[Reader-list] Abdul Shakeel's appeal from Surat Jail

[Pheeta Ram]

Dear Friend

All of us ( those who want to exclude themselves may please clarify in a
follow-up e-mail) are with you. We know that you are being wrongfully
persecuted and humiliated. But this, as you are very well aware, is what
every well-meaning citizen of any country has to face before that country
and the nation learns to accord due respect to its citizens. Your example is
inspiring countless Indians and we are proud of you. Working for the welfare
of people is "the work of God" as some of our fellow comrades like to phrase
it. This shall continue as long as we have even a single shard of breath
left. The State is an ontological contradiction; the rule of the people
shall always come into being after the brutal and persecuting State has been
toppled.

Dear Anju,

The people are with you - that unacknowledged group of humanity which has
always subverted innumerable tyrannies of unjust times. Till such time comes
as we learn to accord due respect to every fellow human being, "we, the
people," in whose name this Constitution of India has been promulgated, none
of us shall remain contented.
Remember us, any time.

Pheeta


On Mon, Jun 28, 2010 at 10:29 PM, Javed <javedmasoo at gmail.com> wrote:

> Abdul Shakeel Basha's appeal from District Jail, Surat (GUjarat) - June 25,
> 2010
>
> Friends,
>
> This is Anju, wife of Mr Abdul Shakeel Basha, and I'm writing from
> Surat city in Gujarat state on behalf of my husband. As most of you
> know, Shakeel was arrested on June 17 from Delhi by Special Cell,
> Delhi Police on Gujarat Police's requisition, on charges of
> affiliation with maoists and naxal movement in India, under FIR no
> I-37/2010 Dated Feb 25, 2010 under sections 120 (B), 121 (A), 124 (A),
> 153 A (B) of Indian Penal Code (IPC), and Sections 38, 39, and 40 of
> Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Act, 1967. He was first
> produced in Tees Hazari Court in Delhi on June 18 where he was handed
> over to Gujarat Police and taken to Surat. He was produced before a
> magistrate in Kathor sessions court (near Kamrej) on June 19 and had
> been in police custody of Special Operation Group (SOG), Gujarat
> Police, Kamrej Police Station, Surat, Gujarat till June 25, 2010. He
> was then sent to Sub Jail in Surat city in judicial custody and is
> lodged there at present.
>
> Untill now 13 other activists/social workers/rights workers from
> various parts of the country have been arrested under the same omnibus
> FIR, most of whom had renounced their respective associations with CPI
> (ML) Janshakti or banned CPI (ML) People's War Group (PWG) at
> different points in time in the past. 10 out of 13 have charges og
> having alleged connection with Janshakti while 3 with PWG. 8-10 more
> arrests will take place in near future, the list of which is avaialble
> with police. We are also trying to collect the details about the
> intermittant period when PWG was not banned like early 2004 when it
> was one of the organisers of Mumbai Resistance 2004 which happened
> simultaneously with World Social Forum 2004 in Mumbai. The UAPA
> Amendment of Dec 2004 came with a list of about 38 'terorist
> organisations' which also included PWG and MCC. While CPI (Maoist) was
> banned through a notification in June 2009 only.
>
> He has asked me to share with all of you that he has not been
> connected with any naxal/maoist activity from 2004 onwards, when he
> left the ideology, and the PWG, now known as Communist Part of India
> (Maoist)/CPI (Maoist), married me, shifted to Delhi and started a new
> life with Aman Biradari, an NGO, working for people affected in and
> after 2002 carnage in Gujarat, and in Delhi with homeless street
> children and adults untill 2008 end.
>
> Later in 2009 he formed an organisation 'Haq' for working on the
> issues of poorest and homeless of the Delhi city untill he was
> arrested.
>
> And even before 2004, he was involved in peaceful and non-violent
> activities of trade unions with textile mill workers, and there is no
> criminal record or any other complaint against him of that period too.
> Assuringly, the Inspector General (IG) of police, Surat range, the
> Investigating Officer (IO) of the case, and the main complainant, a
> Police Sub-Inspector (PSI), have also told me quite categorically that
> Shakeel is absolutely clean after 2004, has been a good citizen, and
> they have nothing against him post 2004.
>
> He wants to communicate that he is fine, relaxed, and need faith of
> all his friends, colleagues, relative and acquaintances, in him. He
> said that its surely going to be a long legal battle before he walks
> free which would require support and help from all of you. He will
> remain in surat jail for minimum 3 months when his chargesheet is
> filed by the police, and then the application for his bail will be
> moved, as has been advised by senior lawyers Mr Colin Gonsalves
> (Delhi) and Mr Kirit C Panwala (Surat). A young lawyer from Surat, Mr
> Bilal Kagzi, is following up Shakeel's case as of now and will remian
> in touch with him on a weekly basis. He has also procured certified
> copies of FIR, and Remand Application filed by the SOG, Gujarat Police
> in Kathor sessions court. Mr Panwala is following up cases of first 10
> accused who had alleged links with Janshakti. He may very soon take up
> cases of other accused with alleged PWG connections.
>
> Shakeel has expressed his deepest gratitude to all people who have
> stood with him and his case in various ways.
>
> Pl write back with your comments and feedback which will give strength
> to Shakeel, to a small group of close friends and organisations who
> are working closely , and to me too.
>
> Regards
> Anju Shakeel Basha
> anjuabdul at gmail.com, shakeel.peace at gmail.com
> June 25/Surat
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