AROUND 150 activists from various organisations assembled outside Dadar Railway Station in central Mumbai on July 16 evening to protest against the CBI hounding of Teesta Setalvad and Javed Anand. The DYFI, SFI and AIDWA took the initiative for organising the protest. CPI(M) Central Committee members Mahendra Singh and Sudha Sundararaman, noted film-maker Anand Patwardhan and many well-known intellectuals and artists joined the protest. Students of FTII and TISS also joined it. Addressing the large gathering of people at the venue of protest, Sudha Sundararaman said that the Modi government’s attempt to intimidate Teesta Setalvad is part of the fascist attempt to crush all resistance in defence of secularism, democracy and basic human rights. The specific objective of this case is to shield the perpetrators of the Gujarat genocide from the judicial process by cutting off the legal aid being provided by Teesta Setalvad to the victims, she said. Mahendra Singh said that the Modi regime is out to subvert all institutions of the republic and deploy them against those who dare to oppose fascist forces. AIDWA state president Mariam Dhawale while condemning the hounding of Teesta and Javed, said that the Modi government’s attempts to stifle the secular opposition must be unitedly resisted by all democratic, secular and progressive forces. AIDWA state secretary Sonya Gill and Sugandhi Francis, DYFI state secretary Preethy Sekhar and Moin Ansar, SFI state joint secretary Dr Ravindra Madne, Sanjay Singhvi of UTUC, social activists Dolphy D’Souza, Haseena and several others spoke at the programme. The demonstration was a warning that progressive sections of Mumbai city will not allow fascist forces to isolate and silence citizens like Teesta Setalvad and Javed Anand who courageously take up the fight of the poor and hapless who have been brutalised by Hindutva criminals.