Varavara Rao – Page 2 – free them all

The first of a multi-part interview: ‘The 36 days in jail made Varavara Rao a star’

01/11/2023 Asha

Rediff.com / by Neeta Kolhatkar

‘I asked him why were he and other writers being targeted.’
‘I saw his point of view, that he and others being writers, their work was popular and well-appreciated by people, especially the youth.’
‘This made the State fear them.’

P Hemalatha, 74, is more comfortable speaking in Telugu and can converse in simple Hindi.
She met Neeta Kolhatkar outdoors, while we were on a video-call with N Venugopal, her younger brother and the nephew of Telugu poet Professor Varavara Rao, also called as VV.
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Also watch:

● Book Release: Varavara Rao – A Live in Poetry

By VIRASAM
Book Launch || Live Laamakan || 13-07-23 || VIRASAM

en / telugu | 2:16:35 | 2023
Watch video

Truth and dare in Bhima Koregaon

02/10/2023 Asha

The Leaflet / by Susan Abraham

The Bhima Koregaon–Elgar Parishad ‘Maoist’ conspiracy case is a grand experiment with truth where the State is daring the people to stand up for justice.
‘TRUTH or dare’ is a mostly verbal party game requiring two or more players. Players are given the choice between answering a question truthfully, or performing a ‘dare’. The premise is simple: Players take turns asking one another ‘truth or dare?’ If they choose truth, they have to answer a question of the asker’s choosing. If they choose dare, the asker dares them to do something rather than make a confession.
Suppose the State were to subject its citizens to a macabre version of this game by cooking up a conspiracy case and locking up people behind bars. Then tell them that in order to win their freedom, they have to choose the ‘truth’ of the conspiracy or the ‘dare’ to dissent.
This is the absurd logic that plays out when you try to make sense of the Bhima Koregaon conspiracy case.
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Also read:
● Five years of Bhima Koregaon arrests: CDRO marks ‘black day’ (The Leaflet / Jun 2023)

Book launch of ‘A Life in Poetry’ – VV Rao’s poems / The many ideas behind the birth of poetry

02/09/2023 Asha

Thread by Live Law / @LiveLawIndia (Sep 2, 2023)

Telugu poet and UAPA accused P #VaravaraRao along with his wife Hemlata at the launch of ‘A Life in Poetry’ – the first ever English translation of Rao’s poems. Rao was seated quietly in the audience, as bail conditions don’t permit him to read his poems publicly or be on stage.

@PenguinIndia has published translations of 48 out of nearly 700 poems written by Rao over the course of 60 years.
All poems pre-date his arrest in the #BhimaKoregaon – #ElgarParishad Case

VV Rao’s wife P Hemlata launched the book. She left her home in Hyderabad two years ago and has lived with Rao in Mumbai since then, owing to his bail conditions.
Sr Advs @Ijaising & Mihir Desai, author Jerry Pinto and a couple of others spoke at the launch.

@Ijaising on poetry – There is a connection between law and poetry. The first laws in Greece and Rome were written in poetic form.
On the significance of VV Rao’s bail order – Your case will forever be a beacon of hope to those who demand their right of health in prison.

Jerry Pinto – We do poetry to escape the incarceration called life…
Will there be singing in dark times? Yes, there will be singing in dark times. It will be about the dark times.

Mumbai: ‘When you become the poem itself’

04/09/2023

Mid-day.com / by Hemal Ashar

Words took centre stage at launch of Varavara Rao’s poetry book at the Press Club on Saturday
Varavara Rao’s first anthology of poems translated into English called, ‘Varavara Rao: A Life in Poetry’ was released at a function held at Press Club Azad Maidan, late Saturday evening. The book is edited by N Venugopal and Meena Kandasamy. The book is a collection of poems translated by nine translators from 16 books published between 1968 and 2014.
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The many ideas behind the birth of poetry that floats like a butterfly; and stings like a bee

07/09/2023

Hindustan Times / by Ramu Ramanathan

The turning point of Telugu literary history is 3 and 4 July of 1970. Poets who were invited to speak at the seminar/ poets who were not invited to the seminar/ poets who were going to be felicitated/ poets who were expelled/ poets who were going to boycott/ poets who were to be a member of the executive committee/ poets of all ideologies and -isms
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Also read/watch:
● Tomorrow there won’t be any classes’: Activist Varavara Rao’s poems get an English translation (Scroll.in / by Varavara Rao, N Venugopal & Rohith / Jul 2023)

● Varavara Rao A Live in Poetry

By VIRASAM
Book Launch || Live Laamakan || 13-07-23 || VIRASAM

en / telugu | 2:16:35 | 2023
Watch video

Made with fire: Review of ‘Varavara Rao: A Life in Poetry’

