Rally to protest Amit Jethwa's death- 26 July 2010

Isn't it ironical that we crossed ITO in this particular rally and found not even one reporter from the mainstream newspapers to cover an event about protesting the killing of RTI activist and environmentalist Amit Jethwa, who like other whistleblowers, needed protection after allegedly taking panga with powerful ministers by daring to question their anti-people activities?

In this case, Jethwa had filed a PIL in HC as well against a BJP bigshot in Gujarat against his illegal mining activities. At least for me, I kept thinking about this irony while passing offices of TOI, IE and others on the day of the rally. They seemed like high-rise buildings that stood watching tamasha, as people clapped and raised slogans in protest right under their noses. 

 

What increased this sense of irony was this that a handful of people - the activists in protest against this kind of silencing of voices of truth - ensured they gave media bytes at the venue (Gandhi Peace Foundation) much before even beginning to protest! Many of them are well-known faces anyway.

All the shouting and sloganeering happened much later, after it was ensured that every activist worth their name, took mileage out of a sad situation, most of them promoting their NGO's agenda as the best solution.

Soon enough Amit Jethwa was lost to the background. Felt extremely sad at witnessing all this. Just didn't know which side to look at. 

 

For more pix, click here.