It is at a time like this that one faces a critical choice: to either fall silent and submit to the authorities or to continue to strive and struggle for freedom, unmindful of the outcome.
The following is an article written by activist Gautam Navlakha during his period of incarceration.
“…..No, freedom does not die alone. At the same time justice is forever exiled, the nation agonises, and innocence is crucified anew every day.”
– Albert Camus in Resistance, Rebellion and Death.
A captive’s understanding of freedom, by its very loss, becomes acute. Severe restrictions on movement and mobility are compounded by unreasonable constraints placed on expression and speech. Read more
‘If I’m A Hindu, It Does Not Mean I’ll Put Non-Hindu Behind Bars,’ Says Retired Justice BN Srikrishna At Book Launch
If I’m a Hindu, it does not mean that I hate a person who’s a non-Hindu or put him behind the bars for their religion or political ideology, said retired justice BN Srikrishna, who headed the Srikrishna Commission to investigate the Bombay Riots of 1992-93.
… The book includes conversations with political prisoners including Sudha Bharadwaj, Nilofer Malik and Sameer Khan, Koel Sen, Prashant Rahi and Shikha Rahi, Sanjay Raut, Kishorechandra Wangkhem, Anand Teltumbde and Rama Ambedkar, Binayak Sen, Kobad Gandhy, Muralidharan K and P Hemlatha. Read more
Having spent six and a half years in jail, the Elgar Parishad accused also said that prisons in India are in a ‘state of emergency’.
Rona Wilson has long been an advocate for prisoners’ rights and a staunch proponent of the term “political prisoner”. However, during his prolonged incarceration in the Elgar Parishad case, Rona found himself grappling with a “moral quandary”.
With new firsthand experiences, observations from his six-and-a-half-year stay in two central prisons in Maharashtra – Yerwada in Pune and Taloja in Navi Mumbai – his activism while incarcerated, and research conducted within the confines of prison, 53-year-old Rona now views the term from a different perspective. He now approaches the subject with a deliberate focus on caste and religious dimensions. Read more
▪ From Phansi Yard: My Year with the Women of Yerawada Author: Sudha Bhardwaj Publishing Date: Oct 2023 Publisher: Juggernaut Pages: 216 Read more / order
▪ How Long Can the Moon Be Caged? Voices of Indian Political Prisoners Authors: Suchitra Vijayan and Francesca Recchia Publishing Date: Aug 2023 Publisher: Pluto Press Pages: 247 Read more / order
Many Prisoners at Taloja Jail Not Produced Before Court For Years, Reveals Survey by Surendra Gadling and Sagar Gorkhe
Many Prisoners at Taloja Jail Not Produced Before Court For Years, Reveals Survey by Jailed Activists
10/02/2025
The Wire / by Sukanya Shantha
Both Gadling and Gorkhe have moved the Bombay high court seeking direction to ensure regular court visits for those in judicial custody.
… Human rights activist Surendra Gadling and cultural activist Sagar Gorkhe, with the help of others arrested in the Elgar Parishad case have identified at least 300 such cases where incarcerated persons lodged at the Taloja central prison have not been produced before the court for years at end. Read more
2 Elgar accused move HC, seek regular production of undertrials in courts
12/02/2025
Hindustan Times / by Revu Suresh
The petition provided details of 305 undertrial prisoners lodged in Taloja jail who were not being produced before the trial courts on due dates
Advocate Surendra Gadling and Kabir Kala Manch activist Sagar Gorkhe, arrested in connection with the Ekgar Parishad-Bhima Koregaon conspiracy case and lodged in Taloja jail in Navi Mumbai, have moved the Bombay high court, seeking directions to ensure the regular production of undertrial prisoners in the jail in respective trial courts. Read more
Two Elgar Parishad Accused Approach Bombay High Court to Ensure Regular Court Appearances for Undertrials
12/02/2025
Law Trend / by Law Trend
In a significant move, Advocate Surendra Gadling and Kabir Kala Manch activist Sagar Gorkhe, both accused in the Elgar Parishad-Bhima Koregaon conspiracy case and currently incarcerated in Taloja jail, Navi Mumbai, have approached the Bombay High Court. They are seeking judicial directives to ensure that undertrial prisoners in the jail are regularly produced in their respective trial courts. Read more
To mark six years of the arbitrary arrests and imprisonment of political dissidents in the Bhima Koregaon case, The Polis Project is publishing a series of writings by the BK-16, and their families, friends and partners. By describing various aspects of the past six years, the series offers a glimpse into the BK-16’s lives inside prison, as well as the struggles of their loved ones outside. Each piece in the series is complemented by Arun Ferreira’s striking and evocative artwork.
Drawing by Arun Ferreira / The Polis Project
Sagar Gorkhe on his battle to survive Taloja jail’s brutality
11/02/2025
The Polis Project / by Sagar Gorke
Address: Taloja Central Prison, Navi Mumbai; Circle Number 2, Barrack Number 4. It’s seven in the evening. The smell of the rancid wet garbage scattered carelessly in the corner of the barrack is troubling me to no end. Over it lies a layer of half-eaten leftovers, bidi butts and green gobs coughed up and spat out by tobacco chewers. Looking at it, I feel like vomiting. The flies buzz around, sit on those spit gobs and, as if on purpose, zero in on me. “Hey, go … go … shoo … go away.” However much I yell to drive them away, they just don’t seem to listen at all. I don’t know what to do. Read more
The authorities said that getting a cot is difficult in the general barracks due to crowding, but mattress and pillows are purchasable from the jail canteen at one’s own expenses. They added that Surendra Gadling can be transferred to a high security prison to avail cots.
