The protest programme at Parliament Street in Delhi by Campaign Against State Repression on Rights Activists saw the participation of over four thousand people from Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu and all other parts of the country. The programme was presided by Professor G Haragopal. Justice BG Kolse Patil, D Raja, Manorajan Mohanty, Arundhati Roy, Dharamvir Gandhi, S Vanchinathan and others addressed the gathering. The programme began with cultural performances from Praja Kala Mandali from Andhra and Telangana, and cultural organisations from Punjab and Haryana.
Setting the stage for the programme, Prof. Haragopal laid out the purpose of the programme and welcomed the gathering. Advocate S Vanchinathan, the lawyer who was fighting for the release of residents of Thoothkudi who subsequently found himself jailed under draconian and colonial laws like the Goondas Act, spoke of the struggles of the people of Tamil Nadu. He reminded the gathering that the struggle against Sterlite in Thoothkudi has strong similarities with the struggle of Maruti Suzuki workers in Haryana. In both cases, the government in power did everything in its capacity to protect the interests of the corporations over the people of this country. He said, the TN police under the instructions of Sterlite-Vedanta Company imposed a ban on internet, created a condition of fear and ordered the firing on the people of Thoothkudi. After the targeted shooting of TN Commandos was released, the BJP government along with the Intelligence Bureau started claiming that the protests were a Naxalite conspiracy. He stated that the current government, the BJP, is doing everything in its power to invent enemies to justify its actions. Justice BG Kolse Patil reminded us that we must remember that we have evidence of the crimes of former CM of Gujarat Narendra Modi and Amit Shah in light of the 2002 Gujarat massacre of Muslims. Justice Patil said, two classes of people exist in India – the struggling people of the country and the parasitic class who live on the labour of the struggling masses. The people who neither believe in democracy nor the Constitution are sitting in Parliament today and what we face today is an unprecedented case of an undeclared Emergency. He warned against the Brahmanical nature of the state that is crippling all the democratic institutions, including the education system, by negating the collective intelligence of the country. This, he felt, is something we should strongly oppose while we strive for a world without repression.
Dharamvir Gandhi, independent MP in Rajya Sabha, remarked that the struggle for the rights of dalits, adivasis, Muslims and all marginalised communities need to be fought both inside the Parliament and outside it. And, he reiterated the need for all democratic forces across the country to fight against state repression and fascism expanding all over the country. Writer Arundhati Roy spoke of the breaking of two locks in the early 90s, the locks of Babri Masjid and the end to the restraints on exploitative global capital. She felt that we need to understand both capitalism and casteism in order to understand the nature of the state as both work hand in hand. The arrests of Prof. GN Saibaba, Rona Wilson and Advocate Surendra Gadling reveals that anyone amongst us could be arrested next by this exceedingly vindictive state; a state that is ready to let the country burn in order to retain control in the 2019 elections. She called the BJP the Bharat Jalao Party that spreads the politics of hatred and urged everyone to unite in the face of this hatred. Kavita Srivastava of PUCL raised the threat to all democratic institutions and activists in the lead up to the 2019 elections. As democratic state institutions collapse under the weight, journalists are constantly threatened by the police, and activists thrown behind bars under UAPA and other draconian laws. She asked for the repeal of UAPA, a draconian law which has progressively been made more draconian through amendments in 2008 and 2012.
Vinay Ratan Singh from the Bhim Army spoke of the continued incarceration of Chandrasekhar for challenging caste oppression. The government has set the silence of the Bhim Army against atrocities and caste-based oppression as the price for Chandrasekarʹs release. On 2 April 2018, those protesting against the government were killed, arrested, and their families continue to struggle, without food. Bhim army will continue to raise their voice against caste oppression, through education, of this and the next generation. D Raja, member of Parliament, reminded the people that the constitution was enshrined to protect the people of the country but instead, under the current regime, it is being dismantled and abused and most importantly subverted to serve the ends of those in power. He challenged the BJP and the Sangh Parivar about the history of this country particularly highlighting their history in being hand in glove with the colonial state. He called the effort to build a Hindu Rashtra an attempt to establish fascism and destroy democracy. He condemned state repression, be it in the form of name-calling to outright violence, on the people fighting to save democracy in the country.
