New Delhi: Various activists and prominent personalities of different fields have issued a written statement in support of Citizens for Justice and Peace activist Teesta Setalvad. The statement reads as follows:
Romila Thapar, Admiral Ramdas, Naseeruddin Shah, Mahesh Bhatt, Nandita Das, Githa Hariharan, Aruna Roy, Jayati Ghosh, Rajmohan Gandhi, Tushar Gandhi, Vivan Dundaram, Nilima and GM Shaikh, Henri Tiphange and hundreds of other prominent artists, intellectuals and activists protest against witch hunting of Teesta and Javed.
We the undersigned express our profound dismay and disquiet at the continued official harassment by the central government of leading human rights defenders Teesta Setalvad and Javed Anand. Since the installation of the BJP led government in Delhi in May 2014, the country has witnessed open strenuous official efforts to foist a large variety of charges of financial irregularity on them, to harass them, to tarnish their reputations, and to secure their arrests. Fortunately the interventions of the higher judiciary have protected them so far. However the latest raids by the Central Bureau of Investigation into their home and offices in Mumbai on 14 July 2015 are signs of continuing open misuse of official bodies to harass these human rights defenders.
It is well-known that Teesta Setalvad and Jawed Anand have fought an unrelenting battle not only to bring to book criminals who committed gruesome hate crimes against Muslims in the carnage of 2002, but also to expose the role of the Gujarat government in enabling, abetting and even organising these crimes. They have been fearless in charging the then Chief Minister Narendra Modi, who is currently the country’s Prime Minister, with direct criminal culpability for these crimes. For this they have assisted the widow of a former MP who was slaughtered in the carnage Zakia Jafri to fight a brave court battle in which the first accused is the then Chief Minister Narendra Modi. They are also appealing against court orders to free on bail prominent political leaders of the BJP convicted of the worst massacre in Naroda Patiya, Maya Kodnani and Babu Bajrangi.
What we are witnessing is crude and defiant misuse of official bodies to beat down these human rights defenders so as to silence their voices, break their morale and divert them from their unrelenting battles in defence of justice which charge the country’s current leadership with complicity in hate crimes. The veracity of their charges will be decided in the country’s courts. But their right to fight for justice on behalf of the survivors of one of the most shameful communal carnages in the history of free India is protected by India’s democracy. The open official bullying of courageous human rights defenders even as persons charged with a range of serious crimes walk free are brazen official attempts to diminish Indian democracy. These must be powerfully resisted by all democratic voices in the country.
Endorsed by:
A R F Viegas, Engineer
Abhay Shirekar, St. Michael’s Church, Vasai, Maharashtra
AC Michael
Achin Vanaik, retired professor, Delhi University
Admiral L Ramdas
Ahmed Shekhar Mallik
Ajay Skaria, historian, University of Minnesota
Ajaya Kumar Singh, Social Activist, Odisha Forum for Social Action,
Ajith Pillai, journalist
Akhil Kang, Delhi
Ali Javed , Gen. Secretary, All India Progressive Writers Association, Delhi
Amalendu Upadhyaya, Editor- hastakshep.com
Amar Jesani
Amar Kanwar, Filmmaker, New Delhi
