Teesta Setalvad: Rights activists, students hit the streets to protest arrest

Many of the protesters also carried posters and shouted slogans condemning prime minister Narendra Modi and union home minister Amit Shah

Mumbai Hundreds of citizens and civil right activists, students and members of independent and left-leaning political parties joined hands on Monday afternoon outside the Dadar Station to protest the arrest of former journalist and human rights activist Teesta Setalvad.

Residents and social activists of various group protest against the centre for arresting Teesta Setalvad at Dadar on Monday (Anshuman Poyrekar/HT PHOTO)

Members of Mumbai-based civil association groups like, Hum Bharat Ke Log (HBKL), Progressive Writer’s Association (PWA), Bombay Catholic Sabha (BCA), along with independent student organisations and political parties like Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPIM) and Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) held public demonstration protesting Setalvad’s arrest.

The protestors said that the primary agenda of Monday’s mass gathering is to send a message to the administration demanding Setalvad’s release. Students and activists were seen carrying placards with the words “Free Testa Setalvad” painted in black.

Many of the protesters also carried posters and shouted slogans condemning prime minister Narendra Modi and union home minister Amit Shah.

Activist Feroze Mithiborewala, who was present at the venue, said, “The Supreme Court of India is in contempt of the people of this country. The situation where our country is today is equivalent to the situation in Germany during the 1930s and 40s. The arrest of Setalvad is an arbitrary move and by extending their custody, the court has let the people of our country down. The people of our country have now started to lose faith in the state’s machinery seeing the ruling union ministry use them for its own political benefit.”

Monday’s event was also attended by 98-year-old Dr GG Parikh, who is known for fighting during India’s struggle for freedom alongside Mahatma Gandhi. Parikh labelled Setalvad’s arrest as a fascist move.

“The condition of our country today is completely opposite to what we had envisioned during our fight for independence. It really upsets me how the incumbent government is using the state machinery to silence those who raise their voice. I have come here today because I am hopeful that our presence will help spread the voice to the state government,” said Parikh.

Several students and women activists from different walks of lives also joined hands on Monday to express their solidarity against Setalvad’s arrest.

“We have come just to show that there are many like Setalvad who don’t agree with the government. If they are ready to be put in jail, they can do so. We are not afraid of this government as we want to show them that arbitrary rulers can never last,” said Wasim Khan, a student from Mumbai University.

“I, along with seven of my neighbours and friends, have joined the protest to express solidarity to Setalvad. Being a woman, I felt this was our basic duty to come here,” said Tarannum Baig, a resident from Dharavi.

Not only in Mumbai, protests were held in as many as 21 different cities in India including Hyderabad, Delhi, Bengaluru and Kolkata.

Prakash Reddy, leader of CPIM in Maharashtra, slammed the Gujarat ATS and said, “The ATS was formed to arrest terrorists and law breakers and today all those who are free thinkers and point out the faults in governments are being arrested arbitrarily. This is an example of poor situation, and it needs to stop immediately,”

Vidya Chavan, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and former Member of Legislative Council (MLC) who was also present at the gathering, said, “Setalvad was arrested in Juhu near Narayan Rane’s bungalow which has severe illegalities. The union ministry can arrest an innocent person who has raised her voice against their arbitrary move but will overlook the irregularities carried out in his bungalow by a member of his own party,” said Chavan.

Setalvad was detained from her Juhu residence on Saturday afternoon by Gujarat’s Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) for allegedely forging documents related to the 2002 Gujarat riots. She was formally arrested on Sunday and remanded to police custody along with former director general of Gujarat police, RB Sreekumar, till July 2, by an Ahmedabad court.