THE FEARED, BOOK LAUNCH
This book, that features conversations with 11 Political prisoners was launched on February 27, 2025
This was a memorable book launch. I couldn’t have asked for any better, as all those who believe in constitutional rights and have defended in their own ways had come to speak of my book. The chief guest was Justice BN Srikrishna, Senior Advocate Aspi Chinoy and Ramu Ramnathan, writer and poet. Also, two friends, journalist, Nachiket Kulkarni and Sanober Keshwaar, who practiced and has been teaching law was the moderator.
At the outset we need to understand who and why do people become prisoners of conscience or popularly known as political prisoners? These are opponents, termed as political opponents. They are NOT all politicians. Some are members of opposition parties, most are from amongst us, those with a conscience who want to make a positive difference in our society, empower those who are not even aware of their basic rights and help them to assert their rights. They are the ones changing the dynamics because they are questioning government policies and decisions that is creating this rift in our society. Now they can be home makers, publishers, authors, lawyers, activists, trade union leaders, doctors and more. They are then booked under various draconian laws and are forced incarcerations for long periods of time, which take a toll on the prisoners and their loved ones. They suffer on various levels, emotional, physical, financial and most of all, it takes a toll on their mental health.
At the book lunch, Nachiketa Kulkarni, a journalist who introduced the theme and told us why firstly we have political prisoners. “Let me say it clearly, this issue (political prisoners) is directly linked to the coercive character of the state. Also, the false incarceration is a disciplinary device used by the state against ‘unruly deviants’. We would like to place here, it is a feature of the state, be it any government. This situation has been carried on post colonial times even after independence, to understand the history of this mindset and the draconian laws. (MISA, TADA, so on) The intensity and the instances of this device used has increased since a decade. (UAPA, new severe sections in sedition law).” He pointed out that even Nehru had said he had put Communists in jail and few in the Parliament, which shows us the precedence of putting political opponents in jail existed since those times.
This is exactly what my book highlights, the roots of the modern day disposition lies in the laws implemented and a mindset that existed against sort of opposition, moreover against the Communist ideology.
In these cases it is also evident, that bail as a right has been flouted “We see the civil liberties and rights of the Constitution are underscored when opponents are imprisoned,” said Nachiket.
Sanober Keshwaar, moderated the session, introducing the speakers, J. BN Srikrishna, Sr Adv. Aspi Chinoy and Ramu Ramnathan, writer, poet.
Sanober highlighted the role J. Srikrishna has played in inquiring the Bombay riots that occurred immediately after demolition of Babri masjid on December 6, 1992. ‘We are proud of that. His report was an extremely brave: he pointed out that police played a role in the riots. He indicted police including a former police commissioner, which is not a small thing. He restored the faith of minorities in vigilance and justice at a time when it was at the lowest. He also exemplifies the difference between belief and bigotry. As a practising Hindu, he didn’t hesitate to indict Hindutva leaders for the wrong they have done. For that we salute him.
She introduced the towering senior advocate of the Bombay HC, Aspi. He has focused on constitutional administrative law matters, commercial matters and many PILs. He has also quashing of matters involving civil rights defenders like sr advocate Indira Jaisingh and Anand Grover. He was also the counsel for Tessta Setalvad’s anticipatory bail. He also appeared in the case against the beef ban. He has also appeared in matters for protecting the environment.
Ramu Ramanathan, playwright, poet and writer. His plays include 3, Sakina Manzil, Cotton 56 polyester 84, among his masterpieces. His poems include, my encounters with a Peacock. His latest play is close to our hearts, Mumbai Murmurings.
J. Srikrishna: I read the manuscript in digital format and I can say, this is the reason why we cannot go around proudly saying we are great democracy. Power does not reckon a challenge and laws do not protect the intellectual. He then speaks of bail, which is an undertaking and formalities regarding it. “Laws that we have today where people are incarcerated for years together without any reasonable time frame. It is punishment for advocating a contrary view.”
“When I read through the manuscript in if whatever said in it is true, it is sorry state of affairs.” He then narrated his experience of reading on Karl Marx and his father’s reaction to it. The point he was making, whatever your belief maybe, it doesn’t mean the contrarian view is wrong.
He then reminded the people of the inquiry commission which he was heading after the Bombay riots which occurred in Bombay (now Mumbai) from the day after the demolition of Babri masjid, which continued till 1993. He had called the then CM Manohar Joshi to the witness box. J. Srikrishna said, “I insisted to personally cross examine him. What is Hinduism I asked him. He said he didn’t know and asked me. I said Hinduism for me is a means to attain moksha, Salvation. (Freedom from the cycle of rebirth). Hinduism for you is a means for obtaining political power. He promptly said, absolutely true. This has gone on record.” He said this a distinction has to be made when a religious doctrine is used for the purpose of capturing political power.
“I am a Hindu but that does not mean I hate a person who’s not Hindu or put him behind bars. These political prisoners are not convicted of any criminal charges but still continue to languish in jails. Even if a person is convicted, he does not cease to be a human, even though a few constitutional rights might be restricted,” he said.
He concluded saying the issue raised in the book “Is close to my heart.”
