Thursday, September 5, 2013

Joint Statement against repression

Thu, Sep 5, 2013 at 12:09 PM
Atrocities on Cultural  Activists and Dalits Condemned 
We the undersigned are extremely appalled and outraged by the arrest of Kanwal Bharti eminent Dalit writer for his comments on Face book. If one looks seriously at the banner headlines of the Corporate media, the Indian ruling classes have been boasting India as the new economic power house of the world and being the largest democracy. Various clauses of the Indian constitution guarantees the fundamental rights of its citizens ie right to expression, right to choose ones cultural and political views. The pretensions of the Indian state about it being a liberal democracy has proved to be a total mockery of the very meaning of the words like liberalism, democracy and rule of law. Since the past six decades under draconian laws like AFPSA, UAPA, National security act etc. Tens of thousands of people have died in fake encounters, thousands of youth have vanished from Kashmir and Punjab. There are genocides happening on the struggling people of oppressed Nationalities, thousands are tortured, there are thousand of unknown mass graves in Kashmir. Thousand of woman are raped, tortured and killed in police custody. When it comes to writers and cultural activists the Indian state has always bared its fascist and castist fangs again and again. There glaring examples are the false prosecution of the members of Kabir Kala Manch, (Eminent Revolutionary Balladeer Ghadar who is a living legend in the revolutionary peasant resistance struggle was fired upon by Andhra Police and was seriously injured had to be hospitalized for quite a long time and had to be hospitalized for months. Jiten Marandi an eminent radical cultural activist from Jharkhand was jailed for years on trumped up false criminal charges. Progressive poet and writer Savyasachi Goswami is still languishing in Jail on false criminal charges, and the ruthless murder of comrade Gantiprasadam of RDF who was a famous revolutionary writer. The above facts prove that dalit writers and cultural activists are ruthlessly oppresses and persecuted by the Indian state. In this context one has to look seriously at the dialectics of the rise of identity politics in Indian via the Mandal and Kamandal debate. The rise if identity politics in late 80’s and early 90’s which has created an opportunity for the rise of a thin strata of OBC kulaks, who join hands with upper caste landlords to commit atrocities on Dalits. The Vanniyar Sangham hooliganism clearly proves this. However one has to look at the identity question in a dialectical prism.
There are identities and identities some are oppressed some are oppressors. We  should discern the democratic content of the identity struggles we should firmly stand with the oppressed identities. History has shown it is only the oppresses can break their own chains.  We appeal to the left and democratic organizations, and the progressive intelligentia to join hands and fight together against the right to expression and atrocities on Dalits. 
The very logic of Predatory Neoliberalism accentuates the class differentiation within the endogamous caste group further creating class polarization and exploitation. On one hand it pauperizes vast masses of Dalits, OBC’s pasmanda muslims on the other hand a handful of minorities rich peasantry and the kulaks elements of the OBC’s join hand with upper caste land lords to perpetuate atrocities. With the rise of identify politics in late eighties and early nineties especially in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar these elements have become the subsidiary part of the Indian Ruling Classes. We draw attention of another danger in contemporary Identity discourse, the rise of Slogans like Dalit Capitalism and formation of neoliberal clubs like DICCI, its ideologues conveniently forget the fact that 90% of the super exploited agricultural labourers are predominantly dalits and the dalit female agricultural laboures are also sexually exploited.
These stooges of wall street simply over look the fact that under the Neoliberal regime it’s the Dalits, Adivasis, Poor OBC’s and Muslims form that vast mass of Super exploited mobile insecure “foot loose labour” which forms a bulk of the contractual, informal workers in the post fordist production relations and labour process. Therefore this dubious notion of Dalit capitalism is an albatross in the neck of every exploited Dalit. Because it is the very logic of capital which produces wealth and prosperity at one pole and poverty, destitution and despair at the other pole.
1.      We demand the withdrawal of all criminal cases on Jiten Marandi, Aparna Marandi, Savyasachi Goswami, Members of Kabir Kala Manch and Kanwal Bharti, Jayeeta Das, Hem Mishra, Prashant Rahi, Seema Azad and two Adivasi Youths arrested from Aheri, Gadchiroli, Maharashtra.
2.      Immediately and unconditionally release Savyasaachi Goswami, Jayeeta Das, Hem Mishra, Prashant Rahi, Two Adivasi Youths arrested from Aheri, Gadchiroli, Maharashtra and Kabir Kala Manch Members.
3.      We demand a high level judicial enquiry on the murder of Com Ganti Prasadam and the resignation of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister for this tragedy.
4.      We demand Mulayam Singh Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav apologise to the Dalits of this country


