Why is Maharashtra govt afraid of Gautam Navlakha: Open letter by a colleague

By A Representative
Megha Bahl, an activist with the People's Union for Democratic Rights (PUDR), in a open letter to Gautam Navlakha, one of the five activists arrested by Maharashtra police early on August 28, but are under house arrest under a Supreme Court order, has said that arrests reflects the “fear” that appears to have gripped the ruling establishment. The fear stems from Navlakha and other activists' campaign for the deprived people.
“Looks like they are really scared of your loud voice of your folklores”, Bahl says, pointing out that she is forced to write this open letter as 65-year-old Navlakha is under house arrest. She adds, “They are really scared of you because you have stood up against the suppression of the tribals, for the interests of the workers, for the Dalits who are living daily in gutters.”
“The dictatorial government is unable to understand how a person has been working with people for so many years. Perhaps it must have noticed and monitored PUDR discussions on issues related to people's rights”, Bahl says, adding, “Of course they are scared of your speed, especially ahead of the 2019 elections, which has exposed them, one reason why they are using anti-democratic laws like UAPA against you.”

Comments

Beyond the 'silent relocation' narrative in Bangladesh's Chittagong Hill Tracts

By Dr. Mohammad Asaduzzaman* In recent years, a narrative has emerged from the rugged and forested terrain of the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT), portraying the region as the site of a “silent relocation” — a mass forced migration of Bangladesh’s non-Muslim ethnic communities into neighboring India and Myanmar.

The farmer's burden: How oil, war, and climate are rewriting the price of food

By Vikas Meshram The scorching flames of the Middle East conflict are now slowly reaching the kitchens of ordinary people. The true price of this war is paid in daily markets, vegetable shops, and in the shattered minds of farmers. Expensive crude oil, skyrocketing fertilizer prices, and rising agricultural costs are together creating the conditions for global food inflation — and this crisis is directly tied to what people eat and drink every day.

Ram, Bam and Bengal: Memories of a Left turn toward the Right

By Rajiv Shah The BJP ’s massive electoral win in West Bengal is being interpreted across political persuasions — except, of course, by the BJP itself — as the result of the alleged deletion of around 90 lakh voters from the electoral rolls during the controversial intensive revision process. This may well be true, given my own experience in Gujarat regarding the shoddy manner in which electoral revisions have often been conducted. In West Bengal, there also appeared to be a political angle to the exercise. But I am not interested in discussing that here, as enough has already appeared in the media on the subject.

Counterview

Search This Blog