Baby Turi from Visthapan Virodhi Jan Vikas Andolan, Jharkhand, challenged the continuing persecution, false arrests and cases against adivasis involved in Pathalgarhi, challenging the escalated grab of land and forests. She demanded the repeal of UAPA. Prashant Bhushan also shed light on the trend of arresting those who are facing repression, such as Muslims, Christians, Dalits, Adivasis, and those raising their voices against the repression, while the perpetrators of violence and atrocities are not even investigated. This he found was visible in the case of Stan Swamy and 10 other activists being charged with sedition in Jharkhand. Surendra Gadling, representing GN Saibaba in the false case under UAPA, is arrested under UAPA. In Thoothkudi, those protesting against Sterlite are shot and killed, those leading the movement arrested. The BJP government is looting the country, while their promises of bringing a strong Lokpal, targeting black money and corruption, are all forgotten. Vijay Mallya, Mehul Choksi and Nirav Modi are allowed to flee the country under Modiʹs watch. The attack on the people of this country as visible in Assam with the NRC is another effort by the current government to establish a Hindu state favourable to its ends. Prof. Manoranjan Mohanty reminded all that while oppressed groups have been fighting injustice but there are two new dimensions to the current regime: one, relentless repression by army and paramilitary forces, and two, mob lynchings. This is done in the name of ʹnational securityʹ. This national security is nothing but security for corporate and capital. We are fighting for the security of peoples. During the Emergency, we fought for civil liberties and democratic rights, but those are not sufficient anymore. The fight needs to be strengthened through unity.
Rinchin from WSS also brought to the fore the two issues of repression on women and the loot of land. She found that capitalism and patriarchy stood firmly on the ground established by a repressive state, a state that runs roughshod over the constitutional rights of adivasis as in the case of the Pathalgadi movement in Jharkhand and the assaults on women by CRPF in Bastar. She reminded that someone like Mahesh Raut who had been working for the rights of gram sabhas as enshrined in the constitution in Gadchiroli has been incarcerated and declared anti-national. She asked where are the voices of the women who have been raped, and then forcefully held under the custody by the state. She asked the gathering to resolve to fight against both capitalist loot and the patriarchal system that exists to crush the people of the country. Sujato Bhadra spoke of the Bhangar movement and the effort to crush it as indicative of the various forms of repression visible in the country today. Rajeev Yadav of Rihai Manch said that these arrests are a warning to the people that anyone who will speak will be jailed and todayʹs protest is an indication that people will not be threatened this way. Aparna of IFTU spoke about the banning of trade unions like MSS in Jharkhand and how the state is afraid of workers organisations that are reminding the people about the struggles of workers all the way from the Russian revolution to now. The struggle for Podu land in Telangana where the government is running JCBs on land of the people and filing cases against those speaking against it is indicative of the anti-people nature of the government. She said that we must remember that two people from amongst us, Professor GN Saibaba and Rona Wilson, are now behind bars for speaking against the loot of land and for the release of political prisoners while right wing perpetrators of violence like Milind Ekbote and Sambhaji Bhide roam free.
Buta Singh of Association for Democratic Rights talked about party controlled media trial that is on–going all over the country. Sawarnjit Singh, Tapas Chakrabarty, Prof. Laxman and Kranti Chaitanya all spoke of the need to unite in the face of repression. Parvez Ahmad spoke of how today is a gathering of people of all shades but what is common is our struggle against fascism and how people like Gauri Lankesh, Gadling and Chandrasekhar and all spoke about justice and now they are silenced. All participants reiterated the need to fight against the murder of constitutional rights and the need to unite and fight against all forms of state repression. The programme culminated with revolutionary songs in various languages by groups from all over the country.
