Tag Archives: Sheetal Sathe

Apr11

AISA – In Solidarity with Kabila Kala Manch

Posted on by
Standard

10 April 2013

In an extension of the ‘Operation Green Hunt’ against cultural expressions which questioned state violence and rampant atrocities against dalits and tribals, activists of Maharashtra based radical Ambedkarite cultural group Kabir Kala Manch (KKM) were framed under  the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) as being ‘Maoists’ and ‘Naxalites’.

The KKM is a cultural organization that has over many years spread its anti-caste, pro-democracy message through music, poetry and theatre. During recent years, when atrocities on Dalits and weaker sections of society began to increase, as witnessed in incidents like the rape and murder of the Bhotmange family in Khairlanji, the songs and words of the KKM admittedly became more militant. It is this militancy that invited the wrath of the police and the state. Anand Patwardhan’s acclaimed documentary film “Jai Bhim Comrade”, which won a National award as well as Maharashtra State recognition, elaborately features the performances  by Kabir Kala Manch. In 2011, the Maharashtra govt slapped UAPA on KKM and arrested several of its activists, while forcing two activists – Sheetal Sathe and Sachin Mali to go underground to avoid false framing. Recently the Bombay High Court granted bail to the two arrested members of KKM, Deepak Dengle and Siddharth, ruling that unless the police makes out a case that an actual crime has been committed by the accused, they cannot interpret the UAPA to arrest people merely on the basis of any alleged ideology.

Emboldened by these developments in the court that there can still be an iota of justice even in these unjust times, and encouraged by signs of a growing democratic concern against witch-hunt, absconding activists Sachin Mali and Sheetal Sathe decided on their own volition to appear  before Maharashtra Vidhan Sabha and the police on 2 April 2013. In appearing before the police, KKM members stated that their act should not be construed to be a “surrender” but as a form of “satyagraha” to clear their name from false framing and assert their democratic right to fight for justice. KKM activists made it clear that their voluntary appearance before the police must be treated as a matter of public record and that the police must be restrained from either torturing them or implicating them in any false case. Maharashtra  police, however, immediately arrested them and handed them over to the ATS. On the next day, a metropolitan magistrate court sent Sachin Mali to ATS custody till April 10 and Sheetal Sathe to judicial custody till April 17.

Maharashtra police has a long track record of politically motivated framing and witch-hunt. We have not forgotten how dozens of Muslim youths were picked up on false charges after the 2006 Malegaon blasts and how these innocent youths had to spend more than five years in jail, suffer custodial torture and social ignominy for the crimes which were later proved to be the handiwork of the terror network of  Sadhvi Pragya-Col. Purohit-Aseemanand saffron brigade! On the other hand, Maharashtra govt habitually bows down before the open violence and fascist terror tactics of the MNS-Shiv Sena-Sanghi saffron brigade.

Therefore, in the present struggle against witch-hunt and in defence of our freedom of expression, we must not fail the KKM or ourselves.

Related articles

 

Apr6

Solidarity Statement -Democratic Students’ Union (DSU) for KKM

Posted on by
Standard

884900_461307633938872_1056118951_o

Stand in solidarity with the members of Kabir Kala Manch! Resist the branding, persecution and witch-hunt of people’s artists and activists!

Nausea served in the plate , the untouchable nausea 
The disgust grows in the belly, the untouchable disgust 
It’s there in the flower buds, it’s there in sweet songs 
That a man should drink another man’s blood, 
This is the land where this happens 
This is the land of hellish nausea 
– Excerpt from a song written by Sheetal Sathe
किस किस को कैद करोगे?/ लाखों हैं मुक्ति के पंछी, कैद करोगे किसको
लेकर पिंजरा उड़ जाएंगे खबर न होगी तुझको/ इस पिंजरे की सलाखों का लोहा हमने ही निकाला है
ये लोहा पिघलाने हमने अपना खून उबाला है/लोहा लोहे को पहचानेगा, फिर क्या होगा समझो
लेकर पिंजरा उड़ जाएंगे खबर न होगी तुझको 
– From Deepak Dengle’s poem ‘Kis Kis Ko Kaid Karoge’ penned by him in jail
 
