'Release political prisoners': Convention held in Punjab against alleged killings in adivasi areas

By Harsh Thakor*

The Democratic Front Against Operation Green Hunt (Punjab) organised a state-level convention and protest in Jalandhar on December 7, calling attention to killings in Adivasi regions and demanding the release of political prisoners, including those who have completed their sentences but remain in jail.

The convention, held ahead of International Human Rights Day, took place at Desh Bhagat Yadgar Hall under the chairpersonship of the Front’s conveners Dr. Parminder Singh, Prof. A.K. Maleri, Yashpal, and Boota Singh Mahimoodpur. Participants included farmers, workers, youth, students, women, rationalist groups, democratic rights organisations, writers, cultural activists, and theatre practitioners from across Punjab.

Speakers discussed what they described as increasing constraints on democratic and human rights in the country. Activist Nadeem Khan, senior journalist Prashant Rahi, activist Asif Iqbal Tanha, and democratic rights advocate Dr. Navsharan criticised arrests, long-term incarceration, and what they alleged were fabricated criminal cases. They also expressed concern over public statements by the union Home Minister urging insurgents to surrender, viewing them as indicative of a growing security-centric approach.

Speakers alleged that large-scale paramilitary operations in Bastar and other Adivasi regions were linked to facilitating corporate access to land, forests, water, and mineral resources. They cited the use of drones and helicopters in security operations and warned that similar tactics could affect people’s movements in other states. Cases involving Advocate Surendra Gadling, artists associated with Kabir Kala Manch, and activists including Umar Khalid and Gulfisha Fatima were mentioned as examples of prolonged detentions under stringent laws.

Participants also highlighted delays in the justice system, stating that many prisoners who have completed their sentences continue to remain incarcerated. They called for broad-based democratic mobilisation to secure their release.

Resolutions Adopted

Resolutions presented by Jaswinder Phagwara were adopted by a show of hands. The demands included: halting military and paramilitary operations in Adivasi areas; ending alleged fake encounters; removal of police camps; withdrawal of security forces and aerial operations involving drones and helicopters; protection of natural resources; repeal of laws such as UAPA and AFSPA; dissolution of the National Investigation Agency; release of individuals jailed in cases described as fabricated, including those related to the Delhi violence and Bhima Koregaon; release of detainees held without trial; reversal of privatisation measures; reinstatement of suspended roadways employees; and protection of the right to organise and protest.

Revolutionary singers Gurmeet Juj and Dharminder Masani performed at the event. Refreshments were provided by the Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union. Speakers were honoured with books and an emblem commemorating Ghadri Gulab Kaur. Concluding the protest outside Desh Bhagat Yadgar Hall, Dr. Parminder Singh thanked all participating organisations and supporters on behalf of the Front’s conveners and state committee.

The event ended with a rally.

---

*Freelance journalist

Comments

A comrade in culture and controversy: Yao Wenyuan’s revolutionary legacy

By Harsh Thakor* This year marks two important anniversaries in Chinese revolutionary history—the 20th death anniversary of Yao Wenyuan, and the 50th anniversary of his seminal essay "On the Social Basis of the Lin Biao Anti-Party Clique". These milestones invite reflection on the man whose pen ignited the first sparks of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution and whose sharp ideological interventions left an indelible imprint on the political and cultural landscape of socialist China.

Ahmedabad's Sabarmati riverfront under scrutiny after Subhash Bridge damage

By Rosamma Thomas* Large cracks have appeared on Subhash Bridge across the Sabarmati in Ahmedabad, close to the Gandhi Ashram . Built in 1973, this bridge, named after Subhash Chandra Bose , connects the eastern and western parts of the city and is located close to major commercial areas. The four-lane bridge has sidewalks for pedestrians, and is vital for access to Ashram Road , Ellis Bridge , Gandhinagar and the Sabarmati Railway Station .

