Campaign to focus on 'illegal' detentions, 'weaponizing' criminal justice system

By A Representative
In an "announcement" on August 9, which happens to be the International Day for Indigenous People and the Quit India movement day, 165 to rights groups from all over the country, including 50 national networks, have demanded the repeal of all the "draconian" laws, including the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), the release of all political prisoners, the restoration of the right to bail, compensation for all those booked under these laws and justice for Fr Stan Swamy.
In a pledge to be taken on the 74th Independence Day for August 15, they said, they would "defend the legacy of our freedom movement, the spirit of the Preamble and the values of our Constitution" as also "campaign for repealing all draconian laws and assert the right to bail of every citizen."
"We believe that the right to question and the right to dissent are the foundation of our democratic, secular and socialist republic", the pledge said, adding, 'We commit to campaign against all ideologies, laws, and state actions that deprive us of the freedoms of speech and opinion, conscience, association, and to non-violent opposition."
Giving a countrywide call for wide action, the 165 organisations said, their "intensive campaign" would last be for a week from August 15 to 28, and they would go in for "street action" to defend the right to dissent, repeal the sedition law, UAPA and other repressive state laws, even as seeking restoration of the right to bail and justice for Stan Swamy.
In a joint statement, they said, "State repression and attacks on right to dissent and the Constitution are growing. UAPA, National Investigation Agency (Amendment) Act, 2019 and other draconian laws are being used as instruments of repression."
It added, "More than 165 organisations and civil society networks are undertaking a countrywide action campaign (August 15-28) to protest against the institutional murder of Stan Swamy and the repression. As part of this campaign, programmes were organised across the country on 23 July to demand justice for Stan Swamy."
It's sixfold demands include Justice for Stan Swamy, repeal of UAPA, sedition section and all other draconian laws, including state laws that allow preventive detention, restoration of the right to bail, release all political prisoners, accountability for filing false cases and compensation to victims, and stopping illegal detentions and weaponizing the criminal justice system.
The statement said, "Country-wide protests and various action programmes will be organised in this campaign on August 9 and during August 15-28. August 9 is international day for world’s indigenous people. It is also the day on which the Quit Indian movement started in 1942."
Especially referring to Stan Swamy, it asserted, he "dedicated his life for Adivasi rights and struggles for jal, jangal and zameen", seeking support for organise programmes "to protest against Stan Swamy’s murder, and for protection of Adivasi rights and the democracy".
It insisted, "Organisations and networks can organise programmes in this period and on these dates as per their convenience", asking them to "try to share the photos, videos and brief details of the programmes with the social media team on WhatsApp or email so that these can be shared widely on social media on behalf of the organising groups."

Comments

The golden crop: How turmeric is transforming women's lives in tribal India

By Vikas Meshram* When the lush green fields of turmeric sway in the tribal belt of southern Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat, it is not merely a spice crop — it is the golden glow of self-reliance. In villages where even basic spices once had to be bought from the market, the very soil today is yielding a prosperity that has transformed the lives of thousands of families. At the heart of this transformation is the initiative of Vaagdhara, which has linked turmeric with livelihoods, nutrition, and village self-governance — gram swaraj.

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 Rajiv Shah 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".

Authoritarian destruction of the public sphere in Ecuador: Trumpism in action?

By Pilar Troya Fernández The situation in Ecuador under Daniel Noboa's government is one of authoritarianism advancing on several fronts simultaneously to consolidate neoliberalism and total submission to the US international agenda. These are not isolated measures, but rather a coordinated strategy that combines job insecurity, the dismantling of the welfare state, unrestricted access to mining, the continuation of oil exploitation without environmental considerations, the centralization of power through the financial suffocation of local governments, and the systematic criminalization of all forms of opposition and popular organization.

Echoes of Vietnam and Chile: The devastating cost of the I-A Axis in Iran

By Ram Puniyani The recent joint military actions by Israel and the United States against Iran have been devastating. Like all wars, this conflict is brutal to its core, leaving a trail of human suffering in its wake. The stated pretext for this aggression—the brutality of the Ayatollah Khamenei regime and its nuclear ambitions—clashes sharply with the reality of the diplomatic landscape. Iran had expressed a willingness to remain at the negotiating table, signaling a readiness to concede points emerging from dialogue.

False claim? What Venezuela is witnessing is not surrender but a tactical retreat

By Manolo De Los Santos The early morning hours of January 3, 2026, marked an inflection point in Venezuela and Latin America’s centuries-long struggle for self-determination and independence. Operation Absolute Resolve, ordered by the Trump administration, constituted the most brutal and direct military assault on a sovereign state in the region in recent memory. In a shocking operation that left hundreds dead, President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores were illegally kidnapped from Venezuelan soil and transported to the United States, where they now face fabricated charges in a New York federal detention facility. In the two months since this act of war, a torrent of speculation has emerged from so-called experts and pundits across the political spectrum. This has followed three main lines: One . The operation’s success indicated treason at the highest levels of the Bolivarian Revolution. Two . Acting President Delcy Rodríguez and the remaining leadership have abandone...

The selective memory of a violent city: Uttam Nagar and the invisible victims of Delhi

By Sunil Kumar* Hundreds of murders take place in Delhi every year, yet only a few incidents become topics of nationwide discussion. The question is: why does this happen? Today, the incident in Uttam Nagar has become the centre of national debate. A 26-year-old man, Tarun Kumar, was killed following a dispute that reportedly began after a balloon hit a small child. In several colonies of Delhi, slogans such as “Jai Shri Ram” and “Vande Mataram” are being raised while demanding the death penalty for Tarun’s killers. As a result, nearly 50,000 residents of Hastsal JJ Colony are now living in what resembles a state of confinement.

The price of silence: Why Modi won’t follow Shastri, appeal for sacrifice

By Arundhati Dhuru, Sandeep Pandey* In 1965, as India grappled with war and a crippling food crisis, Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri faced a United States that used wheat shipments under the PL-480 agreement as a lever to dictate Indian foreign policy. Shastri’s response remains legendary: he appealed to the nation to skip one meal a day. Millions of middle-class households complied, choosing temporary hunger over the sacrifice of national dignity. Today, India faces a modern equivalent in the energy sector, yet the leadership’s response stands in stark contrast to that era of self-reliance.

Love letters in a lifelong war: Babusha Kohli’s resistance in verse

By Ravi Ranjan* “War does not determine who is right—only who is left.” Bertrand Russell’s words echo hauntingly in our times, and few contemporary Hindi poets embody this truth as profoundly as Babusha Kohli. Emerging from Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, Kohli has carved a unique space in literature by weaving together tenderness, protest, and philosophy across poetry, prose, and cinema. Her work is not merely artistic expression—it is resistance, refuge, and a call for peace.

Search This Blog