Three days back, Sheetal Sathe and Sachin Mali of the Kabir Kala Manch (KKM) courted arrest outside the Vidhan Sabha Bhavan in Bombay. In May 2011, the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) had arrested two of KKM members Deepak Dengle and Siddharth Bhosle and charged them under various sections of the draconian UAPA. The charges against them were that they were Maoists who spreading issues of caste oppression and social and economic inequality. For the last two years, all that the prosecution could present in the court as evidence to prove its claims were some books and the fact that KKM highlighted the wrongs present in society and the need to change it through their songs, plays and music. This witch-hunt that the state subjected KKM to so as to prevent them for performing and taking its message to the people forced its other members to go into hiding, and the state had declared them as ‘absconders’ since. This witch-hunt by the state of Kabir Kala Manch singers, a group of young Amberdkarite singers, faced a determined opposition from the progressive and democratic sections and eventually forced the court to grant bail to its arrested members. In a landmark judgement, the Maharashtra High Court observed that highlighting issues of social and economic inequality, far from being a crime, is commendable.Questioning the logic that leads anyone raising issues of social inequality and caste oppression being branded a Maoist, the judgement interestingly observed that such a reasoning “would indicate that these issues, which are real and important, are not addressed to by anyone else, except the CPI-Maoist” and all “the other parties or social organisations are indifferent to these problems faced by the society!” While courting arrest on Tuesday, Sheetal Sathe and Sachin Mali have made it clear that this should not be perceived as ‘surrender’ and all they expect is a fair trial without they being subject to any torture and physical abuse.
Kabir Kala Manch is a radical Ambedkarite cultural organisation formed in 2002 that looks at art and music as an active agent of change. In various parts of Maharashtra, it spread the message of annihilating caste, providing land to the tiller and issues of structural violence and social inequity through their music – all issues well within the constitutional ambit. However, just like a large section of rights guaranteed by the constitution none of these have ever become a reality for the struggling masses of this country, and thus KKM pointed out that this can only be achieved through revolution. The group also questioned the appropriation and the hollow canonization of Ambedkar by the various parliamentary parties for their vested interests, and stressed the need to imbibe and apply his radical ideas in the struggle for justice and dignity. Parliamentary parties and cultural groups affiliated to them uses the fact – that the constitution was penned by Ambedkar – in order to blunt the anger of the people against the system. KKM however candidly pointed out that Ambedkar himself had observed that he would be the first one to burn it down if it failed to give justice to the dalits and the other oppressed people. KKM emphasised the need to bring together the radical ideas of Ambedkar and Bhagat Singh to fight the oppression inherent in the society today.
The issues KKM highlighted – of caste and feudal oppression, and socio-economic inequity – are issues that the Indian state wants to silence and blanket out of public purview. The state of Maharashtra has seen vibrant movements ever since the transfer of power against the grotesque reality of caste oppression. The Indian state has done its best to divert the attention of the dalit masses away from questioning the very roots of caste oppression. This it has done either through offering some crumbs to a section of self-seeking dalit leadership and co-opting them in the rat race of parliamentary politics or by creating schisms, splits and confusions amongst groups like the Dalit Panthers that broke away from the established leadership. None of the parliamentary parties have worked towards realizing the vision of Babasaheb Ambedkar of annihilating caste. Rather, committed to an inherently Brahmanical and feudal social order, all of them have been complicit in perpetrating caste massacres and oppression. There is not a single day that passes without atrocities on dalits in some part of the country or another. But in spite of the all the crafty manoeuvres of the Indian state, the anger of the dalits against this systemic oppression has erupted time and again. The militant protests after the firing in the Ramabhai Colony in Mumbai which forced many of parliamentary leaders to flee or the spirited protests all over Maharashtra and other parts of the country against the brutal murder of Bhaiyalal Bhotmange’s family in Khairlanji in 2006 reflect the rage of the dalit masses against this casteist-communal state. This anger, even in these dark times, serves as a hope to all who are committed to the vision of the annihilating caste. KKM merely gave a voice and expression to this outrage of the oppressed, and was in turn hounded for this ‘crime’. However, what KKM lent their voice to, was not merely oppression that this communal-casteist state carries on, but also the fight for justice and dignity that the people are carrying on in spite of great odds and difficulties. The arrest and witch-hunt of the members of the KKM only reflects the mortal fear and the growing schizophrenia of the Indian state as it faces the wrath of the oppressed. DSU stands in complete solidarity with Kabir Kala Manch and appeals to all progressive and democratic sections to come together to ensure the immediate release of Sheetal Sathe and Sachin Mali as well as complete acquittal of the rest of its members so that they can resume taking their message to the people through their songs and music.

