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Category: Solidarity

Concern over Arnab’s Health in Jail. What about Activists Like Varavara Rao and Stan Swamy?

Concern over Arnab’s Health in Jail. What about Activists Like Varavara Rao and Stan Swamy?

Concern over Arnab’s Health in Jail. What about Activists Like Varavara Rao and Stan Swamy?

09/11/2020

ARRÉ / by ARRÉ BENCH

Jailed poet Varavara Rao is suspected to have dementia; he also suffers from multiple ailments including neurological disorders. Activist Stan Swamy, also in jail, has Parkinsons. Meanwhile, Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari is concerned about the health of Republic TV’s Arnab Goswami.
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Was it freedom of expression when Arnab Goswami called activists anti-national?

06/11/2020

Counterview / by Vidya Bhushan Rawat

India’s prime time ‘hyper entertainer’, Arnab Goswami, was arrested by the Maharashtra police for charges of ‘abetment of suicide’ of an architect and his mother, who has worked for the so-called ‘number one’ channel, but did not get paid …
In fact, Fadnavis should face an independent commission for upturning the entire Bhima Koregaon violence case into a conspiracy theory and then putting so many intellectuals in jail.
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Arnab Goswami arrest does not set India down a slippery slope – it’s been sliding down one for years

05/11/2020

Scroll.in / by Shoaib Daniyal

Dramatic scenes flashed on India’s TV screens on Wednesday morning as Arnab Goswami, the editor-in-chief of the Republic TV network, was arrested from his home in Mumbai.
Goswami has played a big part in changing India’s media landscape, pioneering a loud, jingoistic brand of journalism that does not shy away from flaunting its leanings towards the Bharatiya Janata Party…
Sudha Bharadwaj, an accused in the Bhima Koregaon case, has explicitly blamed Goswami for making “false, malicious and defamatory allegations” against her by sharing a “fabricated letter”.
Read more

The Maharashtra Police Is Getting Dangerously Politicised and Partisan

05/11/2020

The Wire / by Ashish Khetan

The police has shown no compunctions in going after the critics of the political outfit in power – be it the left-leaning academics under the BJP’s rule or a rightwing media head under the present Shiv Sena-led coalition…
Param Bir Singh, the current police commissioner, has a troubling track record of leading investigations that suit the political party in power. In August 2018, while he was serving as the additional director general of police (law and order) under the BJP-Shiv Sena government, Singh held the infamous press conference in which he released the ‘conclusive evidence’ against the human rights activists and academics accused in the Bhima Koregaon case of waging war against the nation, even as the matter was being heard by the Supreme Court.
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From Kashmir to Gujarat, Journalists Continue to Get Arrested. But It Hasn’t Angered Our Netas Like Arnab’s Arrest

04/11/2020

ARRÉ / by ARRÉ BENCH

The arrest of Republic TV’s Arnab Goswami has been condemned by ministers, many calling it an attack of press freedom. But will they continue their outrage when the next journalist is assaulted in Delhi or arrested in Gujarat?
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Guwahati candlelight vigil for Stan Swamy aborted

Guwahati candlelight vigil for Stan Swamy aborted

The Telegraph / by Umanand Jaiswal

A candlelight vigil in the city on Sunday seeking the release of Father Stan Swamy and the 15 other rights activists arrested in the 2018 Bhima Koregaon case had to be called off after the police denied permission.
Northeast Solidarity (NES) had on Thursday sought permission to hold the vigil at Dighali Pukhuri from 4.30pm to 5.30pm on Sunday, demanding the release of the 16 accused “falsely implicated under the UAPA” in the Bhima Koregaon case.
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Mahesh Raut Needs To Be Free – He ‘fought’ mining on tribal land

Mahesh Raut Needs To Be Free – He ‘fought’ mining on tribal land

Counterview / by Surabhi Agarwal, Sandeep Pandey

A compassionate human being, always popular among his friends and colleagues because of his friendly nature and human sensitivity, 33-year-old Mahesh Raut, champion of the democratic rights of the marginalised Adivasi people of Gadchiroli, Maharashtra, has been in prison for over two years now.
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United Forum for Adivasi Rights protest demanding immediate release of Father Stan Swamy

United Forum for Adivasi Rights protest demanding immediate release of Father Stan Swamy

United Forum for Adivasi Rights protest demanding immediate release of Father Stan Swamy

06/11/2020

Siliguri Times / by Silguri Times

The Adivasi Samaj staged a movement to demand the immediate release of Father Stan Swamy. Furthermore, United Forum for Adivasi Rights staged a rally on Friday.
The members of the organization said that the rights of the Adivasi community are being curtailed. Father Stan Swamy is said to be the one who constantly fought for the rights of the Adivasi community. And the people condemned the central government for putting him behind the bars.
A protest rally was staged today demanding his immediate release. Also, a memorandum was handed over to the SDO addressing the CM mentioning the same.

