Statement Of Nepalese Intellectuals Condemning The Simultaneous Raids And Arrest Of Prominent Intellectuals In India

At the outset, we, the undersigned writers, journalists, university teachers and social activists of Nepal, strongly oppose and condemn the arrests of 5 prominent Intellectuals : Varavara Rao, Sudha Bharadwaj, Gautam Navlakha, Vernon Gonsalves and Arun Ferreir, in India.
On 28th August 2018, simultaneous raids were conducted by Police on the premises of prominent human rights and civil liberties activists and intellectuals – Senior Writer and Poet Varavara Rao, advocate Sudha Bharadwaj (National Secretary, PUCL) in Faridabad, Father Stan Swamy in Jharkhand, ‘The Hindu’ journalist KV Kumaranath, English and Foreign Languages University (EFLU) Professor Satyanarayana, ‘Namaste Telangana’ journalist Kranthi Tekula – all in Hyderabad, Anand Teltumbe (General Secretary, CPDR) in Goa, Gautam Navlakha (founder member, PUDR) in Delhi, Arun Ferreira, Writer Vernon Gonsalves and Advocate Susan Abraham in Mumbai.
Among them, Varavara Rao, Sudha Bharadwaj, Gautam Navlakha, Vernon Gonsalves and Arun Ferreira were arrested on false and fabricated charges. Now the Indian Supreme court has ordered them to be kept under house arrest instead of police custody, until it rules next week on a petition challenging their detention. In fact, they are still under custody.
Since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power in 2014, assaults on public intellectuals, humanists, rationalists and secular forces have reached a feverish pitch. This is part of an all-round attack by the Brahmanical Hindu fascist forces against the Indian people. These attacks are simultaneously ideological, political, social, religious, ethnic, economic, cultural, juridical and environmental – carried out with violent and non-violent, legal and illegal, constitutional and extra-constitutional means.
The Hindutva fascist Modi regime is not only the enemy of the oppressed Indian people, it is also the prominent enemy of the people of the South East Asia. Since longtime, we Nepalese people are fighting against Indian expansionism and its Nepalese lackeys.
We Nepalese people always stand firmly with the oppressed people of India. We express our strong solidarity with the people of India, who are fighting against the fascist Modi regime. Now, it is necessary to launch a joint campaign against Modi’s fascism and their lackeys in Nepal.
We demand the immediate and unconditional release of those prominent Intellectuals. We also urge for creating of initiatives to begin a revolutionary movement demanding for their release and for other vital issues.
Rishi Raj Baral: Convener, Revolutionary Intellectual-Cultural Front, Nepal
Roshan Janakpuri: Poet and Marxist thinker
Khem Thapaliya: Critic and Play writer
Modanath Marhatta: Poet
Bishnu Bhandari: Poet
Balaram Timsina: Poet
Dilip Shrestha: Poet
Khoma Taramu Magar: Poet
Dirgha Pandey: Marxist thinker
Binod Dahal: Political Activist
Parasuram Koirala: Professor
Basudev Aacharya: Professor
Baikuntha Dahal: Social Activist
Amrit Adhikaari: Social Activist
Rohit Dahal: Story writer
Nabeen Bibhash: Story Writer
Narendra Jung Pitar: Senior Journalist
Kedar Gautam: Senior Journalist
Devendra Timla: Writer and Journalist
Yadav Devkota: Writer and Journalist
Kiran Karna: Journalist
Janmadev Jaishi: Journalist
Japaendra Baidhya: Journalist
Lila Paudel: Writer
Khambu chand: Writer
Kamal Subedi: Writer
Ishwor Timsina: Trade Union leader
Source : http://thenextfront.com/