A statement issued by different organisations, academicians and activists condemning brazen assault by the state on democratic activities and demanding immediate withdrawal of NIA’s menacing and threatening interrogation notice to Partha Sarathi Ray.
6 September 2020
We have come to know that our dear friend and comrade Dr Partho Sarothi Ray, Associate Professor, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), has been summoned by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in connection with the Elgar Parishad-Bhima Koregaon case. He has been asked to present himself before the investigators in Mumbai on 10 September at 11am.
Partho has been pro-actively involved with peaceful, democratic people’s movements, especially the struggles for the rights of poor and marginalised dalits and adivasis. He is an active member of Persecuted Prisoners’ Solidarity Committee as well as Joint Action Committee for Social Justice. His tireless work in defence of civil liberties and for the release of political prisoners is exemplary. Partho has been ever-present in marches, rallies, and other street programmes with his stirring but lucid speeches and an endearing smile.
At IISER, Partho has been carrying out extensive and useful research on molecular biology. His pioneering work on viruses has taken him to the lecture-halls in universities and scientific gatherings across the globe. He is a front-runner in the present battle against Covid-19 and his idea of community participation has been successfully implemented in Nadia district, inviting widespread interest. He was among the scientists consulted by the World Health Organization (WHO) to understand the character of the Coronavirus and formulate a policy to tackle the pandemic.
The harassment of Dr Ray by the NIA is yet another sinister attempt in the fascist regime’s witch-hunt at silencing the voices of dissent and protest. We, the undersigned, strongly condemn this brazen assault on democratic activities and demand immediate withdrawal of NIA’s menacing, threatening interrogation notice. We stand hand-in-hand with Dr Partho Sarothi Ray.
Signed by
- Aamra ek Sachetan Prayas
- Aashita Dawer, Professor, OP Jindal Global University
- Abhay Shukla, JSA
- Abhijit Roy, Professor, Jadavpur University
- Achin Chakraborty, Professor, Institute of Development Studies, Kolkata
- Achin Vanaik, Professor (Retd), University of Delhi
- Adibashi Gaonta
- Adibashi Juan Mahal
- Adibashi Samanyaya Mancha
- Aditi Chowdhury, Citizen
- Aditi Roy Ghatak, Journalist
- Aditya Nigam, Professor, CSDS, Delhi
- AJC Bose, Professor, SRCC, University of Delhi
- Alik Chakraborty, CPI (M-L) Red Star
- All India Central Council of Trade Union (AICCTU)
- All India Federation of Trade Unions (AIFTU – new)
- All India Kshet Mazdoor Kisan Sabha (AIKMKS)
- All India People’s Forum (AIPF)
- All India Peoples’ Science Network (AIPSN)
- All India Progressive Women’s Association (AIPWA)
- All India Revolutionary Students’ Organisation (AIRSO)
- All India Revolutionary Women’s Organisation (AIRWO)
- All India Sanjukta Kisan Sabha
- All West Bengal Sales Representatives’ Union (AWBSRU)
- Aloke Mukherjee, CPI (M-L)
- Amal Sanyal
- Ambedkar Periyar Study Circle, IIT Madras
- Ambedkar-Periyar-Phule Study Circle, IIT Bombay
- Ambikesh Mahapatra
- Amit Bhaduri, Professor (Retd), Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU)
- Amitabha Chakraborty, Activist
- Amra Monbhashi
- Aneek Patrika (Bengali Monthly)
- Anik Dutta, Filmmaker
- Aniket Chattopadhyay, Filmmaker
- Anindita Sarbadhikari, Filmmaker
- Anindya, Blogger
- Anindya Sengupta, Professor, Jadavpur University
- Anish Vanaik, Professor, OP Jindal Global University
- Anomita Sen, Citizen
- Anup Gampa, Asst Professor, Harvey Mudd College, Claremont, California
