gautam

Gautam Navlakha  a civil libertiesdemocratic, and human rights activist; and a journalist, addressed the public meeting  organised Committee for Protection of Democratic Rights (CPDR) Mumbai , titled  “Acche Din? One Year After” at Mumbai Marathi Patrakar Sangh,  last week in Mumbai.

Below is a summary of his speech.

Gautam Navlakha , strongly believes that  it is achche din , is for left and demoractic minded people. Its a Challenge, but no reason for feeling pessimitic. The left has been fragmented and its time  to come together and The modi Regime ,compels the left to sharply demarcate their position against right wing.

 

To look very critically and examine our understanding analysis of social and political atmosphere. To come out with fact, arguments reason and not rhetoric cliche which is not going to get us anywhere.

Freedom oF speech

Looking at the BJP, on how  they used the  Freedom of speech, the beautiful gems coming from various BJP  MPs, , adityanath, sadhvi      ,instead of helping  their cause actually  ,not only scared away people, but also repulsed wide section of people, even those who were taken in by their ideology and compelled to raise questions .

Propagating absolutist position on FOS ,  he said its better than being cautious and demand to shut them up, as it exposes them. it allows our voices heard. There is mood in country which is shifting left of centre.

Reflecting on the one year modi regime, he pint out that it  Provided opportunity to intervene and show , things will not be worse .

  1. Change in discourse of Jammu and Kashmir

Last one year , jingoism coming fore, even so called respectable newspaper traitor, anti nationals. This shift  shows the emergence of majoritarian thinking.

Recently,. Masarat Alam Bhat, was arrested over raising of pro-Pakistan slogans and hoisting Pakistan flags at a Gilani’s rally in Srinagar.

Gautam  Navlakha stated this  is nothing  new, it has been happening from 1947,, when anyone listening to radio pakistan was arrested  beat up tortured.  Kashmir is  it is disputed territory and there is nothing wrong with people people coming out  and protest

Masrat Alam Case

Masarat Alam has spent 17 of his 42 years in jail for his  cause of an independent Kashmir. Masrat Alam  has been booked in 27 criminal cases but in most of these he has either been exonerated or bailed out by the courts and was released. He has been in preventive detention and not even chargesheeted.

In Contrast  to this situation with , Pravin  togadia, adityanath, , Rithambara and other gems of BJP.

Togadia on 1 March 2002, when  people were being killed in Gujarat , Pravin Togadia on  ZEE TV was asking people to carry on the carnage,  and  today he cant be touched.

Hence, we can say that there is no uniform criminal law in the country,. Historically , especially 1960  when the first  Major Anti Muslim riot  took place  in Jabalpur, since then,  there is uncontaminated history of not  prosecuting single perpetrator of those carnages.

Hashmipura the Revenge Killing

Atrocities are being committed on Kashmiris over last two decades and the culprits are not being brought to book. On the other hand human rights violations are being inflicted while justice remains evasive

There are extremist Hindu parties which are encroaching upon the rights of common people in various cities across India but no action is taken against them. But when Kashmiris come out in support of their democratic and human rights, they are suppressed through brute force.

Prabhat Kaushik, 23, an RSS worker, died sta­nding on the roof of the house of his aunt Shakuntala Kaushik, a  BJP leader of her time.

Strangely is  less than 14 hours after Prabhat’s death, his elder brother, Major Satish Chandra Kaushik, posted in Meerut, was seen conducting house to house searches in Hashimpura, along with two other army officers. His brother cremated, he was also seen dragging young Muslim men out of their homes and handing them over to the dreaded Uttar Pradesh police.

 

Atrocities are being committed on Kashmiris over last two decades and the culprits are not being brought to book. On the other hand human rights violations are being inflicted while justice remains evasive

There are extremist Hindu parties which are encroaching upon the rights of common people in various cities across India but no action is taken against them. But when Kashmiris come out in support of their democratic and human rights, they are suppressed through brute force.

3.Gujarat Control of Organised Criem (GUJCOC)Bill

 

What is alarming about the Gujarat bill shows possibility where many of arguments will meet legal barriers.  The most obnoxious part of these is the empowerment of an investigating agency to continue with the investigation for 180 days, as against the permitted 90 days under the Code of Criminal Procedure (Cr.P.C). In this period, the accused may or may not be in judicial custody.  Any confessions made to senior police officers — of the rank of Superintendent of Police and above — admissible in evidenceSection 25 of the Bill that makes the government immune from any legal action for “anything which is in good faith done or intended to be done in pursuance of this Act.” There is anxiety that the Executive will exploit this section and become less accountable to the law for its commissions and omissions.

4  In last one year we have seen the Police and security forces  are being encouraged e.g.   telegana fake encounters  , although a SIT inquiry has been initiated but very remotepossibility of getting any conviction under present regime .

The fast tracking of Land accession bill, a pro corporate agenda and against poor

It was  reported in Rajsysabha that The government has given approval for diversion of 35,867 hectares of forest land in a total of  only 783 cases in 2014.

Referring to his recent visit to  Chhattisgarh , Gautam Navlakha said that earlier we were fighting against Essar, TATA, Jindal  and other private sector companies , but today its the state which have taken their roles . The National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC) -had major mining facilities. The company had been operating two mining complexes in the area namely in Kirandul and Bacheli.he National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC) -had major mining facilities. The company  is operating two mining complexes in the area namely in Kirandul and Bacheli.State-run companies Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) and National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC) would set up an ultra mega steel plant (UMSP) in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar region.

Looking back,  in 2005  Salwa judum gave flilip  to resistance spread widely across country link between land grab , forest  grab and corporates  , and it  did make an impact. SC intervened in 2010 and it did decrease.

In coming years we will  see increase, in land grab, mining

He concluded by giving a call to be on offensive than defensive he said that We know lies of Modi regime.we know they are distorting  history and  facts.

Today is possibility  for all organisations to come out and take them head on.

 

Its  acche din for the LEFT !!