Petition: In Support of Teesta Setalvad

Hundreds of prominent artists, intellectuals and activists protest against the government’s witch hunt against Teesta Setalvad and Javed Anand.

We the undersigned express our profound dismay and disquiet at the continued official harassment by the central government of leading human rights defenders Teesta Setalvad and Jawed Anand. Since the installation of the BJP led government in Delhi in May 2014, the country has witnessed open strenuous official efforts to foist a large variety of charges of financial irregularity on them, to harass them, to tarnish their reputations, and to secure their arrests. Fortunately the interventions of the higher judiciary have protected them so far. However the latest raids by the Central Bureau of Investigation into their home and offices in Mumbai on 14 July 2015 are signs of continuing open misuse of official bodies to harass these human rights defenders.

It is well-known that Teesta Setalvad and Jawed Anand have fought an unrelenting battle not only to bring to book criminals who committed gruesome hate crimes against Muslims in the carnage of 2002, but also to expose the role of the Gujarat government in enabling, abetting and even organising these crimes. They have been fearless in charging the then Chief Minister Narendra Modi, who is currently the country’s Prime Minister, with direct criminal culpability for these crimes. For this they have assisted the widow of a former MP who was slaughtered in the carnage Zakia Jafri to fight a brave court battle in which the first accused is the then Chief Minister Narendra Modi. They are also appealing against court orders to free on bail prominent political leaders of the BJP convicted of the worst massacre in Naroda Patiya, Maya Kodnani and Babu Bajrangi.

What we are witnessing is crude and defiant misuse of official bodies to beat down these human rights defenders so as to silence their voices, break their morale and divert them from their unrelenting battles in defence of justice which charge the country’s current leadership with complicity in hate crimes.  The veracity of their charges will be decided in the country’s courts. But their right to fight for justice on behalf of the survivors of one of the most shameful communal carnages in the  history of free India is protected by India’s democracy. The open official bullying of courageous human rights defenders even as persons charged with a range of serious crimes walk free are brazen official attempts to diminish Indian democracy. These must be powerfully resisted by all democratic voices in the country.

Endorsed by:

1. ARF Viegas, Engineer
2. Abhay Shirekar, St. Michael’s Church, Vasai, Maharashtra
3. AC Michael
4. Achin Vanaik, retired professor, Delhi University
5. Admiral L Ramdas
6. Ahmed Shekhar Mallik
7. Ajay Skaria, historian, University of Minnesota
8. Ajaya Kumar Singh, Social Activist, Odisha Forum for Social Action
9. Ajith Pillai, journalist
10. Akhil Kang, Delhi
11. Ali Javed, General Secretary, All India Progressive Writers Association, Delhi
12. Amalendu Upadhyaya, Editor: hastakshep.com
13. Amar Jesani
14. Amar Kanwar, Filmmaker, New Delhi
15. Amina Niloufer Hussain, social worker, Hyderabad
16. Amit Bhaduri, Prof Emeritus, JNU, New Delhi
17. Amit Sengupta, Journalist and academic
18. Amita Buch, academician, Gujarat
19. Amitadyuti Kumar, APDR, Kolkata
20. Amrita Shodhan
21. Amudhan R.P. filmmaker, media activist
22. Anand Patwardhan, filmmaker, Mumbai
23. Anand Swaroop Verma, Delhi
24. Angela L Viegas, Professional, Mumbai
25. Anil Chamadia
26. Anil Kumar, Ghazipur, UP
27. Anil Nauriya, advocate, Delhi
28. Anita Ghai
29. Anita Roy, writer, UK
30. Anjali Shenoi
31. Anoushka L Viegas, Graduate, Mumbai
32. Anu Chenoy, Professor, JNU
33. Anubha Rastogi, lawyer, Mumbai
34. Anuradha Kapoor, theatre, New Delhi
35. Anuradha Pati, Delhi
36. Apoorvanand, academician, Delhi
37. Arjun, Pune
38. Arshia Ahmed Ayub, counselling psychologist
39. Aruna Burte, feminist activist
40. Aruna Roy, Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS)
41. Arundhati Dhuru NAPM
42. Ashis Nandy, Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, Delhi
43. Ashok Bikram Jairu, Executive Director, NNSWA Central Office, Kanchanpur
44. Askari Naqvi
45. Astrid Lobo, Satyashodhak
46. Atul Sood, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi
47. Aunohita Mojumdar, Editor, Himal Southasian, Kathmandu
48. Ayaz Siddiqui Communication engineer
49. Ayesha Kidwai
50. Baby Sharma, teacher, Ghazipur, UP
51. Battini Rao, People’s Alliance for Democracy and Seculariam (PADS)
52. BG Kolse Patil , retd judge
53. Bhaskar Chatterjee, academic
54. Bhavna Ramrakhiani, ACF, Gujarat
55. Bijoya Rao
56. Biju Mohan, Executive Director, MBL Media School, Kozhikode
57. Binu Mathew, Editor
58. Biraj Patnaik
59. Brinelle D’Souza, School of Social Work, TISS, Mumbai
60. BRP Bhaskar, journalist, Kerala
61. C Drego, Private Employment, Mumbai, Maharashtra
62. Chaman Lal, Academic, New Delhi
63. Chinappan Swamydas
64. CV Vergis
65. W. Karuna, Historian, Chennai
66. Darryl D’Monte, Chairperson, Forum of Environmental Journalists of India David Selvaraj, Visthar Academy for justice and Peace, Bangalore.
