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Is Devendra Fadnavis planning another crackdown like Bhima-Koregaon?

Is Devendra Fadnavis planning another crackdown like Bhima-Koregaon?

Drawing by Arun Fereirra

Is Devendra Fadnavis planning another crackdown like Bhima-Koregaon?

21/12/2024

National Herald / by AJ Prabal

Why would the Maharashtra chief minister require a new law to deal with alleged ‘urban Naxals’?
One of the first acts of Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has been to introduce a special legislation to deal with ‘urban Naxals’ in the state.
… Recalling the Bhima-Koregaon case lodged in 2018 when Fadnavis was once again chief minister, Yadav suspected that Maharashtra Police could be planning a similar crackdown on political rivals and activists.
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Fadnavis won’t be called for deposing before Koregaon Bhima Commission of Inquiry

19/12/2024

The Indian Express / by Chandan Haygunde

Prakash Ambedkar had submitted a letter in June 2023 to the commission demanding deposition of Fadnavis, Mallick and Suvez Haque, the then superintendent of police, Pune Rural, as witness in connection with the ongoing inquiry into the Koregaon Bhima violence.
The Koregaon Bhima Commission of Inquiry, which is probing into the causes of violence reported in Koregaon Bhima area in Pune district on January 1, 2018, has decided not to call Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for deposing as a witness.
Read more

Also read:
▪ Maharashtra re-introduces Bill to curb ‘urban Naxals’ (Rediff.com / Dec 2024)
▪ A New Bill Shows Maharashtra Wants to Become a Police State Before Combatting Left-Wing Extremism (The Wire / Jul 2024)
▪ Maharashtra: Activists, Lawyers Added to ‘Union War Book’, Listed as ‘Enemies of the State’ (The Wire / Jul 2021)
▪ Transfer of Bhima-Koregaon case to NIA appropriate: Devendra Fadnavis (Deccan Herald / Jan 2020)

US Court Finds Israel’s NSO Group, Which Sells Pegasus Spyware, Liable for WhatsApp Attacks

US Court Finds Israel’s NSO Group, Which Sells Pegasus Spyware, Liable for WhatsApp Attacks

Illustration credits: The Wire

US Court Finds NSO Liable For Hacking Of WhatsApp Using Pegasus Malware

21/12/2024

Live Law / by Gursimran Kaur Bakshi

In a summary judgment, Judge Phyllis Hamilton of the US District Court in Oakland, Northern District of California has found Israeli-mercenary’s surveillance firm NSO Group Technologies (also known as Q Cyber Technologies) liable for the hacking of Meta’s Whatsapp through its state-of-the-art military-grade malware Pegasus.
… Journalists, human rights activists, Dalit rights and anti-caste activists accused in the infamous Bhima-Koregaon Elgar Parishad under the anti-terror law Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, of 1967 were said to be the primary targets of the spyware.
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Poster by #bakeryprasad

US court finds Pegasus spyware maker liable for unauthorised surveillance of 1,400 WhatsApp users

21/12/2024

Scroll.in / by Scroll Staff

The NSO Group violated federal legislation against unauthorised access to computers, networks and other digital information, said the court.
A district court in the United States on Friday held Israeli cyber intelligence company NSO Group liable for unauthorised surveillance of 1,400 users of the messaging application WhatsApp using its spyware Pegasus in 2019, reported Reuters.
Read more

US Court Finds Israel’s NSO Group, Which Sells Pegasus Spyware, Liable for WhatsApp Attacks

21/12/2024

The Wire / by The Wire Staff

The judge noted that the NSO Group repeatedly failed to produce “relevant discovery and failed to obey court orders regarding such discovery.”
New Delhi: A US district court has found Israel’s NSO Group – which sells the Pegasus spyware – liable in a 2019 lawsuit brought by the messaging app WhatsApp, citing breaches in 1,400 devices.
Read more

Pegasus: 300 of 1,400 users from India, why ruling may re-open tapping debate

22/12/2024

The Indian Express / by Soumyarendra Barik

The decision came in a case filed by Meta-owned WhatsApp against the NSO Group, with the judge in the case, Phyllis Hamilton, holding that the Israeli spyware maker was liable for targeting the devices of 1,400 WhatsApp users
For the first time, a court in the US has held Israel’s NSO Group liable for its intrusive spyware Pegasus, which could set up a measure of accountability for the company that it has, for long, allegedly downplayed.
Read more

Also read:
▪ India: Damning new forensic investigation reveals repeated use of Pegasus spyware to target high-profile journalists (Amnesty.org / Dec 2023)
▪ Police Linked to Hacking Campaign to Frame Indian Activists (Wired.com / June 2022)
▪ Leaked Data Shows Surveillance Net in Elgar Parishad Case May Have Crossed a Line (The Wire / July 2021)