Campaign Against State Repression on Rights Activists
Open Letter to Federica Mogherini
To the attention of the VP / AR Federica Mogherini:
On February 29, 2016, I sent you a written question – E-001822-16 – about the situation of imprisonment that Professor GN Saibaba was suffering in India, to which you replied that the EU “The EU has been closely following cases of human rights defenders arrested in India, including the cases of professor Saibaba, accused of having links with Naxal militants, and of Ms. Arundathi Roy, accused of contempt of court for her article defending the cause of Professor Saibaba. The EU Delegation in New Delhi has made appeals on humanitarian grounds with the National Human Rights Commission.
The EU attaches great importance to the issues at stake, most importantly to the freedom of expression, the right to a fair trial and the rights of human rights defenders. These issues are also addressed at the EU-India human rights dialogue.” Continue reading →
The Persecuted Prisoners Solidarity Committee (PPSC) strongly condemns the judgement by the Gadchiroli Sessions Court March 7, 2017 convicting Mahesh Tirki, Pandu Narote, Hem Mishra, Prashant Rahi, Vijay Tirki and G N Saibaba, under various sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (UAPA) and awarding life sentence to five of them and a ten year imprisonment to another. Continue reading →
The judgement of the District and Sessions Court in Gadchiroli, Maharashtra, on March 7, 2017, which sentenced the Delhi University professor and four other activists to life imprisonment, is an unprecedented provocation for any defender of human and democratic rights anywhere. GN Saibaba, wheelchair bound for life, was judged as one of the greatest dangers for Indiaʹs security! He is shoved in jail to die there as he is severely ill. The accusation and sentencing was based on ridiculous evidence under the provisions of the draconian Unlawful Activities Prevention Act which criminalizes the ideas and thoughts of militants. Continue reading →
Today 17/3/17 I met my brother Dr. G. N. Saibaba at Nagpur Central jail after the undemocratic judgement pronunced by the Gadchiroli sessions court. I waited nearly 4 hrs after applying for the mulakat to meet saibaba. The jail authorities has given mulakat almost at the end of the day around 5.45pm.
The jaali mulakat last just in 20 min with two time warnings in between. The new jaali mulakat system is completely undemocratic and inhumane as the window is completely sealed with glass and to talk only over telephones on their side of the glass window. When we talk we can’t even see the face properly; when face is to be observed we can’t talk. With great difficulty we could able to share few things.
Dr. Saibaba looked very weak. He was unable to take Jail food. Jail authorities are not providing required diet to him. He is vomiting if any jail food is consumed. He got two times unbearable pancreatic pain in the jail. He is suffering from pancreas infection and admitted into hospital just before the verdict. So far no medical treatment has been given to him.Even the basic facilities which were earlier provided are now not extended.today did not accept to give medicines,bedsheets, fruits etc.his health condition is highly deteriorated. He needs immediate medical treatment.I was not permitted to meet senior jailer to discuss health issues of Dr. G N. Saibaba. Even Hem Mishra’s health is not in good condition.
It is with utter disbelief and deepest concern that we learn of Prof. G. N. Saibaba, a highly respected intellectual and Asst. Professor in the Dept. of English at Ram Lal Anand College, part of a Delhi University, has been sentenced to life imprisonment under various sections of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). Prof. Saibaba is wheelchair-bound, 90% disabled with severe and fragile health conditions that warrant constant and now urgent medical attention.
Saibaba, along with five others – a student, a journalist-activist and three young adivasi villagers have been accused of a criminal conspiracy to ‘wage war against the Government of India’ and of ‘links with a Maoist organisation.’
We register our strongest condemnation of the sentence and demand immediate release of Prof. Saibaba and all others accused, and that the concerned authorities conduct a thorough, fair and transparent investigation into the framing of this case.
For many years Saibaba has been outspoken regarding atrocities against the adivasis and for the welfare and rights of tribal and marginalised populations. Continue reading →
Alle organizzazioni contro la repressione e di solidarietà con i prigionieri politici
Ai docenti, intellettuali, studenti democratici
Protestiamo contro la condanna all’ergastolo del Prof. GN Saibaba e 5 suoi compagni!
Fermiamo il soffocamento del dissenso con leggi liberticide e processi farsa!
Libertà per tutti i prigionieri politici in India!
