From: Shabnam Hashmi STATEMENT IN SUPPORT OF TEESTA SETALVAD SIGNATURES UPDATED JULY 23, 2015 till 5PM
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 Jawed 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, IPS, Gujarat 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 -- Peace Is Doable -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to greenyouth+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send an email to greenyouth@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
