CJP’s Dipke rejects comparisons with violent unrest abroad, invokes Gandhi’s satyagraha

New Delhi, Oct 20 (PTI) Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke on Tuesday rejected comparisons between the outfit's protests against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and the violent unrest in France, Nepal and Bangladesh, saying his colleagues Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka "went to jail happily" and chose "peace over hatred" as they were following Mahatma Gandhi's path of satyagraha.

In an emotional message to supporters, Dipke urged them to spend time with their families during the festive period, while remembering Das and Ranka, who have been in jail since October 13 and could not be with their loved ones. He said the families of those involved in the movement were also bearing the consequences of their decision to protest.

"For a few days, spend time with your families. Be there with your families, be there with your loved ones," he said, adding, "Please remember Sourav and Ashu when you are with your families, because they both can't be with their families. So they are our family."

Referring to those drawing parallels with unrest abroad, Dipke said the CJP leaders had not resorted to violence despite being jailed. Instead, they had accepted their imprisonment with a smile, he said.

"Have some shame and see what is happening in India. In India, Sourav Das and Ashutosh went to jail happily. They did not do what is happening in France," he said.

Dipke said the two had chosen peace and compassion despite believing that they were being wrongfully imprisoned. He compared their approach to Gandhi's satyagraha, saying they were enduring the pain of incarceration while continuing to uphold non-violence.

"This is not a comparison. But what Mahatma Gandhi did when he was sent to jail, he went quietly because he had a satyagraha. And Ashutosh and Sourav are also doing the same satyagraha," he said.

He asserted that the arrests would not intimidate the movement and expressed confidence that Das and Ranka would return from jail with the same smiles and continue their struggle peacefully.

The CJP and its supporters have been protesting against the SIR of electoral rolls and demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

Das and Ranka were arrested after CJP activists entered Jantar Mantar on October 13, a day after it was removed from the list of designated protest sites. The two were initially remanded to judicial custody for five days, which was extended by two more days on October 19.

"I am telling you, when Sourav and Ashutosh will come out, they will again come out of jail with the same smile. They will come out of jail and they will again walk on the path of Mahatma Gandhi, of peace and non-violence," Dipke said.

He also cautioned supporters against turning to hatred due to the treatment meted out to the two leaders, saying the movement's commitment to compassion was its greatest strength.

"We are fighting against hatred; we are fighting against the people who have nothing but hatred in their mind. But we also have to ensure that hatred does not come inside us," he said.

"We don't have to become what we hate," he stressed, accusing those opposing the movement of trying to provoke its members into abandoning their peaceful approach.

The CJP founder acknowledged that the past several days had been difficult for volunteers, some of whom he said had faced detention and alleged beatings during the protests.

However, he said their families were experiencing an even greater strain because they had not chosen to be part of the struggle.

"The fight that we are putting up was our decision. But the consequences of that are also coming on our families," he said, asking supporters to stay close to their loved ones.

Dipke said he had spoken to the families of both jailed leaders and drawn strength from their resolve. He said Das's mother had reassured him that her son was a fighter and urged him to tell others to take care of themselves.

Ranka, meanwhile, could not attend a funeral in his family after a relative died while he was in jail, Dipke said. Despite the circumstances, he said, Ranka's family had also urged him not to worry about the two leaders.

"The people who should have been weak, they are not weak. In fact, they are the ones who are giving me the strength," he said.

Dipke credited Das and Ranka with playing a major role in taking the movement forward, saying he had largely followed their instructions while organising the protests.

He recalled how Das had once been mocked for being too privileged or soft to withstand jail, including for drinking cold coffee during protests. Das had nevertheless spent several days in custody and appeared in court smiling, Dipke said.

He also spoke emotionally about his bond with the two, describing them as his brothers and saying he continued to open a WhatsApp group where they used to share memes simply to feel that they were still part of it.

"Our emotions are not our weakness. They are our strength," he said, adding that the movement would continue with love, compassion and the values of Gandhi and B R Ambedkar.

Dipke said the movement would not retreat because of the arrests, while urging supporters to take care of themselves and their families.

"We will not back down. It is not that if Sourav and Ashu go to jail, we will be scared," he said. PTI