500 individuals plea to Maharashtra CM: Shift 11 activists out of life threatening jails

By Our Representative
More than 500 individuals, including activists, academics, lawyers and students, have endorsed a petition to Chief Minister Maharashtra Uddhav Thackeray seeking the release of all Bhima Koregaon accused activists amidst Covid-19 pandemic -- Sudhir Dhawale, Rona Wilson, Surendra Gadling, Mahesh Raut, Shoma Sen, Arun Ferreira, Vernon Gonsalves, Sudha Bharadwaj Varavara Rao Dr Anand Teltumbde and Gautam Navlakha.
Citing Article 21, which guarantees protection of life and personal liberty to every individual, a statement attached with the petition says, these activists, incarcerated under the “draconian” Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) since 2018 in Maharashtra jails, “are at grave risk due to the delay and dragging of cases since the last 24 months.”
“Even after the pandemic outbreak, social distancing norms were not followed in prison and neither were the inmates informed when the first inmate tested positive”, the statement says, wondering, “While inmates are told by authorities in Mumbai to maintain social distancing, in an overcrowded prison, which has a capacity of 804 but houses 2,800 prisoners whom are they kidding?”
Given this framework, the petition appeals to Thackeray “to temporarily shift them out of precarious life threatening conditions, and place them under house arrest, or release them on interim bail so that they will continue to be available to the courts”, insisting, he must at do it “before it is too late, given that most of them are senior citizens and all of them have comorbid conditions and with a constant threat of exposure to positive undetected cases in prison.”

Comments

'300 Nazis fell by your gun': Most successful female sniper in history

By Harsh Thakor* "Miss Pavlichenko’s well known to fame, Russia’s your country, fighting is your game. The whole world will always love you for all time to come, Three hundred Nazis fell by your gun." — from Woody Guthrie's “Miss Pavlichenko"

TU activist Anirudh Rajan, lawyer Ajay Kumar in custody: Wounded reputation of world's largest democracy?

By Vedika S* Over the last few days, India's National Investigation Agency (NIA), known to be tasked with suppressing revolutionary, democratic, and progressive forces, conducted a series of raids across Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi. Targets included human rights attorney Pankaj Tripathi, student leader Devendra Azad, and peasant union leader Sukhwinder Kaur. Lawyer and anti-displacement activist Ajay Kumar was arrested and taken to his home in Mohali, which was subsequently raided. He is now imprisoned in Lucknow as a suspect in the NIA's "Northern Regional Bureau (NRB) Revival case."

RG Kar saga: Towards liberation from the constraints of rigid political parties?

By Atanu Roy* There's a saying: "There is no such thing as a half-pregnancy." This adage seems particularly relevant when discussing the current regime of the Trinamool Congress (TMC). The party appears to be entrenched in widespread corruption that affects nearly every aspect of our lives. One must wonder, why would they exclude the health sector—a lucrative area where illicit money can flow freely, thanks to a network of corrupt leaders colluding with ambitious bureaucrats?

'No to risky 11,000 MW hydroelectric project': Call to protect Siang river

Beverly Longid, Jiten Yumnam* The civil rights network, International Indigenous Peoples Movement for Self-Determination and Liberation (IPMSDL), has voicesd its support for the residents of Siang District, Northeast India, as they resist the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation's (NHPC) efforts to monopolize the Siang River for its Upper Siang Hydroelectric Project, a massive undertaking proposed at 11,000 MW.

A Hindu alternative to Valentine's Day? 'Shiv-Parvati was first love marriage in Universe'

By Rajiv Shah* The other day, I was searching on Google a quote on Maha Shivratri which I wanted to send to someone, a confirmed Shiv Bhakt, quite close to me -- with an underlying message to act positively instead of being negative. On top of the search, I chanced upon an article in, imagine!, a Nashik Corporation site which offered me something very unusual.

India's 55.6% still can't afford healthy diet, yet food wastage a serious issue

By Vikas Meshram According to this year's 'State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World' report, India has the highest number of malnourished people in the world, with a staggering 195 million affected. This report, prepared by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, was published jointly by five UN agencies, including UNICEF. The report also highlights a slight improvement in India's statistics: between 2004-06, the number of malnourished people in the country was 240 million.

Unwavering source of ideological inspiration in politics, life: Personal tribute to Yechury

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak Sitaram Yechury was everyone's comrade. He lived his life in public like an open book of praxis. Everyone was familiar with his family background, student life, many talents, achievements, and political journey that defines his everyday life as a committed communist.

Trailblazer in literary innovation, critic of Indian mythology, including Ramayana

By Harsh Thakor* Ranganayakamma, commonly known as RN, stands out as a transformative figure in promoting Marxist thought, democratic ideals, and anti-caste principles through her remarkably clear and engaging writing style. A trailblazer in literary innovation, her works span a broad array of topics, from critiques of Indian mythology and revivalism to discussions on civil liberties, the Indian Communist Movement, and Maoism in China.

'Abduction' of labour activist Anirudh Rajan part of a 'troubling trend': CASR

By Our Representative The civil rights network Campaign Against State Repression (CASR) has issued a strong denunciation of the "abduction" of labour rights activist Anirudh Rajan, who was taken by state authorities on September 5, 2024, while traveling to meet his family. This incident is part of a troubling trend, as the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and various state forces have increasingly targeted trade union and democratic rights activists over the past year.

Search This Blog