Black and South Asian communities stand together in the fight against racism

When Pakistani politician Tanzeela Qambrani presented a resolution to the Sindh assembly condemning the death of George Floyds, she had a photo of him on her.

The Qambrani ancestors were enslaved by traders; She is a fourth generation African and says that her background has made her feel connected to Floyd and that the activism that her tragic assassination inspired.

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I could see, when George Floyd was murdered, that the police officer acted as judge, court and executioner, said Qambrani through an interpreter at a Zoom meeting at the end last month, which brought together 1,500 people from around the world to discuss black and South Asian solidarity.

This is familiar to me because it is the same mentality that oppresses us everywhere.

Tanzeela Qambrani, member of the Assembly of Sind

This is familiar to me because it is the same mentality that oppresses us everywhere.

The forum, organized by Equality labs, a South Asian advocacy group based in the United States, presented several related speakers in the fight against racism. Engaging people from all over is just the first step in a complex process to establish lasting transnational connections, say event organizers.

If the present moment is a time when we are only talking about the police murder of black people, we are missing, said Harvard University professor.Cornel West, who was one of three speakers at the June 26 event.

West said oppressed people must show solidarity as black civil rights leaders did with freedom fighters in India almost a century ago.

We must establish these links so that our solidarity is real and concrete. This is precisely why our conversation today is so, very, very important.

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Chandrashekhar Azad is a social activist who leads the army of Bhim, a group that fights for the rights of lower caste Dalits in India, who are discriminated against by upper caste Brahmins. He spoke through an interpreter during the Zoom call.

Human rights abuse in India is widespread and our situation is very dangerous.

Chandrashekhar Azad is a social activist who leads Bhim’s army

Human rights abuse in India is widespread and our situation is very dangerous, said Azad, who added that lower caste women are regularly sexually assaulted and lower caste men face lynchings .

Dalits have little access to good health care, education or jobs.

We have tried to campaign on similar lines here at home in India. We have learned so much. Weve started having moments like Dalit Lives Matter, Muslim Lives Matter. So we learned a lot and were together in this fight.

Dalits say they are being persecuted by the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modis, who also passed a law which Muslims say aims to strip them of their citizenship.

Yet many American Indians believe and support Modis as good for India, as witnessed last year by the enormous Hi, Modi! rally in Houston, where the Prime Minister appeared alongside US President Donald Trump.

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Sharmin Hossain, political director of Equality Labs, said that the Indian diaspora provided crucial support for the rise of Modis in India.

Without the support pipeline these people have received from Hindu upper caste diaspora networks, India’s right-wing militias and the Modi government would not have the financial and diplomatic support they need to normalize policies. violence of India towards its caste and its religious minorities.

Sharmin Hossain, Equality Labs

Without the support pipeline these people have received from Hindu upper caste diaspora networks, India’s right-wing militias and the Modi government would not have the financial and diplomatic support they need to normalize policies. India’s violence against its caste and religious minorities, she added. said in an interview with The World.

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Azad, the leader of the Dalits in India during the Zoom appeal, stressed the need for unity.

This is a fight for humanity. We want to be treated like human beings and not like animals, he said. And I want to promise you all that you are not alone in this as you fight in this area in your respective countries. You will always find supporters here in India.

World 2019