By Huneza Khan
Bhopal: Facing attacks from Hindutva groups and targeted by police, members of Madhya Pradesh-based group HOWL – How Ought We Live – are living in fear.
One of their founding members and a journalist, Saurav Benarjee, is in police custody. Another member, Niladri Mukhopadhyay, a filmmaker from West Bengal, has gone missing from Indore, with no information available about his whereabouts.
Located amidst lush green forest and hills in Shukrawasa village of Dewas district, HOWL describes itself as a self-sustained, informal collective of working professionals engaged in education and awareness initiatives among marginalised communities.
However, lately, the group has been labeled with accusations like “jungle mein dharmantaran (religious conversion in the jungle)” by the media and right-wing organisations.
No substantial proof on religious conversion claims
A HOWL member, on the condition of anonymity due to constant threat after the dramatic events, says, “Saurav Benarjee was arbitrarily held in custody since July 24 and was only produced in court on July 28. He is now in a three-day police remand. Our member Niladri Mukhopadhyay has been missing since July 24. Since then, right-wing extremist groups have circulated our names, phone numbers, and addresses. They are openly threatening us, saying: ‘Do what you want when you find them.’
“Not a single person has come forward claiming they were forced to convert, yet both the administration and Bajrang Dal continue to shift the narrative. Even though none of us is Christian, they first accused us of converting people to Christianity. Now, the claim is that since we don’t follow Sanatana Dharma, it automatically amounts to conversion. The administration says we have hurt religious sentiments. On what grounds?”
As many as five individuals were allegedly picked up from the HOWL campus on the afternoon of July 22 from Shukrawasa. The police searched their campus without prior notice or a warrant. The members alleged they were brutally beaten when they resisted and asserted their civic rights. Their phones and laptops were confiscated, and the police reportedly breached their privacy by reading personal messages and demanding access to their bank accounts.
This story was originally published in thewire.in. Read the full story here.
