Free all Political Prisoners and Under-trials!
Ensure the rights of prisoners and expedite necessary police reforms!
Scrap UAPA!
1200 prisoners in Guwahati Central Jail went on a mass revolt and hunger strike on 25th and 26th June.
The 8-point demands included:
- stop fresh enrolment of inmates without necessary COVID-related measures like swab testing and quarantine,
- allow visitors, particularly the lawyers and family members, to meet the inmates following Covid-19 guideline,
- increasing of the scheduled 2 min of conversation time with the relatives and lawyers to at least 10 min,
- supplying of pure drinking water round the clock,
- to improve the quality of food and to provide adequate health facilities
- release of peasant leader Akhil Gogoi and other undertrials as directed by UN, SC & human rights norms.
The prisoners include peasant mass leaders Akhil Gogoi, Dhaijya Konwar, student leaders Bittu Sonowal, Manas Konwar, who are in Jail for 200+ days now, various political prisoners from across the Northeast, and the JNU student Sharjeel Imam incarcerated for just a speech.
The UNHRC had also written to the GOI to free all anti-CAA political prisoners on 26 June. However, instead of releasing undertrial prisoners due to the pandemic which is an international human rights issue, the government has not yet responded positively but has rather brought in new inmates with no COVID tests or quarantine as per guidelines.
The Amar Asom newspaper reports that jail authorities went in a tizzy with the prison strike, and agreed to expedite resolution of the demands, upon which after 2days, the prisoners called off the hunger strike. Starting on 25th June 'Emergency Day', it was a living repeat of history in authoritarian new normal times. Even with very little conversation in both local and mainland press about it, resistance keeps alive.
Political questions require political resolutions and cannot be subdued with repression and callousness. It is not just 'activists', but anyone with a rational independent political opinion is being targeted these days. With this kind of authoritarianism increasing, strikes and solidarities also take new forms.
(Reports)
1. Wire report, 30 June: https://m.thewire.in/…/assam-akhil-gogoi-prison-covid-19-hu…
2. Amar Asom report, 27 June:
http://amarasom.glpublications.in/index.php…
3. Statement from KMSS, 25 June:
https://www.facebook.com/106188894285693/posts/158970619007520/
4. NAPM statement dt 30th June: https://napmindia.wordpress.com/2020/06/29/200-days-of-unjust-arrest-free-akhil-gogoi-bittu-sonowal-dhaijya-konwar-and-manas-konwar-condemn-state-repression-on-democratic-activists-in-assam/
#FreeAkhilGogoi
#ScrapUAPA
#ReleaseAkhilGogoi
#ReleaseAllPoliticalPrisioners
