12 October, 2024
Let us give revolutionary salute to leader of the people's movement, poet, intellectual, writer and lecturer of Delhi University Prof. Dr. G.N. Saibaba.
Revolutionary people's movement leader, social activist, well-wisher of indigenous people, and professor of Delhi University Dr. Gokarkonda Naga Saibaba was kidnapped, booked in several foisted cases, incarcerated for 10 years in inhuman conditions in 'Anda' cell of the Indian prison by the brahmanic hindutva fascist regime. The wild beast in the human form- the officers of the Indian prison houses- were ordered by the hindutva fascist state to not provide required facilities and health services given to physically-handicapped people as per the international provisions and Indian jail manuals. Due to incarceration in Anda cell for long duration, Dr. Saibaba got affected with several serious health complications.
After his release as innocent, Saibaba took his last breath on 12 October, 2024. The brahmanic hindutva fascist state, repressive laws under which Saibaba was charged, and the judiciary that sentenced Saibaba tolife-imprisonment are solely responsible for the untimely demise of Dr. Saibaba.
The death of Saibaba is not simply a death. In fact it is an well-organized brutal murder of Saibaba by the brahmanic hindutva fascist state. He was 57 years old. His selfless services to India's oppressed people and oppressed social communities, his work for democratic movements, his firm belief in the goal of fundamental change of society, and his consciousness for sacrifice shown during his inhuman incarceration 10 years period, the central committee of CPI (Maoist), while upholding all these efforts and contributions of Dr. GN Saibaba bow its head and pays revolutionary homage to him.
It expresses its solidarity to his wife Com. Vasanta, daughter Com. Manjeera, friends in the country and across the world, professors of universities, students, staff, and the lawyers who worked day and night for his release, and all organizations that carried out mass campaigns for his release. It gives call to all those people who stood with Saibaba to work for what Saibaba stood for till his last breath.
Professor GN Saibaba was born in the erstwhile East Godavari District, Amalapuram village of Andhra Pradesh in a poor peasant family in oppressed community. Being affected with polio, he was 90 per cent physically-handicapped at the age of 5. He always used to crawl on ground or used to be on wheelchair. He topped in his graduation in Konaseema Banoji Ramsar (SKBR) college. Afterwards, he completed his MA in English from University of Hyderabad. After that he did his Ph. D in 'Indian writing in English and Nation making: Reading the Discipline'. Before his arrest, Saibaba worked as lecturer of English for long-time at Ramlal college at Delhi University.
The ruling classes of our country started implementing intensively in 90's imperialist policies of liberalization-globalization-privatization. Immediately, All India People's Revolutionary Resistance Forum (AIPRF) was formed by several democratic and revolutionary organizations to oppose and build movements against imperialist-MNCs, comprador bourgeois and feudal landlords. Working with the leadership of this organization, working with several progressive and democratic intellectuals, with their support and participation, Comrade Saibaba worked right fromthe first day of the organization for more than one decade. He gave valuable contributions to bring out the organization's magazine by being part of its editorial board, releasing press-statements and interviews.
Dr Saibaba played a key role in organizing international seminar on Nationality Question at Delhi in 1996 under the banner of AIPRF. For the demand of the Telangana state, the people of that region launched second-phase of the movement in which the demand for a democratic Telangana was raised and 'Warangal Declaration' was released. Saibaba was one of the speakers in the meeting. In 2004 in Mumbai in direct opposite to World Social Forum (WSF), with more than 310 progressive, democratic and revolutionary political organizations leadership Saibaba worked to successfully organize 'Mumbai Resistance 2004' and afterwards, in the formation of People's Democratic Forum of India (PDFI) with several mass organizations, Saibaba played a prominent role. He was a representative of AIPRF in 'International League of People's Struggles' (ILPS). First AIPRF and then in the leadership of Revolutionary Democratic Front (RDF), several workshops, seminars and meetings were organized on hindutva fascism, Nationality Question, State-violence, dalit and workers' problems and afterwards in the formation of 'Anti-Displacement and people's development movement' (VVJVA), Saibaba played a gargantuan role. For these programs and organizations,he wrote many articles and statements. In the formation of RDF and later on giving leadership to it for a decade, Saibaba's contributions are immense. In the movements organized by RDF across the country, seminars and several meetings, Saibaba's role was crucial. The Indian ruling classes deployed central armed police forces and several state armed forces and launched severe repression on the people's movement and the masses. In this background, several anti-revolutionary white-terror campaigns were launched for example, 'Salwajudum' in Dandakaryana, 'Sendra' in Jharkhand, 'Harmad Vaahini' in West Bengal and 'Peace March' in Odisha. Then Comrade Saibaba along with democratic, progressive organizations, intellectuals, students and with their support raised voice against it and launched movements in the country and in many other parts of the world. When the Indian state launched operation "Green Hunt" in 2009 with ill-conceived thought to eliminate the democratic revolutionary movement from thecountry then Saibaba was one of the voices against it. At the same time, he was one amongst many who stood in the support of Lalgarh people's resistance and played a crucial role in building movements in support of it. He gave hisvaluable contributions to the movements across the country in 1990 and 2000. As RDF was the center of several movements across the country, the Andhra Pradesh government banned it in Aug, 2012. Whereas along with several state governments, the central government banned RDF all over the country.
