Statement by Greek activists, academics, writers and students
Varavara Rao, a poet, a writer, an activist and an advocate of democratic and social rights for decades against the arbitrariness of Indian governments, has been jailed for almost two years along with ten other activists, lawyers, journalists, etc. …
The New Indian Express / by T J S George
There was neither common sense nor political sense in putting Telugu poet and activist Varavara Rao in jail two years ago without trial and bail.
There was neither common sense nor political sense in putting Telugu poet and activist Varavara Rao in jail two years ago without trial and bail. He did support Naxalite excesses, but jailing a writer for that is equivalent to giving his writing more mileage. As it happened, authorities excelled themselves in foolishness.
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The Indian Express / by Satish Deshpande
The fact that Dubey was yet to be charged under any law while Rao has been charged under a special law should not blind us to the essential similarity they share — the state took unfair advantage of its custodial power over them. But the real danger such cases pose is that they always carry in their background the suggestion of popular support, which sometimes ripens into an explicit claim.
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The Indian Express / by Express News Service
Hyderabad: As many as 520 Telugu poets, writers and artists on Wednesday urged Chief Justice of India Sharad Arvind Bobde, Chief Justice of the Maharashtra High Court Dipankar Datta and the State’s Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to ensure the release of jailed revolutionary poet Varavara Rao and Delhi University professor GN Saibaba.
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The Wire / by Indradeep Bhattacharyya
A deep commitment to revolutionary humanism runs through Rao’s literary oeuvre – one that successive governments have relentlessly tried to muzzle.
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NDTV / Sreenivasan Jain asks
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N Venugopal, nephew of Varavara Rao: “Varavara Rao was lying in a pool of urine, I changed his clothes and the bedsheets. The nurses and constables came and threw us out”
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en 2:48 min
Suchitra Vijayan, Founder and Executive Director, The Polis Project: “Just because something is legal doesn’t mean it is just”
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Colin Gonsalves, Senior Lawyer: “Strategy of government and NIA seems to be, ‘let us try and have these guys die in jail, before their trials begin’”
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By Hemalatha, P Sahaja, P Anala, P Pavana
The Wire / by The Wire Staff
New Delhi: A group of 146 scholars from across the world have come together to ask the Indian government to release 80-year-old Telugu poet Varavara Rao from prison. Rao is currently in Mumbai’s Nanavati Hospital for neurological and urological treatment. He has also tested positive for COVID-19.
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Gauri Lankesh News / by Gauri Lankesh News Desk
The protesters said that the current government is harassing those who are fighting for people’s rights. They condemned the actions of the government and the indifference of the courts.
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By CIVICUS
Nearly 200 human rights organisations including CIVICUS have signed a letter to world leaders urging them to release human rights defenders and prisoners of conscience in honour of Nelson Mandela Day 18 July … It calls on governments to end the imprisonment and harassment of human rights defenders … Resilient human rights defenders from across the globe feature in the #StandAsMyWitness campaign. The ‘faces’ of the campaign are these defenders currently behind bars, like Sudha Bharadwaj – a human rights lawyer who defends Indigenous people’s rights in India.
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The #StandAsMyWitness campaign urges people to write letters on behalf of the defenders:
Demand the release of Sudha Bharadwaj
en | 2:08 min | 2020
Indian Cultural Forum / Newsclick / by ICF TEAM
Young poets — Sabika Abbas Naqvi, Naveen Chourey, Aseem Sundan, Kaushik Raj, Poojan Sahil, Mandvi Mishra and Hussain Haidry — have come together in solidarity with renowned poet Varavara Rao. Condemning the State’s blatant and callous disregard for the health of Varavara Rao, they demand immediate release of the poet.
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Counterview / by Counterview Desk
Through a petition to Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, Prof Sandeep Pandey, the Magsaysay award winning social activist, along with university academics, students and other activists*, have sought wider support for immediate release of Prof Sudha Bharadwaj, in jail since August 2018 for her alleged involvement in Maoist terror activists following a Republic TV report said she was conspiring to create public disorder and unrest in India.
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