Stand With Prashant Bhushan -- Donate a Dollar for Justice
PRESS RELEASE:
DIASPORA INDIAN ORGANIZATIONS STAND WITH PRASHANT BHUSHAN AND REQUEST A SYMBOLIC $1 DONATION TO THE CAUSE OF JUSTICE FOR THE POOR IN THE U.S.
August 31, 2020
Prashant Bhushan agrees to pay the One Rupee nominal fine for alleged Contempt of Court
We are saddened to hear that the Supreme Court of India has imposed a fine of One Rupee on Prashant Bhushan for Contempt of Court, under threat of a jail term and disbarment from practice, for merely expressing his views as a concerned citizen.
As symbolic as the fine is, the judgement sits against freedom of expression guaranteed by Article 19(1). It will go down in the annals of the Supreme Court as a case that displayed fragile egos, lack of grace, and ignored the precedence it sets in muzzling freedom of expression. We remain deeply troubled by it.
As Prashant had stated earlier, he was willing to submit himself to any punishment that the Court may impose upon him, but will not apologize. That is what he has reportedly done by paying the penalty imposed by the court.
We applaud Prashant for his courage and forthrightness, and for setting an example at a time when all the pillars of Indian Democracy are under serious threat. We sincerely hope that the legal fraternity all across India will draw inspiration from this episode as they defend the rights of so many who are being arrested and intimidated by the Hindu Nationalist government for exercising their right to free speech and right to protest.
Indian Diaspora Organizations came together on August 22nd to stand with Prashant as a beacon for all those in the legal fraternity as well as activists who have been defending the rights of ordinary citizens. We started a Chain Fast on August 22nd to show our continued solidarity with Prashant.
Today, we are declaring a self-imposed penalty of One Dollar on all of us who stood up for Prashant’s dissent over the direction of India’s hallowed institution — the ultimate defender of India’s Constitutional Democracy. The One Dollar self-imposed penalty is symbolic of the One Rupee fine imposed upon Prashant by the Supreme Court.
We ask you to donate $1 (or more) to the Equal Justice Initiative in the name of Prashant Bhushan as we call for justice both in India and the United States. The Equal Justice Initiative works to provide legal representation to prisoners who may have been wrongly convicted of crimes, poor prisoners without effective representation, and others who may have been denied a fair trial. As human rights activists in both countries face violence and suppression as they exercise their right to free expression, it is imperative that we work to empower those fighting for justice. We stand with all people fighting for the right to live in democratic, secular societies that reject censorship, racism, and injustice. Please include a note that the donation is in solidarity with Prashant Bhushan.
In addition, we hope the judiciary can move forward and address some of the real issues that India faces today, a few of which we would like to draw to the immediate attention of the Court:
Hear victims of political persecution (Dr. Kafeel Khan, Dr. Anand Teltumbde, Gautam Navlakha, Sudha Bharadwaj, Natasha Norwalk, Devangana Kalita and several others)
Ensure that the challenges of JEE-NEET student aspirants are addressed by the Govt. of India in light of COVID-19.
Take suo moto action to cause the overhaul of the Contempt Charges Act of 1971.
Issue a suo moto directive to bring transparency to PM Cares funds.
Issue a suo moto directive to review the state of Indian News Television that engage in highly charged and polarizing communal rhetoric and programming.
Issue a suo moto action calling for an independent examination of the role of Facebook in engaging in propaganda politics and damaging the fabric of democratic space, by reportedly favoring the current ruling government.
Bring justice to the victims of the Delhi Pogrom (Feb. 25 - 28) that resulted in the loss of over 50 lives.
In closing, we are reminded of former First Lady, Michelle Obama, who once stated, "when they go low, we go high." In that spirit, we commend Prashant Bhushan’s grace and fierce moral courage.
We hope the Supreme Court of India will immediately start reviewing the matters listed above that impact ordinary citizens of our great nation.
PRESS CONTACTS:
Dr. Manish Madan, Global Indian Progressive Alliance, 609-878-0508
Rohit Tripathi, Young India, 301-237-7710
Raju Rajagopal, Hindus for Human Rights, 510-318-4332
Sristy Agarwal, Voices Against Fascism in India, 720-998-5430
Vishwa Padigepati, Students Against Hindutva Ideology, holiagainsthindutva@gmail.com
Rasheed Ahmed, Indian American Muslim Council, 630-290-1024
Anil Wagde, Ambedkar International Center, 630-219-0003
