A joint statement condemning the arrests of Jamia Research Scholars, Meeran Haider and Safoora Zargar has been released by a group of human rights watchers, civil societies and university communities including Teachers’ Association of Jamia Millia Islamia and Jawaharlal Nehru university. Statement slams Delhi Police on their ‘retaliatory revengeful action’ agaisnt the active faces of Anti-CAA protests in Jamia. Meanwhile Meeran Haider has been sent in 14 days judicial custody.
Read the statement:
“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.”
1. President, Federation of Central Universities Teachers’ Associations FEDCUTA
2. President, Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers’ Association JNUTA
3. Secretary, Jamia Teachers’ Association JTA
4. Jamia Teachers’ Solidarity Association JTSA
5. Prof. Nandita Narain. Former President DUTA and Federation of Central Universities Teachers’
Associations FEDCUTA
6. Progressive Democratic Student Union
7. President/Secretary, All India Democratic Women’s Association AIDWA
8. Annie Raja, General Secretary, National Federation of Indian Women NFIW
9. Rushda Siddiqui, Working President, National Federation of Indian Women NFIW, Delhi Unit
10. Justice Seekers Group
11. Poonam Kaushik, General Secretary, Pragatisheel Mahila Sangathan, Delhi
12. General Secretary, Indian Peoples’ Theatre Association IPTA
13. Safdar Hashmi Memorial Trust SAHMAT
14. Jan Natya Manch JANAM
15. Secretary, Nishant Natya Manch
16. General Secretary, All India Progressive Writers’ Association AIPWA
17. General Secretary, Janwadi Lekhak Sangh JLeS
18. General Secretary, Jan Sanskriti Manch JSM
19. General Secretary, Kendari Punjabi Lekhak Sabha (Regd)
20. President, People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), Delhi
21. President, Association for Rights, Punjab
22. People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), Rajasthan
23. Citizens Against Hate
24. Not In My Name Campaign
25. Karwan-e-Mohabbat
26. ANHAD
27. Dr Vikas Bajpai, Progressive Medicos and Scientists Forum PMSF
28. Dr. Soma KP, Researcher and Policy Analyst
29. Uma Chakravarti, Feminist Historian
30. Pamela Philipose, Journalist, New Delhi
31. Dr. Anjali Mehta, Ophthalmologist, N.D.
32. Shambhu Ghatak, Independent Researcher
33. Dr. Shaweta Anand, Researcher
34. Padmini Kumar, Activist, NOIDA
35. Sherna Dastur, Independent Activist
36. Vice President, Indian Society of Labour Economics
37. General Secretary, All India Union of Forest Working People
38. Kalyani Menon-Sen, Feminist Learning Partnerships
39. Dr. N. Indira Rani, Researcher & Activist, Hyderabad
40. National President and National Secretary, All India Students’ Association AISA
41. Dunu Roy, Hazards Centre
42. Sanjeev Kumar Danda, Dalit Adivasi Shakti Adhikar Manch (DASAM)
43. Dr.Beulah Shekhar Director, Center for Empowerment & Women’s Studies, Manonmaniam
Sundaranar University
44. Julie George, Women’s Right Lawyer
45. Saheli
46. President, Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union JNUSU
47. HAQ Centre for Child Rights
48. Ramkumar Krishak, Writer and Editor”