1.       Arjun Prasad Singh          PDFI
2.       Anand Teltumbde           CPDR, Mumbai
3.       Prof. Uma Chakrabarty  Women Against Sexual Violence
4.       Subhash Gatade               New Socialist and state repression (WSS)
5.       Javed Akhtar      Eminent Initiate Urdu Poet and Film Lyricist, Mumbai
6.       Shirisha Naidu   SANHATI, Chennai
7.       Kaveri Rajaram  SANHATI, Bangalore
8.       Swati Birla           SANJATI, Mumbai
9.       Shiv Sethi            SANHATI, Bangalore
10.   Shamsul Islam   Nishant Natya Manch, Delhi
11.   Neelima Sharma               Nishant Natya Manch, Delhi
12.   Srirupa  Revolutionary Cultural Front (RCF), JNU
13.   Sudhir Suman    Jan Sanskrit Manch (JASAM), Delhi
14.   Brahma Prakash               Janrang Radical left cultural group, JNU
15.   Hadi       BAHROOP Progressive theatre group, JNU
16.   Katyayani            Eminent Marxist Feminist Poetess
17.   Martand              JASAM, JNU
18.   Anil Chamadia   Journalist, Delhi
19.   Kamayani Bali Mahabal                  Lawyer, Social Activist, Mumbai
20.   Vivek Sundara   Human Rights Activist, Mumbai
21.   Anirban Kar        SANHATI, Delhi Chapter
22.   Prof. Subodh Malakar Professor SIS JNU and ex-president JNU teachers Association (JNUTA)
23.   Anirban                                Democratic Student Union (DSU), JNU
24.   Sucheta dey       Research Scholar and Ex-president , JNU Student
25.   Ravi Prakash       Research Scholar and Ex-Secretary JNU Students Union (JNUSU)
26.   Piyush Raj           Joint Secretary Union (JNUSU)
27.   Prof. Nivedita Menon    Professor School of Intervention studies, JNU
28.   Nayanjyoti          Krantikari Naujawan Sabha (KNS)
29.   Wilfred D’costa
30.   Rakesh Ranjan                                  Nowroj, Delhi