67. Deepa, Delhi
68. Dhirendra Panda, Convener, Civil Society Forum on Human Rights (CSFHR)
69. Dilip Simeon
70. Dinesh Abrol, Delhi
71. Dinesh Mohan, Professor IIT Delhi (Retired)
72. Dr Indra Munshi, Former Head, Dept of Sociology, University of Mumbai,
73. Dr Lubna Sarwath, socio-political activist, Hyderabad
74. Dr St Mohamed Nazeer, professor, Chennai
75. Dr. Abey George, State Coordinator, NCPRI Kerala
76. Dr. Amrita Chhachhi, Academician
77. Dr. Anant Phadke, Pune
78. Dr. Frazer Mascarenhas,  former principal, St.Xavier’s college, Mumbai
79. Dr. Mohan Rao , Prof, Centre of Social Medicine and Community Health, JNU
80. Dr. Munish Alagh. Profession: Economist, Ahmedabad
81. Dr. Varghese Manimala, Professor and activist
82. Dr.K.Subramanian, Retired Chief Scientist &Head-Chlor-Alkali Division,CSIR
83. Dr.Ruth Manorama, political activist, Janata Dal(secular)
84. Dunu Roy, Engineer, Hazards Centre, Delhi
85. Faiz Siddiqui Bank executive
86. Farah Naqvi, Writer and Activist, Delhi
87. Fr Maverick Fernandes, President, Council for Social Justice and Peace, Goa
88. Fr Savio Fernandes, Executive Secretary, Council for Social Justice and Peace, Goa.
89. Fr. Cedric Prakash sj, Director, PRASHANT, Gujarat
90. Fr. Freddy Braganca, General Secretary, Centre for Responsible Tourism, Goa
91. Franson Davis Manjali, Academic, JNU
92. Arunima, Associate Professor and Chair, Centre for Women’s Studies, JNU
93. G.M. Sheikh, Artist, Gujarat
94. Gabriele Dietrich, NAPM I endorse this statement
95. Gautam Thaker, General Secretory PUCL Gujarat
96. Geeta Kapur, Independent Art Writer, Delhi
97. Geeta Seshu, Journalist, Mumbai, Maharashtra
98. Geetanjali Gangoli
99. Ghanshyam Shah, academician, Gujarat
100. Ghiasuddin Akbar, Member, Apna Watan & Help Hyderabad.
101. Gita Sen
102. Githa Hariharan, Writer
103. Govindasamy Sekar, Writer, Channai
104. Hanif Lakdawala, Social Activist, Gujarat
105. Harsh Kapoor,
106. Harsh Mander, Aman Biradari
107. Hartman de Souza, writer, teacher and theatre person
108. Helen Saldana
109. Henri Tiphagne, National Secretary , Human Rights Defenders Alert India
110. I A Siddiqui Retd engineer
111. Indira Chandrasekhar, Tulika Books, Delhi
112. Indira Jaising, Founder, Lawyer’s Collective, Delhi
113. Indrawati, Ghazipur, UP
114. Indu Prakash Singh, Social Activist, Forum Against Corruption & Threats
115. Iqbal Ahmad, All India People’s Front , Ghazipur, UP
116. Irfan Engineer, All India Secular Forum
117. Ishwarbhai Prajapati, Jan Sangharsh Manch,Ahmedabad, Gujarat
118. Jai Sen, CACIM
119. Javed Malik, New Delhi
120. Jaya Mehta ,Sandarbh Collective, Indore
121. Jayati Ghosh, Professor of Economics, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi
122. Jayati Lal, Academic, Washington, DC
123. Jharna Pathak, Profession: Researcher, Ahmedabad Women’s Action Group.
124. Joe Athialy, Activist, New Delhi
125. John Dayal, journalist, New Delhi
126. John Paul Lobo, De Nobili College, Nagar Road, Ramvadi, Pune
127. Joy Karyampuram
128. Joy Sengupta, actor, Mumbai
