POLICE BRUTALITY AND VIOLATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS

MOHAMMAD ARSALAN

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Police brutality is not something new that has been introduced as an issue of Human Rights Violation rather it goes a way back to the history when India was under the British regime. Almost same conditions have prevailed in many parts of the world. In today’s context too many of the atrocities, torture, extrajudicial killings, fake encounters etc. are tactics used by the police in dealing with the culprits or criminals or under-trials or even the alleged or suspects. Many of the Human Rights activists, public intellectuals, academicians and even the judiciary has taken a keen concern over the misuse of Police power leading to gross Violation of Human Rights.

In the British India, Indian Police Act was introduced in 1861. This was done to give free hand to the police to subdue and repress the freedom fighters. This included arbitrary detention, lathi-charge, torture and so on. Some incidents like Jaliawala Bagh massacre could be cited as examples of lethal ambient police made in the country. Colonel Dyre on 13^th April, 1913 killed more than 380 and injured 1100+ people in a continuous firing of 10 minutes. Likewise, torture of leading freedom fighters are well known like Subhas Chandra Bose who was arbitrary compelled to break his fast, same kind of torture also happened to Bhagat Singh and his pals in jails. 

Bhagalpur Blinding is one of the deadliest incidents of Police brutality. In a series of incidents between 1979 and 1980, Police blinded 31 people by pouring acid into their eyes; in Hashimpura Massacre on May 22^nd, 1987 amid Hindu-Muslim riots in Meerut, PAC jawans rounded up 42 civilians and took them at the outskirts of Ghazaibad, shot them dead and threw their bodies in the Ganga canal. Later the bodies were recovered floating in the river. One of the prosecution witness and survivor Muhammad Usman in 2007 said “We were sorted out on the basis of our strength and physique, while elders and children were picked up and set free. The youth were grouped together and put in a yellow PAC truck.”…”was pulled out of the truck, shot at twice and thrown into the Ganga stream”; in the Muthanga Incident, while Adivasis were protesting under the banner of Adivasi Gothra Maha Sabha (AGMS) against the delay of land to be allotted to them Police on 19^th February, 2003 opened fire in which two people were dead; Ishrat Jahan, Kuasar Bi and Sohrabuddin of Gujrat were encountered by the police which raised ample of questions of credibility in the case. In these encounter cases the court also took stern action and even the then Home Minister of the state Amit Shah had to face the trial and went behind bars; on October, 2016 in Hazaribag district of Jharkhand, while Tribals were protesting against the lease of their land to NTPC police gunned down four protestors leaving 40 injured; the recent Bhopal Encounter of the alleged 8 SIMI terrorist has been questioned a lot in lacking clear evidence of truth by many sections of the society.

In Kashmir and North Eastern states of India, Armed Forces Special Power Act is implemented which directly violates the Human Rights giving special powers to police and army to detain and arrest any individual without a warrant. If one is arrested under AFSPA he/she may not be liable to be made present before the magistrate within 24 hours, nor even the relatives may see the prosecute, many of the times the suspect is also kept in a secret prison. No accountability of Policemen or the Army can be questioned under this law. Because of this law many of the innocent civilians have suffered in the Kashmir Valley and North Eastern states of India since decades. This law has been considered draconian and violates basic constitutional rights of a citizen like Right to Equality (Article 14-18), Right To Freedom (Article 19-22) and Right Against Exploitation (Article 23-14). Also this law violates the UDHR prescribed by the United Nations for the security of Human Rights of every citizen globally. AFSPA has been looked upon as a draconian law and numerous activists have been criticizing it. One of the social activists Irom Sharmila of Manipur was on hunger strike against this Act and barbarism held under the garb of this rule; Earlier this year in Kashmir after the encounter of separatist Burhan Wani, military and police used pellet guns against countries own civilian, in that turmoil more than 600 people including children and women were brutally injured and became blind. More than 100 people also got killed in police firing. This incident was strongly criticised by the civil society activists.

