Citizens join hands against political goondagiri

Mumbai, Feb 23 (UNI) Members of various Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO) and groups of citizens today joined hands against the increasing ''political goondagiri'' that a few politicians have recently resorted to and whose implications have been felt all over the country in the form of agitations against migrants in one form or the other.

At a public meeting organised here, former Mumbai Municipal Commissioner and Vice-President of local NGO ''Action for Good Governance in India'' (AGNI) D G Sukhtankar said it was unfortunate that the activists of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena attacked the North Indians in the city and neighbouring areas, and the worst part was that the police remained mute spectators to the violence.

''The repercussions were seen in the Bihar Assembly when the legislators attacked State Governor R S Gavai for being a Maharashtrian,'' Mr Sukhtankar said.

Eminent theatre personality and Ad-Guru of the early 1990s Alyque Padamsee said that the ''political goondagiri'' was on a rise as people were attacking migrants from other parts of the country and resorting to violence against them.

Stating that tolerance level in the people is on a wane, Mr Padamsee pointed out that it is the political backing for the sake of vote banks that pits people against each other.

''The attack by MNS activists on members of the North Indian community is a case in point,'' he added.

RTI activist Shailesh Gandhi accused the Government for not discharging its Constitutional responsibilities properly, and said that such dereliction of duty was the prime reason for the increasing resentment among the public against the political machinery.

''We all need to join hands and combat this trend,'' he suggested.

Activists of various NGOs like AGNI, Awaaz Foundation, Citispace, Ekta and others condemned the action of political activists in the city.

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