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Rally for the release of Gautam Navlakha held in Canada

Rally for the release of Gautam Navlakha held in Canada

Rally for the release of Gautam Navlakha held in Canada

01/11/2021

Countercurrents.org / by Radical Desi

On the 37th anniversary of the 1984 Sikh Genocide, South Asian activists gathered in Surrey to raise their voices for a jailed Indian scholar, who was behind documenting the tragedy and exposing those involved.
Gautam Navlakha was arrested on trumped up charges in April 2020, and is currently lodged in jail near Mumbai. His only crime is daring to question the powerful, and always standing up for the minorities and the oppressed.
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Man behind early authentic field report on Sikh Genocide is in jail; will the world take notice?

24/10/2021

Straight.com / by Gurpeet Singh

Gautam Navlakha has consistently spoken out on behalf of people being persecuted in India.
As we approach the first week of November, marking the 37th anniversary of the Sikh massacre in India, a scholar who helped document the tragedy is struggling for his release from an Indian jail.
Gautam Navlakha, who was arrested in April 2020 on trumped-up charges along with other prominent scholars and social-justice activists, is currently lodged in prison near Mumbai. His only crime is that he dared to question the powerful and has always stood up for minorities and the oppressed.
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We salute Sudha Bharadwaj and her fight for Justice (various statements)

We salute Sudha Bharadwaj and her fight for Justice (various statements)

PUCL salutes Sudha Bharadwaj and her fight for Justice!

01/11/2021

By People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL)

Click to enlarge

Chhattisgarh, Nov 1, 2021


Video (3min): Song by CMM comrades


Watch video 1

Video (1:30min): Slogans by PCSS comrades


Watch video 2

#ReleaseSudhaBharadwak (Nov 1)

by Indira Jaising

by Chhattisgarh Bachao Andolan (CBA) Raipur
When the government doesn’t have an answer to the storm of questions raised against it, it resorts to arresting those speaking the truth fearlessly. Shame! #ReleaseSudhaBhardwaj #FreeAllPoliticalPrisoners #RepealUAPA

by Tribal Army
We demand human rights activist sudha Bhardwaj to be released.
Happy Birthday Madam

by NAPM India
#SudhaBharadwaj is one of the finest trade unionists & public spirited lawyers who has always taken on unjust & powerful forces. We wish Sudha real liberation on her 60th. #3years of her incarceration & that of all political prisoners is a shame, a huge loss & unforgivable crime.

by Meera Sanghamitra
Working silently, yet resiliently for over three decades amidst adivasis, workers & oppressed sections in #Chhattisgarh, #Sudha has inspired an entire generation to understand the combined value of legal activism & on-ground unionizing. Happy birthday, Comrade. You are a star.

by Meena Kanasamy
History will remember her as a fierce lioness who stood up to this regime.

Chitrangada
It’s her 60th birthday tday & she is spending it in prison, where she has been since 3+ yrs, without bail or trial.
The Bombay HC finished hearing her last bail plea on 4th Aug. Still no ruling.

by AISA Delhi Universtity

Sudha Bharadwaj goes through her 4th birthday in Jail for fighting for the rights of people! While Criminals like Anurag Thakura and Kapil Mishra are not only Roaming free but are being awarded Ministries by the Government! #ReleaseAllPoliticalPrisoners #releaseBK16 #RepealUAPA

by CIVICUS

Today human rights lawyer & activist Sudha Bharadwaj will celebrate her 60th birthday in prison She was arrested on fabricated charges 3 years ago and has been denied bail. Call on the govt to #FreeSudhaBharadwaj immediately: https://web.civicus.org/India1121 | #StandAsMyWitness

… #ReleaseSudhaBharadwaj

Release All Political Prisoners & Revoke UAPA

29/10/2021

By TribalSpaces

Click to enlarge
No bail, no trial: Sudha Bharadwaj turns 60 in jail / Another birthday in detention

No bail, no trial: Sudha Bharadwaj turns 60 in jail / Another birthday in detention

No bail, no trial: Sudha Bharadwaj turns 60 in jail!

01/11/2021

Sabrangindia / by Sabrangindia

The human rights defender has been accused of waging a war against the government and booked under terror charges in the Bhima Koregaon case
Trade Unionist, lawyer, professor, writer, Sudha Bharadwaj was arrested on August 28, 2018 and has been lodged in Byculla jail since then. She has been accused of criminal conspiracy, sedition under the Indian Penal Code and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act charges of funding a terrorist activity, conspiracy, being a member of terrorist gang or organisation, and supporting a terrorist organisation.
Born on November 1, 1961, Bharadwaj has turned 60 today. This is the fourth birthday she has had to spend behind bars.
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Human rights defender Sudha Bharadwaj spends another birthday in detention

01/11/2021

By CIVICUS

Human rights defender and lawyer Sudha Bharadwaj will be spending her 60th birthday in detention today, more than three years after she was arrested on baseless charges under a draconian anti-terror law. Global civil society alliance CIVICUS calls on the Indian government to halt the ongoing persecution against her and release Bharadwaj immediately and unconditionally.
Read full statement

‘If You Try to Be Safe and in the Middle, You Will Never Succeed’

01/11/2021

The Wire / by Monobina Gupta

Note: This article was originally published on July 18, 2018, and was republished on November 1, 2021, Sudha Bharadwaj’s 60th birthday.