Likewise, there have been series of numerous incidents since decades of gross Human Rights violation, repression, suppression and so on where police have played a very crucial role. In general it has been observed that state generally gives free hand to the police, sometimes under pressure from the top hierarchy of the government to coup-up with crucial matters that is politically motivated. For the country’s civilians it’s important to become aware of their rights of arrest and other legalities of detention so that violations in custody may not take place. The supreme court of India in view to the increasing violence and torture in custody (D. K. Basu vs. State of West Bengal, 1997 AIR 1997 SC 610) has laid down 11 basic requirements and procedures that the police and other agencies have to follow for the arrest, detention, and interrogation of any person. In today’s context, different NGO’s, NHRC, social activists are taking up the issues dealing with Human Rights violation under custody. If proper awareness of rights and literacy is propagated among the people such brutalities of Police may be controlled to a greater extent.

                                     

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ROLE OF PRESS IN INDIAN FREEDOM STRUGGLE

Mohammad Arsalan

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While looking back to the history and advent of the press in India, one would realise the pivotal role newspapers have played in bringing social reforms as well as in the freedom struggle of the country. It goes way back in 1780 when James Augustus Hickey started the first Indian newspaper in Calcutta (now Kolkata) known as Bengal Gazette. Further social reformers and freedom fighters like Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Annie Basant, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, M. K. Gandhi, Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, J. A. Nehru, Shukat Ali, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad and so on started different newspapers that possessed contents paving avenues for freedom and social reform. Many philosophies and debates on freedom of press also have the history from its origin. As the newspapers were becoming influential in decoding policies and the hegemony of the then British government many laws were passed to gag the press like Vernacular Press Act 1878 under the Viceroy ship of Lord Lytton and Gagging Act by Lord Canning.  

James Hickey also known as father of journalism in India wrote fearlessly against the Government policies and mainly targeted the then Governor General of India – Warren Hastings. He used words like “The Great Moghul” and “Dictator” to describe him. He tried to expose the hidden agendas of British East India Company. In repercussion of his blunt writings he was also put behind bars for more than two years. A great educationist and founder of Aligarh Muslim University Sir Syed Ahmad Khan started two journals Tehzib-ul-Akhlaq and Aligarh Institute Gazette. Philanthropist Raja Ram Mohan Roy started first nationalist newspaper in India. Roy started Brahmanical Magazine in 1819, Brahmin Sebodhi in 1819 – a bilingual periodical, Sambad Kamudi in 1821, in the same year he also started Mirat-ul-Akhbar: a Persian newspaper. Roy was a great statesman who brought dramatic social reform in Hindu society. He abolished the draconian Sati Pratha, Roy was against the orthodoxies prevailing in the Indian societies, he firmly stood against cast system, idol-worship and challenged other social dogmas. In that era, local newspapers in Indian languages were also started like Dig Darshan in 1818 (Bengali monthly), Samachar Darpan in 1819 (Bengali weekly) and so on.

The revolt of 1857 can be seen as a vital phase in the British India as it marked a drift in Indian media. In 1857 a Hindi-Urdu publication Payam-e-Azadi was started that urged people across the country to fight against the British. Revolutionaries felt the extensive need to vocal their struggle and reach to the masses. For that matter a lot many newspapers were started after 1857 and many of them still exist today like Times of India started in 1861, Amrit Bazar Patrika in 1865, Madras Mail in 1868, The Statesman in 1875, The Pioneer in 1865, The Hindu in 1878 etc.

Seeking the influence of the newspapers in Indian freedom struggle and active circulation of it, Newspaper Act was passed 1908 and Indian Press Act in 1910. A bit of freedom was enjoyed by the Indian press till 1930. However, the press law of 1932 and Foreign Relations Act of 1932 diminished the freedom of Indian Press. Section 124-A, commonly known as sedition law was introduced in the year 1870, under this law sedition charges were slammed on many of the freedom fighters like Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Gandhi etc. for descending against the British government, they also suffered imprisonment for the same. 

