Janhastakshep strongly condemns the Chhattisgarh Government and its police force for filing of a criminal case against academics and political activists Prof. Nandini Sunder of Delhi University and Prof. Archana Prasad of JNU along with human rights activists who investigated human rights abuses in Bastar and Dantewada districts of Chhattisgarh. The team visited these areas between 12th May, 2016. The team was accused of supporting Maoists and the State Home Minister branded them anti national. The fact is that the academicians was investigating into violence unleashed on tribals by a vigilante group enjoying patronage and protection by the police and the government. These academicians are framed by the state police for their alleged role in murder of Shyam Nath Baghel of Nama village. It is a crude attempt to harass and intimidate anyone who questions the police narrative and brings to public domain the true picture of atrocities and violence unleashed by state sponsored vigilante groups on poor tribals under the garb of maintaining law and order by dealing with the Naxal threat. This attempt to implicate Prof Sundar and Archana Prasad is part of a strategic design to silence anyone who does not accept police version of events. It seems that the state police, especially the IGP Bastar range, S R P Kalluri have been unnerved by the report filed by CBI in the Supreme Court, stating that the Chhattisgarh police had burned more than 160 adivasi villages in the state.

We condemn the attempt to muzzle the voice of dissent that exposed the cover up of atrocities committed on the tribals who suffer silently as the true information does not come out. In the present case it is evident that the establishment nurses deep seated animosity against Prof. Nandini Sunder who fought a case in the supreme court against the atrocities committed by Salwa Judum, the earlier vigilante group patronized and protected by the police. As a result of the case the government was forced to declare Salwa Judum as an illegal organization. The filing of this case is a blatant attempt by the police to seek revenge. Janhastakshep demands that the cases be withdrawn forthwith and the investigation into the murder, for which Prof Sundar and Prasad have been implicated, be handed over to a competent agency with integrity under the direction of the supreme court.

Janhastakshep calls upon all justice loving and democratic sections of the society to boldly come out against the attempts of the Bhartiya Janata Party and its governments at the Centre and in Chhattisgarh to cow down, intimidate and silence any form of democratic opposition.

s/d s/d
Ish Mishra Vikas Bajpai
(Convener) (Co-Convener)
PRESS RELEASE

Hastakshep