10/08/2023 Asha

Frontline / by Serish Nanisetti

Words speak the unvarnished truth in this anthology representing six decades of Varavara Rao’s career as a poet.
Telugu poet and activist Varavara Rao is a thin, wiry man with the kind of leanness that Julius Caesar found scary in Cassius in Shakespeare’s play. Rao was arrested in 2018 on charges of inciting caste violence and plotting to assassinate the Indian Prime Minister (and released on bail in 2022 on health grounds). The publication of this anthology of Rao’s poetry has been much delayed reportedly because of legal issues. Some words used by Rao have apparently been removed from the translation to avoid attracting the charge of sedition.
Read more

Also read:
● How Varavara Rao shaped Telangana’s sociopolitics: N Venugopal Rao interview (The Federal / Aug 2023)
● Tomorrow there won’t be any classes’: Activist Varavara Rao’s poems get an English translation (Scroll.in / by Varavara Rao, N Venugopal & Rohith / Jul 2023)
● Move Division Bench for permission to undergo cataract surgery in Hyderabad: Bombay High Court to Varavara Rao (India Legal / June 2023)
● Supreme Court grants permanent medical bail to P. Varavara Rao in Bhima Koregaon case (The Leaflet / Aug 2022)

How Varavara Rao shaped Telangana’s sociopolitics: N Venugopal Rao interview

03/08/2023 Asha

The Federal / by Nawaid Anjum

Poet, critic, and translator Venugopal Rao opens up about Varavara Rao, the iconic Telugu poet-activist
Poet, critic, journalist, public speaker, and translator N. Venugopal Rao has an impressive tally of 32 books in both Telugu and English, and an equal number in translation, to his credit. After having worked as a journalist for two decades, he ventured into publishing Veekshanam, a monthly journal focused on political economy and society.
… In an interview to The Federal, Venugopal Rao shares how Varavara Rao has influenced the socio-political landscape of Telangana through his poetry, the literary magazine he edited, his public speeches, his support to various people’s movements and his association with Naxalbari politics.
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Also read:
● Tomorrow there won’t be any classes’: Activist Varavara Rao’s poems get an English translation (Scroll.in / by Varavara Rao, N Venugopal & Rohith / Jul 2023)

Verse, ablaze: Excerpts from ‘Varavara Rao: A Life in Poetry’

16/07/2023 Asha

Verse, ablaze: Excerpts from ‘Varavara Rao: A Life in Poetry’

16/07/2023

The Week / by Varavara Rao | Sajeesh Sankar

It is a collection of poems in English by the Telugu poet and activist
My first memory of encountering the name ‘Varavara Rao’ was in the newspapers. This was in the early 2000s, when warring guerrilla groups came to peace-talks tables. As a young Tamil woman, I consistently followed the Norway-brokered talks between the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the Government of Sri Lanka. Likewise, I was fascinated by what was happening on home ground: the talks between People’s War and the Indian government. Perhaps because of the way in which the print media at that time both valorised and demonised the guerrilla fighters, I was fascinated that three people had dared to be emissaries between the governments and the fighters. One of the interlocutors was Varavara Rao, the other two were Gaddar and Kalyan Rao.
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Varavara Rao: A Life In Poetry

15/07/2023

The New Indian Express / by Shrimansi Kaushik

The book, ‘Varavara Rao: A Life In Poetry’ is a collection of English translations of poems of the eminent Telugu poet edited by N Venugopal and Meena Kandasamy.
Varavara Rao: A Life In Poetry, a collection of English translations of poems of the eminent Telugu poet was released yesterday at Lamakaan. The editors, N Venugopal and Meena Kandasamy highlighted the revolutionary and transformative potential of his poems Lamakaan reverberated with revolutionary, thought-provoking poetry as the English translations of the eminent Telugu poet Varavara Rao were released yesterday.
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‘Tomorrow there won’t be any classes’: Activist Varavara Rao’s poems get an English translation

05/07/2023

Scroll.in / by Varavara Rao, N Venugopal & Rohith

An excerpt from ‘Varavara Rao: A Life in Poetry’, edited by Meena Kandasamy and N Venugopal. Translated from the Telugu.
Read poems

Who are the acclaimed ‘BK-16’? / HRDs and families await justice, five years down

22/06/2023 Asha

HRDs and families await justice, five years down

22/06/2023

cjp / by Sabah Maharaj

Faulty investigation and severe loopholes in investigation, surrounds the controversial BK-16 case. International outcry has not helped move the trial five years down even while the targeted languish, families await the return of their loved ones
In June 2021, European Union parliamentarians, Nobel Laureates, renowned academics, and internationally known figures wrote a letter to the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, the then Chief Justice of India as well as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, and other authorities in India, demanding to the release of political prisoners arrested with relation to the Elgar Parishad and Bhima Koregaon incident.
Amidst contested accusations of an anti-India conspiracy, militancy, and violence, five long years have passed since the BK-16 have been imprisoned without trial.
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Who are the acclaimed ‘BK-16’?

22/06/2023

cjp / by CJP Team

Five years have passed, and human rights defenders (HRDs) and their families continue to await justice.