129. Jyoti Punwani freelance journalist Mumbai
130. Kabi Cubby Sherman
131. Kalapana Kannabiran, Council for Social Development, Hyderabad
132. Kalpana Sharma, journalist, Mumbai
133. Kalyani Menon-Sen , Feminist Learning Partnerships, Gurgaon
134. Kamal Chenoy, Prof. JNU
135. Kamal Faruqi, FCA, Former Chairman Delhi Minorities Commission
136. Kamayani Bali Mahabal, Mumbai
137. Khalid Azam (United States)
138. Kiran Shaheen, Writer and Anti Poverty Activist
139. Kirtana Thangavelu
140. Kumar Ambuj, Member of Presidium, M. P. Progressive Writers Association
141. Kumar Prashant, journalist, sarvodaya activist
142. Kumar Sundaram, India Against Hate
143. Kumkum Roy, New Delhi
144. Kunal Chattopadhyay, Academic, Social Movement Activist
145. L Viegas, professional,Mumbai,
146. Lalit Vachani, Filmmaker, New Delhi
147. Lalita Ramdas, social activist,Hyderabad
148. Lara Jesani
149. Lena Ganesh, Mumbai, Maharashtra.
150. Lynette Gomes, Computer professional,Mumbai,
151. M Cherian Kunjumon, Bombay Catholic Sabha, Mumbai.
152. M Joe Inigo
153. Chaya Ratan, IAS Retd.& Activist, Hyderabad
154. V. Ramana, Princeton University, USA
155. Maati Munsiari, Uttarakhand
156. Madhu Prasad, academician, Delhi
157. Mahendra Gupta, All India People’s Front , Ghazipur, UP
158. Mahesh Bhatt, filmmaker, Mumbai
159. Mahesh Daga
160. Malika Virdi
161. Mallika Sarabhai, Artist, Gujarat
162. Manan Trivedi, social activist, Gujarat
163. Mandakini Dubey, Assistant Professor of English, Ashoka University
164. Manisha Sethi, Jamia Teachers’ Solidarity Association.
165. Manoranjan Siba Sankar Mohanty
166. Mary Scaria
167. Mazher Hussain, Social Activist, Hyderabad
168. Md. Shafiquzzaman, Former Special Chief Secretary, Hyderabad
169. Meenakshi Ganguly, Mumbai
170. Meera Samson, Collaborative Research and Dissemination, New Delhi
171. Mehar, social worker, Ghazipur, UP
172. Meher Engineer, Independent Scientist, Kolkata, West Bengal
173. Mohamed Anas, Accountant, Tamil Nadu
174. Mohammed Ashfaq
175. Mohd Aamir, social activist, Delhi
176. Monisha Behal, Assam
177. Mrs Praxedes Gomes, Sr Citizen & home maker, Mumbai.
178. Mujahid Nafees, Education activist, Gujarat
179. Mukul Mangalik
180. Myron J. Pereira, former director Xavier Inst. of Communications, Mumbai
181. N.D.Jayaprakash, Social Activist, Delhi
182. Nandini Rao, women’s rights activist, Delhi
183. Nandini Sundar, Professor, Delhi University
184. Nandita Bhatia
185. Nandita Das, actor, director, Mumbai
186. Naresh Fernandes, Journalist.
187. Naseem Khan, Secretary, All India People’s Front , Ghazipur, UP
188. Naseeruddin Shah theatre and film actor and director
189. Nasiruddin Haider Khan, journalist, Delhi
190. Nasreen Fazalbhoy, Mumbai Maharashtra.
191. Navaid Hamid, MOEMIN, Delhi
192. Nazir Ahmad, All India People’s Front , Ghazipur, UP
193. Neeraj Jain, Lokayat, Pune and Socialist Party (India)
194. Neha Shah, College teacher, Ahmedabad
195. Neshat Quaiser, Dr. Associate Professor, Dep of Sociology, Jamia Millia Islamia, National Federation of Indian Women
