by Bangalore Citizen’s Initiative
The CBI raid on the residence and office of activist Teesta Setalvad and her husband Javed Anand on 13th and 14th July 2015 is a shocking development. Socially conscious citizens perceive this as a political vendetta to insult, humiliate and intimidate the couple fighting for the rights of the victims of 2002 Gujarat riots. Needless to state, the search and raid operation has all the colour of having been directed by powerful interests against whom Teesta Setalvad had filed cases on the Gujarat genocide of 2002. It has been a relentless struggle for Teesta and Javed to fight for the victims of the Gujarat carnage. This battle for justice for the victims has become even more difficult since vested interests assumed power in the Central Government.
Teesta Setalvad and Javed are not isolated cases. The official machinery of the State has been used to silence dissent consistently over the past several decades. The State has been complicit in the misuse of its powers over investigative agencies which have been used to intimidate, terrorise and harass those working for the causes of the poor, to uphold human rights and against injustice. Recent examples of such targeting include S. R. Hiremath of the INSAF, Samaj Parivarthana Samudaya, Greenpeace, Amnesty International, Dr. Binayak Sen, and many others.
Such highhandedness of the State is witnessed in the way certain laws that exclusively govern civil society organisations are being amended to curtail basic rights of civil society organisations and people’s movements to work freely and with enjoyment of all Fundamental Rights. The current administration at the Centre is further manipulating these laws fundamental to safeguarding freedoms of individuals and organisations advancing social justice, while sparing no effort to benefit corporations and particular business houses. This when there is a relentless effort to whittle down schemes that guarantee the Right to Life and Livelihoods of ordinary people by cutting down on social safeguards and withdrawing a variety of subsidies that support the poor and also massive reduction in allocation to the social sector.
The trend clearly is one of attacking defenders of justice, instead of providing justice to the victims of violence, with fabricated cases being filed with impunity against the defenders of justice. We are wary that a culture of attacking, terrorising and even getting rid of those who defend the rights of the victims is gradually becoming an accepted practice. Reports in the media have highlighted the Vyapam case in Madhya Pradesh, where several whistleblowers and advocates of the Right to Information Act have been targeted.
At this juncture, what those who fight for justice need is all the support from people of goodwill to defeat the evil designs of certain vested and politically powerful interests. While there is a need to battle those who are determined to wipe out the memories of the Gujarat carnage and escape responsibility for their criminal deeds, it is equally necessary that we stand against the culture of State terrorism, intimidation and violence.
Endorsed
Mr. Girish Karnad – Actor, Film Director, Writer and Playwright
Mr. Govind Rao – Actor, Poet, Resource Person and in social movements
Maj. Gen. S. G. Vombatkere (Retd.), Mysore.
Dr. Ambrose Pinto SJ, Principal, St. Aloysius Degree College
Ms. Bhargavi S Rao – Environment Support Group
Mr. Leo F Saldanha – Environment Support Group
Dr. A.R.Vasavi, Social Anthropologist, Bangalore
Dr. Suvrat Raju, International Centre for Theoretical Sciences, TIFR
Mr. Prithvi Reddy, Entrepreneur and Political Activist
Dr. Sreeramappa Chinnappa – Medical Officer
Mr. L. Ashok – Komu Souharda Vedike
Mr. Ajay Marshal – Photographer
Mr. Robin Christopher – Alternative Law Forum
Mr. Manohar Rangnathan – Human Right Activist
Dr. Selvaraj Arulnathan SJ, Director, Indian Social Institute
Mr. Mark Rasquinha, Associate Professor, Jain University
Mr. Roshan Sylvester, Associate Professor, Jyothi Nivas College
Mr. Vinoo Sudhakar, Associate Professor, St. Aloysius Degree College, Bangalore
Professor Etienne Rassendran, St. Joseph’s College
Professor Chandan Gowda, Azeem Premjee University
Professor Babu Mathew, National Law School of India
Mr. Ramyani Chakrabarty M. Tech, Trainee Teacher
Mr. Jagadish Chandra – New Socialist Alternative
Mr. N. Jayaram, PUCL, Bangalore
Ms. Madhu Bhushan – Social Activist
Mr. Rakesh Narayan, PUCL
Mr. Jagadeesh Byata – Social Activist and Lawyer
Ms. Keya Acharya, journalist, Bangalore.
Dr. Akhila Vasan, Karnataka Janaaroyga Chaluvali
Mr. K.B. Obalash, Karnataka Janaaroyga Chaluvali
Mr. Vijaya Kumar.S, Karnataka Janaaroyga Chaluvali
Mr. T.N.Gopalan, Journalist
Ms. Anita Cheria , Open Space
Ms. Anasuya Byndoor, Swaraj Sangatane, Karnataka
Mr. Pradeep Esteves, Context India
Dr. Sumi Krishna, Independent Scholar
Ms. C. K. Meena, Writer
Mr. Bobby Kunhu, Advocate
Ms. Asma A N, Independent Journalist
Mr. Syed Tanveeruddin, Environmental, RTI, Human Rights and Social Activist, Mysore
Ms. Uma V Chandru, Activist, Bangalore
Mr. K. P. Sasi, Documentary Maker
Ms. Ammu Joseph, Journalist and Writer
Mr. Himanshu Trivedi, Associate, Lawyer, Barristers & Solicitors
Ms. Anita Ratnam, Executive Director, Samvada Youth Resource Centres & Baduku Community College For Alternatives
Ms. Pushpa Achanta – Journalist & Trainer
Mr. Antony Melvin D Paul, Founder and Lead, PoundHead
Mr. Mallikarjun.L.S., RTI Activist,
Dr. Arati Choksh (Science Activist)
Mr. Joseph Britto, Indo Bloom Ltd.
Dr. Lawrence Surendra – Environmental Economist
Ms. Benazir Siddiq
Ms. Rajitha Vipparthi
Ms. Shanthala Damle
Ms. Manasi Pingle
Fr. Adolf Washington
Dr. Lakshmi Nilakantan
Mr. Ralph Paul Coelho
Dr. Kshithij Urs
Ms. Meena Subramaniam, Artiste
Ms. Kirtana Kumar, Musician and Theatre Activist
Mr. M.V.K Anil Kumar
Mr. Richard D
Ms. Merlin Francis
Ms. Shaheen Shasa
Mr. B V Mahesh Kumar
Mr. Nitin Basrur
Mr. Pramod Krishnamurthy
Mr. Benjamin T
Mr. Hiroo Advani
Mr. Anil Kapur
Mr. S. Gopal, Kundalahalli
Mr. Pramod Krishnamurthy
Ms. Pushpa Surendra
Mr. Nitin Gujaran
Ms. Snigdha Samal
Mr. Akhlaque Ahmed
Mr. Karthik Ranganathan
Ms. Chetana Ajit
Mr. Murali S
Ms. Zephyrine Goveas
Mr. Prashant Paikray, POSCO Pratirodh Sangram Samithi
Ms. Sheela Gowda, Artiste
Ms. Meena Artwani
Mr. Sridhar Raman
Ms. Sudha Nagavarapu
Mani Kalliath
Sr. Leonie
Mr. Srinath Heragu
Mr. R. Ramachandran
Ms. Cavery Bopaiah
Mr. Ram Punyani
Mr. David Selvaraj
Mr. David D’ Costa