An Adivasi Crusader Under Trial: A Blot On Indian Democracy – OpEd

05/11/2020

Eurasia Review / by Dr. Paul Newman

The state of Jharkhand is one of the most backward states of India… The three resources that are close to the heart of any tribal in the area is Jal (Water), Jungle (forest) an Jameen (Land), which they own but often lose to the vested interest aided by the state forces… This is an area where a number of missionaries have contributed a great deal to the development of the place in terms of providing quality education, health care and other basis necessities… It is in this context that an eighty three years old, Fr. Stanislaus Lourduswamy, popularly called as Stan Swamy, a Jesuit priest from Jamshedpur Jesuit Province was arrested by the National Investigation Agency on the 8th of October 2020 at 7.30 P.M under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
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Asian Bishops back Jailed Jesuit / Forum demands release of activist Fr. Stan Swamy

Asian Bishops back Jailed Jesuit / Forum demands release of activist Fr. Stan Swamy

Asian Bishops back Jailed Jesuit

05/11/2020

Church Militant / by Fabian Gomes

Asia’s bishops are calling for the release of an 83-year-old Jesuit priest jailed in India.
The Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC) is supporting Fr. Stan Swamy S.J., the oldest person to ever be accused of terrorism in India. The president of FABC, Cdl. Charles Bo of Yangon, Myanmar, condemned the arrest in a statement issued on Monday.
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Forum demands release of activist Fr. Stan Swamy

05/11/2020

The Hindu / by Staff Reporter

Condemning the arrest of 83-year-old priest Fr. Stan Swamy in Jharkhand, members of the Karnataka United Christian Forum and Human Rights sought the Union government’s intervention to ensure the immediate release of the activist.
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Voices of poetry roar in solidarity with the call to release the poet Varavara Rao

Voices of poetry roar in solidarity with the call to release the poet Varavara Rao

A Message from Release the Poet Committee

04/11/2020

By Release the Poet

‘Unchain the Poetry’ was not a mere literary event or birthday celebration for us when we initiated it. Rather we conceived it as an expression of love, anger and conviction of the people on this side of barricade, as another form of resistance.
The overwhelming peoples’ response was indeed a signal to the state of fascism, which dares to confine the bravehearts of this land in prison for being righteous. Today, Poet Varavara Rao emerged as the flaming symbol of the imprisoned dissent. Thus this signal implies to all of the political imprisonment in India.
We salute the poets and activists for their expression of heartfelt love for their beloved poet and generous solidarity to the cause. Even after 12 PM last night (and still now) we are getting loads of poems and videos, which couldn’t be published by yesterday. But those are equally important.
HENCE WE WILL BE PUBLISHING ALL OF THOSE gradually from tomorrow as a continuation of the campaign.
And actually, the fight continues. So far the imprisonment continues – of VV, BK-16, Dr. GN Saibaba and all other political prisoners. We will not let it go, for sure.
As the ending line, for the impact created through this initiative RTPC expresses its indebtedness to Revolutionary Writers Association (RWA) in specific, and to all individuals & organisations at large, for their meaningful support.
Warmest Greetings from,
Release the Poet Committee
#releasethepoet #releasebk16 #ReleaseAllPoliticalPrisoners

Voices of poetry roar in solidarity with the call to release the poet Varavara Rao

03/11/2020

By Release the Poet

Salute Comrade, a glorious birthday! Our tribute will be in poetry, throughout the day.

Aruna Nellutla, VV’s niece, reads out for the poet
Ilika reads out for VV
Kodam Kumar reads out for VV
Shovana Nath reads out for VV
Amita Shereen reads out for VV
Baby Sau reads out for VV
Samiran Ghosh reads out for VV
Ipsa Shatakshi reads out for VV
Nalluri Rukmini reads out for VV
Kaushal Kishore reads out a poem for VV
Rahul Purakaystha recites VV
SAHAJA recites VV’s ‘Companion´
… and numerous others read out for VV

