Hours after the Delhi High Court set him free from house arrest, journalist and social activist Gautam Navlakha shot off an open letter on conditions of thousands of political prisoners like him, incarcerated on false charges.
In his “Statement of an Urban Naxal”, Mr. Navlakha said, “I cannot forget my co-accused and tens of thousands of other political prisoners in India who remain incarcerated for their ideological convictions, or on account of false charges filed against them, and/or wrongful conviction under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act – UAPA.” The social activist, who was placed under house arrest by the Supreme Court in August following raids by the Maharahstra police in connection with the violence at Bhima-Koregaon in January this year, said, “Fellow-accused in the same matter have gone on hunger strike against the maltreatment inside the jails and demanded that they be recognised as political prisoners/prisoners of conscience”.
“Other political prisoners too have time and again sat on hunger strike and demanded the same. Their freedom and their rights are precious to the civil liberties and democratic rights movement,” he added.
‘Thrilled to be free’
“From Delhi High Court I have won my freedom. It thrills me no end,” he said while thanking friends and lawyers led by Nitya Ramakrishnan, Warisha Farasat and Ashwath.
On the house arrest for over a month, Mr. Navlakha said, “The period of house arrest, despite the restrictions imposed, was put to good use, so I hold no grudge”.
Giving a “Lal Salaam” to his friends and comrades, Mr. Navlakha said the “freedom won by Bhim Army’s Chandrashekhar Ravan and his comrades Sonu and Shivkumar from preventive detention was particularly reassuring because it showed the power of indomitable resistance against a socially entrenched casteist tyranny, from ground below”.