Farewell to Robin Smith, England’s Lionhearted Warrior Against Pace

By Harsh Thakor* Robin Smith, who has died at the age of 62, was among the most adept and convincing players of fast bowling during an era when English cricket was in decline and pace bowling was at its most lethal. Unwavering against the tormenting West Indies pace attack or the relentless Australians, Smith epitomised courage and stroke-making prowess. His trademark shot, an immensely powerful square cut, made him a scourge of opponents. Wearing a blue England helmet without a visor or grille, he relished pulling, hooking and cutting the quicks.

No action yet on complaint over assault on lawyer during Tirunelveli public hearing

By A Representative A day after a detailed complaint was filed seeking disciplinary action against ten lawyers in Tirunelveli for allegedly assaulting human rights lawyer Dr. V. Suresh, no action has yet been taken by the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, according to the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL).

Latur’s quiet rebel: Dr Suryanarayan Ransubhe and his war on Manuvad

By Ravi Ranjan* In an India still fractured by caste, religion, and language, where narrow loyalties repeatedly threaten to tear the nation apart, Rammanohar Lohia once observed that the true leader of the bahujans is one under whose banner even non-bahujans feel proud to march. The remark applies far beyond politics. In the literary-cultural and social spheres as well, only a person armed with unflinching historical consciousness and the moral courage to refuse every form of personality worship—including worship of oneself—can hope to touch the weak pulse of the age and speak its bitter truths without fear or favour.

Differences in 2002 and 2025 SIR revision procedures spark alarm in Gujarat

By A Representative Civil rights groups and electoral reform activists have raised serious concerns over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Gujarat and 11 other states, alleging that the newly enforced requirements could lead to large-scale deletion of legitimate voters, particularly those unable to furnish documentation linking them to the 2002 electoral list.

Urgent need to study cause of large number of natural deaths in Gulf countries

By Venkatesh Nayak* According to data tabled in Parliament in April 2018, there are 87.76 lakh (8.77 million) Indians in six Gulf countries, namely Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). While replying to an Unstarred Question (#6091) raised in the Lok Sabha, the Union Minister of State for External Affairs said, during the first half of this financial year alone (between April-September 2018), blue-collared Indian workers in these countries had remitted USD 33.47 Billion back home. Not much is known about the human cost of such earnings which swell up the country’s forex reserves quietly. My recent RTI intervention and research of proceedings in Parliament has revealed that between 2012 and mid-2018 more than 24,570 Indian Workers died in these Gulf countries. This works out to an average of more than 10 deaths per day. For every US$ 1 Billion they remitted to India during the same period there were at least 117 deaths of Indian Workers in Gulf ...

From crime to verdict: The 27-year journey that 'rewarded' the destroyers of Babri Masjid

By Shamsul Islam Thirty-three years ago, on December 6, 1992, a 16th-century mosque was reduced to rubble by a frenzied mob orchestrated by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and its political fronts. The demolition was not a spontaneous outburst of Hindu sentiment; it was the meticulously planned culmination of a hate campaign that branded Indian Muslims as “Babur-ki-aulad” and the Babri Masjid as a symbol of historical humiliation.

Bangladesh alternative more vital for NE India than Kaladan project in Myanmar

By Mehjabin Bhanu* There has been a recent surge in the number of Chin refugees entering Mizoram from the adjacent nation as a result of airstrikes by the Myanmar Army on ethnic insurgents and intense fighting along the border between India and Myanmar. Uncertainty has surrounded India's Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport project, which uses Sittwe port in Myanmar, due to the recent outbreak of hostilities along the Mizoram-Myanmar border. Construction on the road portion of the Kaladan project, which runs from Paletwa in Myanmar to Zorinpui in Mizoram, was resumed thanks to the time of relative calm during the intermittent period. However, recent unrest has increased concerns about missing the revised commissioning goal dates. The project's goal is to link northeastern states with the rest of India via an alternate route, using the Sittwe port in Myanmar. In addition to this route, India can also connect the region with the rest of India through Assam by using the Chittagon...

Search This Blog