Watch videos on `Release The Poet´ fb page

A birthday behind bars: P Varavara Rao turns 80 years old

03/11/2020

Sabrang / by Sabrang India

Supreme Court has asked Bombay High Court to expedite Rao’s bail application hearing on medical grounds.
Today, November 3, Telugu revolutionary poet P Varavara Rao turns 80 years old. Perhaps if he was not in jail, his wife, daughters, nephews, nieces, would have made it into a day of big celebration. Perhaps he would have wanted to keep it low key instead, maybe just spend the day with his friends and family, sharing a meal, languid conversations, perhaps even a poetry reading or two. Instead the poet and activist will spend another day in jail. It just marks another year that he has been under punishment for his activism.
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Call: The Poetry of Freedom For the Caged Poet

31/10/2020

By Release the Poet

November 3 the People’s Poet Varavara Rao will turn 80. In this fiery time, he is the face of language of resistance. We are inviting the poets from across the country to recite in the honour of the prisoned poet, to reverberate his conviction in the air that day.
Publish the video of your recitation on your Facebook timeline on 3 November, 2020 and inbox the link to RELEASE THE POET Facebook Page or send it to the WhatsApp number given below (in that case, please don’t forget to use #ReleaseThePoet).
Or you can simply audio record your recitation and WhatsApp us along with your one still photograph. We will edit and publish that on our Facebook page (in this case, we need your audio recording and photograph by 2 November 10 P.M.).
Let the combined voices of poetry roar in solidarity with the call to ‘Release The Poet’.
On behalf of ‘Release The Poet’ –
Sabyasachi Deb & Rahul Purkayastha
RTP WhatsApp▪️982 00 839 11

A Defender Of The Deprived Faces Terror Charges / Swamy’s Arrest Stirs Unprecedented Protests

A Defender Of The Deprived Faces Terror Charges / Swamy’s Arrest Stirs Unprecedented Protests

Why An Aged Defender Of The Deprived Faces Terror Charges

04/11/2020

Article 14 / by Chitrangada Coudhury

After more than half a century of deploying constitutional rights to assist Adivasis, Dalits and undertrials, 83-year-old Jharkhand Jesuit activist and former director of the Indian Social Institute Stan Swamy is the NIA’s 16th, and oldest, arrest in the Bhima-Koregaon case.
On 24 June 2008, Damodar Turi, a Jharkhand land-rights activist and a Dalit was arrested by the Ranchi police and accused of sedition and waging war against India… While he faced these allegations, Turi recalled, among the people who stood by him were Father Stan Swamy, an 83-year-old Jesuit priest and one of Jharkhand’s most prominent human-rights activists.
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Elderly Priest’s Arrest Stirs Unprecedented Protests in India

04/11/2020

The National Catholic Register / by Anto Akkara

Father Stanilaus Lourduswamy, along with 15 others, allegedly conspired with Maoist rebels to destabilize the federal government in what critics have called ‘absurd.’
Few arrests in Indian history have evoked such widespread protests as that of Jesuit Father Stanislaus Lourduswamy on Oct. 8. Better known as Father Stan Swamy, this 83-year-old is a renowned crusader for the exploited and impoverished indigenous people of eastern Jharkhand state.
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Happy Birthday Sudha Bharadwaj – Various Solidarity Statements

Happy Birthday Sudha Bharadwaj – Various Solidarity Statements

Happy Birthday greetings from Chhattisgarh

By Ajay T.G.

Video: Happy Birthday Sudha didi

en / hindi | 2:09 min | 2020


Watch video

By Pragatisheel Cement Shramik Sangh (PCSS)

Video: Happy Birthday Sudhaji, from Pragatisheel Cement Shramik Sangh

hindi | 1:30min | 2020

Some of the tweets of today

Radhika: #SudhaBharadwaj is a ray of hope and light for thousands of workers and adivasis, who face oppression day in and out. She is an inspiration to all young people who want to work for justice and take forward Babasaheb’s ideas. Happy birthday Sister Sudha. #FreeSudhaNow #FreeBK16

***

Meera Sanghamitra: As I wish our dear Sudha a very happy birthday, I also imagine what a loss it is that a gem of a person has been deprived of working with all women, workers & adivasis closest to her heart for almost #800days now!
The World Salutes you Comrade.
#FreeSudhaBharadwaj #FreeBK16

***

Medha Patkar: sudha bhardwaj is behind the bars on her birthday for the 3rd time….her advocacy and commitment to the causes of the poor and courage to face the fascist forces … only to save the country…is a celebration of dedication…with heartfelt wishes Sudhaji.