Surendra Gadling
Status: Detained without trial
Charges:Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) since June 2018
Location: Taloja Central Prison, Mumbai
Gadling is a human rights lawyer and a Dalit activist. Over time, Gadling established himself as a keen advocate and a key figure in cases related to extrajudicial killings, police misconduct, false accusations, and injustices against Dalits and Adivasis in the region…
Read more

Also read:
● Five years behind bars for five activists – Without bail, without charges being framed, without justice! – Various statements

How an anonymous poetry page on Instagram is bringing hope to political activism

11/06/2023 Asha

Scroll.in / by Yamini Krishnan

Hamraaz is an anonymous poet on Instagram writing about instances of oppression.
When Varavara Rao was arrested in 2018, many of the demands for his release focused on his identity as a poet. “What kind of country are we,” a concerned citizen said in dismay, “when we put poets behind bars?” This, perhaps, is an indication of the revolutionary power that poetry can have.
Read more

Also read/watch:
● Writing as Righting: The Politics and Poetics of Varavara Rao (The Wire / July 2020)
● A POET AGAINST THE STATE : TALKING WITH VARAVARA RAO – Part 1 (Raiot.in / June 2016)
● THE POET AS THE REVOLUTIONARY – TALKING WITH VARAVARA RAO – Part 2 (Raiot.in / July 2016)

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

By Release the Poet, Nov 3, 2020

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

HC division bench to hear Varavara Rao’s plea for cataract surgery in Hyderabad

05/06/2023 Asha

Bombay High Court asks Varavara Rao to move division bench for permission to travel to Hyderabad for cataract surgery

05/06/2023

Bar & Bench / by Neha Joshi

Single-judge Justice SV Kotwal observed that the application by Rao amounted to seeking modification of his bail conditions as per which Rao cannot leave Mumbai during the trial.
The Bombay High Court on Monday directed P Varavara Rao, accused in the Bhima Koregaon violence case, to approach a division bench of the High Court for permission to travel from Mumbai to Hyderabad to undergo cataract surgery.
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HC division bench to hear Varavara Rao’s plea for cataract surgery in Hyderabad

05/06/2023

The Indian Express / by Express News Service

In his plea, Varavara Rao said the surgery was expensive in Mumbai and that he was entitled to free medical treatment up to Rs 2 lakh in Telangana as he is a pensioner.
The Bombay High Court on Monday directed Telugu poet and activist Varavara Rao, who is an accused in the Elgaar Parishad case, to approach a division bench of the high court with his plea to get cataract surgery done free-of-cost in Hyderabad, Telangana.
Read more

by Live Law / @LiveLawIndia (June 5, 2023):
Bombay High Court hearing octogenarian accused P Varavara Rao’s plea to undergo cataract treatment in Hyderabad asks his counsel to approach the division bench as it would require modification of his bail condition.

Also read:
● Can Varavara Rao get free cataract surgery in Hyderabad? HC seeks NIA response (The Indian Express / April 2023)
● Bombay High Court seeks response from NIA on plea by Varavara Rao to undergo cataract surgery at Hyderabad (Bar & Bench / Jan 5, 2023)
● Can’t Allow Varavara Rao To Stay In Hyderabad For Three Months For Cataract Treatment, Will Delay Framing of Charges: NIA Court (Scroll.in / Sep 2022)

Can Varavara Rao get free cataract surgery in Hyderabad? High Court seeks NIA response

27/04/2023 Asha

Bombay HC asks NIA to verify claim by Varavara Rao that he will get free cataract treatment in Hyderabad

27/04/2023

Bar & Bench / by Neha Joshi

Rao made the claim in his application seeking permission to go to Hyderabad from Mumbai for three months to undergo cataract surgery.
The Bombay High Court Thursday asked the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to verify the claim made by Bhima Koregaon violence accused Dr. P Varavara Rao that State of Telangana would provide free cataract treatment to him.
Single-judge Justice Amit Borkar opined that this was the crux of Rao’s plea, and if the claim made by Rao was factually incorrect, then the complexion of the matter would change.
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Can Varavara Rao get free cataract surgery in Hyderabad? HC seeks NIA response

27/04/2023

The Indian Express / by Express News Service

In February 2021, the HC granted Rao medical bail for six months. Though it was extended from time to time, the high court in April 2022 rejected his prayer for permanent bail and asked him to surrender within three months.
The Bombay High Court on Thursday asked the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to respond to claims by Telugu poet and activist Varavara Rao, who is an accused in Elgar Parishad case that he can get cataract surgery done free-of-cost in Hyderabad, Telangana.
Read more

Also read:
● Bombay High Court seeks response from NIA on plea by Varavara Rao to undergo cataract surgery at Hyderabad (Bar & Bench / Jan 5, 2023)
● Can’t Allow Varavara Rao To Stay In Hyderabad For Three Months For Cataract Treatment, Will Delay Framing of Charges: NIA Court (Scroll.in / Sep 2022)