Skip to main content

Known for shaping various social movements, Dr Navsaharan being mercilessly targeted

By Harsh Thakor 

Dr. Navsharan, writer, democratic rights activist, a resilient supporter of people's struggles and the daughter of renowned playwright Late Gursharan Singh, is being mercilessly targeted by the Modi government for revealing the truth. It is a manifestation of the trend engulfing nation of attack on intellectuals and democratic rights activists across the country, Dr. Navsharan was interrogated under the PMLA Act and an attempt was made to crush and bully her in the name of an inquiry. Modi Govt driven Enforcement Directorate (ED) has harassed the well known Cultural and Social activist Dr. Navsharan, by grilling more than 8 hours Like the UAPA, PMLA also gives the government unlimited powers to crush the democratic rights of any person.
Dr. Navsharan is the member of AIUFWP Advisory committee on Women and Cultural issues. Dr. Navsharan has been renowned for her contribution in shaping various social movements and cultural movements across the Country. She is daughter of the iconic cultural activist and we'll renowned dramatist Gursharan Singh alias Bhai Manna Singh, who had, made a phenomenal contribution in raising the cultural and political awareness of the masses all through his life. Dr. Navsharan has been engaged in social and political movements since her childhood along with her parents. She has been a staunch fighter for the farmer and peasant rights and also has lent her support to the Forest Right Movement and Women Movement.
Dr. Navsharan has been an active revolutionary intellectual in the field of democratic rights for almost two-and-a-half decades. and one of the leading supporters of the historic peasant struggle on the borders of Delhi. Not only did she relentlessly participate in the Delhi sit-in, but she invested every ounce of her energy to share the experience of the farmers' struggle with the struggling people of different countries of the world Dr. Navsharan is one of the most vocal intellectuals or boldest voices of the country speaking out against the brutal fascist tirade of the Modi government on the ordinary people.
In recent times Navsaharan has been championing the cause of trust Aman Biradari, founded by Harsh Mander.
Leaders like Amolak Singh and Kanwaljeet Khanna of Punjab Loksabhyacharak Manch ,Joginder Singh Ugrahan of BKU(Ugrahan) and Balbir Longowal of Democratic Teachers Front in no uncertain times condemned the subjecting of Dr Navsharan to such harassment or victimisation.
All democrats should condemn the Modi government to wash their hands off Dr. Navsharan and immediately cease her harassment in the name of inquiry. The nefarious attempts to suppress the democratic voices backing the working people must cease,abruptly.. All the people movements of Punjab are standing alongside Navsharan.
The grilling undertaken by the ED department for more than 8 hours is a gross violation of the fundamental rights of Dr. Navsharan as the citizen of this Country. By interrogating her for such long hours in their office it is a violation of Art. 21 and Art. 19 of the Constitution that guarantees “Right to personal Liberty “and “Right to freedom of expression". Dr. Navsharan has devoted her entire life for the upliftment of the poor and socially deprived sections and been a committed writer.
This act of ED is a barbaric act to target the intellectuals and activists to pave way for the fascist regime to eradicate all the dissenting voices that questions the present fascist Government. Dr. Navsharan was summoned under the PMLA Act (Prevention of Money Laundering Act), which itself is a mockery. The present regime is the one that is endorsing rapists like Brijbhusan, rapist of Bilkis banu, and deep corruption of party leaders of BJP were responsible. No action is being undertaken by this govt. for, demolition of houses of Muslim communities, annihilating its own citizens by introducing g CAA- NRC legislation, corrupt officials involved in bribery, atrocities against dalit communities illegal arrest of famous academicians, authors, officers, journalists and activists in Bhima Goregaon case.
There are hundreds and thousands of incidents of violence perpetrated by this present regime but there is no justice granted to any one and it is quite evident that those who are raising their voice against such atrocities and injustices are squashed as happened in the case of Dr. Navsharan. Today hundreds and thousands of civil society activists, lawyers, journalists, political activists and other activists fighting for the democratic rights are being mercilessly targeted to crush their voice.
Dr Navsharan’s voice represents the aspirations of the oppressed masses while her being targeted manifests the wave of neo-fascism of the saffron brigade, at it’s crescendo.
---
Harsh Thakor is a freelance journalist who has been in touch with human rights movement in India for long

Comments

TRENDING

From Kerala to Bangladesh: Lynching highlights deep social faultlines

By A Representative   The recent incidents of mob lynching—one in Bangladesh involving a Hindu citizen and another in Kerala where a man was killed after being mistaken for a “Bangladeshi”—have sparked outrage and calls for accountability.  