***

Suchitra Vijayan: “We need groups organized to fight; they’re the ones who can make a dent.” It’s Sudha Bharadwaj’s birthday today; she’s has spent over two years in prison with no evidence. Read about her remarkable life and work. #FreeSudhaBharadwaj #FreeBK16

***

Chitrangada: “Contract workers like us could not dream of going up against such big companies in court if not for her standing by us.” “If not for her, hum aadivasiyon ko company paani mein bahaa deta.” On #SudhaBharadwaj ‘s birthday, a reminder of what her clients say

***

Joy: Sudha Bharadwaj. Born in US, Schooling in Cambridge. Gave up US Citizenship. IIT Kanpur Alumnus. Left top Job. Studied Law and practiced in High Court to protect rights of Poor. Now she is in Jail for over 2 Years as she crossed path of Government from exploiting the Poor.

***

Pranesh Prakash: Sudha Bharadwaj is one of the many courageous prisoners of conscience that the Indian state has jailed while under trial over trumped up charges. At the same time @amnesty, which was originally set up to campaign for prisoners of conscience has effectively been banned in India.

***

Neha Swetambari: It will be a movie script. IITian… left US passport. professor of law …was offered judge post in HC.single mom. yet worked tirelessly for underprivileged. As of now, she needs to be out though #SudhaBharadwaj especially if no evidence is presented till date.

***

Srinivas Kodali: Is 800 days good enough time to be imprisoned without trail with no evidence for an imaginary conspiracy plot in a democracy? #FreeSudhaBharadwaj

***

Jhuma: This is how the state rewards lawyers who care. #SudhaBharadwaj in prison for 2 years now without a trial.

***

iStandWithFarmers: @PMOIndia if you are back from the photoshoot at the zoo, pl know that it has been more than 800 days since #SudhaBharadwaj had been jailed with no trial. All she was doing was strengthening the democracy at the grassroots, the same democracy which you were elected to represent

***

Gautam Bhatia: On Sudha Ji’s third birthday in jail, re-reading this piece about her: “The Sudha Bharadwaj the government doesn’t want you to know.”

***

Sabrang: On occasion of activist Sudha Bharadwaj’s birthday, watch our video where activist Teesta Setalvad talks about her work, the undemocratic nature of her arrest and the conditions of women activists nationwide and globally. #HappyBirthdaySudha

***

The Wire: “Since they cannot fight her in court, they are calling her a Maoist. “They don’t have evidence, so they are converting the process itself into punishment,” wrote Smita Gupta, 2 years after Sudha Bharadwaj was arrested in Bhima Koregaon case.

***

Indias Tribals~Adivasi: Sudha Bharadwaj gave up her US citizenship to work for #tribal rights in Chhattisgarh. On occasion of Sudha Bharadwaj’s birthday today, take a look at her article on the #Adivasi people that she wrote back in 2015.

dialecticsoupy: release sudha bharadwaj. release all political prisoners.
artwork by sarah_modak

BEING SUDHA BHARADWAJ

By Release the Poet

Her 59th birthday.
And 3rd birthday in Jail!
What did she do to deserve this?
Sudha Bharadwaj threw off a cushy comfortable life that she could pursue easily being born and grown up to illustrious parents. At the age of 18 she denounced her US citizenship. Being an IIT graduate, she still could have chosen a less risky and easier life. But she opted for walking with the people, stand by the people in their rightful fight.
Read more

‘He’s A Torchbearer Of The Constitution’ Say Father Stan Swamy’s Peers

‘He’s A Torchbearer Of The Constitution’ Say Father Stan Swamy’s Peers

‘He’s A Torchbearer Of The Constitution’ Say Father Stan Swamy’s Peers

01/11/2020

mid-day.com / by Jane Borges

A warrior for Jharkhand’s adivasis, Father Stan Swamy, arrested for his alleged role in the Bhima Koregaon violence case, is remembered by peers as someone who worked to uplift the marginalised despite his struggle with Parkinson’s disease.
For Father Stanislaus Lourduswamy, true religion is standing for justice, humanity and truth. His ideas made many within the Church uncomfortable. To them, he was a radical of sorts. But, this was his life’s mission, and many activists, including myself, were inspired by his journey,” says Tony PM, a freelance researcher and social activist in Ranchi, who has been associated with the 83-year-old Jesuit priest since 1993.
Read more

#StandWithStan: It’s about Constitution, democracy and freedom of expression

31/10/2020

Counterview / by Fr Cedric Prakash SJ

It is more than three weeks now: On the night of October 8, 2020, the 83-year-old Jesuit Fr Stan Swamy was taken into custody by the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) from his residence in Ranchi to an undisclosed destination. According to his colleagues, the NIA did not serve a warrant on Fr. Stan and that their behaviour was absolutely arrogant and rude…
We must stand with Fr Stan Swamy now for several significant reasons.
Read more

