The nationwide citizens’ protest ‘Not in My Name’ is to be held on Wednesday on Tank Bund between 4 and 6 p.m. ‘Not In My Name’, a citizen vigil to protest the recent bout of lynchings of Muslims and Dalits is planned across multiple cities including Delhi, Bengaluru, Kolkata and Thiruvananthapuram.
The plan for the protest began with an online post by independent film maker Saba Dewan on June 24: “Shouldn’t there be protests against the lynchings especially after the murder yesterday in Delhi NCR by a mob of a 16-year-old Muslim boy? If not now then when? Why wait for political formations to organise a demonstration? Why can’t all of us as citizens repulsed by the violence get together in protest at the earliest next week at Jantar Mantar under the banner - Not in my Name.” Hyderabad artist Orijit Sen designed a stark image showing a blood-stained slipper and an iron rod with the words: “Not In My Name”. Despite no organisational muscle, the impromptu protest has drawn tremendous traction in the online world with a large number of netizens committing themselves to turn up at the protest site. “I am planning to go there to show solidarity though we have an event lined up in the evening,” said artist Koeli Mukherjee Ghose.
