Civil liberties groups seek humanitarian release of ailing former PFI chairman Abubacker

By A Representative

The civil rights coalition Campaign Against State Repression (CASR) has expressed concern over the health condition of E. Abubacker, former chairman of the Popular Front of India (PFI), who has been in judicial custody for over three and a half years under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The organisation has called for his release on humanitarian and medical grounds.

The Popular Front of India was banned by the Government of India in September 2022 under the UAPA, with authorities alleging its involvement in activities considered prejudicial to national security. Following the ban, several leaders and members of the organisation were arrested in cases investigated by agencies including the National Investigation Agency (NIA). E. Abubacker, a retired school teacher and journalist, was among those taken into custody and remains an undertrial prisoner.

According to CASR, the 72-year-old Abubacker has been experiencing serious health complications in recent days. Reports indicate that he is suffering from a chest infection accompanied by persistent cough, along with fluctuations in blood pressure and blood sugar levels. It is also reported that his blood oxygen levels have dropped, raising concerns about his overall health condition.

Due to these complications, he was recently admitted by jail authorities to Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital in New Delhi for treatment. CASR said that his continued detention despite his medical condition raises humanitarian concerns and called for appropriate medical care.

Abubacker is reported to suffer from several chronic ailments, including Parkinson’s disease, diabetes, hypertension and severe loss of vision. He was earlier diagnosed with gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma, a form of cancer, for which he underwent chemotherapy and surgery in 2020. According to CASR, his condition requires continuous medical supervision and assistance with daily activities.

In its statement, CASR also referred to past cases in which prisoners died while in custody after prolonged illness, including that of Adivasi rights activist Stan Swamy, who died in judicial custody in 2021. It also mentioned the deaths of Pandu Narote, G. N. Saibaba, and Kanchan Nanaware, which had earlier drawn attention from civil liberties groups.

CASR -- which is a coalition of civil liberties organisations, democratic rights groups, activists and concerned citizens -- has appealed for Abubacker’s release on humanitarian and medical grounds, as well as for immediate and appropriate medical treatment and protection of the right to life and dignity of prisoners.

Comments

Academics urge Azim Premji University to drop FIR against Student Reading Circle

By A Representative A group of academics and civil society members has issued an open letter to the leadership of Azim Premji University expressing concern over the filing of a police complaint that led to an FIR against a student-run reading circle following a recent incident of violence on campus. The signatories state that they hold the university in high regard for its commitment to constitutional values, critical inquiry and ethical public engagement, and argue that it is precisely because of this reputation that the present development is troubling.

Was Netaji forced to alter face, die in obscurity in USSR in 1975? Was he so meek?

By Rajiv Shah This should sound almost hilarious. Not only did Subhas Chandra Bose not die in a plane crash in Taipei, nor was he the mysterious Gumnami Baba who reportedly passed away on 16 September 1985 in Ayodhya, but we are now told that he actually died in 1975—date unknown—“in oblivion” somewhere in the former Soviet Union. Which city? Moscow? No one seems to know.

UAPA action against Telangana activist: Criminalising legitimate democratic activity?

By A Representative The National Investigation Agency's Hyderabad branch has issued notices to more than ten individuals in Telangana in connection with FIR No. RC-04/2025. Those served include activists, former student leaders, civil rights advocates, poets, writers, retired schoolteachers, and local leaders associated with the Communist Party of India (CPI) and the Indian National Congress.

Asbestos contamination in children’s products highlights global oversight gaps

By A Representative A commentary published by the International Ban Asbestos Secretariat (IBAS) has drawn attention to the challenges governments face in responding effectively to global public-health risks. In an article written by Laurie Kazan-Allen and published on March 5, 2026, the author examines how the discovery of asbestos contamination in children’s play products has raised questions about regulatory oversight and international product safety. The article opens by reflecting on lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, noting that governments in several countries were slow to respond to early warning signs of the crisis. Referring to the experience of the United Kingdom, the author writes that delays in implementing protective measures contributed to “232,112 recorded deaths and over a million people suffering from long Covid.” The commentary uses this example to illustrate what it describes as the dangers of underestimating emerging threats. Attention then turns...

Aligning too closely with U.S., allies, India’s silence on IRIS Dena raises troubling questions

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* The reported sinking of the Iranian ship IRIS Dena in the Indian Ocean near Sri Lanka raises troubling questions about international norms and the credibility of the so-called rule-based order. If indeed the vessel was attacked by the American Navy while returning from a joint exercise in Visakhapatnam, it would represent a serious breach of trust and a violation of the principles that govern such cooperative engagements. Warships participating in these exercises are generally not armed for combat; they are meant to symbolize solidarity and friendship. The incident, therefore, is not only shocking but also deeply ironic.

The kitchen as prison: A feminist elegy for domestic slavery

By Garima Srivastava* Kumar Ambuj stands as one of the most incisive voices in contemporary Hindi poetry. His work, stripped of ornamentation, speaks directly to the lived realities of India’s marginalized—women, the rural poor, and those crushed under invisible forms of violence. His celebrated poem “Women Who Cook” (Khānā Banātī Striyāṃ) is not merely about food preparation; it is a searing indictment of patriarchal domestic structures that reduce women’s existence to endless, unpaid labour.

India’s foreign policy at crossroads: Cost of silence in the face of aggression

By Venkatesh Narayanan, Sandeep Pandey The widely anticipated yet unprovoked attack on Iran on March 1 by the United States and Israel has drawn sharp criticism from several quarters around the world. Reports indicate that the strikes have resulted in significant civilian casualties, including 165 elementary school girls, 20 female volleyball players, and many other civilians.

India’s green energy push faces talent crunch amidst record growth at 16% CAGR

By Jag Jivan* A new study by a top consulting firm has found that India’s cleantech sector is entering a decisive growth phase, with strong policy backing, record capacity additions and surging investor interest, but facing mounting pressure on talent supply and rising compensation costs .

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".

Search This Blog