 

Related articles

 

Apr5

“Even SC has said that mere membership of a banned organisation is not punishable’

Posted on by
Standard

There has been a massive uproar over the arrest of activist-artists Sheetal Sathe and Sachin Mali by the Mumbai ATS on charges of being Naxalites. The couple had surrendered after being in hiding for nearly a year. One of India’s most renowned documentary film-makers Anand Patwardhan, whose last documentary Jai Bhim Comrade features both the artists’ performance, spoke to TEHELKA about the duo and the effort being put into their release.

G Vishnu , Tehelka

April 4, 2013

Anand Patwardhan. File Photo

Sheetal Sathe and Sachin Mali have been featured in your documentary Jai Bhim Comrade. How long have you known them?

I first met them in 2007 at the tenth anniversary of the firing at the Ramabhai colony. Since then, I have been following them, recording their music, attending their programmes. They have worked with various kinds of people’s movements. They have worked with the likes of Medha Patkar, Bhai Vaidya and scores of other leftist, socialist and civil liberties groups.

What do you think of the charges levelled against them?

There are two aspects. UAPA, which in itself is a draconian act, which can allow the state to imprison people for just being members of a banned organisation, has been slapped on these two. Governments choose to ban organisations from time to time. RSS was banned earlier. But we had a Prime Minister – Atal Behari Vajpayee – who has been a member of that organisation. The SC had given a ruling that mere membership of a banned organisation is not something punishable by itself, in that there’s a distinction between active membership and passive membership. In other words, the state will have to find those accused guilty of a crime in order to imprison. Two other members of Kabir Kala Manch (KKM) were given bail by the Bombay High Court on these grounds itself. By the state’s own understanding, there is no reason why these two should be kept in jail. The cases can continue but they should be released on bail.

I don’t think they are Maoists or Naxalites. They might have been attracted to the ideology owing to the military assaults on Adivasis and Dalits, but they are certainly not active members. They are sympathisers.

Why were they absconding since April 2012?

They were underground. Two years ago, members of KKM were arrested and two of them were tortured. When that kind of a thing happens you don’t expect people to be happy about it and take chances. Therefore, they went into hiding.

What’s the status of the case right now?

Sheetal is in judicial custody. This is a huge relief as she is six months pregnant. We will file Sheetal’s bail application tomorrow. We fear for Sachin as he is in the custody of the Mumbai ATS and we fear he will be tortured as the others were. We will have to wait till he gets out of their custody to file a bail application.

 

Related articles

 

Apr5

Amnesty International Appeal – Arrested theatre activists at risk of torture

Posted on by
Standard

 

Theatre activists Sheetal Sathe and Sachin Mali were arrested on 2 April 2013 on various charges, including criminal conspiracy and being part of a banned organization. They are being held in Mumbai, India and are at risk of torture or other ill-treatment.

