for Saibaba - obituary

 

Professor Saibaba has left us who carves a permanent niche amongst the crusaders for emancipation of mankind-Harsh Thakor

Professor G N Saibaba has left us, which is a mortal loss to the Indian democratic movement. One of the best ever sons of our land has left us. Memories of my encounters with him, will leave a permanent place in my heart.

Unquestionably he was one of the boldest voices, sharpest intellectuals and most courageous crusaders against the tyranny of proto-fascism of which he himself was a victim. Saibaba is manifestation of how those who represent or manifest the aspirations of the wretched of the earth are criminalised and subjected to brutal terror. Saibaba may have physically perished but his soul still lives in the oppressed masses of India, whether in the forests, plain areas or cities, who shimmer the spark of resistance against corporate sponsored fascism.

Indirectly, he was killed within the prison bars itself, by the inhuman treatment he received at the hand of jail authorities., violating al norms of human rights.

The 57-year-old succumbed following post-operative complications after undergoing surgery for gallbladder stones. The wheelchair-bound Saibaba had been undergoing treatment at Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences in Hyderabad, where he was admitted 10 days ago due to ill health. His aides said he suffered a heart attack around 8 pm and was declared dead at 8:30 pm.

Saibaba was acquitted by the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court on March 5, nearly 10 years after he was first arrested in an alleged Maoist link case. He was arrested along with some others on May 9, 2014, by Gadchiroli Police in Maharashtra on allegations that they were members of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist) and its frontal organisation Revolutionary Democratic Front.

Cause of death of Saibaba

Speaking to The Indian Express, Deepak Kumar, a close family friend who helped the family take care of Saibaba and who was also a part of the Defence Committee that was campaigning for his release, said, “I dropped him at the airport in Delhi on September 18. Two days before this, he was suffering extreme pain in the gallbladder. We took to a hospital in Vasant Kunj and also to AIIMS but we finally decided to admit him to NIMS in Hyderabad as we had family there and thought it would be a time taking procedure.”

“He always spoke about getting his health better and getting back to his work for human rights. He also wanted to teach. His gallbladder was removed early this month; the surgery was successful and he was recovering. When I last spoke to him on October 6, we sounded alright. He asked me about a recent protest I had held, but his health started to derail around October 7,” Kumar said, adding that Saibaba had been having fever since Friday night.

The death of former Delhi University professor G N Saibaba was partly a result of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, which allows accused to be kept in prison for lengthy periods, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi said.

“Prof Saibaba’s death is also deeply concerning. His death was also partly a result of the UAPA that allows cops to keep you in prison for lengthy periods without any evidence, the Hyderabad MP said.

Unquestionably he was one of the boldest voices, sharpest intellectuals and most courageous crusaders against the tyranny of proto-fascism of which he himself was a victim. Indirectly, he was killed within the prison bars itself, by the inhuman treatment he received at the hand of jail authorities., violating al norms of human rights. Saibaba is manifestation of how those who represent or manifest the aspirations of the wretched of the earth are criminalised and subjected to brutal terror.

Dr Saibaba, hailed from Amalapuram in Andhra Pradesh’s Konaseema district. He taught English Literature at DU from 2003 up to his termination in 2014.

Saibaba may have physically perished but his soul still lives in the oppressed masses of India, whether in the forests, plain areas or cities, who shimmer the spark of resistance against corporate sponsored fascism.

Crusader against Oppression in all fields

In his political career Sai waged battles in diverse spheres, be it amongst the tribals, peasantry, students’ Muslim minorities, Dalits, Kashmiri people etc. No voice in our country as boldly spoke out against the tyranny of Operation Greenhunt, where he linked the menace of globalisation with displacement and resistance of Maoist forces. Sai was also one of the most relentless fighters for the self determination of the Kashmiri people and for opposing capital punishment to Afzal Guru. He played a ground breaking and pivotal role in defending all the mass movements against tribal displacement ,be it on Orissa, Chattisgarh, or Jharkhand. Sai also played an instrumental role in shaping the resistance for civil liberties, most intensively combating the black laws. With relentless spirit, he stood by all the struggles waged by students from privatisation, fee hikes to freedom on the campuses. Saibaba was one of the staunches advocates of caste annihilation, banging every nail in the wall to extricate dogmatism or mechanical approach towards caste question and integrating caste aspect with class struggle. Painstakingly, he dipped ink in analysing caste oppression.

