Kis Kis Ko Qaid Karoge- “Dangerous Brain: G. N Saibaba and Others”

Campaign Against State Repression(CASR) organised a Press conference today, on 28th October at
Gandhi Peace foundation on, “Dangerous Brain: Saibaba and Others” to scrutinise the Supreme
Court judgement suspending Bombay High Court’s acquittal order of Prof. GN Saibaba, Hem Mishra,
Prashant Rahi, Vijay Tirki and Mahesh Tikri.
The conference was addressed by the following speakers:

1. Colin Gonsalves, Advocate, Supreme Court.
2. Professor Manoranjan Mohanty, JNU
3. Professor Apoorvanand, Delhi University
4. Professor laxman Yadav ,Delhi University
5. Professor Saroj Giri,
   Delhi University
6. Sharjeel Usmani, Scholar and Activist
   7.Sanjeev Mathur,Journalist
7. Nodeep Kaur, Labour Rights Activist.

Comrade Navneet from CASR moderated the program and talked about the nature of increasing
state repression by example of Saibaba’s case and the court argument in rejecting Umar Khalid’s bail
plea.
Advocate Colin Golsalves talked about two judgements on G N Saibaba and Umar Khalid, explaining
how the Indian courts are giving judgements politically and not legally. Pointing out the SC verdict,
he said that no court has the right to reject acquittal without quashing the order. On Umar Khalid’s
case, he said that he has been boked for making provocative speech. But in Rangrajan case, it has
been established that unless violence is being done, any speech even against government is not a
crime. Umar Khalid was arrested for Delhi Riots, but the MP and MLA who instigated violence in
Delhi riots are free.
In last he said that our friends who are in jail are new generation freedom fighters. We are in a new
emergency which is more dangerous than Indira Gandhi’s. The judgements of Supreme Court prove
this. Today the biggest terrorist force in our country is the government itself.

DU Professor Apoorvanand said that the constitution orders that it is the responsibility of the state
to ensure the freedom of all citizens. But it is the first time that the SC Reversed order in a case
where the Accused has been acquitted. Citing the case of Jyoti Jagtap, he said that she has been
denied bail because she criticized government through their songs, means that there is no space in
this democracy for criticism of the government. Same in Umar Khalid’s. All these cases must be seen

in continuity. In Bhima Koregaon case too, the two Hindutva leaders accused were not arrested and
instead activists were attacked. In CAA NRC case the duty of the police was to find out who were the
writers and who planned the riots but instead the Delhi police arrested those who were involved in
the anti CAA NRC protest. He pointed out that today i.e. 28 th Oct, the Prime Minister said that we
have to end all kinds of Naxalism, be it Naxalism of Gun or of pen. Today we need to realise that the
urban Naxal conspiracy of the government is not only against these jailed people but against all the
people of the nation for whom these people are raising their voice. It is our responsibility is to make
this message reach to the masses.
Sharjeel Usmani said that the best of people of the country are in jail today. G N Saibaba is in jail
because he stood against operation Green Hunt. Many press conferences have been held for him
and most people try to awake emotions by talking about his health but the matter is not about is ill
health or about the slogan “long live revolution” but this regime is actually against all those who
speak. Muslims are permanent minority in this country but apart from them there is another
minority i.e., the people who are conscious and critical of the state’s actions. The rule of the majority
by suppressing the minority is not democracy but hooliganism. We must keep on fighting.
DU professor Saroj Giri talked about the arrestings of Hany Babu, Anand Teltumbde, Arun Ferreira,
Siddiqui Kappan etc. He said that we must see it as a pattern this pattern is not dependent on what
Supreme Court bench or who the CJI is but it depends on the state machinery including the security
apparatus like NIA. Through the talking in detail about the case of G N Saibaba, he explained how the
State machinery works. It is not about any Party or organisation, but the whole State character. Even
if any other government wins the election, this crackdown will continue. We cannot understand the
whole picture if we see the ruling BJP only.
DU Professor Manoranjan Mohanty was not able to attend the program physically, but he sent his
message. He said “according to the SC judges, the Brain seems more dangerous to the rulers than
actual actions. This judgement goes to encounter the basic practices and laws that have taken
human civilization from the stage of oppression to that of better human conditions. In the past also,
rulers have labelled such people as anti nationals, terrorists, rebels. Now it has become general
scenario by the politicians, state agencies and even the Judiciary. He appealed to all democratic
forces to join hands against this state repression.
DU Professor Laxman Yadav started by the slogan of Long live revolution. He qouted the last letter
of Bhagat Singh in which he said that every drop of my blood shall being revolution. But today, in the
era of Amrit mahotsav, the word “revolution” is enough for someone to go to jail. He said that it is
difficult for those and their families who are in jail but more than their private loss, this is a bigger
loss to the society and to the nation. The professors lawyers, artists etc. are behind jail and those
who must be in jail are ruling us, they are getting promotion so that they can give more hate
speeches. He said that it is not only about BJP but about the tendency which oppresses workers,
farmers, dalit, minorities and adivasis. There is no use of good judges, good students or good people,
in general, if they do not speak against injustice. He said that yesterday who were in jail are our
leaders of today. Those who are in jail today are fighting on behalf of all the people.
Labour Rights Activist Nodeep Kaur said that the activists are being labelled as Maoists or naxalites
so we must talk about who Maoists are. Maoists are people who started their struggle on some basic
structural questions and rather than addressing such fundamental questions, the state is using
“Maoist” tag to attack all who are critical of the state. She said that there is no democracy left today.
All the four pillars of democracy have fallen. The State is waging a war against people. Talking about
CJI, U U Lalit, she told that he fought in favour of all those who are murderers, rioters like Amit Shah,

Kalyan Singh, etc. She said that we have to overthrow this system, only then we can establish an
equitable society.
Comrade Sanjeev from CASR said that CASR was established to stand with those people who
victimised because they are fighting for the oppressed. We all must raise our voices from our places,
from our platforms. Like Dr. B R Ambedkar taught the oppressed to speak up against injustice.
Likewise we must go among the masses and motivate them to speak up against all kinds of injustice.
Public meeting was concluded with a resolve to struggle for release of GN Saibaba, Hem Mishra,
Prashant Rahi, Mahesh Tirki and Vijay Tirki.
Certain demands were put forward, namely:

1. Uphold the Bombay High Court’s order granting acquittal to Saibaba, Hem, Prashant, Vijay
   and Mahesh.
2. Grant compensation to Family of Pandu Narote.
3. Initiate inquiry into the custodial death of Pandu Narote and hold the officials responsible.
4. Repeal UAPA
5. Release all political prisoners.

CAMPAIGN AGAINST STATE REPRESSION