 

Sheetal Sathe and Sachin Mali are members of Kabir Kala Manch (KKM), a group which uses protest music and theatre to campaign on human rights issues, including dalit rights and caste-based violence and discrimination in the western Indian state of Maharashtra.

 

On 17 April 2011 they were two of 15 people charged by the police under India’s principal anti-terror legislation of being members of, and supporting and recruiting people for, the Communist Party of India (Maoist) – a banned armed group fighting for more than a decade to overthrow elected governments in several Indian states. They also faced several criminal charges including extortion, forgery and impersonation. Seven people were arrested, while the others – including Sheetal Sathe and Sachin Mali, who are married to each other – could not be traced by the police until earlier this month.

 

On 2 April 2013, Sheetal Sathe and Sachin Mali appeared before the legislative assembly of Maharashtra in what they said was a protest against the charges levelled against them. They were arrested by the Mumbai police and brought before a magistrate, who remanded Sheetal Sathe to judicial custody until 17 April, and Sachin Mali to police custody until 10 April. According to her mother, Sheetal Sathe is six months pregnant. Activist and documentary filmmaker Anand Patwardhan was present with Sheetal Sathe and Sachin Mali on 2 April. He said, “Due to our previous experience with the police, we are apprehensive of what may happen to Sachin Mali in police custody.”

 

Reports of torture and forced confessions by police in India are very common, and the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad, a unit of the state police, has in particular faced several allegations of torture.

 

The Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), under which they have been charged, uses sweeping and overbroad definitions of ‘acts of terrorism’ and ‘membership’ of ‘unlawful’ organizations, and does not comply with India’s international legal obligations.

 

Please write immediately in English, Marathi, Hindi or your own language:

  • Urging the Maharashtra authorities to ensure that Sachin Mali is protected from torture and other ill-treatment while in police custody, and Sheetal Sathe, who is six months pregnant, is provided with any medical care that she requires;
  • Urging the Maharashtra authorities to ensure that Sheetal Sathe, Sachin Mali and the other accused activists are tried in proceedings that meet international fair trial standards.

PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 17 MAY 2013 TO:

 

Inspector-General of Prisons (South Region, Mumbai)

Vinod Lokhande

Special IGP

South Region

Byculla

Mumbai – 400008, India

Fax: 91-22-23001177

Salutation: Dear Mr Lokhande

 

Additional Director-General of Police, Anti-Terror Squad, Mumbai

Rakesh Maria

DGP, Police Headquarters

SB Road, Old Council Hall

Colaba, Mumbai – 400001, India

Fax: 91-22-23053158

Email:  adgats.mah@mahapolice.com

Salutation: Dear Mr Maria

 

And copies to:

Home Minister, Maharashtra

R.R. Patil

Home Department

7th Floor, World Trade Centre

Cuffe Parade

Mumbai – 400005, India

Fax: 91-22-22029742

Email:  min.home@maharashtra.gov.in

Related articles
Apr3

Kabir Kala Manch- Sheetal Sathe and Sachin Mali ‘ Satyagrah not Surrender’ #Videos #KKM

Posted on by
Standard

Excerpts of interactions with press as Sheetal Sathe and Sachin Mali, poets who speak out against injustice as members of Kabir Kala Manch, surrendered at Marine Drive Police Station. They have been charged of “Naxalite activity” under UAPA but all they do is sing protest poems against casteism, poverty and state injustice. Sheetal Sathe bravely announced “This is not our surrender, this is our Satyagraha.” This brave poet has put her faith in our democrat. Hope we do not fail her faith.

Related articles

 

Feb23

Bombay HC- A warning and guide to the police in all states.

Posted on by
Standard

Digital Maoism

 

Prabhat Sharan, Deccan Herald

 

The Bombay high court’s observations, while  granting bail to four persons who were accused of being Maoists by the anti-terrorist squad (ATS) of the state, should be a warning and guide to the police in all states.

 

It is well-known that the police foist unconvincing charges on people, harass them, rob them of their freedom and take them to court. Many times it is calling a man a dog and trying to hang him.

