NIA raids activists in Punjab, Haryana, and Delhi; CASR condemns 'witch-hunting'

By A Representative

The Campaign Against State Repression (CASR) has issued a strong condemnation of recent raids conducted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on the residences of labor rights, student rights, and anti-displacement activists across Punjab, Haryana, and Delhi. The raids took place early on the morning of December 20, reportedly targeting individuals associated with trade unions and social justice movements.

The searches were conducted in connection with FIR No. RC-01/2023/NIA/Lucknow, referred to as the "Maoist's NRB Revival Case." Among those targeted were Rampal Singh, a labor activist from the Manesar General Mazdoor Front (MGMS), and Damanpreet Singh, a former president of Students for Society (SFS) in Patiala. Activists Ajay Kumar, Priyanshu, and Jagdish Singh from the Delhi General Mazdoor Front (DGMF), as well as anti-displacement activist Shree Ram from Delhi and MGMS member Bindu Ram from Sonipat, Haryana, were also subjected to raids.

According to CASR, NIA personnel attempted to coerce confessions and forced individuals to sign documents during the raids. In Delhi, Ajay Kumar and Priyanshu were allegedly pressured to sign unspecified confession papers. CASR also accused NIA officers of unlawfully seizing devices and attempting to tamper with seizure reports by adding items that were not recovered during the searches.

CASR linked these actions to a broader pattern of targeting dissenting voices under fabricated charges, likening the case to the Bhima Koregaon conspiracy, which led to the arrest of several activists and intellectuals. The organization expressed concerns about misuse of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) to suppress opposition and dissent.

The statement emphasized that courts have previously ruled that belief in Maoist ideology or membership in organizations like the CPI (Maoist) is not a crime under Indian law. CASR highlighted that such cases often result in prolonged imprisonment without trial, undermining the rule of law and silencing voices of resistance.

CASR has demanded the immediate quashing of the FIR, cessation of the raids, and an end to the harassment of activists. The organization has called upon democratic and progressive groups to oppose what it describes as a "witch-hunt" and raise their voices against state repression.

The press statement was endorsed by multiple organizations, including the All India Revolutionary Students Organization (AIRSO), All India Students Association (AISA), Students’ Federation of India (SFI), People’s Watch, and Rihai Manch, among others.

The “Dr” debate masks a larger crisis in allied-health education

By Dr P K Gupta* India’s allied-health professions have long operated in a fragmented landscape of universities, hospitals, State authorities and private institutions, each with its own nomenclature, curriculum and standards. The National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions Act, 2021 was meant to correct this by creating a unified national framework for education, professional regulation and institutional recognition. Few dispute the need for such oversight. The real question is whether standardisation is quietly becoming synonymous with longer courses, additional internships and new professional titles—changes that risk masking deeper gaps in clinical training, institutional capacity and affordability.

Pilgrimage or pollution? The waste crisis of Indian faith

By Raj Kumar Sinha* In today's times, there are certain issues that are constantly talked about and discussed, yet no visible impact seems to be made. Beyond water, soil, and pollution, one crisis that continues to be overlooked is waste. Like other life-threatening problems, waste too is gradually moving toward burying and obliterating us. After the Kanwar Yatra in Haridwar, approximately 8,000 tonnes of waste were left behind on the riverbanks, including bottles filled with urine.

Arrival of USS Lincoln: A ‘leisure trip’ to Thailand or a neo-colonial move to commodify women?

By Benyasiri Eimviriyapong The arrival of the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) for a ‘leisure trip’ in Thailand before returning to its campaign of destruction against the people of West Asia demands immediate interrogation and opposition. For us Thai people, and those in sites of American plunder across the globe, this a rattling of the US’ cold war colonial chains on its most loyal lap dog, while conducting a war of aggression in Iran and the ongoing genocide in Palestine. In allowing the USS Lincoln to dock, the Thai ruling elites are once again facilitating a system of imperial violence that extends far beyond Southeast Asian borders, a system which in our case, is predicated on sexual violence and femicide.

Counterview

Search This Blog