Amina Niloufer Hussain, social worker, Hyderabad
Amit Bhaduri, Prof Emeritus, JNU, New Delhi
Amit Sengupta, Journalist and academic
Amita Buch, academician, Gujarat
Amitadyuti Kumar, APDR, Kolkata
Amrita Shodhan
Amudhan R.P. filmmaker,media activist
Anand Patwardhan, filmmaker, Mumbai
Anand Swaroop Verma, Delhi
Angela L Viegas, Professional,Mumbai,
Anil Chamadia
Anil Kumar, Ghazipur, UP
Anil Nauriya, advocate, Delhi
Anita Ghai
Anita Roy, writer, UK
Anjali Shenoi
Anoushka L Viegas, Graduate,Mumbai,
Anu Chenoy, Professor, JNU
Anubha Rastogi, lawyer, Mumbai
Anuradha Kapoor, theatre, New Delhi
Anuradha Pati, Delhi
Apoorvanand, academician, Delhi
Arjun, Pune
Arshia Ahmed Ayub, Counselling psychologist
Aruna Burte, Feminist activist
Aruna Roy, Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS)
Arundhati Dhuru NAPM
Ashis Nandy, Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, Delhi
Ashok Bikram Jairu, Executive Director, NNSWA Central Office, Kanchanpur
Askari Naqvi
Astrid Lobo, Satyashodhak
Atul Sood, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi
Aunohita Mojumdar, Editor, Himal Southasian, Kathmandu
Ayaz Siddiqui Communication engineer
Ayesha Kidwai
Baby Sharma, teacher, Ghazipur, UP
Battini Rao, People’s Alliance for Democracy and Seculariam (PADS)
BG Kolse Patil , retd judge
Bhaskar Chatterjee, academic
Bhavna Ramrakhiani, ACF, Gujarat
Bijoya Rao
Biju Mohan, Executive Director, MBL Media School, Kozhikode
Binu Mathew, Editor
Biraj Patnaik
Brinelle D’Souza, School of Social Work, TISS, Mumbai
BRP Bhaskar, journalist, Kerala
C Drego, Private Employment, Mumbai, Maharashtra
Chaman Lal, Academic, New Delhi
Chinappan Swamydas
CV Vergis
D. W. Karuna, Historian, Chennai
Darryl D’Monte, Chairperson, Forum of Environmental Journalists of India David Selvaraj, Visthar Academy for justice and Peace, Bangalore.
Deepa, Delhi
Dhirendra Panda, Convener, Civil Society Forum on Human Rights (CSFHR)
Dilip Simeon
Dinesh Abrol, Delhi
Dinesh Mohan, Professor IIT Delhi (Retired)
Dr Indra Munshi, Former Head, Dept of Sociology, University of Mumbai,
Dr Lubna Sarwath, socio-political activist, Hyderabad
Dr St Mohamed Nazeer, professor, Chennai
Dr. Abey George, State Coordinator, NCPRI Kerala
Dr. Amrita Chhachhi, Academician
Dr. Anant Phadke, Pune
Dr. Frazer Mascarenhas, former principal, St.Xavier’s college, Mumbai
Dr. Mohan Rao , Prof, Centre of Social Medicine and Community Health, JNU
Dr. Munish Alagh. Profession: Economist, Ahmedabad
Dr. Varghese Manimala, Professor and activist
Dr.K.Subramanian, Retired Chief Scientist &Head-Chlor-Alkali Division,CSIR
Dr.Ruth Manorama, political activist, Janata Dal(secular)
Dunu Roy, Engineer, Hazards Centre, Delhi
Faiz Siddiqui Bank executive
Farah Naqvi, Writer and Activist, Delhi
Fr Maverick Fernandes, President, Council for Social Justice and Peace, Goa
Fr Savio Fernandes, Executive Secretary, Council for Social Justice and Peace, Goa.
Fr. Cedric Prakash sj, Director, PRASHANT, Gujarat
Fr. Freddy Braganca, General Secretary, Centre for Responsible Tourism, Goa
Franson Davis Manjali, Academic, JNU
G. Arunima, Associate Professor and Chair, Centre for Women’s Studies, JNU
G.M. Sheikh, Artist, Gujarat
Gabriele Dietrich, NAPM I endorse this statement
Gautam Thaker, General Secretory PUCL Gujarat
Geeta Kapur, Independent Art Writer, Delhi
Geeta Seshu, Journalist, Mumbai, Maharashtra
Geetanjali Gangoli
Ghanshyam Shah, academician, Gujarat
Ghiasuddin Akbar, Member ; Apna Watan & Help Hyderabad.
