Countercurrents.org
Arundhati
Roy and several other intellectuals, writers, social activists and
common citizens from around the world demand the release of Jaison
Cooper, a well-known social activist and blogger who actively engaged in
a variety of people’s struggles in Kerala and Thushar Nirmal Sarathy, a
civil rights activist in the forefront of people’s struggles, arrested
under the draconian Unlawful Activities Prevention Act.
Jaison Cooper, a well-known social
activist and blogger, actively engaged in a variety of people’s
struggles in Kerala, India has been taken into police custody from his
office on 29 January 2015 , Thursday morning without any notice or
arrest warrant. The police who took him into custody told his colleagues
in the office that he would be released if any of his colleagues reach
the police station. Accordingly two persons working in the same office
reached the Thevara Police Station.
The police however the changed their
earlier version and told them to wait for 10 minutes as the Circle
Inspector of Police needed to have a word with them. The police then
said that Cooper will not be released and detained in the station. This
was followed by a series of police action in different parts of
Ernakulum on the same day. The residents of advocate Thushar Sarathy,
Secretary of Janakeeya Manushyavakasa Prasthanam (People’s Human Rights
Forum), advocate P.J. Manuel and artist-activist Jolly Chirayath,
Convener of Sthree Koottayma, a Kochi-based feminist collective were
raided without fulfilling any legal requirements.
The police has seized several files
connected with the cases handled by advocate Thushar from his residence.
The police also collected several books from his library, all of them
available from any bookshop. The cops took several notices and pamphlets
linked with various peoples struggles from the residences of Advocate
Manuel and Ms. Jolly. The police have also not given the receipts of the
goods seized in the raids as required under the law. The absence of a
specific seizure list by the police prepares the ground for a further
abuse of the legal framework to aid in the repression of these
activists. Moreover, it is also learnt that mobile phone and computer
records were scanned at length by the police.
On Friday, 30 January 2015, the police
had formally recorded the arrest of Cooper under the draconian Unlawful
Activities Prevention Act (section 13 b of UAPA). The police presented
him in the court at 1.30p.m. and the court granted his custody to the
police for the next six days. The police also arrested advocate Thushar
from Kozhikode the same day while he was attending a press conference
about a protest meeting by human rights activist to be held in Kozhikode
on Saturday.
It must be mentioned that Thushar
Sarathy, being a civil rights activist in the forefront of people’s
struggles has been systematically under police surveillance.
News-reports from Kerala have highlighted how he was not merely under
surveillance from the police, but he, along with Jaison Cooper, was also
included in a “Maoist look-out notice” for his participation in the
struggle against illegal quarrying carried out by the people of
Ambittantharissu village in Palakkad district. As a logical step in the
repression curve, the police have gone ahead and arrested him. These
arrests are clearly a step to criminalize every form of opinion and to
punish every act of dissent.
We, the undersigned, believe that this
police action is a well concerted political act to silence all voices
raising critical questions about the political, economical and social
issues in the country. The act of the police should be condemned by all
people believing in the freedom of expression and the right to dissent.
The incident also shows that the police in Kerala under a Congress
Regime are no different from the Hindu Fascist regimes in other parts of
the country.
We, the undersigned, place the following demands before the Chief Minister of Kerala and call upon him to:
1. Release the activists Jaison Cooper and Thushar Sarathy unconditionally
2. Punish the police officers responsible for framing and defaming people’s activists
3. Prevent the torture and intimidation
of Jaison Cooper and Thushar Sarathy as long as they remain in police
custody and to protect their right to silence and dignity.
SIGNATORIES
Arundhati Roy, Writer
Vara Vara Rao, Writer
SAR Geelani, Activist
Sanjay Kak, Filmmaker
K Satchidanandan, Poet
Sujato Bhadra, APDR, West Bengal
Bernard D'Mello, Intellectual and Writer
Dr. Anand Teltumbde, intellectual-activist, IIT Kharagpur
KP Sasi, Activist, Filmmaker, Bangalore
Monica Narula, Artist, RAQS Media Collective, New Delhi
Nandini Chandra, Faculty, Delhi University
Jayan Cherian, Filmmaker, New York
Suma Josson, Filmmaker
Tu Senan, International Convenor, Tamil Solidarity, London
Jagadish Chandra, Secretary, New Socialist Alternative, Bangalore
Arun Ferreira, Political Activist and Writer
Chittibabu Padavala, Journalist, Mumbai
Meena Kandasamy, Writer, Chennai
Mosarrap Khan, Editor, Cafe Dissensus, New York
Leena Manimekalai, Filmmaker, Chennai
Anuradha Roy, Writer
Sabitha TP, Poet, Delhi/London
Ranjitha Gunasekaran, Journalist, London
Binu Mathew, Editor, Countercurrents.org
Hany Babu, Faculty, Delhi University
Bobby Kunhu, Human Rights Advocate
MC Raj, Novelist and Dalit Activist, Tumkur
Kyoko Nakajima, Novelist, Kyoto, Japan
Amita Kanekar, Novelist, Goa
Nabina Das, Writer and Poet, Hyderabad
Priti Aisola, Writer, Canada
Prince Ennares Periyar, Writer and Film Maker, Chennai
Apurva Kulkarni, Artist and Critic, Goa
Tamil Maga Prabhakaran, Journalist- News7
Prominent signatories from Kerala
BRP Bhasker, Human right activist and Sr. Journalist
K.E.N Kunjahammad, Left Thinker
P.K. Pokker,Left Thinker
T.N. Joy, Writer, Social and Human right Activist
K.M Venugopal, Writer and CPIML liberation leader
C.R. Parameshwaran. Writer
K.S.Madhusoodanan,High Court Advo cate, Human Right Activist
K.P. Sethunath Journalist
Jolly Chirayath, Cultural and FeministActivist
Dileep Raj Writer, Social Activist
Reshma Bharadwaraj Writer, Feminist Activist
Rekha Raj Writer,Dalith, Feminist Activist
Civic Chandran Social Activist
N. Subrahmanyan Enivironmental, Aniti- Nuclear, Social Activist
C.S Murali Dalith Acctivist
Mythri Research Scholar and Social Activist
Ashalatha Poetess
Arundathi Research Scholar and Social Activist
Deepak Narayanan Director, Writer and Social Activist
Sajid Khalid Solidarity
Deepa Vasudev Social and Gender Rights Activist
Rupesh Kumar Director and Dalith Activist
Johnson Joseph Social and Gender Rights Activist
Ajith Kumar A.S Social Activist
Jenny Sulfath Research Scholar and Social Activist
Jisha Josh, Director and Social Activist
Thasni Banu, Feminist and Human Right Activist
Raja Gopal,Journalist
Chandramohan S, Poet
Maitreya Maitreyan ,Social and Gender Rights Activist
Nikhila Henry, Writer and Journalist
Poly V arghese, Musician
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