Following the order of the central government of the Indian state, the National Investigating Agency (NIA) inMay 2014, booked fabricated charges under draconian Maharashtra State laws, UAPA and several other repressive provisions of the Indian law on Prof Saibaba, two democratic organizations leaders from Delhi, and three adivasi people from Gadchilori and Bastar for having links with CPI (Maoist). By denying bails on number of occasions, the Indian state planned to kill 90 percent physically-handicapped Saibaba inside the jail. Due to hard labour by his lawyers, and movements build for his release by several democratic organizations, students, intellectuals, writers and his deteriorating health, he was granted bail in June 2015 by the Mumbai High Court. But in December 2015, he was again sent to jail. 90 per cent physically-challenged Saibaba who was confined to wheelchair was perceived as a threat to
the India's security by the Judiciary. Again, he came out in April 2016 when the Supreme Court granted bail to him. In spite of not having proper evidences, in May 2017, Gadchilori district court held Saibaba and 6 others as guilty under UAPA. One was sentenced to 10 years rigorous imprisonment and rest of them were sentenced to life-imprisonment. Among them, one of the adivasi person Com. Pandu Naroti lost his life because he failed to get proper medicaltreatment for Swine flu. For the release of Prof. Saibaba and other co-accused, the central committee of CPI (Maoist) gave a call for a country-wide strike on 29 March, 2017. On 30 April 2020, the United Nations OHCHR related one special panel appealed Indian state to immediate release of Saibaba on the ground of his deteriorating health conditions. But the Mumbai High Court rejected the petition for bail on medical grounds for 45 days on 28 July 2020. When his 74 years old mother passed away due to cancer, Saibaba was not even granted permission to participate in her funeral. He began indefinite hunger-strike for the removal of CCTV camera installed in his toilet. He took his strike back on 22 October, 2020 when the CCTV camera were removed from his toilet. On 14 October, 2022 the Mumbai High Court declared Saibaba and other 5 persons as innocents as there were no evidences against them and gave order for their release. It also turned down the Gadchilori district court judgement of life-imprisonment. But the Supreme Court gave stay order on the decision of the Mumbai High Court on the appeal of Maharashtra state. It ordered the Mumbai High Court to re-think its judgement. At last, the false evidences couldn't stand and the Mumbai High Court released Saibaba and other 5 persons on 7 March 2024. Along with him other persons were released as innocents from jail after spending 10 years of rigorous imprisonment.
After coming out from jail he gave several interviews to media channels and journalists, where he stated how jails destroys human values. He also stated that the Constitution of India is not valued in the jails of India, atrocities are more in jails than in the outside world, caste discriminations are rampant, even in the jail manual it is written that work should be given in jail according to the castes of the prisoners, to protest against all these injustices in jails apart from hunger-strike there is no other way. He also stated it is vital to give support from the outside to the struggling people in the jails. He pointed out that the underworld dons and most of the bourgeoisie political leaders who come to jail get bails and are quickly released, whereas the leaders of the democratic movement find extremely difficult to get even bails. He said that in Maharashtra jail he was affected from Paralysis that severely affected his lungs, not only this, he was struggling from 21 types of new health ailments. He stated that raising voice against operation green hunt and repression on the indigenous people along with democratic organizations were the reasons for which he was kidnapped from Delhi, brought to Gadchilori court and sent to jail in a fabricated case. He also brought to notice that he was even booked in the Bhima Koeregaon case when he was inside the jail. His anger is justified when he pointed out that in jails the inmates are physically and mentally tortured. He narrated how he was pushed in the Anda cell where a normal human being cannot live. He was even denied to see her mother's dead body on her funerals. To the media he pointed out that in spite of whatever circumstances, he will continue to work for the oppressed people as human rights activist and as a teacher.
In Telangana press meet, while expressing his gratitude he stated that, it was the land of Telangana that developed him as a human being, from the people's movement in Telangana he was taught and became aware, He stated that it was from here (Telangana) he got encouragement to fight against operation green hunt. He further stated that all those who struggled day and night for his release in the country and abroad was inspiration for him that made him to fight against the Indian state inside the jail.
When police arrested him on 14 May 2014, supporters of hindutva fascist in the University suspended him from his job and in April 2021 he was removed from his job. When he was released from jail as innocent, several professors raised the demand to reinstate Saibaba to his former job.
Comrade Saibaba's movements life is ideal. He was a good friend to his colleagues and a teacher to his students. His entire behavior in the movements was full of spirit and courageous. In spite of suffering from 90 per cent physically-disability, it could not become hurdle for him in his private life and in the people's movements. He wrote several writings by getting inspired from great poets Gurujada Apparao, Sri Sri and the Kenyan poet Ngugi Wa Thiong'o.
His first Telugu writing was published in 'Srujana' magazine. His jail poems that pins hope for a better future was published in a book form.
The untimely demise of Comrade Saibaba is a great loss for the oppressed people, oppressed social communities, people of distinct nationality, democratic movements in the country and abroad. He laboriously workedfor the revolutionary democratic people's movement from 1990s. Apart from his family members, his friends,students, and organizations gave full support to him. His power to face severe repression was derived from his struggle for the oppressed people. The work that he has done for the oppressed people and for the qualitative change in society by putting all his mental and physical potential will always remain an ideal for democratic, progressive, and revolutionary forces. He was a true leader of genuine democracy, dalit and oppressed people, freedom and social justice. At a time when the brahmanic hindutva fascist regime has unleashed "operation kagar" on the people's movement, especially in the central and eastern India with the aim to eliminate the Maoist party that is giving leadership to those movements the sudden demise of Comrade Saibaba is a great loss for the people's movement. But the courage shown by him will always encourage the democratic movements for the rights of the oppressed people.The Central Committee of CPI (Maoist) appeals to all democratic, progressive, secular, patriotic, revolutionary forces and organizations to get inspire from Comrade Saibaba and intensify and spread the democratic movements across the country.
Abhay,
Spokesperson,
Central Committee,
CPI (Maoist)