- Anuroop Mallik, Folk Singer
- Anwesha Sengupta, Institute of Development Studies, Kolkata
- Arijit Mitra Smarak Committee
- Arundhati Dhuru, National Alliance of People’s Movements
- Arundhati Roy, Writer
- Arup Baisya, Writer, Silchar
- Arup Dasgupta
- Ashani Natyam
- Ashish Lahiri, Writer, Adjunct Professor, IISER
- Ashok Choudhary, All India Union of Forest Working People (AIUFWP)
- Asit Basu
- Avishek Konar, Professor, OP Jindal Global University
- Avishek Mukherjee
- Ayodhya Buru Bachao Andolan
- Azad Gano Morcha
- Badshah Moitra, Actor
- Baidyanath Sengupta, Editor, Samaj Bignan o Prakriti Parichay Patrika
- Bandi Mukti Committee
- Bharatiya Adibashi Ekata Mancha
- Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya, MP & Former Mayor, Kolkata Municipal Corporation
- Bimal Chakraborty
- Dr Binayak Sen
- Bodhisatya Ray, Radical Socialist
- Central Convening Committee (CCC), No NRC Movement
- Chanchal Chakraborty
- Chandan Sen, Playwright
- Charoibeti
- Chittaroopa Palit, Narmada Bachao Andolan
- Committee for the Release of Political Prisoners (CRPP), West Bengal
- Confluence, IISER, Mohali
- CP Geevan, Former Senior Environmental Scientist, Independent Researcher
- Das Theke Das Hazaar
- DC Gohain, Jharkhand Krantikari Mazdoor Union
- Debdoot Ghosh
- Debdutta Paul
- Delhi Science Forum, Delhi
- Dhritisree, Theatre Activist
- Dhruv Narayan, Publisher
- Doyeeta Majumder, Professor, Jadavpur University
- Ebong Bisongbad
- Prof. Felix Padel
- Feminists in Resistance
- Forum Against Monopolistic Aggression (FAMA)
- Freny Manecksha
- Dr Fuad Halim, People’s Health Activist
- Ganatantrik Sangrami Udyog
- Gautam Chakraborty
- Githa Hariharan, Writer
- Gorky Chakraborty, Institute of Development Studies, Kolkata
- Goutam Seal
- Harkumar Goswami, Guwahati
- Hosiery Workers’ Unity Centre
- Indian Federation of Trade Union (IFTU)
- Indira Ghose, University of Fribourg, Switzerland
- Indu Chandrasekhar, Publisher
- J Devika, Feminist Historian
- Jadavpur Commune
- Jai Bhim India Network
- Janakalyan o Santras Birodhi Gana Abhijan Mancha, Bagnan
- Janaswasthya Suraksha o Adhikar Mancha, Uluberia
- Jayati Ghosh, Professor, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU)
- Joint Action Committee for Social Justice
- Joint Platform of Academicians
- Jomi Jibika Bastutantro o Poribesh Raksha Committee
- Joyraj Bhattacharya, Theatre & Social Activist
- Kamayani Bali Mahabal, JSA
- Kaushik Sen, Playwright & Actor
- KP Fabian, Ambassador (Retd)
- Kranti Shilpi Sangha
- Krishna Bandyopadhyay, Activist in Women’s Movements
- Kumar Rana, Social Activist
- Kunal Chattopadhyay, Professor, Jadavpur University
- Kuntal Rudra
- Little Magazine Samannaya Mancha
- Mahila Jagaron Samiti, Bagnan
- Manoj Bhattacharya, RSP
- Masood Akhtar
- Mazdoor Kranti Parishad
- Megha Unwer, Professor, Purdue University, Italy
- Miratun Nahar, Writer
- Mitra Sengupta
- Moinak Biswas, Professor, Jadavpur University
- Nagarik Udyog
- National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM), West Bengal
- New Democratic Students’ Front
- New Trade Union Initiative (NTUI)
- Nikhil Banga Mahila Sangha
- Nilanjan Dutta, Writer, Filmmaker, Human Rights Activist
- Nisha Biswas, Activist
- Nitish Roy, Singer
- Nivedita Menon, Professor, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU)
- Nupur Basu, Bachik Shilpi
- Pamela Philipose, Journalist
- Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, www.paranjoy.in
- Partha Chatterjee, Professor, Columbia University
- Partha S Banerjee, Writer & Retired Journalist
- Paschim Banga Khet Majoor Samity
- Paschim Banga Ganasanskriti Parishad
- People’s Film Collective
- People’s Study Circle
- Persecuted Prisoners’ Solidarity Committee
- Prabhat Patnaik, Professor Emeritus, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU)
