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print versionDTF strongly condemns ’Modi Govt driven ED’ to grill Dr. Navsharan.
Chandigarh: May 16 [2023] Modi Govt driven Enforcement Directorate (ED) has harassed the well-known Cultural and Social activist Dr. Navsharan, by grilling more than 8 hours. Leading Teachers’ Union DTF Punjab strongly condemns the ED for interrogating her. The leaders of DTF, Digvijay Pal Sharma, state president, and Balbir Longowal, State General secretary, has told the press that Dr. Navsharan is a member of AIUFWP Advisory Committee on Women and Cultural issues. Dr. Navsharan has been widely known for her contribution to various social movements and cultural movements across the Country. She has been also active in the historic Kisan Andolan that struck Delhi borders in 2021 and staged a sit-in strike for almost eleven months. They add that She is the daughter of the iconic cultural activist and we’ll renowned dramatist Gursharan Singh alias Bhai Manna Singh, who had, undoubtedly, contributed incredibly to raising the cultural and political awareness of the masses all throughout his life. Dr. Navsharan has been engaged in social and political movements since her childhood along with her parents. She has been a staunch fighter for farmer and peasant rights and also has lent her support to the Forest Right Movement and Women’s Movement. The grilling done by the ED department for more than 8 hours is clearly a violation of the fundamental rights of Dr. Navsharan as a citizen of this Country. By questioning her for such long hours in their office is also clearly a violation of Art. 21 and Art. 19 of the Constitution which guarantees " Right to personal Liberty " and " Right to freedom of expression". Dr. Navsharan has dedicated her entire life for the upliftment of the poor and socially deprived sections. She is also a staunch writer. Social fronts see this act of ED a vilified and notorious act to target the intellectuals and activists to help the fascist regime to eliminate all the dissenting voices that questions the present fascist Government. Dr. Navsharan was summoned under the PMLA Act (Prevention of Money Laundering Act), which itself is a mockery. On the contrary, the present regime is the one that is openly and brazenly siding with the rapists like Brijbhusan, rapist of Bilkis banu and in deep corruption in which many more party leaders even Chief Ministers of State where BJP is in power are involved. No action is being taken by this govt. for speech of full heartedness, demolition of houses of muslim communities, raging a war against its own citizens by bringing CAA- NRC legislation, corrupt officials involved in bribery, atrocities against dalit communities especially flogging the dalit youth in Una, illegal arrest of famous academicians, authors, officers, journalists and activists in Bhima Goregaon case.
The criminal Act of the BJP govt to announce note bandi and lock down without any preparation has killed thousands of poor people. This Govt is also waging a war in Kashmir against its own Citizens and killing of the 42 personnel in Pulwama strike is one among that for which till date no top level enquiry has been conducted. There are hundreds and thousands of such incidents of violence perpetrated by this present regime but there is no liability to any one and it is quite evident that those who are raising their voice against such atrocities and injustices are intimidated as happened in the case of Dr. Navsharan. Today hundreds and thousands of civil society activists, lawyers, journalists, political activists and other activists fighting for the democratic rights are being targeted to crush their voice.
Dr. is an intellectual resource person of this Country and should be respected and honored rather than harassed by an agency that has been given unassumed powers by the Government in order to traumatise and disrespect such personalities so that they stop working on the social issues. Leaders of unoin warn such authorities that such nefarious practices will not succeed in dampening the spirits and truthfulness of such human right activists like Dr. Navsharan. All the social organizations are standing with her and any attempt to bring disgrace and intimidation to Dr. Navsharan will be retaliated with a strong people’s movement.
Issued by:
Balbir Longowal State General Secretary
Democratic Teachers’ Front Punjab
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Modi government should keep its hands off Dr. Navsharan —Statement from Bharatiya Kisan Union Ekta (Ugrahan)
Joginder Singh Ugrahan, state president of Bhartiya Kisan Union Ekta (Ugrahan), has said that Dr. Navsharan, writer, democratic rights activist, a staunch supporter of people’s struggles, and the daughter of renowned playwright Late Gursharan Singh, is being targeted by the Modi government for speaking out the truth.
In continuation with a series of attacks on intellectuals and democratic rights activists across the country, Dr. Navsharan was summoned under the PMLA Act and an attempt was made to intimidate and harass her in the name of an inquiry. Like the UAPA, PMLA also gives the government unrestrained powers to crush the democratic rights of any person.
He said that Dr. Navsharan has been playing a key role as an active public intellectual in the field of democratic rights for almost two-and-a-half decades. Among the intellectual, she was one of the leading supporters of the historic peasant struggle on the borders of Delhi. Not only did she continue to participate in the Delhi sit-in, but she has also made efforts to share the experience of the farmers’ struggle with the struggling people of different countries of the world.
He said that Dr. Navsharan is one of the leading intellectuals of the country raising her voice against the brutal fascist attack of the Modi government on the ordinary people. He warned the Modi government to keep its hands off Dr. Navsharan and immediately stop her harassment in the name of inquiry. The nefarious attempts to silence the democratic voices in support of the working people must stop.
