Boston Study Group and Boston South Asian Coalition organized a candlelight vigil at Harvard Square on October 2, 2020 to draw attention to the brutal rape and murder of Manisha Valmiki, a Dalit teenager by dominant caste thugs in Hathras, U.P., India. Further, many subsequent and recent unregistered rape cases in the state of Uttar Pradesh were condemned during this gathering.
The participants in the candlelight vigil demanded #justiceforHathras reflecting on the need for a speedy trial in this heinous case of caste violence. Individuals including children were present, holding sign boards of ‘Dalit Rights are Human Rights‘ and ‘We condemn Caste Violence‘. Many members of the community shared their feelings and responses on this occasion, inflicting emotional responses from many onlookers. More than 45 Indians and Americans turned up at this peaceful gathering to show solidarity towards this demand for justice on a chilly fall evening.
