Activists Medha Patkar and Shabnam Hashmi among hundreds of people from across India gathered at Parliament Street in central Delhi to celebrate International Human Rights Day on Monday.
Members of social movements, the civil society, representatives of Narmada Bachao Andolan, tribals from the Nilgiris and several others from different areas joined the activists.
The participants sang patriotic songs and chanted slogans in support of the freedom of speech.
The people gathered to observe Jashn-e-Samvidhan, a celebration of dissent and resistance. It aims to celebrate the spirit of Constitution, the struggles of people and reassert the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, said Patkar of the Andolan.
"This celebration is a message that if our rights are not given then such a protest would be ignited that it would overthrow the government (out)," Patkar told PTI.
Hashmi stressed on the need to celebrate resistance, specially at a time when the voice of the poor and the needy is being curbed.
PTI
