दिल्ली विवि के प्रोफेसर जीयन साईंबाबा को तत्काल रिहा करो !
जी एन साईबाबा की गिरफ़्तारी के विरोध में देश-विदेश के विभिन्न संगठनो का व्यक्तव्य :
RDF statement on Dr. GN Saibaba's abduction and arrest by the Maharashtra Police
Rise!
Resist! Liberate!
Revolutionary Democratic Front [RDF]
revolutionarydemocracy@gmail.com
Condemn the dastardly clandestine abduction of Dr. GN Saibaba, Joint-Secretary of RDF, by the Maharashtra Police!
Today, the 9th of May, plain-clothed personnel of the Maharashtra
Police abducted Dr. GN Saibaba while he was returning home from Daulat
Ram College in Delhi University after examination duty. Dr. Saibaba, who
suffers from 90% disability and is on a wheelchair, was blindfolded and
pushed into a vehicle. After this secretive arrest of Dr Saibaba from
within the university premises, it is believed he is being taken to
Gadchiroli in Maharashtra by flight. None of his family members were
informed and after repeated efforts to contact him, the driver of his
vehicle informed the family of his abduction. This stealthy and
dastardly abduction of a university professor smacks of the desperation
of the Maharashtra police and violates the basic human right of an
upstanding, democratic voice in this country. This abduction, it is
believed, to be with regards to a fabricated case filed by the
Maharashtra police that subsequently conducted a raid and an
interrogation at Dr. Saibaba’s residence on the 12th of September and
7th of January respectively. During both the raid and the interrogation,
Dr. Saibaba and his family extended their full cooperation with the
police and intelligence forces. This abduction by Maharashtra Police
reflects the extent to which the police can stoop to rake up false
charges in fabricated cases and implicate voices that speak up for the
democratic rights of people.
President of RDF in
Uttarakhand, Jeevan Chandra, was similarly picked up on 5th of May in
Uttarakhand. The charges against him were that of having connections
with the Maoists and calling for the boycott of the elections. RDF
strongly condemns the abduction of Dr. Saibaba and the abduction and
arrest of Jeevan Chandra by the police force.
RDF calls for a protest demonstration at Maharashtra Sadan on 10th of May (Saturday) at 11 am. We appeal to revolutionary and democratic individuals and organizations to join in large numbers.
PROTEST DEMONSTRATION against clandestine abduction of Dr. GN Saibaba
by Maharashtra Police at Maharashtra Sadan, Kasturba Gandhi Marg, on
10th May (SATURDAY) at 11 am. Varavara Rao, President, RDF (09676541715) Rajkishore, General Secretary, RDF (09717583539)
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COMMITTEE FOR THE RELEASE OF POLITICAL PRISONERS 185/3, FOURTH FLOOR, ZAKIR NAGAR, NEW DELHI-110025
Date: 10/05/2014
But, because I tried to extend your liberties Mine were curtailed. Because I tried to rear the temple of freedom For you all I was thrown into the cell of a felon’s jail… Because I tried to give voice to truth, I was condemned to silence… You may say this is not a public question. But it is!
CONDEMN AND EXPOSE THE FRAME UP OF DELHI UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR GN SAIBABA! RELEASE PROF. GN SAIBABA UNCONDITIONALLY AND IMMEDIATELY!
At the heart of Delhi, when a Delhi University professor is
clandestinely taken away by the police from another state (Maharashtra)
anyone who upholds norms and procedures, rule of law and above all,
those very fundamentals that define a democratic polity should tremble
in indignation. What happened to Dr. GN Saibaba on the 9 May 2014 when
plainclothed personnel from Maharashtra abducted him is symptomatic of
the larger acts of impunity with which the police and paramilitary of
the subcontinent have been conducting themselves, with the sole
difference that this is happening in a highly ‘securitzed’ zone like the
Delhi University campus which looks only through the CCTV; where
everyone is watched paternally by a security set up of the Delhi Police
allegedly to maintain order if not the law. It is beyond the level of
the absurd to note that the police had once barged into his house in
September 2013 with a warrant that was purportedly to seek ‘stolen
property’ from his premises and then take away his belongings (laptop,
hard discs etc) and once again visit him, in the first week of January
2014, this time with a notice for questioning and now finally culminate
in this abduction by men in plainclothes from the road in Delhi
University premises on 9 May 2014, when it is clear that he was always
available for the police for whatever kind of queries that they had.
And it’s astounding to see that the continuing harassment of Dr. GN
Saibaba and his family went unabated despite several representations to
the Delhi University, the Chancellor, as well as the NHRC, which
incidentally had taken note of the gross violations on Dr. GN Saibaba
during the illegal raid of his house.
Dr. Saibaba, who suffers from
90% disability and is wheelchair bound, was blindfolded and pushed into
a vehicle. Yet why did the police want to surreptitiously blindfold Dr.