 

To be found with a copy of the Communist Manifesto or any other work that advocates social change, to write a poem or stage a play that criticises  injustice and iniquities was enough reason to be locked up by the police many years ago. The experience of the street theatre group which highlighted the pervasiveness of corruption and inequalities in society shows that the situation has hardly changed.

 

The artistes of the theatre group , Kabir Kala Manch were booked under the strict provisions of the anti-terrorism law for alleged allegiance to the Communist Party of India (Maoist) and for inciting violence to subvert the state, and some of them have been in jail for over two years. The evidence produced by the ATS is their possession of books available in the market and the literature has not been banned. It is possible that many of the ideas which the police found criminal could be found in text books also.

 

Castigating the police, the court has said that it is not wrong to raise social issues and advocate a change of the social or political system. Many thinkers, social activists and leaders of the past and present could be considered guilty and criminal if there was a sweeping ban on demands for a better society.

 

Corruption, poverty, social injustice and the oppression of the weakest sections of society are  vital issues that need answers and solutions. The inability of the state to address these issues and improve the social and economic status of the people in the margins should be of concern to all citizens.

 

While these issues are raised in public the answer of the state should not be to come down with a heavy hand on those who do so. It is not just a matter of freedom of expression but of what to express and work for. It is not the first time that courts have made it clear that faith in an ideology is not a crime. Unfortunately it has to be said again and again.

 

Related articles

 

 

Feb6

Protesting against expolitation of poor no crime: Bombay High court

Posted on by
Standard

Prabhat Sharan Mumbai, Feb 5, 2013, DHNS

Court orders release of four artistes alleged to be Maoists

Last week, the Bombay High Court granted bail to four street theatre artistes for allegedly having Maoist connections, observing that “speaking about corruption, social inequality, exploitation of the poor etc and desiring a better society should come into existence and is not banned in our country.”

Granting bail to Dhawala Dhengle, Siddarth Bhosale, Mayuri Bhagat and Anuradha Sonule, against a surety of Rs 30,000 each, Justice Abhay Thipsay said: “Highlighting and creating social awareness on corruption, the widening gap between the rich and the poor and exploitation of the poor is commendable and cannot be considered an evidence of being members of a terrorist organisation.”

The artistes, belonging to a street theatre group named “Kabir Kala Manch,” were picked up the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) in 2011 on grounds that they were inciting the people to violence and members of the Communist Party of India (Maoist). Though police had detained seven people initially, four of them were still in jail since the ATS claimed to have found “incriminating documents and books” in their possession.

Going through the evidence submitted by the state, Justice Thipsay said: “Many of the books found are available in the market and there is no denial of that by the state. In any case, the said literature is not banned and reading thereof is not prohibited.”

On charges that the theatre group was advocating violence through street plays, Justice Thipsay told the public prosecutor: “There is nothing wrong in raising social issues and emphasising that a change in social order is required. The same views are expressed by several national and eminent leaders and a person cannot be branded a member of the Communist Party of India (Maoist) for expressing such views.

“On the contrary, such a reasoning would indicate that these issues, which are real and important, are not addressed by anyone else, except the Communist Party of India (Maoist), which in turn would mean that other parties or social organisations are indifferent to these problems.”

Expressing surprise at the evidence based on which the artistes were imprisoned, Justice Thipsay said: “It is surprising that highlighting the wrongs prevalent in the society and insisting that there is a need to change the situation was considered as evidence and used to convince the court of them being members of the Communist Party of India (Maoist).”

The judge further observed that even the expression of views “to the effect that a change in social order can be brought about only by a revolution” would not amount to any offence. Those who advocate the teachings of Karl Marx are certainly not committing any crime.