Solidarity with Sudha Bharadwaj on her 3rd Birthday in Jail – Statements & Calls

Solidarity with Sudha Bharadwaj on her 3rd Birthday in Jail – Statements & Calls


Poster by Release Sudha Bharadwaj Campaign

Video: Stand with Sudha Bharadwaj on her 3rd Birthday in Jail

31/10/2020

Video statement by Prashand Bhushan


Tomorrow Sudha Bharadwaj is spending her 3rd Birthday in Jail on an absurd charges under UAPA. An alumnus of IIT Kanpur, a Professor of NLS, she gave up her US citizenship to work for tribals in Chhattisgarh. We hope she will soon be out to resume her exemplary work there.
Watch video statement (1:42min) here

Call: Stand with Sudha Bharadwaj on her 3rd Birthday in Jail

31/10/2020

By Sudha’s Friends and Family support group

You might be already aware of the infamous Bhima-Koregaon conspiracy case. One of the (now sixteen) activists arrested in the case is Sudha Bharadwaj, a lawyer and trade unionist from Chhattisgarh. On Sunday, 1st November, she will be spending her third birthday in jail, as we, Sudha’s Friends and Family support group, watch in distress.
We stand in solidarity with her.
We were hoping that you could join us in sending her a birthday message – perhaps a short one-minute video on a social media account (Twitter/Facebook/Instagram), perhaps also in other ways you deem fit.
#HappyBirthdaySudha
#FreeBhimaKoregaon16
#FreeSudhaBharadwaj
Just in case you need it, here is a brief bio on her below.
Best regards
On behalf of Sudha’s Friends and Family support group

Brief Bio of Sudha Bharadwaj

Sudha was born in 1961 in the USA to economist parents (her mother founded Centre for Economics Studies and Planning at Jawaharlal Nehru University, her father is also an economist and an academic). She completed integrated MSc (Math) at IIT Kanpur in 1979, and was socially active in various groups on the campus. But – in her own words – her “coming of age” was in 1984 – the year of the Bhopal gas tragedy and the antiSikh riots. After finishing the program at IITK in 1984, she taught at DPS for a couple of years in Delhi where she got exposed to the migrant workers’ struggles during the 1982 Asiad Games.
But by 1986 she decided to relocate to Chhattisgarh, attracted by the inspiring collective of mine workers in Dalli-Rajhara – Chhattisgarh Mukti Morcha – which had attracted youth like her from wide across. It was then led by Shaheed Shankar Guha Niyogi who was assassinated a few years after she had joined. Over the years, Sudha took a leading role in the union, and spent decades in the industrial belt of Bilaspur-Durg-Bhilai. She also earned her lawyers credentials along the way, developing a parallel and consequential legal practice.
At the time of her arrest on 28.08.2018, she was teaching at the National Law University in Delhi, was a recognised authority on Labour Law and Constitution Law, and was the National Secretary of the PUCL.

More information on her can be found in the links shared below
Wikipedia page
Release Sudha Bharadwaj blog
An article on Sudha on Article 14

Sudha Bharadwaj to spend birthday behind bars, third year in a row!

31/10/2020

Sabrang / by Sabrangindia

While no birthday in jail can ever be ‘happy’, here’s how you honour the human rights defender on her special day.
Trade Unionist and lawyer Sudha Bharadwaj was among the five activists and human rights defenders rounded up by a vindictive regime in August 2018, as a part of a crackdown on dissenting voices. She was picked up in a second wave of arrests due to her alleged “maoist links” that somehow, according to the police, meant that she was a part of the Bhima Koregaon conspiracy!
It is noteworthy that Bharadwaj was neither an organiser of nor present in Pune during the Elgaar Parishad! If it sounds preposterous, it is because it is indeed utterly ludicrous!
On November 1, Bharadwaj will be spending her birthday behind bars for the third straight year. Here’s what you can do to make it ‘happy-ish’.
Read more

Video: Sudha Bharadwaj celebrates another birthday in jail


On the occasion of, lawyer, activist and trade unionist, Sudha Bharadwaj’s birthday, watch this sabrangindia video where journalist and activist Teesta Setalvad talks about her work, the undemocratic nature of her arrest and the conditions of women activists in general, nationwide and globally.
Watch video (3:54min) here