Gandhi arrived in India in 1915 from South Africa. After the death of B. G. Tilak in 1920, Gandhi was given the responsibility of Indian National Congress. To propagate his views and reach the masses he started three main journals Navjeevan, Young India and later Harijan. He frankly wrote for the interest of the people and vehemently criticised the government. Later on, for that matter he also had to suffer imprisonment. Gandhi mostly articulated the topics in his journals that were vital for the interest of the nation and people. He wrote editorials on the burning topics in his journals. Gandhi was a strong supporter of freedom of press; he also advocated the idea of liberty. Gandhi argued “a newspaper justifies its existence only by the public support it received for its editorial content”. He had no advertisements in his journals; he was against the idea of selling ads. He said that weather the news if of one page it will work rather than having useless news of many pages. When Dandi March was started by Gandhi on 5^th April, 1930, the press gave full publicity and helped a lot in mass mobilization. Arbitrary detention and arrests of leaders became headlines in the newspapers at that time. The Press Ordinance Act 1930 was enacted at that time to expeditiously promulgate better control over the press keeping in view the on-going movements around the country for freedom, despite all that Salt Stayagrah became national campaign.

The Free Press Journal was born on 13^th June, 1930. By publishing the dispatches of free press news agency it kept informed the people about the on-going protest in the country. In 1933 Indian Express was started in Madras, Harijan was started on 11^th February, 1933 which advocated the idea of truth and non-violence in the country. To propagate the national struggle and work of intelligentsia among literate masses Jawahar Lal Nehru started National Herald in August 1938, Al-Hilal and Al-Balagh was started by Maulana Azad, Shaukat Ali started Hamdard and Comrade. Later on different newspapers were also added in the queue of struggle and mobilization of masses in India against the British government. The country finally was declared independent on 15^th August, 1947.

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WHY CAMPUS ACTIVISM IS IMPORTANT FOR OUR COUNTRY'S FUTURE?

MOHAMMAD ARSALAN
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At this juncture there is a stir around the country, heckled with arguments and confrontation that has occupied a foul space in the democracy. After the 2014 election victory of BJP at the Centre, many of the issues have come up that has occupied a major space in primetime debates, managing to suppress issues which are lethal and felicitous. Issues facing, farmers, the poor, Dalits, Muslims, Christians, students, tribals and so on.

Recently there have been gross human rights violation in Kashmir, where lethal guns were used against the country’s own civilians. In 2015, Akhalaq of Dadri, UP was lynched by a mob in accusation of possessing beef. On May 19, 2015, Muhammad Majloom and a minor Azad Khan, a 15-year-old-boy, were hanged from a tree by Gau Raksha Dal in Latehar district in Jharkhand. In September this year, four tribals were killed and more than 40 were injured by the state police atrocity in Hazaribag, Jharkhand when they were protesting against the land accusation by NTPC done with the consent of the BJP-ruled government.

Lakhs of farmers have committed suicide in the last two decades. Rohit Vemula, a research scholar of Hyderabad Central University became victim of campus discrimination leading to his institutional murder. Students of JNU were arbitrary detained earlier this year because of a so-called ‘anti-national’ slogans that was chanted inside campus. A student of JNU, Najeeb Ahmad has been missing for more than a month. The controversy of Najeeb’s missing broke out after a fiery talk with some right-wing groups at the hostel mess.

Likewise, there have been numerous incidents of repression, suppression, human rights violations, discrimination and so on that have occupied a big space in the country’s discourse.

Now when we see this happening, it’s highly important to understand the role of activists, students and other intellectual sections of the society. We have seen people like Irom Sharmila who was on hunger strike for more than 16 years against the draconian AFSPA Act. Teesta Setalvad has been fighting for the justice of the 2002 Gujarat riot victims in which Congress MP Ehsan Jaffery was also lynched. Arundhati Roy has been speaking and writing against the violation of human rights in Kashmir. A renowned investigative journalist Rana Ayyub has exposed many inside stories of Gujarat in her book “Gujrat Files”. And likewise there are many others who are fighting for different causes and barbarism prevailing inside the country. Almost all of them are facing different charges, trials and have threats to their lives.

At this point of time, it’s highly important for the students of different universities to join hands with all those who have been victimised and repressed in the country. History gives testimony to the fact that students have played a pivotal role in the freedom struggle of India. When Bengal was partitioned by Lord Curzon in 1905, students agitated against it in large numbers. In Gandhiji’s struggle against the Rowlatt Act of 1919, students embedded the crowd in huge numbers. In 1936, a students’ political party, All India Students’ Federation (AISF) was formed to support the INC. Even in recent days we have seen students of AMU, HCU, JNU, AU, Jadhavpur University etc. agitating in scads against the students and human rights violations in the country.