Dopo quasi quattro anni, il 7 marzo 2017, la persecuzione contro il Professor G N Saibaba della Delhi University si è conclusa con la condanna all’ergastolo sua e di altri 5 imputati.
Nel 2013 la polizia del Maharashtra perquisì illegalmente per due volte l’abitazione del dottor Saibaba con la falsa motivazione di “ricettazione di oggetti rubati”, sequestrò supporti informatici senza registrarli e sigillarli come impone la procedura legale.
Nell’aprile 2014 lo stesso professore, disabile al 90% e costretto su sedia a rotelle, fu sequestrato e incarcerato, accusato secondo la legge di “prevenzione delle attività illegali” (UAPA) insieme ad altri 5, il giornalista e attivista Prashant Rahi, lo studente Hem Mishra e gli adivasi Pandu Narote, Mahesh Tirki e Vijay Tirki.
Per due anni è stato detenuto in attesa di giudizio nella prigione centrale di Nagpur, dove gli sono sono state sistematicamente negate le più elementari strutture necessarie a una persona nelle sue condizioni, le terapie e l’assistenza medica necessaria, causando un drammatico peggioramento della sua salute, come riconosciuto dalla la Corte Suprema indiana che nell’aprile 2016 gli ha concesso la libertà su cauzione. Continue reading →
Why are they so afraid of someone who is 90% disabled?‘
Delhi University Professor G N Sai Baba was convicted on March 7 to life in prison under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act — UAPA — for being a member of a banned terrorist organisation, the Communist Party of India Maoist. The professor, who has undergone two spells of imprisonment in Nagpur jail as an undertrial, is 90 per cent disabled and wheelchair-bound. After his arrest in May 2014, he was released on interim bail on medical grounds in July 2015, only to be rearrested in December that year, and released again on the Supreme Court’s orders in April 2016.
Immediately after the conviction, the professor’s wife issued a protest statement that summed up her outrage. Two days later, Rediff.com contributor Jyoti Punwani caught up with Vasantha Kumari.
In between tending to a distraught mother-in-law and leaking taps in her Delhi home, Vasantha expressed her shock, bafflement and indignation at what she feels is a terrible injustice done to someone who has only fought for rights guaranteed by the Constitution.
Delhi home, Vasantha expressed her shock, bafflement and indignation at what she feels is a terrible injustice done to someone who has only fought for rights guaranteed by the Constitution. Continue reading →
Condemn the conviction of Professor GN Saibaba and five others in India! Condemn the travesty of justice and stifling of voices of democratic dissent! Repeal all draconian laws such as UAPA! Release all political prisoners!
The life sentence given on 7th March 2017 to Delhi University Professor G N Saibaba by the Gadchiroli District and Sessions Court in Maharashtra State of India is shockingly unjust. The court has convicted him and five others under the draconian anti-terror law, the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). Besides Saibaba, the five people convicted are journalist and social activist Prashant Rahi, Jawaharlal Nehru University student Hem Mishra and tribals Pandu Narote, Mahesh Tirki and Vijay Tirki. (While five have been sentenced to life term in prison, the court sentenced Vijay Tirki to 10 years in jail). Continue reading →
Am 7. März wurde durch das regionale Gericht des Distrikts Gadchiroli im indischen Bundesstaat Maharashtra der Professor der Universität Delhis, G.N. Saibaba zu lebenslänglicher Haft verurteilt. Das Gericht verurteilte ihn und vier weitere Personen, Hem Mishra, Prashant Rahi, Mahesh Tirkey und Pandu Narote unter den Artikeln 13,18,20,38 und 39 des Repressionsgesetzes „Unlawful Activities Preventions Act“ (Gesetz zur Vorbeugung ungesetzlicher Handlungen). Eine weitere Person, Vijay Tirke wurde zu zehn Jahren Haft verurteilt.
Die Artikel des UAPA sind dabei:
13: Bestrafung für die Ausübung „ungesetzlicher Handlungen“, aber auch die Unterstützung, Anordnung oder Anstiftung dazu.