He said that people movements of Punjab are standing firm with Navsharan. He called upon all sections of the people’s democratic movement in India to immediately raise their voice and let this be known to the Modi government.
From: Joginder Singh Ugrahan, State President, Bharatiya Kisan Union Ekta (Ugrahan)
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India: Punjab farmer unions, farm labourer organisations speak out in support of activist Navsharan Singh https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/chandigarh/punjab-farmer-unions-support-activist-navsharan-singh-8612387/
Farmer, human rights organisations raise voice, say victimisation of rights activist Navsharan must stop https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/farmer-human-rights-organisations-raise-voice-say-victimisation-of-rights-activist-navsharan-must-stop/articleshow/100259180.cms
Punjab farmer unions, farm labourer organisations speak out in support of activist Navsharan Singh written by Raakhi Jagga https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/chandigarh/punjab-farmer-unions-support-activist-navsharan-singh-8612387/
Farmers’ bodies, literary forums come in support of writer Dr Navsharan Singh https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/amritsar/farmers-bodies-literary-forums-come-in-support-of-navsharan-singh-508866
Dr Navsharan Singh is being mercilessly targeted in India by Harsh Thakor https://countercurrents.org/2023/05/dr-navsharan-singh-is-being-mercilessly-targeted/
Strong Condemnation From India and Abroad After ED Questions Researcher Navsharan Singh https://thewire.in/rights/navsharan-singh-enforcement-directorate
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For immediate release
India’s witch-hunt against internationally recognized scholar and activist with Canadian connections, condemned by diasporic civil society organizations
The Modi regime’s harassment and intimidation of progressive public figures who oppose its divisive policies and actions has been ongoing for the last nine years. The latest victim, reportedly, is the public intellectual and human rights activist Dr Navsharan Singh (Ph.D. Carleton University), daughter of the legendary theater personality the late Gursharan Singh, and a well-known progressive public figure in India and internationally.
According to press reports Dr. Navsharan Singh, was questioned for 8 hours for alleged violations of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act PMLA based on her association with social activist Harsh Mander’s Karwan-e-Mohabbat (Caravan of Love), a group that provides support to the most marginalized and deprived sections of Indian society, especially minorities who are frequently at the receiving end of violence by the goons of Hindutva organizations. During the pandemic, Karwan-e-Mohabbat was feeding the poor and daily wage-earners who suddenly found themselves without any source of income.
An accomplished scholar and women’s rights activist in South Asia, Dr. Singh also has a long history of grassroots work and has taken the baton of such work from her late father. By reaching out to the impoverished and the disenfranchised in rural Punjab and elsewhere, her support and advocacy work has earned her the love and respect of the masses, as was evident when she courageously supported the Indian farmers’ struggle against the draconian laws of the Modi government in 2020-2021. S. Joginder Singh Ugrahan, head of BKU (Bhartiya Kisan Union) [Indian Farmers’ Union], one of the largest farmers Unions in India, has strongly denounced the shameful harassment of Dr. Navsharan Singh by the Indian government.
To those of us who have known or are familiar with Dr. Navsharan Singh and her grassroots and academic work, her harassment by the regime’s investigative agencies is outrageous and unacceptable, and must be resolutely opposed.
Dr. Singh’s bio and work can be accessed through the following links:
https://carleton.ca/politicaleconomy/people/navsharan-singh/
http://www.lcs-tcs.com/current.html
We, the undersigned organizations, call on the Indian authorities to immediately stop their persecution of Dr. Navsharan Singh and ensure that she is not subjected to malicious harassment in future.
- Alliance for a Secular and Democratic South Asia
- Alternatives, Montreal, Canada
- Alternatives International
- Centre de travailleurs et travailleuses immigrant/es-Immigrant Workers Centre, Montreal
- CERAS (Centre sur l’asie du sud)
- Critical Diasporic South Asian Feminisms
- Democracy, Equality and Secularism in South Asia (DESSA), Winnipeg
- Gursharan Singh Memorial Lecture Committee, Vancouver
- India Civil Watch International
- International South Asian Forum
- Justice for All Canada
- Secular People’s Association, Edmonton
- Progressive Cultural Association, Calgary
- Progressive Kala Manch, Calgary
- Pro-People Arts Project Media Group (Sarokaran Di Awaz), Calgary
- Punjabi Literary and Cultural Association, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
- Rang Collective
- Sarokaran Di Awaz, Toronto
- Shaheed Bhagat Singh Book Centre, Calgary
- Sikh Virsa International, Calgary
- Sadan- South Asian Dalit Adivasi Network-Canada
- SADAC - South Asian Diaspora Action Collective
- SANSAD - South Asian Network for Secularism and Democracy
- South Asian Network for Secularism and Democracy (SANSAD), Vancouver
- Tarqsheel [Rationalists] Society of Canada
- Teesri Duniya Theatre