Koregaon Bhima battle anniversary planning: HC allows Maharashtra govt to enter ‘Jay Stambh’ plot

Koregaon Bhima battle anniversary planning: HC allows Maharashtra govt to enter ‘Jay Stambh’ plot

Booklet: Salaakhon Mein Qaid Avaazein

Koregaon Bhima battle anniversary planning: HC allows Maharashtra govt to enter ‘Jay Stambh’ plot

14/12/2024

Deccan Chronicle / by pti

The Bombay High Court has permitted the Maharashtra government to enter the ‘Jay Stambh’ land in Pune for a fortnight to make arrangements for the January 1, 2025 programme marking the 207th anniversary of the historic Koregaon Bhima battle. The land, situated at Perne village in Pune, is embroiled in an ownership dispute and a court order has directed for the status quo to be maintained.
Pursuant to this, the state government each year has to seek permission from the court.
Read more

Massive Turnout Expected for Bhima Koregaon Ceremony at Perne Phata on January 1, 2025

14/12/2024

The Free Press Journal / by FPJ Web Desk

In preparation for the Vijaystambh Ansamhura ceremony at Perne Phata on January 1, 2025, District Collector Dr. Suhas Diwase has directed relevant departments to plan thoroughly and provide necessary facilities for the expected influx of followers.
This year, a massive turnout is expected, with political parties and activists fueling the attendance ahead of the upcoming elections.
Read more

Why Maharashtra govt needs court nod to enter ‘Jaystambh’ land for Koregaon Bhima battle anniversary preparations

13/12/2024

The Indian Express / by Chandan Haygunde

The Bombay HC has allowed the Maharashtra government to enter the Jaystambh land from Dec 22, 2024 to Jan 5, 2025 to make arrangements for the 207th anniversary of the Battle of Koregaon Bhima.
The Bombay High Court has permitted the Maharashtra government to enter the “disputed land” around the Jaystambh located at Perne village in Pune to make arrangements for the January 1 programme marking the 207th anniversary of the Battle of Koregaon Bhima.
Read more

Also read:
▪ Book Excerpt | How Bhima Koregaon Became a Trope for Dalit Pride and Assertion (The Wire / June 2024)
▪ One year of Bhima-Koregaon case: Part I | History of a 200-year-old battle and why it still matters (The Leaflet / Jan 2019)
▪ Let’s Remember the Lesson of Bhima Koregaon: Down with the New Peshwai (Sanhati │ by Sudhir Dhawale │ March 2018)
▪ The Myth of Bhima Koregaon Reinforces the Identities It Seeks to Transcend (The Wire | Anand Teltumbde | Jan 2018)
▪ Why peoples’ coalitions are uniting against Hindutva — the ‘new Peshwai’ (Dailyo.in │ by Arun Ferreira and Vernon Gonsalves │ Jan 2018)

Urban Naxal Bogey: Move for Harsher Bill to Curb Civil Rights?

Urban Naxal Bogey: Move for Harsher Bill to Curb Civil Rights?

The Wire / P. Raman

The government will find it difficult to run roughshod on sensitive issues such as this because of a rejuvenated Opposition and the need for allies’ consent.
When Prime Minister Narendra Modi attacks “urban Naxals”, it surprises many. For it was just this August – less than four months ago – that home minister Amit Shah had declared that the war on Naxalites was nearing its end and left-wing extremism in the country would be wiped out by March 2026.
If the war is in the mopping-up stage, why has Modi intensified his rant? Consider his relentless attacks on extremists and their presumed urban supporters in recent months.
Read more

Also read:
▪ A New Bill Shows Maharashtra Wants to Become a Police State Before Combatting Left-Wing Extremism (The Wire/ Jul 2024)
▪ What is Maharashtra’s new Bill to curb ‘Naxalism in urban areas’? (The Indian Express / Jul 2024)
▪ Maharashtra: Activists, Lawyers Added to ‘Union War Book’, Listed as ‘Enemies of the State’ (The Wire / Jul 2021)
▪ From ‘tukde tukde gang’ to ‘urban Naxal’: How media trials enable the government to stifle dissent (Scroll.in / Sep 2018)
▪ From Anti-National to Urban Naxal: The Trajectory of Dissent in India – How the term Urban Naxal came to being (Newsclick / Sep 2018)

Koregaon-Bhima Riot Investigation: Inquiry Points to Possible Third-Party Involvement

Koregaon-Bhima Riot Investigation: Inquiry Points to Possible Third-Party Involvement