GN Saibaba and take him to unknown destination when the police are on
record as published in the media that they have been camping in Delhi
for almost a week? This is an admission of fear of public wrath as well
as the self doubt on the side of the police as they have little evidence
to show off any of the charges that they are purportedly putting on
him. The action of the police is self explanatory as they would want to
frame him up on trumped charges of alleged Maoist links based on
‘confessions’, as they claim, from Hem Mishra, a JNU student and former
CRPP executive member as well as noted journalist and social activist
Prashant Rahi who was independently working for the release of political
prisoners. In fact arrests and incarceration of activists who are vocal
against the policies of the state based on the so-called ‘confessions’
has been a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) of an increasingly
criminalizing and penalizing state the India is fast becoming.
After Dr. Saibaba was taken away blindfolded from within the university
premises, it took a mysterious call to Vasantha, his partner, from some
unknown location in Delhi disclosing it to her that her husband was
being taken to Gadchiroli in Maharashtra. For what case, under what
charges and if there was a warrant, every aspect of the high handed
action of the police was deliberately kept incommunicado. Later Dr. GN
Saibaba managed to talk to his daughter from some other phone that he
managed while being in the airport where he disclosed that he was being
flown to Nagpur. Only close to 6 pm in the evening was his driver, Mr.
Deepak was released. It was Deepak who narrated how he and Dr, Saibaba
were blindfolded after a Santro car intercepted them on their before the
School of Open Learning (SOL) while returning from Daulat Ram College
after the examination duty. Deepak was kept throughout blind folded in
the Civil Lines police station to be released later in the evening.
The manner in which Dr. GN Saibaba, a Delhi University professor has
been taken away in broad daylight is a challenge for all the people who
stand for democratic values and freedoms of the most downtrodden
sections of the society. That Dr. GN Saibaba—who is also the Joint
Secretary of the Revolutionary Democratic Front (RDF) and one of the
central conveners of the Forum Against War on People—has been quite
outspoken against the murderous loot and plunder of people’s resources,
their livelihoods under the garb of development as is espoused by all
the corporate sponsored political parties and business houses in India
and abroad had also struck chord with the democratic sections of the
people had certainly irked the powers that be in their wishful thinking
to ‘win the hearts and minds’ of the people in favour of their policies
that can only breed destruction, destitution and death. Yes winning the
‘hearts and minds’ is a euphemism for the crude and repressive coercion
of the state to browbeat the opinionated middle class in favour of the
government of the day that has pledged itself to the insatiable hunger
for profit of the corporates. The mounting repression on workers in the
factories in urban centres, the targeting of rights defenders as well as
people’s activists such as the arbitrary arrests of activists and
office bearers of the RDF are clear indications in this direction.
Recently the President of RDF in Uttarakhand, Jeevan Chandra, was
similarly picked up on 5th of May in Uttarakhand for having ‘connections
with the Maoists’ and calling for the boycott of the elections. Dr.
Saibaba could see this unfolding method in madness of the state and had
called for the rallying of all democratic and freedom loving people of
the subcontinent resolutely to defeat this war on the people. Every
voice that demands justice for Saibaba and his unconditional release
will be a step to further strengthen those convictions of ours to stand
for what is good for the vast sections of the masses of the people and
their struggle to keep alive those dreams for a better world free from
all forms of exploitation.
When this is being written CRPP
received news from the lawyers in Aheri court in Gadchiroli district of
Maharashtra that Dr. Saibaba has been produced before the magistrate and
was send to judicial custody.
We strongly demand that he be
released unconditionally without delay. We at the CRPP call upon all
freedom loving and democratic sections of the people, intellectuals,
students, workers, rights defenders and one and all to condemn in unison
the abduction of Dr. Saibaba and expose the ongoing war of
incarceration of thousands of people across the subcontinent.
In Solidarity,
SAR Geelani
President
Amit Bhattacharyya
Secretary General
Bojja Tharakam
Vice President
N. Venuh
Vice President
MN Ravunni
Vice President
P. Koya
Vice President
Rona Wilson
Secretary, Public Relations ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Press Release by Delhi University Teachers
9th May 2014
Against the arbitrary arrest of Prof. G N Saibaba
Dr. G N Saibaba, Assistant Professor at Ramlal Anand College, Delhi
University, was abducted by the Maharashtra police today, 9th May around
1.00 PM. He was in the Daulat Ram College for examination duty. The
incident came to light when Vasantha, Prof. Saibaba’s wife, got a
mysterious call around 3 p.m., informing her that her husband is being
taken to Gadhchiroli by the Maharashtra police. There is otherwise no
official intimation from the police about his arrest or charges against
him so far. His driver and the car also were missing for several hours
after that.
Vasantha, accompanied by Delhi University teachers, lodged a missing
person complaint at the Maurice Nagar police station an hour later.