Sr. Advocate, Aspi Chinoy: “The book shines light on two matters. Political prisoners and prisoners of conscience and the absolutely subhuman conditions of Indian jails, which we as people tend not to look at. Because we think that we will never end up there. But it is so bad that any self-respecting civilised country can’t have such horrible sub-human jail system.”
“Political prisoners are really a context of political offenses essentially. These are offenses created withing special laws like TADA, MISA, UAPA and so on. They are designed to keep people in jails. They have special provisions as to burden of proof. special provisions as to bail, designed to ensure, even if you are innocent, you wont come out for 4-5 years. And these laws conflict political agitation or support for the poor with terrorism and Naxalism or Maoism. A conflation that legitimizes in the eyes of the state what they do to these people. These flaws provide for new hierarchy of laws, new procedures and harsh brutal treatment in jail. Under these laws, people are incarcerated for number of years, denied bail, for what? For holding or propagating political beliefs. For standing for the rights of poor and the marginalized, specially Dalits. The methodology undoubtedly seems to be to stifle dissent and social activism by using special laws, prolonged detention without a trial, to deal with such political activists. He then listed out the accused arrested in the Bhima Koregaon case, Gautam Navlakha, Adv Sudha Bharadwaj, Varavara Rao, poet, ProfEnglish literature. Arun Ferreira, practicising lawyer, Vernon Gonsalves, gold medalist from Bomaby University in Commerce, Accounts officer in Siemens. Do these people sound or look like terrorists to you? It is amazing. Its only our system you give a dog a bad name. There is a consistent pattern and history of the police targeting the human rights activists. incarcerating them by filing falsely baseless cases that are never going to survive the trial. A target persecution is meant to strike fear among the human rights lawyers, activists and writers to deter them from doing what I think law, justice and their conscience requires them to do. And it doesn’t deter the police of the state that you invariably get acquitted. VV Rao, had 25 cases against him, 13 ended in acquittal, 3 in discharge and 9 in the withdrawal of the prosecution. He has not been convicted in any case. Arun Ferreira acquitted in all the 11 cases. Vernon acquitted in 17 of the 19 cases in which he was accused, discharge application pending in 1 and appeal pending in the 2nd. It doesn’t bother them that you are ultimately not going get convicted, The objective isn’t to convict you. The objective is to decay you and chuck you into a hole from which you wont emerge for five years.
Even the SC Judge, Chandrachud said in the Bhima-Koregaon case, nothing produced before him remotely supported the charges that were said to be brought. He further said, recording of finding of the allegations against these activists is taking liberties with truth. The state is omnipresent.
Second part: I definitely associate jail with criminals. I will say I did not give much of a second thought to the way people are treated once in jail. The only positive consequence of this incarceration is: the incarcerations of these political activists is they are educated and have articulated and were ready to tell us of their experiences in jail. It forces us to focus us on the absolutely atrocious state of Indian jails which we tend to overlook. Let us accept, most of us survive on things we can’t cope. One of which is what happens behind bars. So we live our lives hoping we never go to jail and we try not to look at what happens in a jail. Neeta’s book shines a torch on the way these political activists are treated. Who have been treated better than most people in jails. The harassment and the torment they undergo. Can you imagine what is must be for the ordinary people who are poor and have no recourse. Whose stories no one is interested in and to remain there for years, brutalized. They are jailed in filthy cells, given no beds or chairs, at the most a cot. Most times a mattress is denied. When a mattress is given as Neeta’s book points out, it is filthy and torn. The amount of space in a cell is just enough for a person to sit like a sardine next to each other. He narrates examples of Anand Teltumbe, Arun Ferreira, Fr, Stan Swamy. The conditions in jail are sub-standard is an understatement, it is hell. We look not at the hell becuase we hope we never have to go. This book makes us look at it, No civilised society can permit such a prison system and call itself a civilized society. They are grossly over-crowded and are like concentration camps. Then we are all appalled by the conditions of German concentration camps. Why don’t we have a look at Taloja or Yerawada or Tihar jails and see how bad it is. It borders on a concentration camp. The food is unhealthy, unhygienic and inadequate. When I read this book I realized how bad things are and it has been great to shining the light on this. If we fail to look at these problems and don’t do something about it, we deserve in time to be condemned. Theses problems don’t go away because we don’t look at them. They actually increase in magnitude . From the political activists it comes to the average people. There will come a time where if we don’t something about it we are all going to be subjected to these inhuman incarceration principles in the same hell holes. We must shout form the roof tops, a civilized cannot treat its political activists in this manner. A civilised Indian society when we talk of our ancient culture cannot incarcerate people in hell holes which are slightly better than concentration camps.
Ramu Ramnathan: Another reason one offered to do the launch is, what shines through a couple of things that were alluded by both legal luminaries, the world is their country, the mind is their church and to do good is their religion and yet this is the kind of incarceration they encounter. The other reason I mentioned Susan Abraham, is the warning she had given.I think is one of the best things that happens when a book of this nature is published is, they are constantly warning us. They are warning us about the title. Another thing about Susan’s warning, you had warned us 22 years ago. Unfortunately at that time even though the conscience keepers of our society were warning us, we were not very attentive in listening to what these warnings were. I’m just going paraphrase because I had written it down. It matters not the size of power. It was in connection how omnipotent and how omnibus-powerful the regime is. She said, it matters not the size of the power, we constantly need to be vigilant. The rights of man will never be defended by governments. It will always be fought by the people. And I think that’s what this book reminds us that the fight is continuous one.
