CITIZEN`S MARCH – PEACE RALLY AGAINST MOB-OCRACY

NEARLY 1,000 people will hold a silent peace march ‘against mob-ocracy' from Andheri's Holy Family School up to Andheri police station on April 6.
Action for Good Governance and Networking in India (AGNI) members, wearing white shirts and carrying black umbrellas and placards, feel that the police have not taken enough action against the miscreants re sponsible for the molestation of two women outside a Juhu hotel on New Year's night or against alleged Maharashtra Navnirman Sena activists who attacked taxi drivers or against those who attacked AGNI co-ordinator James John.
"We are demanding a strict law against mob violence," said AGNI Trustee Gerson Da'Cunha, who will chair a meeting at the school before the march. "In many cases, the police are ineffective or slow-moving."
A memorandum will be chalked out at the meeting that would be handed over to the Andheri police to be forwarded to Commissioner Hassan Gafoor. The memorandum will report the mob attacks and make demands, including that action be taken against people teeming up, losing inhibitions and causing undeclared bandhs.
"In many cases, police do not intervene as the local slumlords, matka groups, encroachers, even politicians collude with the police. We want this to stop," said Da'Cunha.
They will also ask the police to set up cells to protect those who want to help establish evidence against the attackers. "In cases like John's, who was trying to click pictures of mobs forcing shops to close for evidence, he was attacked. Of the five attackers, only two were arrested and let off on bail," said Ravi Nair, march organiser and AGNI volunteer.
sayli.mankikar@hindustantimes.com WANT TO JOIN? ¦ What: AGNI Peace rally and meeting against mob attacks and lawlessness ¦ When: Sunday, April 6, 2008 ¦ Where: Holy Family School, Andheri (East) ¦ Dress Code: White shirt/top and black उम्ब्रेल्ला -- सय्ली UDAS