Skip to main content

Urgently shift jailed poet-activist Varavara Rao to JJ Hospital: Romila Thapar, others

Counterview Desk
Top academics led by historian Romila Thapar, all of them petitioners in the Supreme Court matter of the Bhima Koregaon arrests, have in a fresh appeal to the Maharashtra government and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to urgently facilitate hospitalisation and provide proper treatment to veteran Telugu poet and writer P Varavara Rao, currently languishing in Taloja jail in Navi Mumbai. Rao is 81.
In a statement, Thapar and four other academics, economists Prabhat Patnaik and Devaki Jain, Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) executive director Maja Daruwala, and sociologist Satish Deshpande, who are petitions in the Romila Thapar & Ors vs Union of India & Ors, Writ Petition 32319 of 2018, have said in a statement, that Rao should be immediately shifted to the JJ Hospital in Mumbai.

Text:

According to press reports and the statement of his family, the renowned Telugu poet and writer, P. Varavara Rao is extremely ill in Taloja jail. He is suffering from low levels of sodium and potassium as diagnosed by the JJ Hospital, Mumbai, where his treatment was abruptly terminated and he was taken back to Taloja Jail in Navi Mumbai. This is a life threatening situation for someone who is 81 years of age, and already suffers from high blood pressure and heart conditions.

Prof Romila Thapar
We appeal to the Government of Maharashtra and the National Investigation Agency to facilitate the immediate transfer of Varavara Rao to JJ Hospital where he can receive proper treatment. Mr Rao poses no flight risk and has voluntarily submitted to all investigations for the past 22 months. There is no reason in law or conscience to hold him in circumstances that increase risk to his fragile health.
Even before Varavara Rao was arrested, we had been arguing that the investigation should be impartial, speedy and supervised by the judiciary. We have now reached a stage where his life is at stake. To knowingly risk the life of a person in state custody by refusing proper medical treatment would amount to a form of the “encounter”, an extra-legal punishment which the State institutions are duty-bound to forego.
We appeal to the authorities to assure the nation that the Indian State respects the rule of law and the Constitution, by ensuring that Varavara Rao receives immediate and proper treatment and that his family is allowed to look after him during his illness.
***
Maja Daruwala, in separate email alert, has said that Varavara Rao is not being allowed proper treatment because of “pressure” from the National Investigative Agency and Union home minister Amit Shah, adding, “It is iniquitous to keep an 81 year old in horrible conditions when he is so ill. It is against all jurisprudence. They can’t refuse to let him out, so they are delaying.”
***
Background: Bhima Koregaon, a small village with historical significance, became the rallying point for Dalit rights activists in December 2017 to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Bhima Koregaon in 1818. The British Army comprised mostly of Dalits defeated the upper caste Peshwa army, led by Peshwa Bajirao II. Hundreds of people from the Dalit community gathered on December 31, 2017 to commemorate the anniversary of the battle.
The event was organised at Pune’s Shaniwarwada Fort, which was a seat of power of the Peshwas. The victory of the British forces over the Maratha Empire was an important one for Dalits as caste oppression under the Peshwas was severe, believe activists supporting Rao. 
Thus, they say, the organisation of the event on the eve of the 200th anniversary of the battle was an important symbol of Dalit assertion, regretting, however, violence erupted when there were clashes between some groups carrying saffron flags and the people gathered at the event, which led to the death of an individual as well as several people being injured.
Following the violence, the Maharashtra police, under the then state BJP rulers, arrested several eminent lawyers, human rights activists and academicians, including Rao, “under the pretext of creating communal disharmony and inciting violence”, to quote a senior activist.

Comments

TRENDING

'Very low rung in quality ladder': Critique of ICMR study on 'sudden deaths' post-2021

By Bhaskaran Raman*  Since about mid-2021, a new phenomenon of extreme concern has been observed throughout the world, including India : unexplained sudden deaths of seemingly healthy and active people, especially youngsters. In the recently concluded Navratri garba celebrations, an unprecedented number of young persons succumbed to heart attack deaths. After a long delay, ICMR (Indian Council for Medical Research) has finally has published a case-control study on sudden deaths among Indians of age 18-45.

SC 'appears to foster' culture of secrecy, does not seek electoral bond details from SBI

By Rosamma Thomas*  In its order of November 2, 2023 on the case of Association for Democratic Reforms vs Union of India contesting constitutional validity of electoral bonds, the Supreme Court directed all political parties to give particulars of the bonds received by them in sealed covers to the Election Commission of India. SC sought that information be updated until September 2023. 

How national chauvinism 'overtook' sport despite cricketing glory of World Cup 2023

By Harsh Thakor*  The recently-concluded cricket World Cup was a testimony or manifestation of the thrills, intensity, twists and turns in sport and evolution of the game of cricket. It carried on the trend of the World Cups of yesteryears. Possibly, this was the best ever Indian team in a World Cup, and arguably amongst the best ever to contest a World Cup.

Only 12% of schools RTE compliant: Whither 6% budgetary allocation for education?

By Ambarish Rai* Despite Indian state’s commitment of 6% GDP on education, the Finance Minister completely ignored right to education for children and strengthening implementation of RTE Act which makes education a fundamental right in her budget speech . The Right to Education (RTE) Forum, which is a collective of different stakeholders in education, condemns this neglect of a legal entitlement, which is unconstitutional and demand for overall increase in the budget to ensure improvement in learning outcomes and overall enhancement of quality education.

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. 

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

Buddhist shrines were 'massively destroyed' by Brahmanical rulers: Historian DN Jha

Nalanda mahavihara By Our Representative Prominent historian DN Jha, an expert in India's ancient and medieval past, in his new book , "Against the Grain: Notes on Identity, Intolerance and History", in a sharp critique of "Hindutva ideologues", who look at the ancient period of Indian history as "a golden age marked by social harmony, devoid of any religious violence", has said, "Demolition and desecration of rival religious establishments, and the appropriation of their idols, was not uncommon in India before the advent of Islam".

'Ambiguous policy': India late in advocating EVs as energy storage in national grid

By Shankar Sharma*  This is regarding the points raised by the Chief Electricity Authority’s (CEA's) advocacy for usage of electrical vehicles (EVs) as energy storage technology, and few associated issues . An objective reading of what he states should reiterate the enormously growing importance of battery energy storage systems (BESS) in our need to transition to a net-zero carbon scenario for the country.

Savarkar in Ahmedabad 'declared' two-nation theory in 1937, Jinnah followed 3 years later

By Our Representative One of the top freedom fighters whom BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi revere the most, Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, was also a great supporter of the two nation theory for India, one for Hindus another for Muslims, claims a new expose on the man who is also known to be the original proponent of the concept of Hindutva.

Is India emulating west, 'using' anti-terror plank to justify state-supported violence?

Fahad Ahmad, Baljit Nagra*  Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has accused India of being involved in the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian Sikh leader, on Canadian soil. Narendra Modi’s right-wing Hindu nationalist Indian government is defiant and denies involvement. Indian officials have instead admonished Canada for being a “ safe haven ” for Sikh “terrorism,” a pejorative for Sikh self-determination .