The Background
Amidst the global COVID-19 pandemic, the arrest of two Jamia Millia Islamia students Meeran Haider and Safoora Zargar by Delhi Police has kicked up a storm. Several online petitions have been filed demanding their release.
The scholars and activists’ statement against the Delhi Police action has been signed by the likes of Swaraj India president Yogendra Yadav, activists Umar Khalid, Anjali Bhardwaj, Kavita Krishnan and Medha Patkar, besides lawyer Teesta Setalvad, among others.
There is also a joint statement released now. The statement is given below-
We the undersigned would like to draw the attention of all compatriots who believe in democracy and secularism towards a very important issue. You are quite aware of the anti CAA movement. This was an historic movement in which Jamia students and community women had come forward in defence of their constitutional rights. This movement had a major impact and significance all through our country.
After the peaceful withdrawal of this movement in the wake of the global Corona Virus pandemic, the Delhi Police has begun a retaliatory revengeful action against those who were active in this movement. In this process the Delhi Police has arrested the media coordinator of the Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) for movement against CAA, Shrimati Safoora Zargar, and another active member Meeran Haider on trumped up charges relating to the North east Delhi riots and other baseless allegations. What is particularly worrying in this entire context is that Shrimati Safoora Zargar is pregnant and in this condition she requires proper care and medical supervision. This kind of action during the lockdown due to the Corona virus is a violation of their constitutional rights. We register our strong protest in this context and demand that the constitutional rights of the two arrested leaders, Shrimati Safoora Zargar, and Meeran Haider be respected and they be released forthwith.
- President, Federation of Central Universities Teachers’ Associations FEDCUTA
- President, Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers’ Association JNUTA
- Secretary, Jamia Teachers’ Association JTA
- Jamia Teachers’ Solidarity Association JTSA
- Prof. Nandita Narain. Former President DUTA and Federation of Central Universities Teachers’ Associations FEDCUTA
- Progressive Democratic Student Union
- President/Secretary, All India Democratic Women’s Association AIDWA
- Annie Raja, General Secretary, National Federation of Indian Women NFIW
- Rushda Siddiqui, Working President, National Federation of Indian Women NFIW, Delhi Unit
- Justice Seekers Group
- Poonam Kaushik, General Secretary, Pragatisheel Mahila Sangathan, Delhi
- General Secretary, Indian Peoples’ Theatre Association IPTA
- Safdar Hashmi Memorial Trust SAHMAT
- Jan Natya Manch JANAM
- Secretary, Nishant Natya Manch
- General Secretary, All India Progressive Writers’ Association AIPWA
- General Secretary, Janwadi Lekhak Sangh JLeS
- General Secretary, Jan Sanskriti Manch JSM
- General Secretary, Kendari Punjabi Lekhak Sabha (Regd)
- President, People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), Delhi
- President, Association for Rights, Punjab
- People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), Rajasthan
- Citizens Against Hate
- Not In My Name Campaign
- Karwan-e-Mohabbat
- ANHAD
- Dr Vikas Bajpai, Progressive Medicos and Scientists Forum PMSF
- Dr. Soma KP, Researcher and Policy Analyst
- Uma Chakravarti, Feminist Historian
- Pamela Philipose, Journalist, New Delhi
- Dr. Anjali Mehta, Ophthalmologist, N.D.
- Shambhu Ghatak, Independent Researcher
- Dr. Shaweta Anand, Researcher
- Padmini Kumar, Activist, NOIDA
- Sherna Dastur, Independent Activist
- Vice President, Indian Society of Labour Economics
- General Secretary, All India Union of Forest Working People
- Kalyani Menon-Sen, Feminist Learning Partnerships
- Dr. N. Indira Rani, Researcher & Activist
- Working Committee
” NO NRC” MOVEMENT