Gita Sen
Githa Hariharan, Writer
Govindasamy Sekar, Writer, Channai
Hanif Lakdawala, Social Activist, Gujarat
Harsh Kapoor,
Harsh Mander, Aman Biradari
Hartman de Souza, writer, teacher and theatre person
Helen Saldana
Henri Tiphagne, National Secretary , Human Rights Defenders Alert India
I A Siddiqui Retd engineer
Indira Chandrasekhar, Tulika Books, Delhi
Indira Jaising, Founder, Lawyer’s Collective, Delhi
Indrawati, Ghazipur, UP
Indu Prakash Singh, Social Activist, Forum Against Corruption & Threats
Iqbal Ahmad, All India People’s Front , Ghazipur, UP
Irfan Engineer, All India Secular Forum
Ishwarbhai Prajapati, Jan Sangharsh Manch,Ahmedabad, Gujarat
Jai Sen, CACIM
Javed Malik, New Delhi
Jaya Mehta ,Sandarbh Collective, Indore
Jayati Ghosh, Professor of Economics, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi
Jayati Lal, Academic, Washington, DC
Jharna Pathak, Profession: Researcher, Ahmedabad Women’s Action Group.
Joe Athialy, Activist, New Delhi
John Dayal, journalist, New Delhi
John Paul Lobo, De Nobili College, Nagar Road, Ramvadi, Pune
Joy Karyampuram
Joy Sengupta, actor, Mumbai
Jyoti Punwani freelance journalist Mumbai
Kabi Cubby Sherman
Kalapana Kannabiran, Council for Social Development, Hyderabad
Kalpana Sharma, journalist, Mumbai
Kalyani Menon-Sen , Feminist Learning Partnerships, Gurgaon
Kamal Chenoy, Prof. JNU
Kamal Faruqi, FCA, Former Chairman Delhi Minorities Commission
Kamayani Bali Mahabal, Mumbai
Khalid Azam (United States)
Kiran Shaheen, Writer and Anti Poverty Activist
Kirtana Thangavelu
Kumar Ambuj, Member of Presidium, M. P. Progressive Writers Association
Kumar Prashant, journalist, sarvodaya activist
Kumar Sundaram, India Against Hate
Kumkum Roy, New Delhi
Kunal Chattopadhyay, Academic, Social Movement Activist
L Viegas, professional,Mumbai,
Lalit Vachani, Filmmaker, New Delhi
Lalita Ramdas, social activist,Hyderabad
Lara Jesani
Lena Ganesh, Mumbai, Maharashtra.
Lynette Gomes, Computer professional,Mumbai,
M Cherian Kunjumon, Bombay Catholic Sabha, Mumbai.
M Joe Inigo
M. Chaya Ratan, IAS Retd.& Activist, Hyderabad
M. V. Ramana, Princeton University, USA
Maati Munsiari, Uttarakhand
Madhu Prasad, academician, Delhi
Mahendra Gupta, All India People’s Front , Ghazipur, UP
Mahesh Bhatt, filmmaker, Mumbai
Mahesh Daga
Malika Virdi
Mallika Sarabhai, Artist, Gujarat
Manan Trivedi, social activist, Gujarat
Mandakini Dubey, Assistant Professor of English, Ashoka University
Manisha Sethi, Jamia Teachers’ Solidarity Association.
Manoranjan Siba Sankar Mohanty
Mary Scaria
Mazher Hussain, Social Activist, Hyderabad
Md. Shafiquzzaman, Former Special Chief Secretary, Hyderabad
Meenakshi Ganguly, Mumbai
Meera Samson, Collaborative Research and Dissemination, New Delhi
Mehar, social worker, Ghazipur, UP
Meher Engineer, Independent Scientist, Kolkata, West Bengal
Mohamed Anas, Accountant, Tamil Nadu
Mohammed Ashfaq
Mohd Aamir, social activist, Delhi
Monisha Behal, Assam
Mrs Praxedes Gomes, Sr Citizen & home maker, Mumbai.
Mujahid Nafees, Education activist, Gujarat
Mukul Mangalik
Myron J. Pereira, former director Xavier Inst. of Communications, Mumbai
N.D.Jayaprakash, Social Activist, Delhi
Nandini Rao, women’s rights activist, Delhi
Nandini Sundar, Professor, Delhi University
Nandita Bhatia
Nandita Das, actor, director, Mumbai
Naresh Fernandes, Journalist.
