Speakers across the Leftist political and organisational spectrum unequivocally condemned the conviction of G.N.Saibaba and five others, and the incarceration of seven fact finding team members from Telangana in Chhattisgarh, and demanded their immediate release.
Addressing the meeting organised by the Telangana Democratic Forum and the Coordination of Democratic Rights Organisations on Monday, renowned Marxist intellectual Anand Teltumbde said India is witnessing systems gone awry, worse than Italy of 1930’s and Germany of 1940’s.
Recalling the Supreme Court’s judgement that even a member of Maoist party cannot be prosecuted without any cognizable offence, Mr.Teltumbde said Dr.Saibaba was given maximum possible punishment under UAPA Act, despite the fact that he never concealed his leanings. TJAC chairperson M.Kodandaram said criminalising of political thoughts and activity should be opposed. Though government is responsible for protecting constitutional rights, its efforts are focussed on suppressing the agitations, rather than finding solutions to problems. While Dr.Saibaba’s release can only be obtained by going for appeal, the release of fact finding team members can be demanded by pressuring the government into withdrawing the cases against them, Prof.Kondandaram said.
Academic-activist G.Haragopal said this was the first case in Independent India where life imprisonment was awarded based on electronic evidence. On the arrest of fact finding team members, he said the process of independent fact finding took birth in erstwhile A.P. , and now the members of such team were languishing in jail.
‘Silencing voices’
Revolutionary writer Varavara Rao said Dr.Saibaba has been cooperating with the courts and investigating agencies, unlike the “urban link” of the Maoists as he was made out to be. He was being victimised only because he opposed ‘Operation Green Hunt’, which was nothing but an attempt to silence the voices on behalf of oppressed sections.
Academic Padmaja Shaw observed that the adherents to alternative politics are being slapped with cases under arbitrary laws, and forced to spend years in prison. The fight now should be against withdrawal of laws such as UAPA Act and AFSPA. Media too is partly responsible, for carrying police version prominently, and burying the fact when it comes out.
Dr.Saibaba’s wife A.S.Vasantha Kumari recalled the circumstances that led to his arrest and subsequent conviction, and questioned the sessions judge’s remarks about the professor’s thoughts posing threat to the nation. Representatives from CPI(M), CPI(ML) New Democracy and other Left parties and various organisations announced their solidarity with the demands.