DOWNLOAD FULL JUDGEMENT HERE

Related articles

 

Feb5

#India -Raising social issues no crime: Bombay High Court #protest #justice

Posted on by
Standard
   Dhawala Dhengale

Court grants bail saying highlighting society’s flaws doesn’t make one a Maoist

Sunil Baghel, MM

Posted On Tuesday, February 05, 2013 at 04:15:07 AM

Raising issues like “social inequality” is not banned and hence is not punishable, the Bombay High Court observed while granting bail to four alleged Maoists.

“The interest taken by the applicants and their attempts to create social awareness is commendable,” observed Justice Abhay Thipsay while passing the judgment last Thursday. “How can their highlighting wrongs in society and insisting on the need for change be considered evidence of belonging to a terrorist organisation?”

Three accused – Dhawala Dhengale, Mayuri Bhagat and Anuradha Sonule – were allegedly associated with the Kabir Kala Manch, which held street plays on “social inequalities.” The fourth accused, Siddharth Bhosale, is alleged to be an important activist of the Maoists from whom provocative literature was seized.

Taking the State to task, the HC said, “It is surprising that the State should consider these activities as incriminating material. Speaking about corruption, social inequality, etc and seeking a better society is not banned.”

The court observed that national leaders express the same views and that “expression of these views cannot brand a person as a member of Communist Party of India (Maoists).”

The court noted that if the “concerns” are taken to be expressed only by CPI (Maoists), then “it would indicate that these issues are not addressed by anyone else except CPI (Maoists), which would mean that other parties or social organisations are indifferent to these problems”.

The Maharashtra ATS arrested the accused last April for being part of the Golden Corridor Committee, a group allegedly set up by the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist). They were granted bail of Rs 30,000 each with sureties of the same amount. The court had granted bail to two other accused last October, while observing that every person influenced by Maoist ideology can’t be treated as a member of the organisation.

ATS had allegedly recovered CDs, pen drives and printed material supposed to be used to spread the committee’s message.

The HC accepted the defence’s argument that most of the books were available in the market – a fact not denied by the State – and that the said literature was not banned under the provisions of the Criminal Procedural Code, and hence reading the literature was not prohibited.

The court observed that the accused can be said to be sympathisers of the Maoists philosophy. However, there was no evidence to show that they were “active members” of the said organisation.

Only one accused, Angela Sontakke – alleged to be the main accused and secretary of Golden Corridor Committee – now remains in custody.

Related articles
Jan13

Will sheetal sathe ever be exonerated by the Maharashtra Police ?

Posted on by
Standard

Sandhya Sathe, mother of Sheetal Sathe speaks her ordeals and atroocities by the Maharahstra State and ATS

शीतलला पोलिस दोषमुक्त करतील का?

Oct3

Girish Karnad supports dalit protest singers

Posted on by
Standard


Gitanjali Dang TNN, Oct 3, 2012

Mumbai: “I knew about the Kabir Kala Manch (KKM) but wasn’t aware of the extent of the atrocities carried out against the group. Anand Patwardhan (filmmaker) and Ramu Ramanathan (playwright) drew my attention to the matter,” Girish Karnad told this correspondent over the telephone.

The award-winning Bangalore-based playwright will be in the city tomorrow for the launch of Kabir Kala Manch’s album Hee Amchi Gani—Aamcha Gunha Kay? (These Are Our Songs — What Is Our Crime?) at Mumbai Marathi Patrakar Sangh.
KKM is a group of dalit protest singers and poets from Pune who convey their socio-political critique through their songs and street plays. In May last year, two singers from the group — Deepak Dengle and Siddharth Bhonsle — were arrested by the Maharashtra anti-terrorist squad under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act for being “pro-Maoist”. Following their arrest, other key members of the group went underground.
The album, a compilation of 11 songs, is the result of the efforts of the Kabir Kala Manch defence committee, which was inaugurated in May this year. Ironically, the committee came into being when Patwardhan set aside the Rs 51,000 he was awarded by the Maharashtra government for winning a national award for his documentary Jai Bhim Comrade on the life and politics of dalits.

Related articles