18: Bestrafung für „Verschwörung“, wozu jegliche Art von Unterstützung, Anstiftung, Gutheißung von „terroristischen Taten“ gezählt wird.
20: Bestrafung für die „Mitgliedschaft in einer terroristischen Gruppe oder Organisation“.
38: Straftat im Zusammenhang mit der „Mitgliedschaft in einer terroristischen Organisation“.
39: Straftat im Zusammenhang mit der „Unterstützung einer terroristischen Organisation“.
Zusätzlich wurde im Urteil der Abschnitt 120B des indischen Strafgesetzes angeführt, kriminelle Verschwörung.
Die Anwälte Saibabas erklärten, dass sie mit dem Fall vor das Bombay High Court, Indiens höchstes Gericht, ziehen werden.
Im Fall Saibaba ist dieses Urteil kein lebenslängliches, sondern ein Todesurteil. Schon während seiner Zeit im Gefängnis während seiner Untersuchungshaft, aus der er zuletzt am 4. April auf Kaution freigelassen wurde, zeigte sich, dass er eine Haftstrafe aufgrund seiner Gesundheit nicht lange überleben wird.
Eine ausführliche Schilderung der Situation Saibabas im Gefängnis gibt ein Essay der Autorin Arundhati Roy aus dem Mai 2015 wieder. http://www.demvolkedienen.org/index.php/de/asien/1284-saibaba-zu-lebenslanger-haft-verurteilt
The old Indian State, through the Court of Sessions of Gadchiroli (Maharashtra), convicted the Delhi University professor G.N. Saibaba to the life imprisonment. That punishment happened because of his important militancy in defence of the people’s rights. Besides Professor Saibaba, five other militants were targets of this unacceptable measure and convicted under the draconian anti-terror law.
The Indian government has attacked more and more the people of its own country. In order to expel the peasants from their lands, under the mantra of “Operation Green Hunt”, the Adivasis people villages are being decimated, under constants air strikes and the offensive of mercenary groups working for the government. All this has been done to ensure the interests of transnational companies, especially those in the mining sector. In the cities, there is a growing number of draconian laws targeting activists and people’s rights activists. Besides Professor Saibaba the renowned Indian writer Arundhati Roy also has been pursued by the old State. Continue reading →
It is the pages smuggled out from Nagpurʹs high security central prison over a period of three months which will make Delhi University Professor GN Saibabaʹs latest book. He was recently released on bail after spending two years in jail…
avaninews.comIt is the pages smuggled out from Nagpurʹs high security central prison over a period of three months which will make Delhi University Professor GN Saibabaʹs latest book. He was recently released on bail after spending two years in jail following being charged under Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).
In a bizarre, highly deplorable judgment delivered on Tuesday, Suryakant Shinde, Sessions Judge at Gadchiroli District Court in Maharashtra convicted Prof GN Saibaba (Delhi University), Prashant Rahi (Journalist from Uttarakhand), Hem Mishra (Cultural Activist, Student, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi), Mahesh Tirke, Pandu Narote and Vijay Tirke (tribals from Gadchiroli) and sentenced life imprisonment to the first five and ten years imprisonment to the last, under Sections 13,18,20,38 and 39 of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act and Section 120-B of the Indian Penal Code. Continue reading →
Our advocates will move high Court soon. This judgement is shocking. In the history of Maharashtra this is the first case in which all the person’s charge sheeted were are convicted in all the sections with life imprisonment. Saibaba brother attend most of the arguments of our advocates before the hon. Judge and found that the judgement seems has not taken those into consideration. No evidence has been proved by the prosecution, electronic evidence not sealed. It seems the state and Central governments have put a lot of pressure on the judiciary to implement anti people and undemocratic policies at the behest of corporates and MNCs. The governments have selectively to suppress the voice of people to plunder the resources of this country. The BJP govt. Wants to push nakedly the agenda of RSS by through such people like saibaba behind the bars.
CRPP Statement on the conviction and life sentences by the Gadchiroli Sessions Court of MAHESH TIRKI, PANDU NAROTE, HEM MISHRA, PRASHANT RAHI, VIJAY TIRKI AND GN SAIBABA!
