As protests against chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar continue across India, the Indian diaspora has also taken to the streets in cities around the world, expressing solidarity with demonstrators and raising concerns over democracy, electoral rights, and the right to dissent.
Protests took place in London and Erlangen (Germany) on October 16 with more joining the next day. On October 17, Indians in Germany (Göttingen, Berlin), Ireland (Dublin), Netherlands (The Hague), Sweden (Gothenburg), Finland (Helsinki), Canada (Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal), United States (Austin, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Chicago) and Czech Republic (Prague) took to the streets to demand accountability from the CEC over the alleged irregularities. SFI organised another protest next day, on October 17, in front of Gandhi Statue at Parliament Square in London with YouTuber Dhruv Rathee as a ‘special speaker’.
Under the call of ‘Jantar Mantar is Everywhere’, solidarity protests and gatherings are being organised across the world by the India diaspora. they were reportedly met with a counterprotest While the demonstration was in progress. In the visuals shared by the student body and Rathee, over a thousand protestors were seen waving the Indian flag while shouting slogans of azadi and inquilab.
Student Federation of India (SFI) UK and SFI Leeds jointly gave a call for solidarity protest outside the High Commission of India in London on October 16, demanding “electoral integrity and the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar”. They alleged that some “right-wing thugs” tried to disrupt the protest. More demonstrations are being held today in Australia (Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane) and New York City.
In a solidarity statement issued last week, the organisation wrote that the Indian diaspora and allies “stand in resolute solidarity with the millions of students, citizens and youth movements taking to the streets of New Delhi and being unlawfully detained from homes, trains, flights, cars and roads. They raised their concerns over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, amid allegations of widespread deletions and changes affecting millions of registered voters. The concluded the statement with a call to “Restore the rolls. Protect the vote. Defend Indian democracy. The protest, organised by Progressive Indians Europe, began with a recitation of the Indian Constitution. Indian Youth Congress (IYC) also joined the demonstration.
The following day, Khan joined around 50 people in downtown Vancouver in a demonstration of solidarity with protesters in India and in support of the right to peaceful protest amid reports of mass detentions in New Delhi. Over 150 people gathered together in front of the International Court of Justice at The Hague, Netherlands to express their solidarity with the people protesting in India.
Pablo Khan, who is originally from Mumbai, India, said his brother and sister were detained by police in New Delhi while participating in Saturday’s protests against alleged electoral manipulation, according to CBC News.