196. Nikhil Dey, Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS)
197. Nilima Shaikh, artist, Vadodara, Gujarat
198. Nimisha, Vadodara
199. Nityanand Jayaraman, writer/social activist, Chennai
200. NoMore Campaign
201. Noorjahan Diwan, social activist, Gujarat
202. Noorjehan Safia Niaz, Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan
203. Ovais Sultan Khan, People’s Alliance for Democracy and Secularism
204. K. Datta – Teacher- Delhi University – Delhi
205. Padma Deosthali
206. Pallab Sengupta, Gen Secretary, All India Peace and Solidarity Organisation
207. Pamela Philipose, journalist, New Delhi
208. Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, Journalist, Delhi
209. Poorva Bhardwaj, women rights activist, New Delhi
210. Prabhat Patnaik, Professor Emeritus, JNU.
211. Prabir Purkayashta, New Delhi
212. Pravin Joseph Philip, Healthy Neighborhood Communications, Kerala
213. Preetha Nair, journalist
214. Prem P Verma, Jharkhand Nagrik Prayas, Ranchi
215. Priya Pillai, Environmental Activist , Greenpeace India.
216. Prof Aditya Mukherjee, Historian, JNU
217. Prof Mridula Mukherjee, Historian, JNU
218. Prof P Koya, NCHRO
219. Prof Rooprekha Verma, Saajhi Duniya’s , Former VC, Lucknow University
220. Prof. Anjali Monteiro, TISS, Mumbai
221. Prof. Dr. Vibhuti Patel, HOD economics, SNDT Women’s University, Mumbai
222. Prof. K.P. Jayasankar, TISS, Mumbai
223. Prof. Shohini Ghosh, Academic, Delhi.
224. Progressive Writers’ Association, Ghatshila, Jharkhand
225. Puja, Delhi
226. Pushpa Iyer, Associate Profesor, California.
227. Pyoli, Samajwadi Janparishad
228. R.K Pandey, asst teacher, Ghazipur, UP
229. R.T.Muthu, Poet, TN Progressive Writer progressive Association, Chennai
230. Rachana Johri
231. Radha Khan, Chairperson & Trustee DAJI , New Delhi
232. Radhika Chitkara, Partners for Law in Development
233. Rahul Pandey, entrepreneur and academic,Bangalore, Karnataka
234. Rahul Sharma, former IPS, now Lawyer, Gujarat
235. Rajashri Dasgupta, Kolkata
236. Rajeev Bhargava, academician, New Delhi
237. Rajesh Shrivastava, IPTA, Chattisgarh
238. Rajmohan Gandhi
239. Rakesh Aggarwal, journalist
240. Rakesh Sharma, filmmaker
241. Ram Puniyani, writer, activist, Mumbai
242. Ramlath Kavil
243. Rammanohar Reddy, Economic & Political Weekly, Mumbai
244. Ranbir Sinh, IPTA
245. Ranjan Solomon, Badayl/Alternatives, GOA
246. Rita Manchanda
247. Ritambhara, New Delhi
248. Ritu Dewan, President,Indian  Association of Women’s Studies
249. Rituparna Borah, New Delhi
250. Robin Viegas, Hon Secretary, Bombay Catholic Sabha, Kalina Unit,
251. Romila Thapar, Academician
252. Roselle Solomon, Counselor, Regina Mundi High School, Goa
253. Roshmi Goswami
254. Ruchir Joshi Film maker
255. Rukmini, hillele.org
256. Hasan Kamal, South Asians for Unity, Atlanta, GA, USA
257. Saba Naqvi, journalist
258. Sachindeo Vaidya, scientist, India
259. Sadanand Menon, journalist, Chennai, Tamil Nadu
260. Saheli Women’s Resource Centre
261. Sandeep Pandey, Socialist Party
262. Sanjai Sharma, Human Rights Law Network
263. Sarika Shrivastava (NFIW, Madhya Pradesh)
264. Sarojini N.B.
265. Sasi Mayur
266. Satish Deshpande, academician, Delhi
267. Satya Sivaraman, Journalist