I will always cherish the role he played in steering the All India campaign against State repression in Bihar, Jharkhand, Punjab and Andhra Pradesh , which was one of the most effective of it’s kind in combating the brutality of state repression and defending the organised movements of the genuine Communist revolutionary forces, particularly in the agrarian sphere.

Theoretical Mastery

Even if he denied personal affiliation Saibaba was one of the most fervent admirers of the CPI(Maoist), and most logically in an interview, defended it’s formation in 2004 as a landmark in the history of liberation. No intellectual as lucidly and logically summed up the genesis of the Maoist movement from the days of Naxalbari, and how areas of resistance struggle or guerilla zones sprouted. With intensive depth Sai summarised how peoples power was established in Janatana Sarkars.In Sai’s view the self-criticism document of the Andhra Pradesh State Committee in 1977 chartered by Kondalpalli,Seetharamiah rectified all errors of the past, like abandoning mass organisation and mass movements and carrying out ‘individual annihilation.’

Saibaba in talks and writings most acutely analysed why India was semi-feudal and why important aspects of Chinese path were still important for the Chinese revolution.

I his view fascism in India would take a different form from the classical forms, earlier in Italy and Germany.

As the editor of ‘People’s Resistance’ from 1996-2003, Saibaba with utmost consistency and resilience defended revolutionary resistance struggles encompassing India. amongst peasantry and the nationality struggles of the people of Kashmir.

Role as a leader

First as secretary of the All India Peoples Resistance forum and then as deputy head of the Revolutionary Democratic Front, Saibaba steered the democratic contingents, in the darkest of waters. He was instrumental in the success of the AIPRF conference in Sangrur in 2000 and earlier the International Seminar on nationality question in Delhi., in 1996.Inspite of being mercilessly hounded by the state. Sai was able to steer RDF to stage programmes opposing state repression in all departments and in staging programmes in solidarity with anti-imperialist movements. Democrats should applaud the successful staging of the first ever conference of the Revolutionary Democratic Front in Hyderabad in 2012, in March, which was subsequently banned. Earlier state level conferences were held by RDF , facing the most intensive brutality of state terror., in regions like Uttarkhand, Jharkhand, Orissa, Bihar, Telengana and Andhra Pradesh.

In Prison and impact

In months confined behind prison bars Saibaba battled with the relentless spirit of an iron man, resurrecting the resilience and courage of the bravest revolutionaries in history. His jail poems and writings manifested the spiritual and creative dimension of a revolutionary prisoner. Inspite of being subjected to the most merciless tormentation and degrading conditions, his spirit was never quelled and he never yielded or bowed down to the authorities. His writings reveal the inner transformation which he underwent in jail, like a new man being born.

The organised resistance to secure release of Saibaba from 2014 onwards, will carve a permanent niche in the annals of democratic movements against proto-fascist repression. It encompassed a most diverse range of trends, be it Marxists, Ambedkarites or Gandhians.He won the admiration and won the awe of progressive people world over with protests ranging from London ,New York ,Brussels , Holland, Rome, Madrid ,and Paris, to secure his release.

Drawbacks

In my view, Saibaba was unable to perceive or redress question of lack of sufficient democratic functioning within the Revolutionary Democratic Front and mass organisations within it or enable it to extricate from sectarian trends from the past.by broadening scope of the democratic movement at large.He did not diagnose the infections still prevailing within the movement and the Maoist party.

Harsh Thakor is freelance journalist .Met Professor Saibaba numerous times in Delhi from 2012-2015.