END UNJUST INCARCERATION OF COMRADE PRASHANT BOSE AND ALL POLITICAL PRISONERS

Hereby we publish an statement we have received.

On November 12, 2021, Mr. Prashant Bose, an elderly political activist from Jharkhand, and his comrade and partner, Shila Marandi, were arrested by the state police while travelling to a doctor’s appointment for a cataract procedure. Since then, despite being in critical health and being close to 80 years old, he has been imprisoned in a Jharkhand jail. He is a veteran political activist who has participated in and led several peasant uprisings in states like Bengal, undivided Bihar, and subsequently Jharkhand and Bihar.

We believe that although one may disagree with a certain political ideology, they should never be criminalised for adopting an ideology that differs from the State’s. Rather than releasing this elderly man, the government has been pressing cases against him one after another, thus putting him behind bars for years at a time without a trial. This strategy effectively negates the supreme court’s dictum, “bail is rule, jail is the exception”, and thereby the Indian State has been transforming the legal process into substantive punishment.

Furthermore, it is inhumane on the part of the State to detain an octogenarian and keep him in prison. Based on information gleaned from several news outlets, Mr. Bose is afflicted with multiple conditions such as hypertension, paralysis, and others, which render him unable to even stand independently. We are aware that jail infrastructure is completely unfit for such elderly and sick people to conduct normal lives. This implies that detaining such individuals actually reduces their right to life guaranteed by the constitution. We have already lost Father Stan Swamy as a result of the State’s indifference to letting him live a life of dignity.

A number of United Nations declarations on senior/ageing citizens (being affirmed by the Government of India) highlight the growing population of older prisoners and urge the nations to rethink the concept of care and custody of these “forgotten minority”. This perspective questions the “iron law of correction” and urge the nations to release the old, ageing and ailing prisoners with immediate effect. Therefore, viewing from this perspective too, any further incarceration of Mr. Bose (and others) is a gross violation of the international human rights law in regard to senior citizen-prisoners. Apart from this, The DIG of Jharkhand Police did not allow his relatives to visit him during the initial 3 months of his incarceration period. This is totally unconstitutional and goes against all the national and international jail codes. Neither the relatives, nor the civil rights activists are allowed to visit Mr. Bose.

India is increasingly moving towards becoming a fascist state, with police enforcement and complete subjugation to the dictatorship of the Brahmanical Hindutva forces. Draconian laws like UAPA, which are modernised reenactments of laws like the colonial Rowlatt Law, have been woven into the Constitution. The Indian State, in a desperate attempt to stifle all voices of dissent, has launched an all out attack on all progressive and democratic forces.

We, the undersigned organisations, demand the immediate and unconditional release of Prashant Bose and all political prisoners.

India:

1. All India Students’ Association

2. All India Revolutionary Students’ Organisation

3. Revolutionary Students’ Front, West Bengal

4. Democratic Youth Student Association, West Bengal

5. Progressive Democratic Student Federation, West Bengal

6. Committee for Release of Political Prisoners, West Bengal

7. Sangrami Krishak Manch, West Bengal

8. Association for Protection of Democratic Rights, West Bengal

9. Asansol Civil Rights Association, West Bengal

10. Bandi Mukti Committee, West Bengal

11. Jharkhand Council for Democratic Rights, Jharkhand

12. Viplava Rachayitala Sangham (Virasam), Andhra Pradesh

13. Andhra Pradesh Civil Liberties Committee, Andhra Pradesh

14. Forum Against Repression, Telengana

15. Telengana Civil Liberties Committee, Telangana

16. Naga Peoples Movement for Human Rights, Nagaland

17. Committee for Protection of Democratic Rights, Tamil Nadu

18. Students Uprising Movement for Social Welfare, Tamil Nadu

19. Revolutionary Students and Youth Front, Tamil Nadu

20. Makkal Adhikaram, Tamil Nadu

21. Makkal Adhikaram, Pondicherry

22. Moolvasi Bachao Manch, Chattisgarh

23. Students For Society, Punjab

24. Association For Democratic Rights, Punjab

25. Association For Democratic Rights, Haryana

26. Bhagat Singh Chhatra Ekta Morcha, Delhi

27. Revolutionary Students League, Delhi

28. Campaign Against State Repression, Delhi

29. Dayar-i-Shauq Students Charter, Delhi

30. Parivartankami Chhatra Sangham, Delhi

31. Ambedkar Students Association, Delhi

32. Moolnibasi Student Youth Front, Odisha

33. Moolnibasi Literature Club, Odisha

34. Democratic Students Association, Kerala

35. Porattom, Kerala

International

36. International League of People’s Struggle

37. International Committee to Support People’s War in India

38. All Burma Federation of Students Unions, Myanmar

39. Revolutionary Students Union, United States of America

40. All Nepal National Independent Students’ Union (Revolutionary), Nepal

41. Revolutionary Student Youth Movement, Bangladesh

42. Yeni Demokrat Gençlik, Turkey

43. Progressive Students Collective, Pakistan

44. League of Filipino Students, Philippines

45. Young Communist League, Switzerland

46. Marxist Students Collective, England

47. Young Revolutionaries/League of Young Revolutionaries, France

48. Unity Campaign for the Liberation of Georges Abdallah, France

49. The Red CRI for the Defense of Revolutionary Prisoners, France

50. The Committee of Actions and Support for the Struggles of the Moroccan People, France

51. Action for the Democratic Rights of the People, Austria

52. Revolutionary People’s Student Movement, Brazil

53. Red Unity – Revolutionary Youth League, Brazil

54. People’s Dawn, Brazil

55. Red Mangue, Brazil

56. People’s Student League, Brazil

57. People’s Women’s Movement, Columbia

58. Student Movement Serving the People, Columbia

59. Red League, Germany

60. Kämpfende Jugend Bremen, Germany

61. Roter Aufbruch Dresden, Germany,

62. Roter Ring [Braunschweig], Germany

63. Rote Jugend Rostock, Germany

64. Rote Jugend Mittelfranken, Germany

65. Struggle Committee, Norway

Periodicals:

66. Partizan, Turkey

67. Nazariya – Kal Ka, India

68. Towards A New Dawn, India

69. Burning Ballot Box, America

70. Serve the People, Vietnam