In today’s context, collective activism is the need of the hour. Identities of suppressed and repressed communities should be taken up with a humanitarian approach. It’s highly important for the students of different universities and colleges to come out on the streets and use their constitutional and democratic rights of dissent and protest.

Also, there is an immense need to stand in solidarity and support the activists who are fighting for legitimate and genuine causes in the country against the fascist tendencies and the ruling dispensation that are trying to break the secular and pluralistic character of the country. We had torch-bearers like Gandhi, Bhagat Singh, Maulana Azad, B. R. Ambedkar and countless others who propounded the idea of India. India, being the country of youth, embeds the responsibility to hold back the legacy of the makers of free India. If we go on this way, today’s youth shall be the makers of peaceful, buoyant, powerful and developed India with its rich diversity and culture, that makes it distinct in the world.

STUDENTS’ POLITICS: A RAY OF HOPE.

In this professional era, where job and education crisis is at its peak, people hardly are able to think and analyse. Trapped in amid of politics, policies and other issues which needs to be combatted to ease the way of life, It is indeed a lethal ambient which has taken shape in India since after coming of BJP into power. The RSS backed government has no doubt a huge and massive partisan nationwide but while talking about its other side its facing a huge criticism from potential sections of the country.

The JP Andolan (1975-77) in India was one phase in independent India which produced many prominent leaders in our country including two CMs of Bihar. The emergency era took a remarkable drift in the history of free India, as due to this several new parties emerged including the BJP as well. All parties were formed with the notion of “socialistic parties”. The aroma of the country was such that a revolution has taken place and the country shall shape a new modern, developed and powerful India. This also provided platform to the RSS to highjack or perhaps make their own party so that they may get into politics. Now, after around forty years things seem to be the same.

The campaigning for the BJP in 2014 Lok Sabha elections was indeed well organized with such an ambit that gave a clear nod of its triumphant over congress. The congress too didn’t perform well in its ruling tenure like every other party and faced strong epithet in the whole country. The 2G scam, colgate scam, adarsh housing society scam, price hike and so on played well in distorting the congress image. Some may even claim the mum attitude of the then PM Manmohan Singh or may be the puerile candidature of congress for Prime Minister’s post. The slogans, polarization politics, Hindu radicalization and creation of Ram Mandir were used as a paradigm to win the elections. Narendra Modi took a good chance to fill up the leadership crisis by using beautiful slogans to win over the hearts of poor people, who saw him as a ray of hope. Words like “Sabka saath sabka vikas”, “Har har Modi, ghar ghar modi”, were impeccable slogans which got spaces in the young minds, farmers and poor of the country. The masses of the country saw a ray of hope for a change and better living.

Since after winning of BJP with absolute majority in the Lok Sabha in 2014 and forming a robust government things came out to be at worst. People with the ray of hope started pondering over fifteen lakh rupees to be debited into their bank account, employment of youth, concealment of Chinees army from Arunachal Pradesh, ten heads from Pakistan and so on. When the government couldn’t do all that it started swaying new issues to counter their foul promises like “Ghar wapsi”, “Love Jihad”, Pakistan Abode etc. When this too didn’t work, escaping the minority, the government backed by the RSS took over targeting the Schedule Cast people all over the country. Many of the public intellectuals returned their Awards in critics of the fascist forces prevailing in the country with Hindutwa outfit all backed by Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.

 The centre was well going with all this until the suicide of HCU’s Dalit student Rohith Vemula, or some may calling it “institutional murder”. Rohith’s suicide in January 2016 took a massive criticism, when communication letters from HRD minister Smriti Irani to HCU-VC Appa Rao and Local MP of Hyderabad was discovered. This led to a huge outrage and mass protest against the government from all over the country. Students of prominent universities including AMU, JNU, AU etc. came out on a road protest. In between Smriti Irani was already in a breach of criticism when students were leading the “OccupyUGC” movement, where Non-NET fellowships were scraped, that is granted to the Research Scholars. In all this JNU students played an active role in tugging down the government policies and were fighting for Rohith’s Justice. The government targeted JNU which comprises of the left ideologists at its maximum. A couple of students including JNUSU president Kanahiya Kumar were arrested in connection with a programme where so-called “anti-national” slogans were chanted. The government tried all possible measures from physical violence to legal battle to debar the students and break the JNU campus but that became the cause of their own debacle.

