’We want to go back to be with our families’

Say Bahraini students who will join rally organised in Mumbai to condemn atrocities on civilians by their military

'We want to go back to be with our families'

Say Bahraini students who will join rally organised in Mumbai to condemn atrocities on civilians by their military

Demanding immediate end to violence against unarmed Bahraini protestors and civilians who have been subjected to unprecedented levels of State oppression, March of Million, a peaceful protest rally will be held in Azad Maidan, Mumbai, today.

Expressing solidarity: Students from the city wait for exams to finish so
they can join their family in troubled Bahrain. Pic/AFP

About 25,000 people are expected to attend the rally, which is supported by Shiite groups across the state. Of these, about 100 Bahraini students from the city too will join the march to protest against the atrocities meted out to their families back home.

Ammar al-Sabba, a Bahraini student who is pursuing MBA from the University of Pune, said: "We are regularly in touch with our families. I'm joining the campaign, as I want people to know what's exactly happening there."
He added that though he is quite distressed with the situation in his country and want to be by his family's side, but he was waiting for his exams to finish.

Likewise, Ahmed al-Mashaba, a SYBCom student, said, "The media is just talking about Libya and there are hardly any news reports about Bahrain. We want people to know how are we being targetted in our own country by the barbaric regime."

He added: "People have not been going to work for about a month now, as the military has imposed a curfew-like situation. And when we protest, we are arrested, tortured and even killed by the military."

Soon after the unrest in Bahrain broke out, seven of the students left for Bahrain to be with their families.
"The situation in Bahrain is quite upsetting. Protestors are being shot point blank. However, what's more disturbing is that people have turned a blind-eye towards cruelty on civilians by the Bahraini military," said Syed Hasan Askari, chairman of Shia News, an SMS-based news service. "It's high time we stop sitting in the comfort of our homes and watch the atrocities. It's time to rise and show our solidarity to those being oppressed by the brutal regime."

Imran Rasool, one of the organisers of the march, said: "The riot police, backed by tanks and helicopters, fired shotguns and tear gas at demonstrators in Manama's Pearl Square. It's quite surprising that the Bahraini government is seeking help from neighbouring countries to target civilians who had raised slogans of peace."