Sudha Bharadwaj has spent nearly three decades working with the most marginalised sections of people in the conflict-ridden state of Chhattisgarh. Away from the media glare, her ear firmly to the ground, the trade union activist and lawyer has been up against powerful corporates and state administrations headed both by the present BJP dispensation and before that, the Congress party.
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Condemn The Solitary Confinement Of The Bhima Koregaon Accused!

Condemn The Solitary Confinement Of The Bhima Koregaon Accused!

By Peoples Union for Democratic Rights (PUDR)

CONDEMN THE SOLITARY CONFINEMENT AND CONTINUING HARASSMENT OF THE BHIMA KOREGAON ACCUSED BY TALOJA CENTRAL JAIL AUTHORITIES!
STOP PUNISHING POLITICAL PRISONERS FOR THEIR BELIEFS!

The high handedness of the Taloja Central Jail administration was evident in the events leading to the death of the octogenarian Bhima Koregaon undertrail, Stan Swamy on July 5, 2021. Almost immediately, the remaining BK undertrials protested the arbitrary jail conditions imposed by the then Superintendent, Kaustabh Kurlekar by observing a one-day hunger strike. However, far from bringing such persecution to an end, a new repressive regime has been installed by Superintendent UT Pawar. Its latest manifestation is the transfer of Vernon Gonsalves, Sagar Gokhale, Ramesh Gaichor, Surendra Gadling, Sudhir Dhawale and most recently on 12 October 2021 Gautam Navlakha to the ‘anda’ circle, the high security prison area in Taloja Jail. Imprisonment in the anda cell is a form of solitary confinement which is blatantly illegal in the case of undertrial prisoners.
Read full statement

Judicial probe plea on Stan Swamy arrest anniversary / Stan Swamy a Symbol for Justice & Hope

Judicial probe plea on Stan Swamy arrest anniversary / Stan Swamy a Symbol for Justice & Hope

Judicial probe plea on Stan Swamy arrest anniversary

09/10/2021

The Telegraph / by Animesh Bisoee

Over 150 rights activists staged a dharna for over two hours at the Raj Bhavan in Ranchi.
Protests and programmes were organised in Jharkhand, Kerala and Karnataka on Friday to mark the first anniversary of the arrest of octogenarian Jesuit priest and rights defender Father Stan Swamy who passed away in July this year in judicial custody.
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Dharna demands punishment of the perpetrators of Stan Swamy’s murder

By Jharkhand Janadhikar Mahasabha (Oct 8)

Oct 8, 2021. Dharna in front of Raj Bhavan in Ranchi

Various mass organizations and left parties demanding:
Punishment of the perpetrators of Stan’s murder!
Release all political prisoners!
Repeal UAPA!

Stan Swamy a Symbol for Justice & Hope

08/10/2021

By Jamsehdpur Jesuits


en | 3:15min | 2021
Fr. Jerry Cutinha, S.J, the Provincial of Jamshedpur Jesuits comes forward in recalling the footsteps of Stan Swamy as a symbol for Justice & Hope.
Watch video

by Teesta Setalvad (Oct 8):
LEST WE FORGET: A Day of Crime a Precious Life Lost! this day last yr, the Modi govt arrested Fr #StanSwamy via #UAPA. Never questioned in custody. Died in July, denied bail.

Testimony of Stan Swamy two days before his arrest

Oct 2020

Jharkhand Janadhikar Mahasabha / by Stan Swamy


en | 7:48min | 2020
Watch video

Also read:
Why An Aged Defender Of The Deprived Faces Terror Charges (article 14, Nov 2020)

Video: Freedom For Varavara Rao

Video: Freedom For Varavara Rao


en | 1h 5min | 2021

By Irish PEN and Scottish PEN

Join Irish PEN, Scottish PEN, Wales PEN Cymru and guests as we share readings, translations and updates on the case of revolutionary Indian poet, Varavara Rao.
This event was chaired by Professor Ignatius McGovern and featured a rare opportunity to hear from Rao’s nephew, Venugopal Nellutla, who published ‘The Making of Varavara Rao: An Intimate Portrait by a Nephew’ in 2020. The event includes a variety of poetry and prose readings from Áine Ní Ghlinn, Professor Bashabi Fraser, Leela Soma, Ifor ap Glyn, June Considine and Kate Ennals.
Watch video

Mumbai: Release the Bhima Koregaon Prisoners

Mumbai: Release the Bhima Koregaon Prisoners

By Dr Meena Kandasamy (Oct 1)
Rama Ambedkar at a gathering in Bombay today demanding release of #BhimaKoregaon prisoners. She spoke on the sudden change in the media narrative of the BK riots in 2018 and the conspiracy that ensued culminating in the arrest of Anand Teltumbde and 15 others.