Maurice Nagar police has now confirmed that Maharashtra Police came with
a non-bailable warrant against Dr. Saibaba. Later, Dr. Saibaba managed
to get hold of a cell-phone from someone at the airport and speak
briefly to his daughter, before the phone was snatched away from him. He
confirmed that he was inside the Delhi airport and being taken to
Nagpur by the Gadchiroli police.
Dr. Saibaba has been facing harassment and intimidation since the last
one year. His house was raided and his personal belongings taken away in
the name of investigation. Clearly there is an attempt to frame him up.
The Delhi University Teachers Association have earlier denounced these
attempts by the police. Now the police have acted without any prior
information and abducted Dr. Saibaba.
Prof. Saibaba suffers from 90 per cent disabilities and is strapped onto
a wheelchair. To harass and intimidate him like this is a gross
violation of his basic human rights.
We strongly condemn this arbitrary and illegal action by the police in
connivance with the University authorities. This is an attempt to stifle
voices of dissent and suppress those who have been vocal against
injustice and oppression.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
On May 9th, 2014, Dr. G.N. Saibaba, an English
professor at Delhi University, was in his car returning home to eat
lunch. Dr. Saibaba has been an anti-imperialist activist for a number of
years and is the joint convenor of the Revolutionary Democratic Front.
He has spoken at a number of different political forums around the world
about the issues that affect the livelihoods of hundreds of millions of
peasants and workers across India.
Due to his active opposition to the neo-liberal agenda of the Indian
state and its American and European overlords, the police has harassed
Dr. Saibaba for a number of years. The police ransacked his home earlier
this year, although he was not arrested because of popular outrage in
India and abroad.
On the way home after invigilating an exam, Saibaba was stopped by
plainclothes police officers from the state of Maharashtra. Saibaba
resides and was arrested in Delhi, which is a completely different state
in India.
He was arrested, blindfolded, and then taken, against his will and with
no opportunity to contact legal consul, first to a police station and
then to Delhi Airport, forced to board a plane for Maharashtra.
Meanwhile, when Saibaba did not return home for lunch his wife tried to contact him with no luck.
She only later received a phone call from the Maharashtra state police,
who explained to her that her husband had been arrested and was being
taken to Maharashtra to face a charge sheet. When she asked about his
charges, the phone call was abruptly cancelled.
Noted author, journalist and activist Arundhati Roy has denounced this
arrest. “This is a brazen flouting of the constitutional rights of a
citizen,” she stated: “Earlier, it was just confined to poor villages
where no one would question the rapes and abductions, but now it has
reached cities too.” We, the members of Toronto’s Proletarian
Revolutionary Action Committee (PRAC), who are also involved in the
International Campaign Against the War on the People in India (ICAWPI),
demand the immediate release of Saibaba and condemn this arbitrary and
unconstitutional arrest.
Already a wave of protest condemning this arrest has begun in India; it
is vital that democratic, progressive and revolutionary-minded people
around the world mobilize against this regime of harassment and
arbitrary arrests.
ICAWPI-Toronto
(International Campaign Against the War on the People in India)
Proletarian Revolutionary Action Committee-Toronto
May 10th, 2014
Andhra Pradesh Civil Liberties Committee appeals to State
human rights commission, claiming G N Saibaba needs to be provided with
basic facilities
The Andhra Pradesh Civil Liberties Committee (APCLC) has appealed to the
Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission (MSHRC), asking that
wheelchair-bound Delhi University professor G N Saibaba, arrested for
his alleged affiliation with Maoist groups and confined in Nagpur jail,
should not be tortured during interrogation and provided with basic
facilities.
A representative of APCLC and a fellow of the Indian Council of Social
Science Research (ICSSR) V Hargopal met former justice of Kerala High
Court and current chairman of MSHRC, S R Bannurmath, in this regard on
Monday.
According to friends of Saibaba, who was
arrested by Gadchiroli police on May 9, the professor has even been
denied vital high blood pressure and heart medicines by jail
authorities. Hargopal , who teaches at the Tata Institute of Social
Sciences (TISS) in Hyderabad and has worked with Saibaba in the past,
said, “Police have kept Saibaba in an ‘anda’ (eggshaped) cell.
He is 90 per cent disabled and is wheelchair-bound and requires
assistance even for his daily chores. For the past four days, he has not
been given vital medicines, which can be dangerous for his health. I
have requested the MSHRC chairman to intervene.”
Saibaba, who teaches English at Delhi’s Ram Lal Anand College and is the
joint secretary of Revolutionary Democratic Front (RDF), had been
accused of hatching a criminal conspiracy with two Naxalite commanders,
Narmadakka and Ramdhar, who are supposed to be operating deep in the
forests of Gadchiroli.
Jagdish Meshram, Saibaba’s lawyer, said, “A warrant against Saibaba was
issued by Gadchiroli police on February 26, but I fail to understand why
they arrested him now.