Graphic by Arun Ferreira & Vernon Gonsalves

Koregaon-Bhima Violence: Inquiry Points to Possible Third-Party Involvement

02/12/2024

The Bridge Chronicle / by Salil Urunkar

These elements, according to Adv. Hiray, may be anti-democratic and opposed to the established system. He provided evidence supporting this claim to the commission.
The Koregaon-Bhima violence that erupted on January 1, 2018, is more complex than initially perceived, according to Special Public Prosecutor Adv. Shishir Hiray.
In his final argument before the Koregaon-Bhima Inquiry Commission, Adv. Hiray argued that while outsiders and locals are highlighted as key groups in the incident, there is a possibility of a third element influencing the violence.
Read more

‘Police took appropriate action following Koregaon Bhima violence’

27/11/2024

Hindustan Times / by Nadeem Inamdar

Special public prosecutor Shishir Hiray in final arguments before Bhima Koregaon commission hearing said Pune rural police took appropriate legal action after the communal riots at Bhima Koregaon on January 1, 2018.
Special public prosecutor Advocate Shishir Hiray while making the final arguments before the Bhima Koregaon commission hearing on Tuesday said that in the aftermath of the communal riots which took place in Bhima Koregaon on January 1, 2018, the Pune rural police took appropriate legal action as per the procedure.
… The hearing of this case will continue till Friday, November 29.
Read more

Koregaon-Bhima Riot Investigation: Special Prosecutor to Submit Detailed Report

26/11/2024

The Bridge Chronicle / by Salil Urunkar

Special public prosecutor’s final argument is anticipated to delve into several contentious aspects, including whether similar crimes occurred elsewhere following the Koregaon-Bhima event.
The special public prosecutor is scheduled to submit a comprehensive 500-page final written argument before the Koregaon-Bhima Inquiry Commission on November 26.
This marks a critical phase in the inquiry into the violent riots that occurred in Koregaon-Bhima in January 2018.
Read more

Also watch/read:
▪ Video: Bhima Koregaon, Dalit Assertion, Upper Caste Backlash and the Deep State (The AIDEM / Oct 2024)
▪ Police Linked to Hacking Campaign to Frame Indian Activists (Wired.com / June 2022)
▪ Bhima Koregaon Violence: Four Different Theories, but No Justice in Sight (The Wire / Jan 2022)
▪ One year of Bhima-Koregaon case: Part I | History of a 200-year-old battle and why it still matters (The Leaflet / Jan 2019)

5 Indian Academicians Politicising The Field Of Research In Humanities And Social Sciences

5 Indian Academicians Politicising The Field Of Research In Humanities And Social Sciences

Feminism India / by Anchal Soni

Here is a list of 5 academicians who have transformed higher education into an inclusive model of academia through theory and research.
Academic freedom has become a contested term in contemporary Higher Education in India. While the spaces of universities have always been political, the current trend is best described as Saffronisation. Political interference in the recruitment process of faculty has become a persistent problem hindering the scope of research. A curb on critical voices seems in place to evoke a culture of self-censorship.
Read more

Also read:
▪ India: Submission to the UN Human Rights Committee on the deterioration of civic space (CIVICUS / Jul 2024)
▪ India among top 10 countries to jail writers, academics in 2021, shows Pen America’s report (Scroll.in / Apr 2022)
▪ International Mother Language Day: Take Action for Hany Babu (Pen International | Feb 2022)
▪ Joint Statement: Freedom for Varavara Rao (Pen International | Oct 2021)
▪ A Dark Day for Democracy and Freedom of Expression (Pen International | Aug 2018)

India: Death of human rights defender and continued repression of dissent highlights risks facing activists

India: Death of human rights defender and continued repression of dissent highlights risks facing activists

CIVICUS / by CIVICUS

India’s civil space is rated as ‘repressed’ by the CIVICUS Monitor. In recent years, the government has misused the draconian anti-terror Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and other laws to keep activists behind bars and fabricate cases against activists and journalists for undertaking their work. The authorities have blocked access to foreign funding for NGOs and human rights defenders, using the restrictive Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA).
… There are other human rights defenders who have remained in jail for years under the draconian UAPA and also died in custody.
They include those implicated on baseless charges linked to the Bhima Koraegon violence in 2018 including Surendra Gadling, Hany Babu, Rona Wilson, Sagar Gorkhe, Ramesh Gaichor, Sudhir Dhawale, Mahesh Raut and Jyoti Jagtap.
Read more

Also read:
▪ India: Submission to the UN Human Rights Committee on the deterioration of civic space (CIVICUS / Jul 2024)
▪ Civic Freedoms in India ‘Repressed’: Global Monitor Civicus (The Wire / Oct 2023)

