India Democratic Students’ Union Statement on the granting of bail to Comrade Hem

Yesterday the Nagpur Bench of Mumbai High Court finally granted bail to Comrade Hem, who was languishing in Nagpur Central Jail for the past two years, after he was implicated in a fabricated case by the notorious Maharashtra Police who framed him as a ‘Naxal Courier!’ Comrade Hem who suffers from disability in his left hand since his birth, was going to Prakash Amte’s hospital in Maharashtra in August 2013 for his treatment, when he was abducted by the Maharashtra police, tortured physically and mentally before his arrest was announced and he was implicated under the draconian UAPA! Taking advantage of the draconian provisions of UAPA, the police took 7 full months to even produce his chargesheet.
Hem’s bail was denied twice in the lower court, because the Public Prosecutor argued their ‘investigation’ is still on! In between as the appeal was made in the High Court, the judges allotted to his case kept getting changed (in total three judges were changed in the past one year), pushing the case back every time and delaying it inordinately! Finally when it was heard this time, the judge had no other option but to grant him bail. Com. Hem is a well known political and cultural activist. He has been consistently vocal as a student and cultural activist against exploitation, oppression and state repression. That made him a target for the fascist state, which always hunts down on activists especially cultural activists who dare to sing, write and perform and thereby spread consciousness against the anti-people policies of the state.
Moreover, by abducting and implicating Hem the state tried to build a ploy, where they further implicated Dr. G.N. Saibaba, a wheel chair bound professor of Delhi University, who is also well known for his vocal critiques of Operation Green Hunt and other anti-people measures of this oppressive state. Extending the fabricated fairy tale built around Hem, the state was set to hunt down series of such political and democratic rights activists like Saibaba and Prashant Rahi.
But however, because of the collective zeal and resolute legal and political struggles by various progressive and democratic forces, this fabrication by the police got its first jolt, as everyone who have been implicated in this case so far, were eventually granted bail by the Court. While this is a significant victory of the consistent united struggle that various progressive and democratic forces have been demanding Hem’s release the trial of his case will still go on! In the coming days we need to intensify our legal and political battle to ensure that Comrade Hem or Dr. Saibaba are acquitted of all false charges and that they along with all other political prisoners who are languishing in various jails are unconditionally released.

Vibrant protest against the unjust incarceration of Com. Hem and Dr. Saibaba took place all across the world. Last year over 50,000 postcards came from all over the world, addressed to the investigating Officer, condemning his actions and demanding the immediate release of Hem. Vibrant protests took place all across the country as well. Today when Hem has been granted bail, let us resolve to fight the tightening tentacles of fascism which is dispossessing people through unabashed corporate plunder, intensifying attacks on dalits, adivasis, religious minorities & women, snatching away the hard earned rights of the toiling masses. And on the other hand, to push through these it is ruthlessly cracking down, silencing and witch-hunting all those voices which challenge and resist such anti-people designs.