Switzerland: Petition demands immediate release of political prisoners in India

Switzerland: Petition demands immediate release of political prisoners in India

Berne; Oct 1, 2021 (Pic credits: Solifonds)

By SOLIFONDS and the Women’s Rights Group Zurich of Amnesty International Switzerland

Today, Friday 1 October, SOLIFONDS and the Women’s Rights Group Zurich of Amnesty International Switzerland handed over several hundred signatures for a petition for the release of political prisoners (BK16) to the Indian Embassy in Berne, Switzerland. However, no one from the embassy was willing to receive the petition.

Indian trade unionist and lawyer Sudha Bharadwaj has been in prison for over three years – without evidence and without a trial. Sudha Bharadwaj is also known in Switzerland because she struggled for the direct employment of contract workers at the Swiss cement company Holcim in India, as ruled by law. She and 15 other human rights defenders, intellectuals, lawyers and cultural workers were accused of being involved in the violence at Bhima Koregaon and of planning a conspiracy against the government. Forged documents, which forensic investigations revealed had been smuggled into the computers of accused persons by hackers, serve as “evidence”. A trial has not yet taken place.
…

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Human chain formed in Tamil Nadu seeking release of prisoners in Bhima Koregaon case (pictures)

Human chain formed in Tamil Nadu seeking release of prisoners in Bhima Koregaon case (pictures)

Human chain formed in Tamil Nadu seeking release of prisoners in Bhima Koregaon case

15/09/2021

The Hindu / by Staff Reporter

‘It is a protest against stifling of all voices for democratic rights’
The arrest of thinkers, social activits and writers in connection with the Bhima Koregaon case is not just a blantant violation of human rights, but a threat to intellectuals who speak against Hindutva forces, said Madurai MP Su. Venkatesan on Wednesday.
Read more

Activists Form Human Chains to Demand Release of Bhima-Koregaon Detainees

15/09/2021

Newsclick / by Neelambaran A

Left, youth, Dalit and human rights organisations in Tamil Nadu slam the BJP government for muzzling dissent.
More than 25 Left, youth, Dalit and human rights organisations in Tamil Nadu formed human chains on the International Day of Democracy on Wednesday to protest the illegal detention of intellectuals and activists, including in the Bhima-Koregaon case, under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967.
Read more

Also read:
● 95% pendency of trial of UAPA cases, 85% cases pending investigation: NCRB report (Sabrang / Sep 16, 2021)

● Anyone who exposes the agenda of Sangh Parivar is silenced: Thirumavalavan (The Hindu / Sep 15)

In pictures

Pictures shared by Era.Athiyamaan / @EraAthiyamaan
Pictures shared by CPI (M) / @cpimspeak
Pictures shared by SimpliCityCoimbatore / @simplicitycbe

Release Bhima-Koregaon Prosoners Immediately – Release All Political Prisoners

Activists hold vigil for Fr. Stan, want stringent laws gone

Activists hold vigil for Fr. Stan, want stringent laws gone

Activists hold vigil for Fr. Stan, want stringent laws gone

29/08/2021

The Statesman / by Sankha Ghosh

“Fr Stan had given his entire life to ensure the rights of the marginalized people, and he had been never silent for the rights of the poor people. But he had been arrested under false charges and he died in an inhuman, insensitive manner. We will carry forward his movement for social justice,”
Rights activists, civil society groups, mass organisations, tribal organisations and members of trade unions today vowed to continue their struggle to demand the abrogation of the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), sedition law, and unconditional release of political prisoners.
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Father Stan Swamy’s struggle to be taken to panchayats

29/08/2021

The Telegraph / by Animesh Bisoee

One of the conveners of Shahid Father Stan Swamy Nyay Morcha said the awareness campaign will start on September 1 and continue till October 8
Members of trade unions, non-BJP parties and civil society organisations who have come together in the aftermath of the custody death of Father Stan Swamy have decided to take the Jesuit priest’s struggle for the rights of the oppressed and undertrials to the panchayat level in Jharkhand.
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CPM to organise block-level demonstrations across Jharkhand on Oct 8 to mark Swamy’s arrest

29/08/2021

Times of India / by Times of India

The state unit of CPM concluded its two-day state convention on Saturday where it decided that it will organise campaigns at the grass-root level to highlight issues such as civil liberties, the release of political prisoners and scrapping of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
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