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India – against the rejection of bail of Dr. Saibaba and the framing of Arundhati Roy

against the rejection of bail of Dr. Saibaba and the framing of Arundhati Roy in contempt proceedings for her essay in Outlook. It will be addressed by Dr. G N Saibaba, Justice (Retd.) Rajinder Sachar, Prof. Manoranjan Mohanty, Arundhati Roy, Prashant Bhushan, Sanjay Kak, Vikas Gupta, Ashok Bhowmick, Manisha Sethi, Dr. Mrigank, Vijay Singh, Pankaj Bisht, Mangalesh Dabral and other intellectuals, Professors, artists, lawyers and representatives of democratic rights and civil liberties groups.

Dr. G.N Saibaba’s application for permanent bail has been rejected today by the Nagpur Bench of Bombay High Court. What is further appalling is that the High Court has also dismissed Saibaba’s interim bail order (Criminal Application No.785/2015), that was issued by a division bench led by the Chief Justice of Bombay High Court Justice Mohit Shah along with Justice Shukre on 30/06/2015 which granted him interim relief which in turn was extended by the same division bench till 31st December 2015, to avail treatments for his serious medical conditions. Interrupting his ongoing treatment, the new judgment by a single judge of the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court has ordered Dr. Saibaba to surrender himself to the Nagpur prison within 48 hours! The order further states upon failure to do so, he shall be arrested by the police. The highly inhospitable conditions of the notorious anda cell of the Nagpur Central Jail had further deteriorated his multiple health problems. It was only after many democratic voices raised their voice of protest that he was finally granted interim bail on the ground on medical grounds in June 2015. After his release on temporary bail, Dr. Saibaba has been undergoing treatment in various hospitals in Delhi for multiple health problems. In this situation the cancellation of his bail and forcing him back to the same hostile prison is going to seriously affect his health conditions, probably beyond any recuperation. The rejection of bail in this situation therefore is unacceptable and inhuman.
The same High Court judgment that cancelled Saibaba’s bail petition also ordered proceedings for criminal contempt to be initiated against Arundhati Roy for her article titled Professor, POW against GN Saibaba’s incarceration that was published in Outlook magazine on 18th May, 2015. The Order has issued notice to the author for action for contempt of Court, returnable on 25.01.2016.

Committee for the Defense and Release of Dr GN Saibaba

Denial of bail to Saibaba an attack on democratic rights: DU professor supporters

Coming out strongly in support of Delhi University professor Dr G N Saibaba, a group of professors, writers and filmmakers spoke against the order of the Nagpur Bench of Bombay High Court rejecting Saibaba’s bail plea. In a statement issued Thursday, professors from various universities, including DU, JNU, Jamia Millia Islamia, writer Arundhati Roy and filmmaker Sanjay Kak among others condemed the order. “The intolerance of the higher judiciary to the voices of dissent has reached another peak… the denial of bail to Dr Saibaba is an attack on all our democratic rights. We condemn in unison the rejection of bail and quashing his interim bail as well as Arundhati Roy’s freedom of speech,” the statement issued by Committee for the Defence and Release of G N Saibaba read.
Besides rejecting Saibaba’s bail plea, the court had also charged Roy with criminal contempt for writing about Saibaba’s imprisonment and the denial of bail. Criticising the “vindictiveness and vendetta” in the court order, Supreme Court lawyer Prashant Bhushan said, “This order is not merely unfortunate, but also underlines the need for judicial accountability in the country. It shows sections of judiciary do not have understanding of criminal law or any sensitivity towards the fundamental rights of a citizen.” Continue reading →

