TCN News
A group of more than 100 women individuals and organizations have written to the National Rights Commission Chairman Justice H L Dattu seeking intervention in stopping arbitrary action against Safoora Zargar, Devangana Kalita, Gulfisha Fatima, Ishrat Jahan and Natasha Narwal.
Signatories of this open letter include feminist activists, filmmakers, economic experts, professors, actors, journalists and human rights activists, asking the Chairman to “stop political vendetta and malicious prosecution of women activists and human rights defenders.” The letter iterates that scholars who have participated in nationwide anti CAA protests have been targeted during the COVID-19 lockdown and have been “criminalized” for simply exercising their fundamental rights.
The letter draws attention to media representation of anti-CAA-NRC-NPR protests and has called out the government’s attempts to “portray the anti-CAA movement as a few scattered gatherings of disaffected Muslim anti-socials” whereas it is the “mobilization of citizens across divides of caste, gender, age, political affiliation, language and religion.” The signatories have credited these women protestors as having a “turning point in our political history,” by being at the forefront, hence, signalling our duty to understand the discriminatory witch-hunt of divisive political leaders who are in a bid to promote “exclusionary possibilities through the NRC and NPR exercise.”
It highlights that “hate speech and provocations to violence came from the highest levels of the government and the ruling party,” accusing Home Minister Amit Shah of exhorting Delhi voters “to transmit their anger through the voting machine”, and to “give an electric jolt” to the protestors.
The letter has further said that the ongoing incarceration of “these young women is completely unjustified,” outlining that despite “assortment of charges including conspiracy under UAPA,” they have been “cooperating with the investigation and presenting themselves for interrogation by the police.” Hence, the insistence on keeping them in custody is “disproportionate and illogical.”
The group has made several appeals to the Chairman at the end of the letter, details of which are stated here:
1. Direct Delhi Police to make public all FIRs against CAA protestors and FIRs filed in relation to the violence in Delhi between Feb 23-27, along with the status of investigations.
2. Recommend re-consideration of bail pleas of the women activists and granting of bail with any conditions that apply.
3. Recommend unconditional bail on health grounds for Safoora Zargar in view of her pregnancy and aggravated vulnerability to COVID-19.
4. In accordance with your powers under Section12(a)(i) of the NHRC Act, institute an immediate enquiry into the handling of cases against CAA protestors by Delhi Police, to determine whether they involve violation of human rights through partisan investigation and malicious prosecution.