Eminent
poets from all parts of the country including Gulzar have sought the
immediate release of Varavara Rao, imprisoned in Maharashtra as an
accused in the Bhima Koregaon case. In a representation submitted to
Prime Minister Sri Narendra Modi, the poets sought the release of the
80-year old Rao in view of the health emergency in the country on
account of the spread of Covid-19.
A
copy of the representation has also been submitted to Maharashtra
Chief Minister Sri Udhav Thackery and National Human Rights
Commission Chairperson Justice HL Duttu. “Sri. Varavara Rao,
renowned poet, writer and harbinger of change in modern Telugu
poetry, eighty years of age, runs very high risk of ailment
considering his age, deteriorating health and the crowding situation
in jail. Sri. Vernon Gonsalves, a fellow prisoner, had sent a message
to the advocate drawing attention to the worrisome health condition
of Sri. Rao. In this context, we see the plea for help with utmost
concern”, a representation signed by 40 poets from all over the
country said.
“Therefore,
we, poets from various languages in India, request the Prime Minister
Mr. Narendra Modi to release poet Varavara Rao urgently and save his
life”.
The
poets also requested the Prime Minister to consider the release of
all other detainees in high risk category, in the light of the
pandemic.
Full
Text of the Letter
Request
to the Prime Minister of India for the release of Poet Sri. Varavara
Rao
Respected
Prime Minister of India,
Our
country is in a crucial moment of facing one of the harshest crises
in its history. The corona virus outbreak has brought to us a
herculean burden in addition to the current socio-political and
economic challenges. At this moment, there are several sections of
the people who need attention, care and support to survive. One such
group is the prisoners, who due to the nature of prison life, are
subject to high risk.
A
touching plea has been made on behalf of poet Sri. Varavara Rao who
is in prison since November 2018. He, along with nine other public
intellectuals were implicated and charged under various provisions of
UAPA in the Bhima Koregaon case. There have been ongoing national and
international campaigns demanding justice for the accused and that
bail be granted to them. It has been argued that the cases against
them are framed as part of the move to crush voices of dissent and
criticism against the government and those in power.
Sri.
Varavara Rao, renowned poet, writer and harbinger of change in modern
Telugu poetry, eighty years of age, runs very high risk of ailment
considering his age, deteriorating health and the crowding situation
in jail. Sri. Vernon Gonsalves, a fellow prisoner, had sent a message
to the advocate drawing attention to the worrisome health condition
of Sri. Rao. In this context, we see the plea for help with utmost
concern.
Therefore,
we, poets from various languages in India, request the Prime Minister
Mr. Narendra Modi to release poet Varavara Rao urgently and save his
life.
We
also request the Prime Minister to consider the release of all other
detainees in high risk category, in the light of the pandemic.
With
utmost trust in truth and justice,
Sincerely
- Gulzar (Urdu/Panjabi)
- Ashok Vajpeyi (Hindi)
- Mangalesh Dabral (Hindi)
- Satchidanandan (Malayalam)
- K Sivareddy (Telugu)
- K G Sankara Pillai (Malayalam)
- Yumlembam Ibomcha (Manipuri)
- Robin Ngangom (English/Manipuri)
- Mamang Dai (Adi/English)
- Chandrakant Patil(Marathi/Hindi)
- Gauhar Raza (Urdu)
- Keki M Daruwalla (English)
- Prabodh Parikh (Gujarati)
- Sukumaran (Tamil)
- Jeet Thayil (English)
- Prathibha Nandakumar (Kannada)
- Naveen Vasireddi (Telugu)
- V M Girija (Malayalam)
- Hemant Divate (Marathi)
- Nilim Kumar (Assamese)
- Tarannum Riyaz (Urdu)
- Arambam Memchoubi (Manipuri)
- Subodh Sarkar(Bengali)
- P P Ramachandran (Malayalam)
- E V Ramakrishnan (English)
- Rafeeq Ahamed (Malayalam)
- Salma (Tamil)
- Menka Shivdasani (English)
- K R Tony (Malayalam)
- S Joseph (Malayalam)
- Anvar Ali (Malayalam)
- Anitha Thampi (Malayalam)
- Jiban Narah (Assamese)
- Anubhav Tulasi (Assamese)
- Monica Kumar (Hindi/Panjabi)
- N. Gopikrishnan (Malayalam)
- Mamta Sagar (Kannada)
- Kutti Revathi (Tamil)
- Meena Kandasamy (English)
- Sridala Swami (English)