268. Shabana Khan, advocate, Mumbai
269. Shabnam Hashmi, social activist, Anhad
270. Shahiuz Zaman Niaz
271. Shalini Gera,JagLAG, Chattisgarh
272. Shankar Singh, Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS)
273. Shariq Siddiqui Photography professional
274. Shashank Kela, Writer, Chennai
275. Sheba Chhachhi ,Artist, New Delhi
276. Shikha Sen, Editor, New Delhi
277. Shivani Taneja, Educationist, Bhopal, M.P.
278. Shruti Chaturvedi, activist
279. Shubha
280. Siddharth Varadarajan, journalist, Delhi
281. Sigaram Senthilnathan, senior advocate, Madras High Court, Chennai
282. Sita Anantha Raman, Emerita, history, Santa Clara University, California
283. Sofiya Khan, social activist, Gujarat
284. Sohail Hashmi, filmmaker
285. Soma Kishore Parthasarathy
286. Soma KP
287. Soma Marik — Historian, Women’s Rights Activist
288. Sonali Sathaye, Teacher, Madanapalli
289. Sonia Jabbar, Delhi
290. Soumya Dutta, Convenor -Bharat Jan Vigyan Jatha, India
291. Sqn Ldr V S Chakravarthi (rtd)
292. Subhash Anand
293. Subhash Gatade, New Socialist Initiative
294. Sudha Arora
295. Suhasini Mulay
296. Sukla Sen, social activist, EKTA (Committee for Communal Amity), Mumbai
297. Sumati Surya, scientist, India
298. Sumit Sarkar, Retired professor of History, University of Delhi
299. Sumitra, All India People’s Front , Ghazipur, UP
300. Suneeta Dhar, activist
301. Sunita Reddy
302. Supriya Madangarli
303. Surabhi Sharma, filmmaker, Mumbai
304. Suvrat Raju, International Centre for Theoretical Sciences, TIFR, Bangalore
305. Syeda Hameed, former member, Planning Commission, New Delhi
306. T I Siddiqui Retd bank executive
307. Tani Bhargava, New Delhi
308. Tanika Sarkar, Retired professor of History, JNU.
309. Tapati Guha-Thakurta
310. Tauseef H. Mukadam, Profession: Airline Pilot, Karnataka
311. Tushar A. Gandhi, Mahatma Gandhi Foundation, Maharashtra.
312. Uma Chakravarty, academician, Delhi
313. Uma V Chandru, Activist, Bangalore
314. Urvashi Butalia, publisher, Delhi
315. V.Vasanthi Devi, Chennai.
316. Vaibhao Ambhore
317. Varghese Manimala
318. Vasantha Surya
319. Vena Gowda
320. Vidyadhar Gadgil, Professional Goa
321. Vijay Rao, Social Worker, Ghazipur, UP
322. Vijayesh Lal, EFIRLC , New Delhi
323. Vijendra Yadav, All India People’s Front , Ghazipur, UP
324. Vineet Tiwari, Gen. Secretary, Madhya Pradesh PWA
325. Vinod Sharma, Ghazipur, UP
326. Vipin K. Tripathi, Sadbhav Mission
327. Vipul Mudgal, journalist and academic
328. Viranjeet Sandhu, student
329. Virendra Jain, Janwadi Lekhak Sangh, Bhopal
330. Vivan Sundaram, artist, Aam Aadmi Party – Delhi
331. Walter Fernanes, former director, North Eastern Social Research Centre, Guwahati
332. Waqar Kazi, social activist, Gujarat
333. Wilfred D’Costa, Indian Social Action Forum (INSAF), New Delhi
334. WSS (Women Against Sexual Violence and State Repression)
335. Yogendra Yadav
336. Yousuf Saeed, Independent filmmaker, writer, New Delhi
337. Yusuf B.Shaikh, Advocate
338. Zaffarullah Khan, Advocate, Chennai
339. Zakia Soman Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan
340. Zamser Ali, journalist, President, BTAD Citizen Rights forum
341. Zoya Hasan, academician, JNU
342. Zulekha Jabin