He has been remanded in magisterial custody till May 23. Earlier, police
had raided his home twice.” Speaking to Mirror from Delhi, Vasantha,
wife of Saibaba, said, “On Friday, I received a call from my husband
around 1.15 pm telling me he is coming home for lunch.
But later, I received a call informing me that police have arrested him.
I registered a missing person complaint at Maurice Nagar police
station, and an hour later, the SHO told me that four Maharashtra police
officials produced a non-bailable warrant against my husband on Friday
morning. Now, our lawyer will suggest the further course of action.”
Ramdev, brother of Saibaba who lives in Nagpur, told Mirror, “Jail
authorities are not allowing us to meet him. He had a cardiac arrest two
years ago for which he takes regular medicine, but they are not even
giving him those.”
A People’s Movement Solidarity Group
Contact: 9779110201, lokayatchd@gmail.com Date:14/05/2014
RELEASE PROF. GN SAIBABA UNCONDITIONALLY AND IMMEDIATELY! CONDEMN THE UNLAWFUL ARREST OF DR. GN SAIBABA, PROF. DELHI UNIVERSITY!
Lokayat, A people’s Movement Solidarity Group comprise of advocates,
academicians, journalists, artists, writers etc, has organized a protest
on 14/05/2014 in Sector 17, Chandigarh against the Maharastra police
which has clandestinely taken away Dr. GN Saibaba, a Delhi University
professor without following any norms and procedures, rule of law on 9th
May 2014. People from various strata has participated in this namely
Academician Prof. Lallan from Panjab University, Chandigarh, Social
Activist Anand Prakash, S.P. Singh Inderjit Singh, Dramatist Samuel
John, trade union leader Vipin (AICTU), Advocates Rajeev Godara, Hasish
Mehla, Students for Society secretary Daman preet, Inder.
Prof
Lallan from Punjab University, Chandigarh said that Dr. Saibaba, who
suffers from 90% disability and is wheelchair bound, was blindfolded and
pushed into a vehicle. It must be condemned to arrest activist like
Saibaba in such illegal way. As Mr. Saibaba has vehemently organised
protest against the operation Green Hunt and expose the real agenda and
intention of regime which has deployed lakhs of Paramilitary force and
Army in central India to loot the resources under that land. The State
is trying to curb such voices. Mr. Anand Praksh said that the arrest of
Prof. Saibaba is loss of whole movement against imperialism. Advocating
the right to have any ideology, Rajeev Godara condemned the arrest of G N
Saibaba. In His speech Student Activist Daman Preeet said that Mr.
Saibaba has been quite outspoken against the murderous loot and plunder
of people’s resources, their livelihoods under the garb of development
as is espoused by all the corporate sponsored political parties and
business houses in India and abroad. That’s why Government was very keen
to arrest Mr. Saibaba. He calls to fight for the release of Mr.
Saibaba. He further said that central Government is making preparation
to launch another set of war on people in that region. So to curb the
democratic voice which may rise against such vicious design of state
machinery and corporate, Maharashtra Police in nexus with Central
Government has arrested him using illegal means.
While conducting
the protest meeting, Ajay from Lokayat said that Dr. Saibaba is an
internationally acclaimed figure of People’s Movement who was working
for the people’s right since 80’s. He is working with numerous people’s
organization like Revolutionary Democratic Front, Visthapan Virodhi Jan
Vikas Andolan, Froum against War on People. He was Deputy Chair person
of International League of People’s Struggle (ILPS) which is working
against imperialist plunder worldwide. He had also played central role
in formation of various fronts such as Forum Against Imperialist
Globlisation (FAIG), JAFIF, People’s Democratic Front of India (PDFI),
MR-2004 etc to resist state Repression, imperialist plunder of country
by MNC’s, World Trade Organization (WTO and against devastation caused
by economic policy laid after 1990 in the name of economic reform.
During protest slogan was raised for the unconditional release of Dr.
Saibaba, Repal the draconian law UAPA, Resist the repression on people’s
movement, fight out the growing Fascism. Protester strongly demand that
Saibaba be released unconditionally without delay.
Released by
Arti,
97791120201
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Civil rights organisations stage a dharna seeking his unconditional release
Civil rights organisations condemned the ‘illegal
detention’ of G.N. Saibaba of Delhi University by the Maharashtra police
and demanded his immediate and unconditional release.
Members
of Civil Liberties Committee, Progressive Democratic Women, Committee
for Release of Political Prisoners, Amara Bandula Mitrula Committee and
Telangana Praja Front staged a dharna near Ambedkar statue at lower Tank
Bund here on Saturday to protest against the arrest of Prof. Saibaba.
Later,
speaking to presspersons, they criticised the police for arresting the
wheel-bound professor without informing his family members.
He was whisked away when he had gone to the university for spot valuation duty for his alleged links with the Maoists.
