Repression – Page 51 – free them all

From the other side of the bars: Rona Wilson’s quiet commitment to prisoners’ rights

18/03/2019 Rani

The Caravan / By Aathira Konikkara

In jail since June 2018, Rona Wilson has campaigned for human rights for over fifteen years and is a founding member of the Committee for the Release of Political Prisoners.
In March 2012, Rona Jacob Wilson, an activist who campaigns for the release of political prisoners, addressed a seminar in Hyderabad, on counter-terrorism laws and their misuse by the nation’s security apparatus.
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Why Modi Government’s Persecution of Intellectuals Should Worry Us All

12/02/2019 Rani

The Wire / By Rohit Kumar

Intellectuals are imperative to a democracy and are connected closely with our right to think freely – which is why they figure high on an authoritarian regime’s list of targets.
The Assamese Sahitya Akademi awardee, Hiren Gohain has been charged with sedition, and Dalit scholar Anil Teltumbde is facing a prison sentence on charges of being part of an ‘urban Maoist’ plot to incite violence at Bhima Koregaon. Arun Ferreira, Sudha Bharadwaj, Varavara Rao, Gautam Navlakha and Vernon Gonsalves – some of the most respected voices in the field of tribal rights activism – were arrested last year on similar charges.
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Anand Teltumbde: “BJP govt wants to defame intellectuals”

10/02/2019 Rani

Deccan Herald / By Ajmal V

Anand Teltumbde is a leading figure in management and big data analytics who teaches at the Goa Institute of Management. Teltumbde, an ex-MD & CEO of Petronet and Executive Director of BPCL, has penned at least 26 books as well as numerous articles and columns for various publications.
Teltumbde was named as one of the accused in the alleged Maoist plot that led to violence on the 200th anniversary of the Bhima Koregaon battle on Jan 1, 2018 near Pune.
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250 cases of killings in alleged fake encounters registered from 2014 to January 20, 2019: MoS Home Kiren Rijuju tells Parliament

07/02/2019 Rani

The Leaflet / By The Leaflet

MoS (Home) informed Rajya Sabha that a total of 250 cases of killings in alleged fake encounters have been registered from 2014 upto January 20, 2019. In this category, Andhra Pradesh has maximum number of 58 cases followed by Uttar Pradesh and Odisha with 43 and 28 cases respectively in which complaints of alleged fake encounters have been received.
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Arrests, Summons, Externment: Maharashtra Police Moves Against 200 Activists

28/01/2019 Rani

The Wire / By Sukanya Shantha

Anti-caste leaders involved in the Bhima Koregaon protests said this sudden action, just months before national elections, was politically motivated and meant only to harass them.
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Women prisoners recount Jail Horror Stories: Rape and torture common in jails

24/01/2019 Rani

Citizens for Justice and Peace / By Teesta Setalvad

Over the past 15 years, India’s jails have seen a rise in women inmates by 61 per cent, even though they constitute only 48.18% of the national population (according to the World Bank, 2017). Moreover, the Indian prison system has failed to respect their rights. From custodial torture, rape, denial of health services, lack of clean food and water and sheer ignorance on behalf of the state, women inmates languish amidst inhuman conditions in Indian jails.
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Government will keep civil rights activists in jail till elections are over: Justice BG Kolse Patil

22/01/2019 Rani

Hindustan Times / By HT Correspondent

Retired Supreme Court judge and one of the organisers of Elgaar Parishad, Justice BG Kolse Patil speaks to HT regarding the arrests of civil rights activists.
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Sexual Abuse, Mental Torture and Depression: Women Share Stories About Time in Prisons

18/01/2019 Rani

NewsClick / By Sumedha Pal

It was noted that women who were involved in the struggles to protect the land, water and forests and those resisting the anti-people policies unleashed by the governments were the worst affected in the prisons.
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India doesn’t have enough legal safeguards to protect expression of healthy criticism, but a recent Kerala High Court judgment might go a long way to change that

07/01/2019 Rani

The Leaflet / By Raja Dandamudi

When governments, both central and state, are not tolerating genuine criticism of governmental actions, and the courts are not doing much to protect the freedom of expression, a recent judgment by the Kerala High Court introduces a fresh breeze in an otherwise tense environment, where the voices of only some kinds of majorities are being entertained, while voices of minorities are being suppressed. Also, the judgment goes a long away in furthering the labour rights of employees, to express their opinion, even if it amounts to criticism of their employer or superiors.
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‘By Instilling Fear the Govt Is Trying to Muzzle the Marginalised’: Justice Kolse Patil

01/01/2019 Maya

The Citizen / by Ribhu Ranjan

Retired Justice Kolse Patil, one of the conveners of the Elgar Parishad had been a lawyer as well as a public prosecutor before he became a High Court judge. He retired at the age of 47, and for the past three decades he has been associated with various social movements, particularly for the marginalized sections of the society and trying to fight the communal forces.
The Citizen (TC) interviewed Justice Patil in the light of Bhima-Koregaon violence that happened exactly a year ago.
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