Skip to main content

Institutional murder under a proto-fascist state: Pandu Narote’s death in prison

By Harsh Thakor 

Pandu Narote, who was framed along with former Delhi University professor G N Saibaba under various sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for Maoist links, died on August 25 after contracting swine flu. He was imprisoned at the Nagpur Central Jail. One of the blackest days in post-1947 Indian history. Crushing of democratic dissent has touched volumes unprecedented, with human rights at an abysmal low, Narote is a martyr in the struggle for social justice. and his death symbolises the strangulation of a political prisoner by the tentacles of proto-fascism, which shimmers at a helm. Work of such martyrs has embarrassed the fascist rulers in their very belly.
As per information of prison officials, the 33-year-old had high fever on August 20 and was subsequently diagnosed with swine flu. Later, he was admitted to the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMC) in Nagpur where his condition kept worsening.. He passed away at 5.30pm. His family had written to the Nagpur jail superintendent on Thursday, before his death, stating that they were not informed about his medical condition and the jail authorities would owe responsibility should something happen to him.
Narote’s lawyer Akash Sorde said the family or lawyers were kept ignorant condition and that they learnt about it through news reports. The family approached the jail authorities for information and visited GMC Hospital but were not allowed to meet Narote, he said. Narote’s lawyers had also approached the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court on Thursday seeking urgent medical care for him, stating that he was admitted at the jail hospital without any facility of specialised care.
He was shifted to GMC two days ago and continued to be instated there despite a referral by the authorities there that swine flu could not be treated at the hospital and sought for him to be shifted to another facility, his lawyer said.
Narote, a 33- year old young man was deliberately denied access to the prescribed medical care by the jail authorities because of his adherence to political beliefs and precisely, because of this he breathed his last in Nagpur GMCH hospital. The truth is that Narote was not provided with any medical intervention until his physical condition had completely deteriorated. The jail authorities cold-bloodedly ignored him when he fell sick initially.
They shifted him to the hospital only when he was on the brink of death and it was evident that the doctors would not be able to save him. Akash Sorte, an advocate who appeared on behalf of him in the court of law, has confirmed that Narote was already in a terrible condition by the time he was shifted to the hospital. Similarly, another advocate Nihalsing Rathod diagnosed that his death is nothing but an institutional murder as he was transferred to the hospital only when his death was ia foregone conclusion.
Narote’s death, in its own right, implies that the institutional murder of G.N.Saibaba is a virtual inevitability if he is not immediately released from jail he is residing in a most inhuman condition and health deteriorating.. Day and night, he is subjected to torture. It must not be forgotten that Saibaba is 90 percent physically-disabled and severely ill. He has been kept in an Anda cell, one of the most appalling types of cell, for the crime which he never committed. For sure, it is high time when civil society rises in unison to ensure that he is released from jail at the earliest. Narote’s death needs to be grasped in the context of the institutional murder of Stan Swamy, an 82-year-old tribal rights activist, which was executed by none other than the authorities of the prison where he was kept to languish months after months.
All democrats must fight to the last tooth to punish those who conspired to kill him, are charged and convicted under the law of crimes. Importantly, a Supreme Court-monitored committee must be formalised to investigate the crimes of the advocates of the state who have been murdering the activists like Pandu Narote and Stan Swamy and provide an adequate judicial solution.
This incident is the perfect illustration how the fangs of neo-fascism are sharpening day by day, penetrating every rung of society.Considering the era it surpasses even the barbarity of the colonial days, being manifestation of how the fabric of the Constitution is torn to pieces. Democratic organisations must organise protests in every nook and corner illustrating how the ruling govt is patronising institutional murder on activists and how political prisoners are stripped of all rights prescribed by law.
It is imperative for protests to be held within prison walls to protect any remnants of civil rights. A concerted appeal must be made to the Supreme Court. It is a shame that our judiciary is becoming absolutely subservient to the rulers in power .A strong democratic lawyers front is imperative, today. In some regions of India violation of rights in jails, surpass the barbarity of the colonial days. A major campaign has to be undertaken to challenge the proto-fascist laws.
--- 
Harsh Thakor is a freelance journalist who covers mass movements around India and been close to the civil liberties movement

Comments

TRENDING

Eight years of empowering tribal communities through water initiatives in Chhattisgarh

By Gazala Paul*   In the heart of Chhattisgarh, amidst the echoes of tribal life, a transformative journey has unfolded over the past eight years. The Samerth organization has diligently worked to elevate the lives of indigenous communities in the Kawardha district through the project, "Enabling Baiga Community to access safe drinking water." 