A special court designated under NIA Act has asked Taloja Central Prison superintendent to remain present before it to explain why the facility of cot cannot be provided to Elgaar Parishad accused Surendra Gadling, who had sought the same citing his physical condition and ailments. Read more
▪ Video: The Prison Song of Surendra Gadling (The Wire / lyrics by Ramesh Gaychor) hindi | 11min | 2021
Gadling, a well-known criminal lawyer in Nagpur, was once a cultural activist, who sang songs of political resistance. The 11- minutes- long rendition tells you what it means to be incarcerated in Indian prisons. From food, water, to medical care, everything is a struggle, Gadling narrates. The song was recorded by one of Gadling’s colleagues and was made available to The Wire after obtaining his consent. Watch video / Listen to the song
Sudhir Dhawale interview: ‘The law remains blind to injustice even with the blindfold gone’
The writer spent six years and seven months in jail before receiving bail in the Bhima Koregaon case.
On January 24, when Sudhir Dhawale walked back into the narrow lane in the Mumbai neighbourhood of Govandi where he lived until he was arrested in June, 2018, young men welcomed him with the beat of the dhol.
His neighbours then marched in a celebratory procession to a statue of BR Ambedkar 100 metres away. Dhawale garlanded the statue and gave a short speech about the importance of safeguarding Dalit rights. And just like that, he said, his life returned to normal. Read more
The activist and researcher was released on bail on January 8 after spending more than six years in jail without trial in the Bhima Koregaon case.
At 53, researcher Rona Wilson is trying to pick up the pieces of the life he was forced to leave behind when he was arrested in the contentious Bhima Koregaon case six years and seven months ago. Read more
Elgaar Parishad accused threaten hunger strike after Navi Mumbai Police diverts guards for Coldplay concert
18/01/2025
The Indian Express / by Express News Service
The Navi Mumbai police had said that 1,000 police personnel will be deployed for duty at the concert.
The Navi Mumbai police commissionerate has informed the Taloja Central Jail, where the male Elgaar Parishad accused are lodged. The jail was informed that all guards are deployed at the Coldplay concert which is to take place on Saturday, Sunday and Tuesday and hence, guards will not be available to produce undertrials for court hearings or other scheduled visits like the hospital. Read more
With Guards Unavailable Due to Coldplay Concert, Elgar Parishad Undertrials Mull Hunger Strike
18/01/2025
The Wire / by Sukanya Shantha
The unavailability of prison guards means prisoners will miss out on scheduled court and hospital visits.
For music lovers, while the Coldplay concert promises to be an exciting event to look forward to, for those incarcerated at the Taloja Central Jail located on the outskirts of Mumbai, the next three days of the concert come with an unintended consequence: missing their scheduled court and hospital visits. Read more
Better take complete bed rest if you are suffering: NIA court rejects Surendra Gadling’s plea for walks outside prison
12/01/2025
Hindustan Times / by Revu Suresh
NIA court denies activist Surendra Gadling’s plea for outdoor walks in jail, suggesting bed rest for his ailments instead, citing prison rules violations.
The special NIA (National Investigation Agency) court rejected a plea filed by activist-lawyer Surendra Gadling, 57, seeking permission to take morning and evening walks outside his prison cell circle within Taloja jail premises. The lawyer, who was arrested in connection with the Elgar Parishad-Bhima Koregaon violence case, said he suffered from various ailments. In response, the court on Tuesday said if he really suffered, then he should take bed rest. Read more
Accused lawyer’s plea for morning, evening walks in jail premises rejected
11/01/2025
The Indian Express / by Express News Service
The court noted that while Gadling, who is lodged at Taloja Central Prison in Navi Mumbai, had cited various ailments to seek relief, the barrack in which he is kept has natural air and light available for all purposes.
… The order, passed by special sessions judge Chakor S Baviskar on January 7, was made available on Saturday. Read more
Court rejects Gadling’s plea to walk outside ‘circle’ in jail
11/01/2025
The Times of India / by Rebecca Samervel
Surendra Gadling, an advocate and Elgar Parishad case accused, submitted a plea to the special NIA court seeking permission to walk outside the “circle”—the designated space given to undertrials – but within the jail premises for two hours daily. He supported his request by attaching two Google Maps images to the plea. Read more
During the course of extensive research, Kolhatkar spoke to political prisoners and their family members.
Journalist and political analyst Neeta Kolhatkar has written about the life and struggles of the political prisoners in India. The prisoners include Dr Binayak Sen, paediatrician, public health specialist and social activist, and Prof Anand Teltumbde, eminent scholar, Dalit activist and management teacher. Read more
The Feared
Conversations with Eleven Political Prisoners
simonandschuster.co.in / by Neeta Kolhatkar
During long discussions, sometimes taking place over multiple meetings, Kolhatkar unearths personal anecdotes from the time her interviewees were incarcerated, bringing into focus the human face of prison inmates, while also detailing the wretched conditions relating to space, hygiene, medical attention, and food that they experienced. Apart from being an urgent call to action for prison reforms, The Feared is thus also an account of hope and strength, narrating unique stories of survival and solidarity, and the unexpected bonds and relationships formed in prison.
Author: Neeta Kolhatkar
Publisher: S&S India (December 20, 2024)
Length: 272 pages Read more
