Black July Remembrance held at Constitution Club, Calls for Justice and Pluralism

Lubna Asif Calls for Collective Reflection at ‘Black July’ Remembrance in Delhi

New Delhi, 25 July 2025

The Constitution Club of India hosted a solemn gathering to mark the 41st anniversary of Black July, the 1983 anti-Tamil pogrom in Sri Lanka that left thousands dead and forced many more into displacement. Titled “Black July: A Direct Action Day”, the event was organized by the Hindu Struggle Committee and brought together political leaders, human rights activists, and artists to honor the victims and reflect on the lessons the tragedy holds for the region today.

Delivering the keynote address, Lubna Asif, National President of the All India Minorities Front, called on the public and policymakers to turn remembrance into responsibility.

“Remembrance is not just about grief,” she said. “It is about learning, speaking truth in the face of silence, and ensuring that such crimes against humanity are never repeated — in Sri Lanka, in India, or anywhere in the world.”

Lubna Asif described the violence as a stark warning of the dangers of unchecked communal hatred.

“Pain has no religion. Suffering has no language. We must not allow silence to become the enemy of truth,” she said.
She also acknowledged ongoing efforts toward inclusive governance in India, citing the government’s “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas” initiative as a step in the right direction to address marginalization and build unity.

The remembrance event revisited the events of July 1983, when anti-Tamil riots broke out in Colombo following the killing of 13 Sri Lankan soldiers. Mobs attacked Tamil homes, businesses, and temples, resulting in the deaths of an estimated 3,000 people. The violence escalated Sri Lanka’s ethnic tensions and left a lasting scar on the nation’s history.

Other speakers echoed Asif’s call for truth, justice, and reconciliation.

Tarun Vijay, former MP and Chairman of the War Memorial in Uttarakhand, spoke of the cultural and civilizational ties between India and Sri Lanka, stressing the need to protect shared heritage and memory.

The event also featured remarks by K.G. Suresh, Director of the India Habitat Centre; Sandeep Marwah, Founder of Noida Film City; and Dr. Pravesh Chaudhary, Spokesperson for the Vishwa Hindu Parishad. All speakers emphasized the importance of confronting historical injustice to protect vulnerable communities in the present.

The evening concluded with a moving poem recited by Lubna Asif, capturing the grief and moral urgency that underscored the gathering:
“In the ashes of Black July, a question burns,
When will the wheel of justice turn?
We gather not for hate, nor blame,
But so no soul must die again in flame.”

The Hindu Struggle Committee was recognized for facilitating a space for open dialogue on a sensitive and often overlooked episode in South Asian history. As the audience stood in silence to remember the victims, the program closed with a shared commitment to truth, justice, and communal harmony.