Democratic Mobilization in India to Free GN Saibaba – The Call of Varavara Rao

WARANGAL: Disapproving the rejection of bail to Prof GN Saibaba by the Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court, revolutionary writer Varavara Rao has called upon people to condemn the decision. He also demanded the contempt of court notice served on social activist Arundhati Roy to be withdrawn. Addressing media persons at Press Club here on Saturday, Varavara Rao described the decision of the High Court bench as ‘atrocious’ and called upon people to condemn the same. Varavara Rao alleged that both the State and Central governments had started eliminating tribals and others who are working against the mining of minerals by the corporate companies. Continue reading →

Statement of condemnation of the order to send Dr. G.N. Saibaba back to prison

Committee for the Defense and Release of Dr GN Saibaba
It is shocking to hear the news that Dr. G.N Saibaba’s application for permanent bail was rejected today by the Nagpur Bench of Bombay High Court. What is further appalling is that the High Court has also dismissed Saibaba’s interim bail order (Criminal Application No.785/2015), that was issued by a division bench led by the Chief Justice of Bombay High Court Justice Mohit Shah along with Justice Shukre on 30/06/2015 which granted him interim relief which in turn was extended by the same division bench till 31st December 2015, to avail treatments for his serious medical conditions. Continue reading →

India 26 december – Maoists Call for Bandh – ICSPWI calls for a large information in proletarian ranks in all countries

Maoists Call for Bandh in Agency on December 26
VISAKHAPATNAM: The Andhra Odisha Border Special Zonal Committee (AOBSZC) gave a call for Andhra Odisha Border (AOB) bandh on December 26 and urged the tribals to observe December 21 to December 27 as a protest week against the proposed bauxite mining in Visakhapatnam agency. In a letter which was released to the media at Visakhapatnam agency by the AOBSZC official spokesman Jagabandhu, he requested the tribals to fight against those leaders who have been opposing the bauxite mining while still continuing as leaders in political parties. Jaganbandhu asked the leaders to resign from the parties, failing which he suggested that the people should drive them away from the agency areas. The ultra alleged that the government has joined hands with private companies and is trying to benefit from it by hitting the lives of tribals.
The TDP government has been trying to divide and rule the tribals to lift the bauxite reserves. As part of the strategy, the State government has deployed huge forces into the agency and trying to intensify the attacks. The naxal leader in his letter also mentioned that Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has temporarily kept the bauxite issue on hold, which is his strategy. Very soon, he would announce packages and will impress the agitators to pave the road for mining. The red-rebel also stated that the opposition parties who are now actively participating in anti bauxite agitation are just doing so in order to get votes in the coming elections. “Both the TDP and Congress, when in power had tried to mine bauxite and disturb the agency. The YSRC party is a child of Congress,” he alleged.
http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/andhra_pradesh/Maoists-Call-for-Bandh-in-Agency-on-December-26/2015/12/15/article3178166.ece

‘Ready for armed struggle against bauxite mining’