Iconoclast: Path breaking biography of BR Ambedkar projects his human essence

Iconoclast: Path breaking biography of BR Ambedkar projects his human essence

Sabrangindia / by Harsh Thakor 

In this review, the writer examines how Dr Anand Teltumbde, the distinguished academic and human rights defender eradicates the hyperbole that turns Ambedkar into a demi-god.
In Iconoclast, Dr Anand Teltumbde, a distinguished authority on the Dalit movement, presents an illustrative biography of Dr B.R. Ambedkar. Without doubt, a path breaking work. The author brilliantly traces his crystallisation into one of the icons of the last century or dissects events that shaped Bhima Rao’s evolution to Babasahaeb into making Dalits recognize Ambedkar as their leader.
… Teltumbde concludes that had he lived today, Bhimrao Ambedkar would undoubtedly been a serious threat to this regime and would likely have found himself imprisoned under draconian laws like UAPA, possibly even as the co-accused in the Bhima-Koregaon case.
Read more

▪ Iconoclast. A Reflective Biography of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar
by Anand Teltumbde

Publisher: ‎Penguin Viking
Language: ‎English
Hardcover: 700 pages
Read more/order

Also read:
▪ Scholar says Dr Ambedkar was great but we need to question him, not worship him (Countercurrents / Nov 2024)
▪ Anand Teltumbde – “Ambedkar challenged Gandhi’s Mahatmahood” (Hindustan Times / Oct 2024)

Dhananjaya Yeshwant Chandrachud: The New Right liberal

Dhananjaya Yeshwant Chandrachud: The New Right liberal

Dhananjaya Yeshwant Chandrachud: The New Right liberal

05/11/2024

The Leaflet / by Indira Jaising

Does the outgoing Chief Justice of India represent the emergence of a New Right in India, one that is modern and yet able to rely on a norm above the Constitution to perform the judicial function, writes Indira Jaising.
… It was during this period that pre-trial jail and not bail became the norm of the Supreme Court of India. The accused in the Bhima Koregaon case, granted bail by the Bombay High Court, had their bail Orders stayed by the Supreme Court of India by a Bench of which Justice Trivedi was a member. Many withdrew their petitions for bail rather than have them dismissed by the Supreme Court.
Read more

I Have Always Granted Bail From A To Z, From Arnab To Zubair: CJI DY Chandrachud

05/11/2024

Live Law / by Gursimran Kaur Bakshi

Speaking at yesterday’s discussion organised by The Indian Express, Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud answered many pressing issues and controversies including whether the Supreme Court stands true to the ‘bail is the rule, jail an exception’ principle.
Set to demit the office on November 10, CJI was asked by Apurva Vishwanath, The Indian Express, what institutional processes and mechanisms are required to prevent cases such as that of G.N. Saibaba and Stan Swamy, who have languished as undertrial prisoners for years in jail.
Read more

Also read:
▪ Contrary To SC’s Rules Of Assignment, At Least 8 Politically Sensitive Cases Moved To One Judge In 4 Months (article 14 / Dec 2023)
▪ As Bhima Koregaon case completes its fourth anniversary, State reprisal is writ large in its twists and turns (The Leaflet / June 2022)
▪ #BhimaKoregaonVerdict: Between the majority and the minority judgments of the Supreme Court (The Leaflet / Oct 2018)

Video: Bhima Koregaon, Dalit Assertion, Upper Caste Backlash and the Deep State

Video: Bhima Koregaon, Dalit Assertion, Upper Caste Backlash and the Deep State

The AIDEM / by The AIDEM / Venkitesh Ramakrishnan

Writer and Senior Journalist Ajaz Ashraf discusses the perspectives in his recently published book “Bhima Koregaon Challenging Caste“ in the context of the history of the Elgar Parishad, the relevance of Bhima Koregaon as a symbol of struggle and the upper caste backlash that has manifested in this background. Ashraf also discussed the Deep State factor in Indian polity. Watch The AIDEM interactions with Venkitesh Ramakrishnan here.

en │ 25:25 min │ 2024
Watch video

Also watch/read:

▪ Video | Many Meanings of Bhima Koregaon: Ajaz Ashraf

By Daanish Bin Nabi

en | 20:12min | 2024
Watch video
▪ Process as Punishment – Recent books that bear witness to the BK-16’s incarceration (The Caravan / Jul 2024)
▪ Book Excerpt | How Bhima Koregaon Became a Trope for Dalit Pride and Assertion (The Wire │ by Ajaz Ashraf │ June 2024)