Naseem Khan, Secretary, All India People’s Front , Ghazipur, UP
Naseeruddin Shah theatre and film actor and director
Nasiruddin Haider Khan, journalist, Delhi
Nasreen Fazalbhoy, Mumbai Maharashtra.
Navaid Hamid, MOEMIN, Delhi
Nazir Ahmad, All India People’s Front , Ghazipur, UP
Neeraj Jain, Lokayat, Pune and Socialist Party (India)
Neha Shah, College teacher, Ahmedabad
Neshat Quaiser, Dr. Associate Professor, Dep of Sociology, Jamia Millia Islamia, National Federation of Indian Women
Nikhil Dey, Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS)
Nilima Shaikh, artist, Vadodara, Gujarat
Nimisha, Vadodara
Nityanand Jayaraman, writer/social activist, Chennai
NoMore Campaign
Noorjahan Diwan, social activist, Gujarat
Noorjehan Safia Niaz, Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan
Ovais Sultan Khan, People’s Alliance for Democracy and Secularism
P. K. Datta – Teacher- Delhi University – Delhi
Padma Deosthali
Pallab Sengupta, Gen Secretary, All India Peace and Solidarity Organisation
Pamela Philipose, journalist, New Delhi
Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, Journalist, Delhi
Poorva Bhardwaj, women rights activist, New Delhi
Prabhat Patnaik, Professor Emeritus, JNU.
Prabir Purkayashta, New Delhi
Pravin Joseph Philip, Healthy Neighborhood Communications, Kerala
Preetha Nair, journalist
Prem P Verma, Jharkhand Nagrik Prayas, Ranchi
Priya Pillai, Environmental Activist , Greenpeace India.
Prof Aditya Mukherjee, Historian, JNU
Prof Mridula Mukherjee, Historian, JNU
Prof P Koya, NCHRO
Prof Rooprekha Verma, Saajhi Duniya’s , Former VC, Lucknow University
Prof. Anjali Monteiro, TISS, Mumbai
Prof. Dr. Vibhuti Patel, HOD economics, SNDT Women’s University, Mumbai
Prof. K.P. Jayasankar, TISS, Mumbai
Prof. Shohini Ghosh, Academic, Delhi.
Progressive Writers’ Association, Ghatshila, Jharkhand
Puja, Delhi
Pushpa Iyer, Associate Profesor, California.
Pyoli, Samajwadi Janparishad
R.K Pandey, asst teacher, Ghazipur, UP
R.T.Muthu, Poet, TN Progressive Writer progressive Association, Chennai
Rachana Johri
Radha Khan, Chairperson & Trustee DAJI , New Delhi
Radhika Chitkara, Partners for Law in Development
Rahul Pandey, entrepreneur and academic,Bangalore, Karnataka
Rahul Sharma, former IPS, now Lawyer, Gujarat
Rajashri Dasgupta, Kolkata
Rajeev Bhargava, academician, New Delhi
Rajesh Shrivastava, IPTA, Chattisgarh
Rajmohan Gandhi
Rakesh Aggarwal, journalist
Rakesh Sharma, filmmaker
Ram Puniyani, writer, activist, Mumbai
Ramlath Kavil
Rammanohar Reddy, Economic & Political Weekly, Mumbai
Ranbir Sinh, IPTA
Ranjan Solomon, Badayl/Alternatives, GOA
Rita Manchanda
Ritambhara, New Delhi
Ritu Dewan, President,Indian Association of Women’s Studies
Rituparna Borah, New Delhi
Robin Viegas, Hon Secretary, Bombay Catholic Sabha, Kalina Unit,
Romila Thapar, Academician
Roselle Solomon, Counselor, Regina Mundi High School, Goa
Roshmi Goswami
Ruchir Joshi Film maker
Rukmini, hillele.org
S. Hasan Kamal, South Asians for Unity, Atlanta, GA, USA
Saba Naqvi, journalist
Sachindeo Vaidya, scientist, India
Sadanand Menon – journalist, Chennai, Tamil Nadu
Saheli Women’s Resource Centre
Sandeep Pandey Socialist Party
Sanjai Sharma, Human Rights Law Network
Sanjiv Bhatt
Sarika Shrivastava (NFIW, Madhya Pradesh)
Sarojini N.B.