The opposition and resentment with the political leadership is widespread. Men, women and youth are clear in their stand that they would not allow mining of bauxite. Around 8,000 tribals, who would be directly affected by the proposed mining of bauxite in the 1212 hectares in Jerrila and Chintapalli Reserve Forests for which the government issued orders for diversion of forest land are up in arms. The opposition and resentment with the political leadership is widespread. Men, women and youth are clear in their stand that they would not allow mining of bauxite in their areas. Significantly everyone is aware of the issues involved. Men and women are unanimous in their call to the government to withdraw the GO 97 of November 5.
“Any move to mine bauxite would be met with an armed opposition,” the youth and women said and to prove their seriousness they attended the public meeting organised at Jerrila Panchayat carrying their traditional arms. “The protest against the move to mine is not new, but the government officials have been carrying on with their exploration of the place and now the GO has been issued, we will not allow them to bring down these mountains,” Chinna Abbai, an elderly tribal said giving a voice to the tribals at the public meeting.
“The government has been able to carry on with the exploration and also pass the GO on mining only because some of the tribals have sided with the political leaders. We will not allow the tribals working against the interests of fellow tribals to continue. We will drive them away,” another tribal Ashok said. The tribals, who had come from all the 73 habitations that would be directly affected by the first phase of mining, agreed with each statement being made against the government move, reflecting the fact that they were aware of the fact that their lives and livelihoods were at stake. Once mining starts it would affect the flow of water to Sileru and that would not only affect the lives of tribals in the Agency area but also the people living downstream, Adapa Vishnumurty, resident of Jerrila, said.
“The political leaders are not interested in development of tribals, they are only making statements for public consumption. We do not trust them,” Korra Ganjibabu of Boddalagondi in Jerrila panchayat said. “The then Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy sold the mining rights to these areas. How can we trust the YSR Congress not to allow the bauxite mining,” he added. He buttonholed Paderu MLA Giddi Eswari with a pointed question: “what guarantee is there that you would not go ahead with bauxite mining if your party comes to power in the next elections and you become a Minister?” The MLA gave a solemn promise to continue with her stand opposing any move to take up mining in Agency area.
Mining for bauxite will lead to displacement of adivasi communities like the Khond, Nooka Dora, Bagata and Manne Dora. Some of these tribes are identified as Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups. Further, some of them would be suffering multiple displacement as they had moved into the hills of the Visakha Agency due to several projects in the erstwhile Koraput district of Odisha. They would again be forced to abandon a habitat that gave them land for farming, adequate water and forest for sustenance, Human Rights Forum general secretary for AP and Telangana V.S. Krishna said demanding that the government withdraw its move to mine bauxite in the Agency areas.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Visakhapatnam/ready-for-armed-struggle-against-bauxite-mining/article7867803.ece

“I was born in the party”: Women in Maoist Ranks

comment by IDSA – Institute for Defence Studies

Kursenga Motibai alias Radhakka, the first woman in Andhra Pradesh/Telangana to join the ranks of the Naxalites of the Communist Party of India (Maoist), or Maoists in short, was enlarged on bail on December 12, 2015. A Gond tribal woman from Adilabad district, Telangana State, she was underground for 28 years and was the Bastar Divisional Committee Secretary at the time of her arrest in Khammam district. As the Maoists have themselves admitted in an internal document, not many women have been able to rise to leadership positions. Radhakka is one of those exceptions. A more striking exception is Anuradha Ghandy, who was a member of the apex and all-powerful Central Committee. Continue reading →

Bijapur villagers recount widespread assaults by men in uniform

While filing an FIR against security personnel for rape this month, Chhattisgarh police invoked for the first time in the state a clause that became law two years ago after nationwide outrage over a fatal gang rape in the capital forced politicians to act. Large-scale violence and looting was reported between October 20 and 24, when 200 men in uniforms undertook an anti-Maoist military operation in the villages of Pegdapalli, Chinnagellur, Peddagellur, Burgicheru, and Gundam in Bijapur district. The villages where the crimes have been reported lie 18 to 25 kilometres from the nearest road and a CRPF camp, a veritable outpost of the Indian state in a region racked by a decade-long conflict which has claimed nearly 8,000 lives. Continue reading →

Maoists condemn ‘fake surrender’, death of naxal leader in Chhattisgarh

RAIPUR: Terming the recent surrender of 26 Maoists as fake and alleging police atrocities, South Bastar Divisional Committee CPI (Maoists) has stated via pamphlets that Bastar police was framing wrong information of death of naxal leader Papa Rao due to snake bite. Pamphlets were found strewn at roads in Sukma district on Tuesday. Addressing the public, Maoists said that police have been making tall claims of large number of rebels surrendered in past three months and have got hold of 26 common men from weekly market at Pollampalli market to label them as hardcore Maoists before public.
“Many other fake encounters were also propagated by police claiming to have killed a rebel with reward of Rs 8 lakh on his head, who was actually a farmer at Adlempalli. Moreover, there’s no truth in security forces’ claim on death of Papa Rao or that our party was going weak,” reads the note. Continue reading →