Target: Droupadi Murmu, President of India
Goal: Address root causes of and end violent retaliation against youth-led protests.
A protester from India was admitted to the hospital with over 40 small wounds on his body, including around his eyes and nose. This young man is but one reported victim of a dangerous and sometimes deadly “crowd control” measure increasingly used by paramilitary forces: pellet gun fire. The small rounds, also called birdshot, are loaded into handguns and, when fired, can send an indiscriminate spray of pellets that subject victims to lead exposure and maiming wounds.
The latest series of injuries came during weeks-long, youth-led protests by the so-called cockroach movement – young people angered by politicians’ flippant attitudes toward dissent and by a series of education-related scandals that have caused upheaval and death. While the current movement has a specific focus, protesters have expressed displeasure on a number of issues, including government corruption, women’s rights, and a shoddy and unsafe infrastructure system that they blame for deadly accidents (such as a gas explosion tunnel collapse that killed several people). Rather than heed these very real concerns, leadership instead has chosen to quell dissent with a method banned in a number of countries.
Sign the petition below to demand a sea change in politicians’ discourse and actions towards their communities.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear President Murmu,
Rather than disparage protesters and critics with inflammatory expressions like “cockroach,” perhaps this nation’s leadership would be better served listening to the people who want real improvement in their lives and their livelihoods. The significant pellet gun injuries that befell both dissidents and police during the Delhi Jantar Mantar protests only inflamed an already tense and challenging environment. Please reconsider a different approach.
Mark the first show of good faith by following the leads of other nations and prohibiting this dangerous form of crowd control. Then, be more transparent on issues of concern like the education scandals and bring various perspectives together to arrive at a just outcome. Demonstrate to the people you care about their rights and their futures.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: Sumita Roy Dutta
