finland, the snow and wind on Saturday could not deter the demonstrators -Indians, Finns, and others- from coming together for a silent protest in Helsinki and Tampere, condemning the Delhi violence.
Many locals and passersby asked what the protest was about, and spontaneously stood with the protesters to condemn the religious violence and riots in Delhi.
"We're protesting today because we will not let India be symbolised by hate, we will not go into this darkness, not without speaking out against it," the organizers said. They added, "We're being called traitors and other names, because we are in solidarity with all the victims of the religious violence in Delhi, all the 43 lives lost. We will not be silenced, we believe it is essential to say - this is not OK, this is not normal."
Mouths shut in Rautatientori
In Helsinki, the protest was held in Rautatientori, where many protestors had their mouths covered shut with black cloth, symbolizing the repeated curbing of dissent by the Government of India.
The 1-hour demonstration of solidarity ended with the nearly 50 protestors reading aloud the poem 'Sab Yaad Rakha Jayega' (We will remember everything) by Aamir Aziz, which was also recently read out by Roger Waters of the band Pink Floyd in English.
In Tampere's Keskustori, the hour-long demonstration saw a group of 15 Indians and Finns, who discussed the chronology and context of the violence in Delhi. The Aamir Aziz poem was also read out, followed by 15 minutes of silent solidarity and remembrance of the victims.
In other European cities, people paid tribute to the victims and appealed for peace between communities.
The demonstrators also sang songs, carried posters with messages of resistance and peace. Braving the harsh weather, Indians in Europe were joined by locals who joined the protest because "they wanted to show strength and solidarity against the religious violence and atrocities in India," the organizers said.
Across Europe
From Glasgow to Krakow, Indians gathered in large numbers for this considerable show of strength. Locals joined the demonstrators after learning the cause of the protests. Everywhere, a spark of hope was lit when stories of kindness, brotherhood and compassion that have emerged from the burning cinders of the violence were shared.
Video: Indian Solidarity Network.
In Berlin, the protestors raised slogans against the atrocities of police and the silence from the Government of India against the attackers. They marched towards the Indian Embassy, and placed flowers on the street opposite the Indian Embassy for the people brutally killed in the violence in Delhi.
In Glasgow, speakers highlighted the ongoing polarisation and planned violence against certain communities, with clandestine support from the government agencies.
In the silent demonstration in Kraków –marked by all participants wearing black to symbolize mourning and resistance– steaming chai (Indian tea) was distributed to everyone present to mark symbols of unity that bring Indians from various regions, languages and religious beliefs together.
"The brutality and extent of violence that was witnessed in Delhi recently has shaken us all. It is high time we stand against this hate-filled ideology that has divided India right down the middle," said another of the organizers, and added "but our message is only the establishment and maintenance of peace."
In the Netherlands, Indians gathered outside the Indian embassy in The Hague, with slogans in English and Hindi, poetry and speeches, a tribute to Shaheen Bagh (a 2-month-long sit-in protest in Delhi) and reading of the Indian Constitution's Preamble.
In Paris, French citizens joined Indians to condemn the state-sponsored violence in Delhi, as the 43 victims of the violence last weekend were remembered: their names, professions and families mentioned. A minute-long silence was observed in their honor and white roses, a symbol of anti-fascist resistance in Europe, were laid near the Indian Consular office in Paris.
Members of the Indian diaspora from all over Switzerland gathered in Geneva while Swiss friends joined in large numbers. While the build-up to the orchestrated riots was contextualized, the silence and inadequate response of the central government was highlighted and underlined. The protestors also decided to support on-ground rehabilitation efforts in Delhi.
In Pisa in Italy, protestors gathered in front of the iconic leaning tower to commemorate the victims of violence, and in Köln, (Germany) a German lady gave an impromptu speech about the similarities between 1930s Germany and today's India.
"This is not an issue merely concerning India but one that touches upon issues of morality and humanity. Now is not the time to remain a passive observer, and we must continue the fight by seeking more international support," added a social psychologist based in Kraków.
Demonstrations were also held in Copenhagen, Stockholm, Munich, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Grenoble, Brussels, Dublin, and London.