CONDEMN THE CONVICTION OF MAHESH TIRKI, PANDU NAROTE, HEM MISHRA, PRASHANT RAHI, VIJAY TIRKI AND GN SAIBABA!
CONDEMN THE PENAL STATE THAT CRIMINALIZES POLITICAL IDEAS, DISSENT AND THE RIGHT TO PROPAGATE IDEAS IN A DEMOCRACY!
REPEAL UAPA AND ALL OTHER DRACONIAN LAWS! RELEASE ALL POLITICAL PRISONERS!
The Gadchiroli sessions court judgment on Mahesh Tirki, Pandu Narote, Hem Mishra, Prashant Rahi, Vijay Tirki and GN Saibaba (all accused in order) under Sections 13, 18, 20, 38 & 39 of the draconian Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) read with 120-B of the IPC goes a long way in the acts of the entrenchment of a deep national security state ready to penalize anything that it seems a threat to the powers that be. More than the law the 827 odd page judgment is a testimony of how far the lower courts in India are easily malleable to the pulls and pressures of a police state that turns its back to the merits in the detail of the case to draw the fine line between what is primarily and legally beyond suspicion in the commission of the said offence to something that is and can’t stand the rigour of legal scrutiny.
An Appeal to the People, Democratic Organizations, Individuals, Mass Organizations and Political Parties Let us build a broad united democratic movement to demand for the release of Prof. G.N. Saibaba, Hem Mishra, Prashant Rahi, Mahesh Tirke, Pandu Narote and Vijay Tirke convicted under UAPA by the sessions judge Gadchiroli, Maharastra let us also fight to withdraw the draconian UAPA itself
Revolutionary Democratic Front is not a frontal organization of CPI (Maoist) and it is not a banned organization in Delhi, Maharastra and certain other states.
The sessions and district court of Gadchiroli dist of Maharastra has pronounced its judgment against Prof. G.N. Saibaba and five others on 7th March, 2017 under heavy bandobast of armed police. Uniformed armed police with AK-47 like sophisticated weapons were allowed into court hall also where the public hearing of the court is supposed to take place. From the side of accused only the blood relatives were allowed besides the defense lawyers. Continue reading →
Fascist indian state disclosed its actual fascism under the mask of democracy. Fascist state and government sentenced GN SAIBABA to life and put other democratic activists to jail. We condemn and firmly oppose such kind of injustice. We assert that, every citizen has right to take position in favor of any interest of any ethnic group, religious minority etc and stand against any kind of injustice, oppression against adivasis,dalits etc.
It’s a matter of political right. But under a fascist system political right never be ensured. As Indian state, has launched an ultimate war against people of seven sisters. Operation Green Hunt, air fight in Bastar, Malkangiri killing are some example of this democracy. Cold blooded murder in the name of crossfire is a daily routine. Actually, all of the massacre is against the great maoist movement and the proletariat people.
Saibaba and other activists has been opposing actively that kind state killing for several years. It was the main fault of them. They are people’s leader. But for state they are rebel and the are linked with anti-state activities. We want immediate release order of them. We believe an ultimate movement can ensure their release. We always stand with any rightful movement whatever it is armed or unarmed all over the world.
Revolutionary Student – Youth Movement (RSYM)
International Week of Action 2-9 April 2016
Clic on the picture to download all available versions
The Call for International week of Action in all avaliable languages
Am 7. März wurde durch das regionale Gericht des Distrikts Gadchiroli im indischen Bundesstaat Maharashtra der Professor der Universität Delhis, G.N. Saibaba zu lebenslänglicher Haft verurteilt. Das Gericht verurteilte ihn und vier weitere Personen, Hem Mishra, Prashant Rahi, Mahesh Tirkey und Pandu Narote unter den Artikeln 13,18,20,38 und 39 des Repressionsgesetzes „Unlawful Activities Preventions Act“ (Gesetz zur Vorbeugung ungesetzlicher Handlungen). Eine weitere Person, Vijay Tirke wurde zu zehn Jahren Haft verurteilt.
