This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.

'Vote Wisely, We Must Reject Those Who Lynch People,' Urge 154 Scientists And Researchers

The statement titled the ‘Let us vote to unify the people. Let us vote to spread the light of reason’ was published on the Indian Culture Forum.
NOAH SEELAM via Getty Images

A statement released by 154 scientists, researchers and academics on Wednesday urges people to vote wisely in the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections.

The statement titled the ‘Let us vote to unify the people. Let us vote to spread the light of reason’ was published on the Indian Culture Forum. It calls the upcoming elections “crucial” and urges people to “reject those who lynch or assault people, those who discriminate against people because of religion, caste, gender, language or region”.

The statement has been signed by scientists and academics from the Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research, the Indian Statistical Institute, Ashoka University and the Indian Institutes of Technology and asks people to vote against “inequality, intimidation, discrimination, and unreason”.

“An atmosphere in which scientists, activists and rationalists are hounded, harassed, intimidated, censored, jailed, or worse, murdered, is not the future our country deserves,” the statement says.

This comes just days after after 210 writers published a letter on the Indian Cultural Forum asking people to vote against “the politics of hate.”

In their appeal, the writers asked people to vote out inequality and vote against violence, intimidation and censorship.

On 29 March, 103 filmmakers signed a letter asking people to not vote for the BJP.

“Fascism threatens to strike us hard with all its might if we don’t choose wisely in the coming Lok Sabha election. Period,” the letter said.

You can read the full statement here.

Close
This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.