Sasi Mayur
Satish Deshpande, academician, Delhi
Satya Sivaraman, Journalist
Shabana Khan, advocate, Mumbai
Shabnam Hashmi, social activist, Anhad
Shahiuz Zaman Niaz
Shalini Gera,JagLAG, Chattisgarh
Shankar Singh, Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS)
Shariq Siddiqui Photography professional
Shashank Kela, Writer, Chennai
Sheba Chhachhi ,Artist, New Delhi
Shikha Sen, Editor, New Delhi
Shivani Taneja, Educationist, Bhopal, M.P.
Shruti Chaturvedi, activist
Shubha
Siddharth Varadarajan, journalist, Delhi
Sigaram Senthilnathan, senior advocate, Madras High Court, Chennai
Sita Anantha Raman, Emerita, history, Santa Clara University, California
Sofiya Khan, social activist, Gujarat
Sohail Hashmi, filmmaker
Soma Kishore Parthasarathy
Soma KP
Soma Marik — Historian, Women’s Rights Activist
Sonali Sathaye, Teacher, Madanapalli
Sonia Jabbar, Delhi
Soumya Dutta, Convenor -Bharat Jan Vigyan Jatha, India
Sqn Ldr V S Chakravarthi (rtd)
Subhash Anand
Subhash Gatade, New Socialist Initiative
Sudha Arora
Suhasini Mulay
Sukla Sen, social activist, EKTA (Committee for Communal Amity), Mumbai
Sumati Surya, scientist, India
Sumit Sarkar, Retired professor of History, University of Delhi
Sumitra, All India People’s Front , Ghazipur, UP
Suneeta Dhar, activist
Sunita Reddy
Supriya Madangarli
Surabhi Sharma, filmmaker, Mumbai
Suvrat Raju, International Centre for Theoretical Sciences, TIFR, Bangalore
Syeda Hameed, former member, Planning Commission, New Delhi
T I Siddiqui Retd bank executive
Tani Bhargava, New Delhi
Tanika Sarkar, Retired professor of History, JNU.
Tapati Guha-Thakurta
Tauseef H. Mukadam, Profession: Airline Pilot, Karnataka
Tushar A. Gandhi, Mahatma Gandhi Foundation, Maharashtra.
Uma Chakravarty, academician, Delhi
Uma V Chandru, Activist, Bangalore
Urvashi Butalia, publisher, Delhi
V.Vasanthi Devi, Chennai.
Vaibhao Ambhore
Varghese Manimala
Vasantha Surya
Vena Gowda
Vidyadhar Gadgil, Professional Goa
Vijay Rao, Social Worker, Ghazipur, UP
Vijayesh Lal, EFIRLC , New Delhi
Vijendra Yadav, All India People’s Front , Ghazipur, UP
Vineet Tiwari, Gen. Secretary, Madhya Pradesh PWA
Vinod Sharma, Ghazipur, UP
Vipin K. Tripathi, Sadbhav Mission
Vipul Mudgal, journalist and academic
Viranjeet Sandhu, student
Virendra Jain, Janwadi Lekhak Sangh, Bhopal
Vivan Sundaram, artist, Aam Aadmi Party – Delhi
Walter Fernanes, former director, North Eastern Social Research Centre, Guwahati
Waqar Kazi, social activist, Gujarat
Wilfred D’Costa, Indian Social Action Forum (INSAF), New Delhi
WSS (Women Against Sexual Violence and State Repression)
Yogendra Yadav
Yousuf Saeed, Independent filmmaker, writer, New Delhi
Yusuf B.Shaikh, Advocate
Zaffarullah Khan, Advocate, Chennai
Zakia Soman Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan
Zamser Ali, journalist, President, BTAD Citizen Rights forum
Zoya Hasan, academician, JNU
Zulekha Jabin
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