The other reason why this book is important. There are many who believe a dog is a man’s best friend, But I believe a book is a man’s best friend. that is in a sense what the 11 interviews in this book do because they spotlight the figures who we are constantly trying to brush under the carpet. So we live in a society of amnesia. We live in a society where we have forgotten. There will never be any memory of these 11 people are; there will be no date that will honor these people. They’ll never be taught in school, and whatever they represent, will always be obscured, it will always be occluded it will constantly be obliterated. And therefore the book is important, because it reminds us of what they are fighting for. One of the things they are fighting for is human right and some of the things that were spoken about which i wont get into. In a sense I will call this book what Yeats used to call it, the book of the people. (The Book of the People, is a collection of poems by W.B. Yeats, specifically the 1897 collection The Secret Rose). It is voice of the people and therefore it becomes very important. My only complain with Neeta was, which I think I told her, instead of 11 interviews there should have been 89 more, 100 interviews. Instead of 240 pages it should have had another 1700 pages, 2000 pages. I think it is reminder of that which we are all so eager to forget.
I mentioned Susan’s foreshadowing because I am a poet and writer. I will dwell on why the book is important and why voices of conscience are so critical. There are other books apart from Neeta’s and of course the books of the masters. There are the great classics. This is what a theocratic or religious state is always afraid of, literature and works. Because, words can topple regimes and literature can topple tyrants and that is something they always fear. That is why when such a book, big/small is published, there are always jitters. When I got this book, I was simultaneously reading a book by Joseph Frank. He is a literary critique who has written a short biography on Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky, who used to be the greats in the 19th century. The interesting thing about Frank is, his biography on Dostoevsky is 5 volumes. I was reading Neeta’s book in the morning and before going to bed I was reading Joseph Frank on Michailovich Dostoevsky. And somewhere the two worlds in a way were clashing and colliding. So imagine 29th century Russia, there is a Tsar there is serfdom, there is illiteracy, there are people being jailed because they are being under surveillance and of course the net result of all this is, a very young Dostoevsky like a lot of people in the book, goes to prison at the age of 23-24. This is 1948-49 Russia. And the first one year he is in a prison in St Petersburg. When I was reading that and when I read the accounts of what was transpiring in Tihar or in Taloja in anda cells, I realized what Dostoevsky went through for that one year in St Petersburg is very similar to what was happening now. There are parallels of inhuman conditions, oppression, etc. (He continues..) 1 year in St Petersburg, 4 years in Siberia. Not much has really changed. He suffered from epilepsy which for some reason in prison disappeared. It is thanks to people like Dostoevsky, we understand something about what the human body and the mind went through. There were two specific reasons why Dostoevsky goes to jail and again you see the patterns between Tsars there and what is happening here. We begin to realize human society is moving in cycle and the degree of oppression. It hasn’t lessened, it has only multi-four times multiplied. He speaks of Belinsky writer and Gogol. Gogl said, Russian people are most religious in the world. Dostoevsky reads out the letter and he is called all the things that the 11 political prisoners who Neeta has interviewed, are talked about.
He then speaks of Mikhail Petrashevsky, who set up a secret society and he was combating against four things that are mentioned in this book - abolishing of censorship in whatever form, reform of the judicial system because that determined the destiny of 60 million Russians, liberation of the Serbs, 12 million people were suffering oppression under the Tsar. He felt it in Russia things were going the same way as in absolutism as in France under Napolean, etc. Military and clerical despotism. Dostoevsky was important in these secret meetings. Then there is a police spy and excellent reports. On April 22, a meeting convened after which Dostoevsky was arrested. He learned important lessons, he wrote he is giving us the lessons. His experiences in jail. If i copy paste paragraphs of that book and insert in this book, it is the same. Nothing has changed.
In India we understand the myth (Rupak) is the real. Mahakumbh, taking a dip at the meeting point of 3 rivers. There are 2 rivers and the third river is the rupak, Dostoevsky realised that. He has to talk of these myths in a better and superior way. Like the 11 interviews discuss, he discusses the concept of rights. The rights belong to everyone. There is no notion of divine rights. There are no divine rights for people in power.
The book is a cautionary tale and I strongly advocate that all you purchase a copy of this. It is about seditious assertations but there is hope. I say hope because when you turn to the last pages is, one of the mistakes the lesson Dostoevsky teaches us and Neeta teaches us through these 11 interviews is that, one of the mistakes the people in power make, is that they consider whoever they imprison to be weak or they consider them to be stupid. The British empire paid a very high price for this folly, the question that remains is that at the end of the book, what is the fate of the present dispensation that’s the question you ask.
The Feared: conversations with 11 political prisoners is published by Yoda Press, with Simon & Schuster India. This launch was held thanks to the Mumbai Press Club along with the publishers.
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