Regretful: Kapil Dev retired not leaving Indian cricket with integrity he upheld

By Harsh Thakor  Kapil Dev scaled heights as an entertainer and a player upholding the spirit of the game almost unparalleled in his era. In his time he was cricket’s ultimate mascot of sportsmanship On his day Kapil could dazzle in all departments to turn the tempo of game in the manner of a Tsunami breaking in. He radiated r energy, at a level rarely scaled in his era on a cricket field. Few ever blended aggression with artistry so comprehenisively. Although fast medium, he could be as daunting with the ball as the very best, with his crafty outswinger, offcutter, slower ball and ball that kicked from a good length. Inspite of bowling on docile tracks on the subcontinent, Kapil had 434 scalps, with virtually no assistance. I can never forget how he obtained pace and movement on flat pancakes, trapping the great Vivian Richards in Front or getting Geoff Boycott or Zaheer Abbas caught behind. No paceman carried the workload of his team’s bowling attack on his shoulders in his eras muc

Martin Crowe played instrumental role in making New Zealand a force in world cricket

By Harsh Thakor* Late Martin Crowe was the perfect manifestation of how mere figures could not convey or do justice to the true merit of a batsman. Crowe was arguably the most complete  or majestic batsmen of his era or the ultimate embodiment of batting perfection, or the classical batsmen. He perished 7 years ago, due to a rare and aggressive form of cancer, follicular lymphoma, which originated in 2012. In September, we celebrated his 60th birthday but sadly he left for his heavenly abode.

How the slogan Jai Bhim gained momentum as movement of popularity and revolution

By Dr Kapilendra Das*  India is an incomprehensible plural country loaded with diversities of religions, castes, cultures, languages, dialects, tribes, societies, costumes, etc. The Indians have good manners/etiquette (decent social conduct, gesture, courtesy, politeness) that build healthy relationships and take them ahead to life. In many parts of India, in many situations, and on formal occasions, it is common for people of India to express and exchange respect, greetings, and salutation for which we people usually use words and phrases like- Namaskar, Namaste, Pranam, Ram Ram, Jai Ram ji, Jai Sriram, Good morning, shubha sakal, Radhe Radhe, Jai Bajarangabali, Jai Gopal, Jai Jai, Supravat, Good night, Shuvaratri, Jai Bhole, Salaam walekam, Walekam salaam, Radhaswami, Namo Buddhaya, Jai Bhim, Hello, and so on.

Towards 2024: Time for ‘We the People of India’ to wake up before it is too late

By Fr Cedric Prakash SJ*  It is Constitution Day once again! We, the people of India, gratefully remember 26 November 1949 when the Constitution of India was passed and adopted by the Constituent Assembly. The Constituent Assembly comprised women and men of distinction, who were able to represent the heart and soul of the people of India without fear or favour. They gave of their best, so that we may a visionary Constitution, which would be the mainstay for and of democracy in India!

1982-83 Bombay textile strike played major role in shaping working class movement

By Harsh Thakor  On January 18th, 1982 the working class movement commemorated the 40th anniversary of the Textile Workers Strike that lasted for 18 months, till July 1983. It was landmark event that played a major role in shaping the working class movement. With more than 2.5 lakh workers from 65 textile mills joining in this strike for almost two years, this strike became one of the most significant strikes in terms of scale and duration All democrats should applaud the mill workers’ united battle, and their unflinching resilience an death defying courage continues to serve as a model for contemporary working-class movements. Many middle class persons harboured opinions that the Textile workers were pampered or were a labour aristocracy, ignorant of how they were denied wages to provide for basic necessities. The Great Bombay Textile Strike is notably one of the most defining movements in the working class struggles in Post-independent India. Bombay’s textile industry flourished in

Ceasefire a tactical victory for Palestinian resistance, protests intensify across globe

By Harsh Thakor*  The Zionist leadership and Netanyahu’s government were compelled to concede the defeat of their first attempt after almost 50 days of daily fighting in the Gaza Strip.  Netanyahu was forced to concede that he was unsuccessful in suppressing the Palestinian Resistance; and that the release of the prisoners was only plausible because they accepted Hamas’ terms.

Odisha leadership crisis deepens: CM engages retired babus to oversee depts' work

By Sudhansu R Das  Over decades, Odisha has lost much of its crop diversity, fertile agriculture land, water bodies, employment potential, handicraft and handloom skills etc. The state has failed to strike a balance between the urban and rural sector growth; this leads to the migration of villagers to the urban areas leading to collapse of the urban infrastructures and an acute labor shortage in rural areas.  A large number of educated, skilled and unskilled Odia people have migrated to other states for higher education, quality jobs and for earning livelihood which plummet the efficiency level of government departments. Utmost transparency in the recruitment and promotion in the state government departments will improve governance mechanisms in the state.  "No near and dear one approach" in governance mechanisms can only achieve inclusive growth for the state on payment basis. This is a moral hazard. When so many educated young people seek employment outside the

Massive tropical deforestation: Big finance's $307 billion go to forest-risk commodities

A note on report by Forests & Finance coalition -- Rainforest Action Network, TuK Indonesia, Profundo, Amazon Watch, Repórter Brasil, BankTrack, Sahabat Alam Malaysia and Friends of the Earth US: *** A new report released on ‘Finance Day’ at COP28 by the Forests & Finance Coalition , provides a comprehensive look into the role big finance plays in driving deforestation, biodiversity loss, climate change and human rights abuses in tropical forest regions. The report reveals that since the Paris Agreement, banks have pumped over $307 billion into high risk forestry and agriculture companies linked to tropical deforestation, proving that the policies of major global banks and investors are failing to prevent continued widespread forest and biodiversity loss.

20% of Indian businesses have no emission plan in place despite climate emergency: Report

By Jag Jivan   New research underlines urgent need for strategies and transition plans to combat climate change, remain successful and meet stakeholder expectations.