No consultations with lawyers
“Police
gave a go-by to the Supreme Court directives about informing the family
members and allowing consultation with a lawyer before arrest,” said
Bhojja Tarkarama of the Republican Party of India.
Prof.
Saibaba’s mother, Suryavati, said she had no knowledge about the
whereabouts of her son. Being physically-challenged, he needs
assistance. “How will he manage in jail?” she wondered in a choked
voice.
Ch. Prabhakar of Telagana Praja Front said the
professor was targeted for working for Adivasi rights and demanding a
halt to the Operation Green Hunt.
“How can he go into the jungle and have links with Maoists when he can’t even walk,” said Ravichandra of Virasam.
Many
like Padma Kumari of Amara Badula Mitrula Committee saw a threat to the
life of Prof. Saibaba who was also the deputy secretary of the
Revolutionary Democratic Front.
In a statement, Gade
Diwakar, secretary, CPI (ML) New Democracy, State Committee, also
condemned the arrest of Prof. Saibaba and demanded his immediate
release.
Prof. G.N. Saibaba, faculty at DU and Joint Secy of Revolutionary Democratic Front was abducted today by the Maharashtra police when he was returning from his college. Without even informing anyone, the police has already taken him to the airport to fly him to Maharashtra. There is a press conference at his residence (Gwyer Hall Hostel warden flat) today at 5.30 pm condemning this police abduction. Please join the press conference. For the last one year the police has been trying to implicate him in absolutely absurd and false charges. To prepare grounds for this, there was first the most vicious media trial against him, followed by a police raid at his residence last year and then police landing him to interrogate him early this year. Now he has been abducted in this surreptitious manner. Condemn and protest against this dastardly police act ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Press Release by Delhi University Teachers
9th May 2014
Against the arbitrary arrest of Prof. G N Saibaba
Dr. G N Saibaba, Assistant Professor at Ramlal Anand College, Delhi University, was abducted by the Maharashtra police today, 9th May around 1.00 PM. He was in the Daulat Ram College for examination duty. The incident came to light when Vasantha, Prof. Saibaba’s wife, got a mysterious call around 3 p.m., informing her that her husband is being taken to Gadhchiroli by the Maharashtra police. There is otherwise no official intimation from the police about his arrest or charges against him so far. His driver and the car also were missing for several hours after that.
Vasantha, accompanied by Delhi University teachers, lodged a missing person complaint at the Maurice Nagar police station an hour later. Maurice Nagar police has now confirmed that Maharashtra Police came with a non-bailable warrant against Dr. Saibaba. Later, Dr. Saibaba managed to get hold of a cell-phone from someone at the airport and speak briefly to his daughter, before the phone was snatched away from him. He confirmed that he was inside the Delhi airport and being taken to Nagpur by the Gadchiroli police.
Dr. Saibaba has been facing harassment and intimidation since the last one year. His house was raided and his personal belongings taken away in the name of investigation. Clearly there is an attempt to frame him up. The Delhi University Teachers Association have earlier denounced these attempts by the police. Now the police have acted without any prior information and abducted Dr. Saibaba.
Prof. Saibaba suffers from 90 per cent disabilities and is strapped onto a wheelchair. To harass and intimidate him like this is a gross violation of his basic human rights.
We strongly condemn this arbitrary and illegal action by the police in connivance with the University authorities. This is an attempt to stifle voices of dissent and suppress those who have been vocal against injustice and oppression. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- PUDR Statement
Condemn Arrest of Dr. G.N. Saibaba
PUDR condemns the abduction and arrest of G.N. Saibaba by men in mufti in broad daylight, on 9th afternoon. Dr. Saibaba, an Assistant Professor of English in Ram Lal Anand College was returning home around 1 p.m. after participating in the University’s examination evaluation work in North Campus when his car was stopped and he was blindfolded and whisked away by plain clothed personnel of the Maharashtra Police. According to latest reports, he has been taken to Nagpur already.
In a blatant lie, DIG (Gadchiroli), Ravindra Kadam, said to the media that Dr. Saibaba was arrested in the morning. In total violation of procedures, the plain clothed men who abducted Dr. Saibaba gave no copy of the arrest warrant to his wife and instead informed her anonymously over phone. It must be remembered that Dr. Saibaba’s residence has already been raided and he was questioned four times in the past six months in connection with his alleged links with Maoists. It must also be remembered that Dr. Saibaba suffers from 90% disability and is confined to the use of a wheelchair.
Dr. Saibaba is presently arrested in the case in which Prashant Rahi and Hemant Mishra have earlier been arrested. This case is registered at the Aheri police station in Gadchiroli district (FIR No. 3017/2013) under sections of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). PUDR has documented and highlighted numerous instances of gross violations of individual rights that are endemic to the operation of laws such as the UAPA. At the societal level, the UAPA permits banning of political opinion as per the whims of the governments in power. This in turn becomes the basis to target the individual or the group that the governments perceive as undesirable and to hit them with legislated violence. The doors to justice and judicial remedy become so highly restricted that those targeted languish in jails for years on end.
