(Samajweekly) Paschim Banga Khet Majoor Samity (PBKMS) welcomes the verdict of the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India, dismissing a plea of the NIA (National Investigation Agency) which had challenged the ruling of the Hon’ble Bombay High Court to grant bail to noted human rights activist and lawyer Adv. Sudha Bharadwaj. We hope to see Com. Bharadwaj out of the prison soon and demand that she be granted immunity from further questioning and arrest on the same charges. No restrictions should be placed on the movements and activities of the sexagenarian activist within the country and all possible support should be made available to enable her in accessing adequate medical care for her failing health which got severely aggravated during her long stay in the prison.
The penchant of most ruling dispensations at present to view acts of dissent as anti-national activities signals a dangerous trend in a society built on democratic ideals. The nervousness of the political leadership is writ large on the high handedness meted out to trade union activists and human rights defenders on voicing concerns about the state of affairs in the nation. We condemn the brash display of fascist traits by the central government and the agencies under their jurisdiction to silence the voices of dissent. The blatant use of the sedition law and the demagoguery of the political leadership have turned the nation into a police state. Use of UAPA (Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967) and related laws and section 124-A of the Indian Penal Code should be reviewed by the Indian parliament against the fundamental rights guaranteed by our constitution. After 75 years of Independence, the nation should progress on the ideals laid out in the preamble to the constitution and not be held back by colonial-era mindsets and an archaic criminal justice system.
Our immediate demands before the central government have been listed below:
- Unconditional release of all the human rights activists and political prisoners languishing in prisons after being framed under sedition and anti-terrorism laws.
- Immediate granting of bail to the human rights activists incarcerated in the Bhima Koregaon case. Jesuit priest and human rights activist Fr Stan Swamy could not even secure bail before breathing his last breath. The other aged and ailing activists should not meet the same fate.
- Revoking section 124-A of the Indian Penal Code and anti-terrorism laws that are used indiscriminately, especially by the central investigation agencies.
- Disbanding of the NIA and transferring all the cases under the central agency to the respective state police forces.
With revolutionary greetings,
Com. Uttam Gayen Com. Swapan Gangopadhay Com. Anuradha Talwar
(General Secretary, PBKMS) (State Committee Member, PBKMS) (State Committee Member, PBKMS)
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