Professor GN Saibaba, a well-known political activist, is being refused reinstatement in Delhi University’s Ram Lal Anand college. Despite a petition signed by 207 academics that was forward by the office of the Vice-President of India, the college has decided to continue with the suspension of Prof. Saibaba. An order of “deemed suspension” of his employment was issued following his arrest in 2014.
Saibaba was kidnapped and arrested on May 9, 2014 by the Indian state on charges of “waging war against the state”, and other sections of the UAPA. The Supreme Court granted him bail in April 2016. Prof Saibaba has not been convicted; he has the right to be reinstated under the Central Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1965.
GN Saibaba is almost completely paralysed from childhood as a result of polio. He does not have any movement in his legs. During his detention in Nagpur jail for almost two years, he was brutally tortured for demanding from the prison authorities his right not to be handcuffed in court and denied medicines which led to further deterioration of his health. The continuation of the suspension means that Prof. Saibaba is receiving only 50% of his salary. This has badly affected his finances and hence his medical treatment.
In an office order dated November 18, 2016 the principal of the college has said that since “.. there has been no change in the facts pertaining to the case,.. the matter is still sub-judice..”, the suspension shall continue. Yes, the matter is subjudice, and likely to remain so for several years. It is common knowledge that in India a criminal case can go on for years without any conviction. The main issue is that there has been no conviction yet, and he has not been proven guilty.
The Indian state has a notorious history of crushing dissent with fascist terror. In the past thirty years, as the bourgeoisie has launched on the course of globalization through liberalization and privatization to become a world class imperialist power, it has faced mounting opposition from workers, peasants, women, youth, tribal people, and the revolutionary intelligentsia. The state has used one or another black law like the UAPA to crush this opposition. The record of all these black laws is that they have been used to lock up men and women of conscience — judges and lawyers, teachers and journalists, students, workers, peasants and tribal people. Very few people have been finally convicted under these laws — but their lives are shattered, they have lost their livelihood, they and their families have faced social boycott and the message is communicated to others — do not dare to raise your voice in defence of the rights of people, or else…
The Communist Ghadar Party condemns the Indian state for the continued persecution of Prof. Saibaba and supports his claim for his right to livelihood.