Skip to main content

1400+ activists condemn FIR against Medha Patkar, others, challenge vindictiveness

More than 1,400 activists, academics, citizens across India call for withdrawal of dubious FIR against Medha Patkar and Narmada Abhiyan trustees. Petition is open for endorsements: 
***
In response to a petition initiated by the National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM), more than 1,400 people from 23 + states signed up, to demand the immediate withdrawal of a dubious FIR filed against social activist Medha Patkar and 11 other trustees of Narmada Nav Nirman Abhiyan (NNNA) alleging ‘misuse of funds’ for ‘anti-national’ activities! It is no surprise that the so-called ‘complainant’ is affiliated to the ABVP, student wing of the BJP. Expressing outrage at the vindictive actions of the Govt., solidarity has been pouring in from a large number of people’s movements, farmers and workers organizations, trade unions, national networks, campaigns and alliances across the country, in the past four days. Protests are also being held in different states.
The signatories to the petition include activists, academics, lawyers, retired officials, independent media persons, film makers, feminists, representatives of mass organizations, trade unions, political leaders etc. such as Sr. Adv. Prashant Bhushan, Prof. Roop Rekha Verma, E A S Sarma, Admiral L Ramdas, Aruna Roy, Nikhil Dey and Shankar Singh, Arundhati Roy, Subhashini Ali, Bhanwar Meghwanshi, Annie Raja, Devaki Jain, Fr. Cedric Prakash, Ulka Mahajan, Holiram Terang, Rohit Prajapati, Harsing Jamre and Madhuri JADS, Kavita Kuruganti, Yogendra Yadav, Chayanika Shah, Nityanand Jayaraman, Dr. Lata PM, Sadhana Saheli, Sujato Bhadra, Hasina Khan, Geetha Ramakrishnan, Shabnam Hashmi, Alok Shukla, Dr. Gabriele Dietrich, Anuradha Talwar, Maj. Genl. (Retd.) SG Vombatkere, CR Neelakandan, Agnes Kharshiing, Pamela Philipose, Prof. Walter Fernandes, Roma Malik, Bela Bhatia, Dr. Veena Shatrugna, Irfan Engineer, Kalyani Menon Sen, Prof. Padmaja Shaw, Henri Tiphagne, Dr. Ram Puniyani, Prof. Nandini Sundar, Dr. Sugan Baranth, Sagar Dhara, Pranab Doley, Dr. Nandita Narain, Clifton Rozario, Dr Sandeep Pandey, Kavita Srivastava, Gurtej Singh, John Dayal, Siraj Dutta, Sajaya Kakarla, Maimoona Mollah, Prof B N Reddy, Manshi Asher, Pradip Chatterjee, Himanshu Thakkar, Kaladas Deheria, Mallika Virdi, Rohini Hensman, Sanjay Kak, Eric Pinto, Prafulla Samantara, Sunita Vishwanath, Dr. Mira Shiva, Shalmali Guttal, Dr. Shaikh Gulaam Rasool, Virginia Saldanha etc. (and numerous others).
They acknowledged the work of NNNA as a welfare Trust that has only strived to support the educational, health and related activities in the dam-affected rural and adivasi regions of the Narmada valley in MP and Maharashtra. All trustees are public-spirited persons and many are oustees themselves. They also said that Narmada Bachao Andolan, has organized displacement-affected communities in the past 37 years, struggling to assert people’s constitutional rights, despite a history of state repression and vilification. The current BJP Govt. is again raking up false allegations to persecute the people’s movement and activists.
The signatories felt that the FIR against Medha Patkar and NNNA trustees is part of a continuing spree of persecution against rights defenders, civil liberties activists, fact-checkers, students etc. who have been speaking truth to power, exposing the anti-people nature of this Government and questioning the injustice being meted out to marginalized sections of our society. Condemning the vengeful actions of the BJP Government against persons working in public interest, they called for:
• Immediate withdrawal of FIR against Medha Patkar and all trustees of NNNA.
• No coercive action be undertaken by investigative and law enforcement agencies.
• Upholding the constitutional rights to organize and the right to liberty of all activists who are facing state repression for their public-spirited work.
---
Access the full petition with list of 1400 signatories here; petition open for endorsements here

Comments

Post a Comment

TRENDING

Will official Modi invitation to Pope include itinerary of meeting Manipur Christians, too?

  By Fr Cedric Prakash SJ*  Few will not remember Judas Iscariot and the role he played in the betrayal of Jesus! For those who don’t know or don’t remember, these passages from Sacred Scripture will help put things in perspective: "And while they were eating, he said, 'Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.' They were very sad and began to say to him one after the other, 'Surely you don’t mean me, Lord?' Jesus replied, 'The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray from Sacred Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.' Then Judas, the one who would betray him, said, 'Surely you don’t mean me, Rabbi?' Jesus answered, 'You have said so.'  (Mt. 26: 21-25)
Post a Comment
»

RSS supremo Deoras 'supported' Emergency, but Indira, Sanjay Gandhi 'didn't respond'

Indira Gandhi, Balasaheb Deoras By Shamsul Islam* National Emergency was imposed on the country by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on June 25-26, 1975, and it lasted for 19 months. This period is considered as ''dark times' for Indian democratic polity. Indira Gandhi claimed that due to Jaiprakash Narayan's call to the armed forces to disobey the 'illegal' orders of Congress rulers had created a situation of anarchy and there was danger to the existence of Indian Republic so there was no alternative but to impose Emergency under article 352 of the Constitution.
Post a Comment
»

A Hindu alternative to Valentine's Day? 'Shiv-Parvati was first love marriage in Universe'

By Rajiv Shah*   The other day, I was searching on Google a quote on Maha Shivratri which I wanted to send to someone, a confirmed Shiv Bhakt, quite close to me -- with an underlying message to act positively instead of being negative. On top of the search, I chanced upon an article in, imagine!, a Nashik Corporation site which offered me something very unusual. 
22 comments
»

Amidst climate of hate, none cares to remember VP Singh, not even his family

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*   It was former Prime Minister Vishwanath Pratap Singh's birthday on June 25. He would have turned 93 on this day. A man of great idealism and conviction, VP changed the politics of power in India that became more inclusive in terms of participation and representation of the marginalised in our highest decision making bodies. 
Post a Comment
»

Manipur's Meira Paibis: Inter-sectional activism, regional bias, media misconstruction

By Biswanath Sinha*  The women led movement in India is a diverse and multifaceted phenomenon that reflects the country's vast cultural, social, and political landscape. One of the most distinctive and influential women's organizations in this tapestry is the Meira Paibi of Manipur. Known as the "torchbearers," Meira (lights/torch) Paibi (holder/bearer) carved out a unique space in the annals of women's activism in India.
Post a Comment
»

Architects, planners, designers discuss impact of climate change on infrastructure

By Dr Mansee Bal Bhargava*  The School of Architecture and Planning at the Woxsen University, Telengana, organized a conference on Architecture & Design of Built Environment (ADoBE) on 6-7th June 2024 at the Indian Institute of Technology, IIT-Hyderabad. The larger theme of the ADoBE’24 pivoted on ‘Cities Embracing Inclusivity’. 
Post a Comment
»

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.
58 comments
»