- Prabir Mukhopadhyay, Teacher (Retd), South Point School
- Pradip Chatterjee, Activist
- Prakriti Sebasram Sangha
- Pramod Gupta, Social Activist
- Pranab Kanti Basu, Professor (Retd), Vishva-Bharati
- Prantajan
- Pratip Nag, Activist
- Progressive Democratic Students’ Federation (PDSF)
- Progressive Plantation Workers’ Union
- Progressive Students’ Union (PSU)
- Progressive Youth League (PYL)
- Pulak Chanda, Professor (Retd), Shyamsundar College
- Purbasha Auddy, Jadavpur University
- Purulia Bauri Samaj Kalyan Samiti
- Rajashri Dasgupta, Social Activist
- Ranjana Padhi, WSS
- Ranjit Sur, Human Rights Activist
- Ratan Khasnabis, Former Professor, Calcutta University
- Ravi Pallur, Political Activist
- Refraction (Magazine)
- Revolutionary Cultural Forum
- Revolutionary Youth and Students’ Federation
- Revolutionary Youth Federation of India (RYFI)
- Revolutionary Youth Front (RYF)
- Right to Food & Work Campaign, West Bengal
- Rimi B Chatterjee, Professor, Jadavpur University
- Ritam Bhaumik, INRIA, Paris
- Ritam Palit, Student Activist
- Romar Correa, Professor, University of Mumbai
- Rongili Biswas, Writer & Musician. Associate Professor, WBES
- Sabyasachi Chakraborty, Actor
- Sabyasachi Chatterjee
- Sabyasachi Deb, Poet
- Sachetana
- Sahaman
- Sailendra Nath Bhattacharya, ECL Colliery Sramik Union
- Sajni Mukherjee, Professor, Jadavpur University
- Salil Biswas, Principal (Retd), South City College
- Samantak Das, Professor, Jadavpur University
- Samar Bagchi, Science, Education, Environment & Social Activist
- Sampradayikota o Fascibad Birodhi Ganatantrik Mancha
- Sandeep Pandey, Socialist Party (India)
- Sanjay Basak, Journalist
- Sanjay Kak, Filmmaker
- Sanjeeb Mukherjee, Calcutta University
- Saswata Ghosh, Professor, Institute of Development Studies, Kolkata
- Satya Sagar, Journalist
- Dr SC Byne, Gana Adhikar Mancha, Durgapur
- Shakti Pada Badyakar, SC-ST-OBC & Minority Employees’ Federation, Durgapur
- Dr Sharmistha Dutta Gupta, Independent Researcher
- Shramajibi Swasthya Udyog
- Shamim Ahmed, Writer
- Shuddhabrata Sengupta, Delhi
- Shukla Bhowmick
- Sipra Mukherjee, Professor, Jadavpur University
- Sitansusekhar, Na Hanya Te
- Soma Marik, Associate Professor, RKSM Vivekananda Vidya Bhavan
- Dr Soumya Sahin, Asst Professor, National University of Juridical Sciences (NUJS)
- Souvik Mukhopadhyay
- Sramajibi Mahila Samiti
- Srikanta Mohanty, CPI (M-L), Odisha
- Students for Change
- Subhash Deb, CPI (M-L) PCC
- Subhasis Bandyopadhyay, Associate Professor, IIEST, Shibpur
- Sugata Ray
- Sukanta Chaudhuri, Professor Emeritus, Jadavpur University
- Sukumar Muralidharan, Journalist and Journalism Instructor
- Sumit Bhaduri, Scientist (Chemist)
- Sumit Sarkar, Historian
- Sumit, Filmmaker, Writer
- Sunandan Chakraborty
- Supriya Chaudhuri, Professor Emeritus, Jadavpur University
- Sushanta Mukherjee, Activist
- Sushil Khanna, Professor (Retd), Indian Institute of Management Calcutta (IIMC)
- Sushovan Dhar, Trade Union Activist
- Susmit Bose, Singer-Composer, Activist
- Suvrat Raju, International Centre for Theoretical Sciences, Bengaluru
- Swastha Siksha Nirman
- Tanika Sarkar, Historian, Professor (Retd), Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU)
- Tarun Bhartiya, Imagemaker & Union Activist, Shillong
- Tobu Banglar Mukh
- Trade Union Centre of India (TUCI)
- Tuhin Maparu
- Umar Awais, United Forum for National Integrity (Rajabazar Shireen Bagh)
- United Trade Union Congress (UTUC)
- Vandana Misra, Civil Liberties Activist
- Vanessa Chisti, OP Jindal Global University
- Women Against Sexual Violence & State Repression (WSS)
September 7, 2020 at 10:28 pm
I condemn the role of Government! Our Government continuously harassing dissidents, who are raising questions against socio-economic discrimination and corporate aggression.