Sedition law that comes under section 124-A, is being carried out as a British Legacy by our Government today, was charged to these students and students were arbitrary detained in the JNU row. Sedition law was imposed in the year 1870 under British Raj to debar the Indians from going against the state. Victims of this law were Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Mahatma Gandh, Bhagat Sing and many other prominent freedom fighters. Now, at this juncture, it feels the same with the impact which is stating the foul debate in the country as a "national" or "anti-national". It's a high time that we get rid of these kinds of laws which are detrimental towards democracy. These laws give a clear notion that we are still trapped in the old same pattern of British colonialism. At this era when the world is busy making satellites, discovering the universe and so on, it seems a kind of joke that we are still pondering over these foul debates.

All after the JNU row the students’ movement has again taken a rise and has caused a stir in the country, young leaders are coming out from colleges and universities, media seems to be coming back on a right track and civilians are getting to know the reality. This gives a clear remark that India is now combatting fascism and heading towards a revolutionary change. Hope, the new drift unlike 1977 promoting the left ideology may keep pace and bring out potential leaders who could fulfill the Idea of India dreamt by Ganghi, Bhagat Singh, Subhas Chandra Bose, Sukhdev, Ashfaqullah and all other prominent freedom fighters who suffered the sedition charges and gave up their life for our freedom.
#Jai_Hind #Jai_Bharat

- Arsalan Mohammad
Post Script- Views are personal, positive criticism and views accepted.

JUSTICE FOR MAGSAYSAY AWARDEE PROF. SANDEEP PANDEY

(Arsalan Mohammad, AMU)
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Professor Sandeep Pandey, a visiting faculty of IIT-BHU, Magsaysay awardee and Vice-President of socialist party has been sacked by the BoG of IITs and V-C of BHU G. C. Tripathi on charges of being a Naxalite and Anti-National. We should strongly oppose and condemn the very action laid down by the Vice Chancellor of BHU. It would have been a different affair if his expulsion would have been done on the basis of his poor teaching performance, but since he was told that he is a Naxalite and Anti-national, is a very shameful allegation put on him and gives no proper reason of his discharge.

Prof. Sandeep Pandey is a social worker and raises his voice against social inequality. He demands for social justice and women empowerment. He has been contributing towards social welfare since decades. He is a Magsaysay award winner for the enormous efforts put in by him fighting for justice. He is a man who looks forward towards the development of backward communities. He raises his voice for SCs, STs, Backward Muslims and Naxalites. He openly speaks against fascism and other social evils.

Dr. Sandeep is the Vice-President of Socialist party, this clearly describes that he is a man who believes in socialistic ideology and likewise demonstration. His activism and protests have never been violent and aggressive. He is a believer of Gandhian Ideology that promotes peace, love, brotherhood and harmony. There lies no evidence of any event of his aggressive and violent demonstration.

In a lecture that he delivered on communal harmony at AMU in September 2014, he said that “Amit Shah is desh ka sabse bada ghunda hai.” (Amit Shah is the biggest criminal of this country), this became the headlines of all newspapers and Danik Jagran published it in all editions in the country. Being an upper caste Hindu and daring to speak like this is a payment and an outcome as his dismissal. No strong evidence has been produced for his expulsion.

Sacking Dr. Sandeep hardly affects his stature and livelihood but it is a mere notion that India is heading towards communalism and injustice. The way educational institutions are being saffronized is a threat to the nation’s pluralism. A person who speaks against injustice is called an antinational and naxalite. This is the violation of Freedom of speech Under Article 19 of the constitution. 

Therefore, we must strongly oppose such actions and demand for justice for Prof. Sandeep. We feel ashamed of people like Prof. Girish Chandra Tripathi, who is an RSS associate. We demand immediate appointment of Prof. Sandeep at his last position. We demand removal of Prof. G. C. Tripathi from the post of V-C and the Board of Governors of IIT for his reprehensive and biased behaviour.