In the present case too, the entire charge against those accused rests on the vagueness of the UAPA provisions and the arbitrary power to impose ban on political organisations. Prashant Rahi and Hemant Mishra already arrested in this case have been charged under UAPA sections 13 (unlawful activity), 18 (conspiracy in terrorist acts), 20 (member of terrorist gang), 38 (membership of terrorist organization) and 39 (support given to terrorist organization). The reason why the UAPA is deployed is that the accusations brought forth would not stand ground if the same were made under the normal laws of the land with normal procedures and normal rules of evidence.
The enhanced punishments under the UAPA and the carefully crafted jingoism of terrorism on the one hand conceals the socio-economic and political reality faced by those whose live on the margins of prosperous India. On the other hand, it helps to perpetuate a helpless sense of fear in people at large from an imagined ruthless and inhuman enemy. This then permits a willing public ready to deny the basic rights to large sections in exchange for imagined safety and security.
The shocking reality of the world of UAPA yet continues to haunt us. It appears again and again as a misuse here, an injustice there and yet another… The way out of this labyrinth is to reject this law that attempts to redesign our democracy in its own authoritarian shape.
We therefore demand that the UAPA provisions being used to incarcerate Dr. G.N. Saibaba be removed forthwith. There is no reasonable defence available with the police to keep Dr. Saibaba in custody: he has been available for and has cooperated with police investigation whenever such need has arisen in the past, he is confined to a wheelchair with very limited mobility. These are pressing reasons that he be released from custody.
PUDR appeals once again to all citizens to grasp the rapid corrosion to democratic norms and institutions being caused by the continued use of UAPA, to oppose every application of UAPA and to demand is total repeal.
D. Manjit and Asish Gupta (Secretaries) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Press Release from ASSOCIATION FOR PROTECTION OF DEMOCRATIC RIGHTS
Professor GN Saibaba, an eminent rights activist was abducted on 09/05/2014, by a posse of plainclothes men at about while he was returning home after performing examination duties at about 12-30. Dr. Saibaba suffers from 90% disability and is on a wheelchair. After abduction, the plainclothesmen blindfolded him and took him and his car driver was taken to the Civil Lines Police Station and from there Dr. Saibaba was loaded in a Mumbai bound flight. The abductors did not follow the procedures like preparing a memo of arrest at the place of arrest, informing his family as laid down in the laws of the country while ’arresting’ him.
Dr. Saibaba is an eminent activist for the rights of people, for liberty and against corporate aggression. He took leading part in organizing protests in solidarity with Palestinian and Iraqi resistance movements, Kashmiri and North-Eastern people’s struggles. He is in the forefront in people’s movements against Indian State’s war codenamed ‘Green Hunt’ on its people who are struggling to safeguard land, forest and county’s natural resources from corporate grab and in the movement for the release of all political prisoners.
Dr. Saibaba’s residence was earlier raided by the Maharastra Police on 12 September, 2013 and again on 7 January 2014 and he was interrogated for long hours amid protests from the students and faculty of the DU on the pretext of ‘getting information’ from an arrested alleged Maoist activist. Now, it is learnt he is booked under sections 13, 18, 20 and 39 of the draconian UAPA on the same pretext. This is yet another example of the misuse of the UAPA for which the Act is designed.
APDR strongly condemns the illegal and vengeful arrest of Dr. Saibaba and demands withdrawal of all charges against him and his immediate and unconditional release. APDR calls on all rights activists, democratic individuals and organisations and the people to rise in protest against Dr. Saibaba’s arrest. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Statement from Delhi Students Union “In a time of universal deceit – telling the truth is a revolutionary act” –George Orwell
It is precisely for this ‘crime’ of speaking the truth in the face of the lies and deceit that seek to hide the untold injustice and oppression perpetuated by the Indian state, that Dr. GN Saibaba has been arrested. Dr. GN Saibaba, a faculty member in DU and a widely known political activist, was clandestinely abducted on 9th May by plain-clothed policemen of the Maharashtra police just steps away from his residence as he was on his way back from examination duty. Saibaba, who suffers from 90% disability and is wheelchair bound, was blindfolded and pushed into a vehicle that swiftly took him to the airport from whence he was flown to Nagpur. The surreptitious manner in which a public figure like him was literally abducted by the police itself testifies that they were wary of the fact that they do not have any substantive evidence to back their hoax of “nabbing” him for alleged “Maoist links”. It has been obvious for quite a while now that the Indian state has been desperate to brand him and frame him under certain cooked up charges. The sole purpose being, to gag a voice of dissent that dares to speak the truth despite repeated threats and intimidations.