What Sister Nivedita understood about India that we have forgotten

By Harasankar Adhikari   In the idea of a “Vikshit Bharat,” many real problems—hunger, poverty, ill health, unemployment, and joblessness—are increasingly overshadowed by the religious contest between Hindu and Muslim fundamentalisms. This contest is often sponsored and patronised by political parties across the spectrum, whether openly Hindutva-oriented, Islamist, partisan, or self-proclaimed secular.

When a city rebuilt forgets its builders: Migrant workers’ struggle for sanitation in Bhuj

Khasra Ground site By Aseem Mishra*  Access to safe drinking water and sanitation is not a privilege—it is a fundamental human right. This principle has been unequivocally recognised by the United Nations and repeatedly affirmed by the Supreme Court of India as intrinsic to the right to life and dignity under Article 21 of the Constitution. Yet, for thousands of migrant workers living in Bhuj, this right remains elusive, exposing a troubling disconnect between constitutional guarantees, policy declarations, and lived reality.

Aravalli at the crossroads: Environment, democracy, and the crisis of justice

By  Rajendra Singh*  The functioning of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change has undergone a troubling shift. Once mandated to safeguard forests and ecosystems, the Ministry now appears increasingly aligned with industrial interests. Its recent affidavit before the Supreme Court makes this drift unmistakably clear. An institution ostensibly created to protect the environment now seems to have strayed from that very purpose.

'Festive cheer fades': India’s housing market hits 17‑quarter slump, sales drop 16% in Q4 2025

By A Representative   Housing sales across India’s nine major real estate markets fell to a 17‑quarter low in the October–December period of 2025, with overall absorption dropping 16% year‑on‑year to 98,019 units, according to NSE‑listed analytics firm PropEquity. This marks the weakest quarter since Q3 2021, despite the festive season that usually drives demand. On a sequential basis, sales slipped 2%, while new launches contracted by 4%.  

'Structural sabotage': Concern over sector-limited job guarantee in new employment law

By A Representative   The advocacy group Centre for Financial Accountability (CFA) has raised concerns over the passage of the Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (VB–G RAM G), which was approved during the recently concluded session of Parliament amid protests by opposition members. The legislation is intended to replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).

Safety, pay and job security drive Urban Company gig workers’ protest in Gurugram

By A Representative   Gig and platform service workers associated with Urban Company have stepped up their protest against what they describe as exploitative and unsafe working conditions, submitting a detailed Memorandum of Demands at the company’s Udyog Vihar office in Gurugram. The action is being seen as part of a wider and growing wave of dissatisfaction among gig workers across India, many of whom have resorted to demonstrations, app log-outs and strikes in recent months to press for fair pay, job security and basic labour protections.

India’s universities lag global standards, pushing students overseas: NITI Aayog study

By Rajiv Shah   A new Government of India study, Internationalisation of Higher Education in India: Prospects, Potential, and Policy Recommendations , prepared by NITI Aayog , regrets that India’s lag in this sector is the direct result of “several systemic challenges such as inadequate infrastructure to provide quality education and deliver world-class research, weak industry–academia collaboration, and outdated curricula.”

The rise of the civilizational state: Prof. Pratap Bhanu Mehta warns of new authoritarianism

By A Representative   Noted political theorist and public intellectual Professor Pratap Bhanu Mehta delivered a poignant reflection on the changing nature of the Indian state today, warning that the rise of a "civilizational state" poses a significant threat to the foundations of modern democracy and individual freedom. Delivering the Achyut Yagnik Memorial Lecture titled "The Idea of Civilization: Poison or Cure?" at the Ahmedabad Management Association, Mehta argued that India is currently witnessing a self-conscious political project that seeks to redefine the state not as a product of a modern constitution, but as an instrument of an ancient, authentic civilization.