31.   Vir Bharat Talwar              Professor, Center for Indian languages, JNU
32.   Vivek Kumar      Professor, Centre for study of Social Systems, JNU
33.   Yagati Chinna Rao            Centre for Study of Discrimination and Exclusion, JNU
34.   Abhijit Pathak    Professor, Centre for Study of Social Systems, JNU
35.   Arun Kumar        Professor, Centre for Economic and Social Planning, JNU
36.   Anand Kumar    Professor, Centre for Study of Social Systems, JNU
37.   Papori Bora,       Asst. Professor, Centre for Women’s Studies, JNU
38.   Bimol Akoijam   Professor, Centre for Study of Social Systems, JNU
39.   Ajay Gudavarty Asst. Professor, Centre for Political Studies, JNU
40.   Mahindranath Thakur    Asst. Professor, Centre for Political Studies, JNU
41.   Amir Ali                                Asst. Professor, Centre for Political Studies, JNU
42.   Rinku Lamba      Asst. Professor, Centre for Political Studies, JNU
43.   Shefali Jha           Asst. Professor, Centre for Political Studies, JNU
44.   A. k. Ramakrishnan         Professor, School of International Studies, JNU
45.   Suraj Beri             The New Materialists, JNU
46.   Mahatab Alam                  Civil Rights Activist, JNU
47.   Students for Resistance (SFR), Delhi University and JNU
48.   Vira Sathidar      Republican Assistant Professor, Centre for study of Social Science, Kolkata
49.   Rita Jyoti Bandpadhyay                 Assistant Professor, Centre for Study of Social Science, Kolkata
50.   Susovan Dhar    Radical Socialist, Kolkata
51.   Achin Vanaik      CNDP, Delhi
52.   Praful Bidwai      Eminent Eco-Marxist Thinker, Delhi
53.   Sumit Chakrabarty           People together, Kolkata
54.   Nisha Biswas      WSS
55.   Kiran Shaheen   WSS, Delhi
56.   Sudha Reddy     social activist, Bangalore
57.   Seema Mustafa                Centre for Policy Analysis, Delhi
58.   Malem Ningthouza         Campaign for peace and democracy, Manipur
59.   Tripta Wahi         Professor, Delhi University
60.   Jyotsna                 Critical Quest, Delhi
61.   Reyazul Haque  Student, JNU
62.   Trisha Agarwal   Focus on Global South
63.   Mansi Sharma   Social Activist, Delhi
64.   Benny Kuruvila  Social Activist, Delhi
65.   Susana Baria       Social Activist, Delhi
66.   Kamla Bhasin     Eminent Feminist Activist, Delhi
67.   Ajit Singh Yadav                                All India People Front
68.   C. Laxmanan      Dalit Intellectual Collective,  Chennai
69.   Rajni Tilak            Rashtriya Dalit Mahila Andolan, Delhi
70.   Chinmay              United Dalit Students Front (UDSF)
71.   Aryama                                Teacher, Delhi University, JNU
72.   Pravin   NSI, Delhi
73.   Ankur Rai             JASAM, Mumbai
74.   Rohit Ranjan      Progressive Student Activist TISS, Mumbai
75.   P.K. Sundram     Research Scholar, JNU
76.   Bhuvi Gupta       Research Scholar, JNU
77.   Mayur Chetia     Research Scholar, JNU
78.   Asit Das                                Contributing Editor, India Resists.com
79.   Usman  Research Scholar, JNU
80.   Imran    Radical left Activist, Delhi
81.   Ambedkar           Research Scholar and United Dalit Student Front (UDSF), JNU
82.   Laxman Singh    Research Scholar and Dalit Activist, Delhi
83.   Bhupen Singh    Faculty, Indian Institute of Mass Communication, Delhi
84.   Ashish Bharadwaj            Faculty, Indian Institute of Mass Communication, Delhi
85.   Bhasha Singh     Deputy Editor, Outlook, Hindi, Delhi
86.   Vaishali Patil       Eminent Antinuclear Activist Konkan, Maharashtra
87.   Vidya Dinkar       Citizens Forum, Mangalore, Karnataka
88.   Ashish Kumar    Research Scholar, Centre for Russian Studies, JNU
89.   Mujibur Rehman              Research Scholar, JNU
90.   Kushal Singh       Research Scholar, JNU
91.   Neha Thakur      Research Scholar, JNU
92.   Akash Bhattacharya        Krantikari Naujawan Sabha (KNS), JNU
93.   Koyal Verma      Research Scholar, JNU
94.   Anubhuti             Research Scholar, JNU
95.   Shweta                 Research Scholar, JNU
96.   Archana               Research Scholar, JNU
97.   Shasank               Research Scholar, JNU
98.   Suvaid                   Research Scholar, JNU
99.   Fauzan                  Research Scholar, JNU
100.                        Vismay Basu       Research Scholar, JNU
101.                        Saptarshi Chaudhury      Research Scholar, JNU
102.                        Arvind Yadav      Research Scholar, JNU
103.                        Tara Shankar      Research Scholar, JNU
104.                        Chandra Sen      Research Scholar, JNU
105.                        Brijesh  Research Scholar, JNU
106.                        Badre Alam         Research Scholar, Delhi University
107.                        Dhirendra Bahadur Singh              Asst. Professor, Delhi University
108.                        Dinkar Singh       Asst. Professor, Delhi University
109.                        Snehi     Student and Activist DSU, JNU
110.                        Rajarshi Dasgupta            Asst. Professor, Centre for Political Studies, JNU
111.                        Prangya Joshi     PUCL, Rajasthan
112.                        Jitendra Kumar Journalist, Delhi
113.                        Deb        Research Scholar, JNU
114.                        Shruti Jain           Research Scholar, JNU
115.                        Preeti    Research Scholar, JNU
116.                        Krithi     Research Scholar, JNU
117.                        Shastri Ramchandra        Journalist, Delhi
118.                        Dawa Singh         Research Scholar, JNU
119.                        Nitin Kumar        Student, Indian Institute of Mass Communication, Delhi
120.                        Afiya Khalid        Student, JNU
121.                        Azizur Rehman  Asst. Professor, Osmania, University, Hyderabad
122.                        Dr. Neeraj Hatekar          Dept of Economics, Bombay University
123.                        Prabhu Guptara                                University of St Gallen, Switzerland
124.                        Aradhana Sharma            Proferssor, Wesleyan University, USA
125.                        Sirohi Nandan                    Forum for Democratic Right (FDR) Jammu
126.                        Ahmed Sohaib                  Jamia Teachers Solidarity Association (JTSA), Delhi
127.                        Mary Mathai     
128.                        Laltu      Eminent Hindi Poet International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad
129.                        Divya Trivedi      Journalist, Delhi
130.                        Dwajendra Dhawal
131.                        M.C. Raj               Writer, Karnataka
132.                        Dr. Anil Sadgopal              Eminent Educationist
133.                        Rajan Kurci Krishnan       Academic, Delhi
134.                        Satyam R Verma               Professor, Emeritus McGill University, Canada
135.                        Nalini Nayak       Associate Professor, Delhi University
136.                        C.K. Purandare                  Artist, art.deco.com
137.                        Himanshu Kumar             Vanvasi Chetna Ashram
138.                        Goldy George    Dalit Mukti Morcha, Chhatisgarh
139.                        Sourav Shome   Mumbai
140.                        Rossi D’souza     Research Scholar, TIFR, Mumbai
141.                        Amalendu Upadhyay     Editor, Hasthkhep.com
142.                        Pravin Patel        Activist, Gajapati
143.                        Raju Nayak         Social Activist, Gajapati, Odisha
144.                        N. K. Jeet             Lok Morcha, Punjab

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