Saibaba has been a tireless voice that has meticulously tore down the curtain of silence that the Indian state uses to hide the most gory reality of a war it has waged against the most oppressed adivasi population in the name of Operation Green Hunt. As the convenor of the Forum against War on People, Saibaba has been consistent in breaking down the high-sounding myth of ‘Development’ with which the state seeks to cover up a bloody war that it has waged at the behest of the corporate sharks to facilitate an unbridled loot of resources at the cost of death, destruction and displacement for the adivasis. Breaking the deathly consensus of all possible shades of parliamentary forces to this so called ‘development’ model, his was one of those voices that galvanized a large section of democratic opinion against Green Hunt. Large enough to cause panic and fluster the powers that be. As the Joint Secretary of Revolutionary Democratic Front (RDF), Saibaba has been helping to forge solidarities amongst – the Dalits, adivasis, Muslims, oppressed nationalities, peasant, workers, and so on – for the goal of forging a revolutionary unity of the oppressed. As a faculty in DU, Saibaba has been at the forefront of struggles for social justice, for reservation & against privatization – semester system or FYUP – galvanizing teachers & students for democratization of education.
The most evolved mechanism of the Indian state to contain ‘crimes’ such as the above and to witch hunt countless such democratic right activists is to brand and frame them either as “Maoist” or as “Terrorist”. Voices that dare to speak the truth thereby can easily be projected as “threats to national security” and hence “seditious”. By such means Muslims who burn the US flag protesting against imperialist aggression are nabbed as “terrorists”; Kabir Kala Manch activists who sing about breaking the fetters of Brahmanism are nabbed as “anti-nationals”; and those opposing Operation Green Hunt are nabbed as “Maoists”. With masterful precision, improved upon through repeated rendition, the state apparatus – its police, judiciary, media – complement each other all along this process of branding, threatening, framing, abducting, incarcerating and at other times encountering. We have seen the chronicle being repeated over and over again in the cases of Comrade Hem, Prashant Rahi, Shahid Azmi, Binayak Sen or countless other nameless faceless people’s activists across the country.
The chronicle of the abduction and arrest had also long been foretold. The corporate media had for quite a while been faithfully reproducing the police claims of Dr. Saibaba having “Maoist links” thereby branding him time and again as also threatening to arrest him. Even at the university level he was systematically harassed with threats of eviction from his residence on flimsy grounds. After arrest of Comrade Hem (a known cultural activist and member of DSU) and Prashant Rahi (prominent journalist) on baseless charges, a concerted attempt began to frame Dr. Saibaba. There was a dastardly raid at his residence within the university premises in September 2013 by a joint team of 60 policemen with a ridiculous warrant of “search for stolen property”. Despite several representations to the Delhi University, the Chancellor, as well as the NHRC, which incidentally had taken note of the gross violations on Dr. GN Saibaba during the illegal raid of his house such harassments continued unabated. In January 2014, the Maharashtra police came with the pretext of a so called “interrogation” and in the absence of any evidence resorted to blatant threats and intimidations. The next step thereby was to surreptitiously abduct him and frame him under absurd charges. He was produced yesterday in the Aheri court at Gadchirolli, Maharashtra, and has been given judicial custody.
It goes without saying that Dr Saibaba who had been in the midst of just struggles outside the prison bars will continue to struggle even from behind the bars. But the manner in which he has been taken away in broad daylight is a challenge for all the people who stand for democratic rights. It is the responsibility of all democratic and progressive sections to build a united struggle to ensure the immediate and unconditional release of Dr. Saibaba, Comrade Hem, Prashant Rahi and all other political prisoners. While the coming years, with or without Modi, are days when fascism is going to further tighten its grip in this country marking the beginning of what many may call a dark chapter of history; but as GN Saibaba himself said a few days back while addressing a meeting, “it is such united struggles of the most oppressed and the progressive sections that can and will turn the coming years into the brightest chapter of history.” -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Press Release by Delhi University Teachers
9th May 2014
Against the arbitrary arrest of Prof. G N Saibaba
Dr. G N Saibaba, Assistant Professor at Ramlal Anand College, Delhi
University, was abducted by the Maharashtra police today, 9th May around
1.00 PM. He was in the Daulat Ram College for examination duty. The
incident came to light when Vasantha, Prof. Saibaba’s wife, got a
mysterious call around 3 p.m., informing her that her husband is being
taken to Gadhchiroli by the Maharashtra police. There is otherwise no
official intimation from the police about his arrest or charges against
him so far. His driver and the car also were missing for several hours
after that.
Vasantha, accompanied by Delhi University teachers, lodged a missing
person complaint at the Maurice Nagar police station an hour later.
Maurice Nagar police has now confirmed that Maharashtra Police came with
a non-bailable warrant against Dr. Saibaba. Later, Dr. Saibaba managed
to get hold of a cell-phone from someone at the airport and speak
briefly to his daughter, before the phone was snatched away from him. He
confirmed that he was inside the Delhi airport and being taken to
Nagpur by the Gadchiroli police.
Dr. Saibaba has been facing harassment and intimidation since the
last one year. His house was raided and his personal belongings taken
away in the name of investigation. Clearly there is an attempt to frame
him up. The Delhi University Teachers Association have earlier denounced
these attempts by the police. Now the police have acted without any
prior information and abducted Dr. Saibaba.
Prof. Saibaba suffers from 90 per cent disabilities and is strapped
onto a wheelchair. To harass and intimidate him like this is a gross
violation of his basic human rights.
We strongly condemn this arbitrary and illegal action by the police
in connivance with the University authorities. This is an attempt to
stifle voices of dissent and suppress those who have been vocal against
injustice and oppression.
- See more at:
http://kasamaproject.org/threads/entry/oppose-arrest-of-g-n-saibaba-and-overall-repression-on-revolutionary-democratic-front#sthash.cnLQRp9A.dpuf
Press Release by Delhi University Teachers
9th May 2014
Against the arbitrary arrest of Prof. G N Saibaba
Dr. G N Saibaba, Assistant Professor at Ramlal Anand College, Delhi
University, was abducted by the Maharashtra police today, 9th May around
1.00 PM. He was in the Daulat Ram College for examination duty. The
incident came to light when Vasantha, Prof. Saibaba’s wife, got a
mysterious call around 3 p.m., informing her that her husband is being
taken to Gadhchiroli by the Maharashtra police. There is otherwise no
official intimation from the police about his arrest or charges against
him so far. His driver and the car also were missing for several hours
after that.
Vasantha, accompanied by Delhi University teachers, lodged a missing
person complaint at the Maurice Nagar police station an hour later.
Maurice Nagar police has now confirmed that Maharashtra Police came with
a non-bailable warrant against Dr. Saibaba. Later, Dr. Saibaba managed
to get hold of a cell-phone from someone at the airport and speak
briefly to his daughter, before the phone was snatched away from him. He
confirmed that he was inside the Delhi airport and being taken to
Nagpur by the Gadchiroli police.
Dr. Saibaba has been facing harassment and intimidation since the
last one year. His house was raided and his personal belongings taken
away in the name of investigation. Clearly there is an attempt to frame
him up. The Delhi University Teachers Association have earlier denounced
these attempts by the police. Now the police have acted without any
prior information and abducted Dr. Saibaba.
Prof. Saibaba suffers from 90 per cent disabilities and is strapped
onto a wheelchair. To harass and intimidate him like this is a gross
violation of his basic human rights.
We strongly condemn this arbitrary and illegal action by the police
in connivance with the University authorities. This is an attempt to
stifle voices of dissent and suppress those who have been vocal against
injustice and oppression.
- See more at:
http://kasamaproject.org/threads/entry/oppose-arrest-of-g-n-saibaba-and-overall-repression-on-revolutionary-democratic-front#sthash.cnLQRp9A.dpuf
Press Release by Delhi University Teachers
9th May 2014
Against the arbitrary arrest of Prof. G N Saibaba
Dr. G N Saibaba, Assistant Professor at Ramlal Anand College, Delhi
University, was abducted by the Maharashtra police today, 9th May around
1.00 PM. He was in the Daulat Ram College for examination duty. The
incident came to light when Vasantha, Prof. Saibaba’s wife, got a
mysterious call around 3 p.m., informing her that her husband is being
taken to Gadhchiroli by the Maharashtra police. There is otherwise no
official intimation from the police about his arrest or charges against
him so far. His driver and the car also were missing for several hours
after that.
Vasantha, accompanied by Delhi University teachers, lodged a missing
person complaint at the Maurice Nagar police station an hour later.
Maurice Nagar police has now confirmed that Maharashtra Police came with
a non-bailable warrant against Dr. Saibaba. Later, Dr. Saibaba managed
to get hold of a cell-phone from someone at the airport and speak
briefly to his daughter, before the phone was snatched away from him. He
confirmed that he was inside the Delhi airport and being taken to
Nagpur by the Gadchiroli police.
Dr. Saibaba has been facing harassment and intimidation since the
last one year. His house was raided and his personal belongings taken
away in the name of investigation. Clearly there is an attempt to frame
him up. The Delhi University Teachers Association have earlier denounced
these attempts by the police. Now the police have acted without any
prior information and abducted Dr. Saibaba.
Prof. Saibaba suffers from 90 per cent disabilities and is strapped
onto a wheelchair. To harass and intimidate him like this is a gross
violation of his basic human rights.
We strongly condemn this arbitrary and illegal action by the police
in connivance with the University authorities. This is an attempt to
stifle voices of dissent and suppress those who have been vocal against
injustice and oppression.
- See more at:
http://kasamaproject.org/threads/entry/oppose-arrest-of-g-n-saibaba-and-overall-repression-on-revolutionary-democratic-front#sthash.cnLQRp9A.dpuf
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