FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Indian Diaspora Organizations Come Together in a Press Conference to Stand in Solidarity with Prashant Bhushan
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Indian Diaspora Organizations Come Together in a Press Conference to Stand in Solidarity with Prashant Bhushan and Decry the Contempt Charges Against Him
August 19, 2020
Press Contacts
Dr. Manish Madan, Global Indian Progressive Alliance, 517-488-8779
Vishwa Padigepati, Students Against Hindutva Ideology, holiagainsthindutva@gmail.com
Rohit Tripathi, Young India, 301-237-7710
Sristy Agrawal, Voices Against Fascism in India, 720-998-5430
Anil Wagde, Ambedkar International Center, 630-219-0003
Rasheed Ahmed, Indian American Muslim Council, 630-290-1024
Raju Rajagopal, Hindus for Human Rights, 510-318-4332
Suniti Sanghavi, Chain-Fasting Initiative, 818-641-9624
The Prashant Bhushan solidarity press conference — organized by a diverse coalition of progressive Indian American organizations — opened with keynote remarks from renowned Indian human rights lawyer and activist Padma Shri awardee, Indira Jaising.
Ms. Jaising held that the charges against Mr. Bhushan were invalid on legal grounds, arguing that “The judgement violates three sacred rights: the right not to be deprived of life and liberty except by due process of law (due process is violated by not framing a charge and by not having a public hearing); the right to free speech (the right to free speech by not permitting fair criticism except on pain of prosecution); and the right to legal counsel (the right to representation by targeting lawyers who appear in court demanding accountability and justice for us all).
Ms. Jaising also expressed her deep concern for Indian democracy itself. “The subject we are gathered here to discuss," she said, "is whether in a democratic society, an offence such as 'contempt of court' ought to even exist. Recent events which have caused us to gather here today have given us reason to pause. When our courts are given such an important role, does it not consequently follow that as citizens, we have a right, if not a duty, to be vibrant in our criticism of how they function? To me this goes beyond my profession; it goes to the very heart of my being. For the conviction we are here to discuss has shaken the very foundations of free speech in India. Courts are required to defend the right to free speech. But when the courts themselves cut that right, then it is a time to pause and think: What has happened? The defenders of our right to speak freely are the ones today trying to shut us up.”
Dr. Rajmohan Gandhi followed Ms. Jaising with a short but incisive statement which first praised Mr. Bhushan for his contributions to his nation, and then went on to say that it was India’s judiciary that was on trial, not Mr. Bhushan. “When future scholars look back at this time, they will be puzzled by the Court’s priorities," asserted Gandhi. "Tomorrow the Court is to deliberate on the punishment it wants to give to Bhushan. More than Bhushan, it’s the Court that’s on trial. Prashant Bhushan’s standing as a defender of the rights of the Indian people has grown decade by decade, and year by year. The future will see him as one of the great Indians of our time. My anxiety is about the standing of the Supreme Court.”
[Full Rajmohan Gandhi remarks]
The organizers then screened a short video excerpt of Mr. Bhushan’s speech given on August 15th, one day after he was found guilty of contempt by the Supreme Court. In the video, Bhushan noted: “Tomorrow is our Independence Day. On this day we need to reflect on the fact that when we became an independent nation and a republic and gave ourselves a constitution, what were our dreams and what were the pillars of our constitution?"
[Full Video Excerpt of August 15th Prashant Bhushan speech]
The keynote speakers and video excerpt were followed by brief remarks from panelists representing several organizations standing in solidarity with Mr. Bhushan. The first to speak were Vishwa Padigepati and Lakshmi Menon of Students Against Hindutva Ideology (SAHI). Ms. Padigepati concluded her portion of the SAHI statement with a necessary warning: "To SAHI, the implications of this decision don’t fall on deaf ears. To be clear, this action is an omen. An omen that sets a dangerous precedent for the conviction of students and activists and creates a chilling effect that will haunt India’s promise of free speech."
Following SAHI, Sristy Agrawal of Voices Against Fascism in India (VAFI) posed several crucial questions that have arisen in response to the judiciary's recent actions. These questions ranged from "Do the citizens not have a right to question the Judiciary and its judges?" to "How can the Judiciary be investigated independently?" to "Does a legitimate democracy still exist in the country?"
Aminah Ahmed of Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC) also posed an important question, pointing to the court's words itself: "The court says — and I quote, in regards to [Bhushan's] tweet, that [the tweet] 'damage[s] confidence in our judicial system and demoralize[s] judges of the highest Court by making malicious attacks'. The Court’s pronouncement also says that Bhushan’s 'tweet has the effect of destabilizing the very foundation of this important pillar of the Indian democracy'. Yes, of course," Aminah noted, "a tweet by one man can remove all confidence in a judicial system … is India’s democracy really so frail?"
Raju Rajagopal of Hindus for Human Rights (HfHR) spoke next. Mr. Rajagopal pointed to the optimism that had previously begun to accumulate in India regarding several landmark court decisions ranging from the Right to Privacy ruling in 2017 to the Sabarimala judgment in 2018. He then charted the disastrous decline of this optimism, citing events like the Assam NRC and the Ayodhya temple judgment of 2019. "In a nutshell," said Mr. Rajagopal, "if some of us felt a sense of optimism by the progressive rulings by the court only a couple of years back, that optimism has, in recent months, melted away with a foreboding sense of pessimism."
Anil Wagde of Ambedkar International Center (AIC) gave a short and powerful speech expressing deep concern that Prashant Bhushan, “an eminent human rights lawyer — and my hero — might be put in jail.” Mr. Wagde said “the government has started a battle against people and democracy,” and reminded us of all the activists including Dr. Anand Teltumbde and Ms. Sudha Bhardwaj who are in jail already. Mr. Wagde ended by invoking Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar, the author of the Indian Constitution. “As Dr Ambedkar said ‘It is up to the people who implement the Constitution to make it great.’”
Rohit Tripathi of Young India reminded everyone of the positive influence the Supreme Court had historically exerted in India, and also reminded the Supreme Court of its still-available chance at redemption in the Prashant Bhushan case: "Historically," he said, "the Supreme Court of India has played a crucial role in preserving India’s constitutional democracy by guarding against executive and legislative overreach. In the process it has, until recently, strengthened the cause for individual liberty. As public trust in that very capacity stands stressed, the court has an opportunity to further distinguish itself by reconsidering its earlier conviction of Mr. Bhushan."
Dr. Manish Madan of Global Indian Progressive Alliance (GIPA), fiercely adamant regarding the inextricability of democracy from India's fundamental character, made the eloquent point that "Similar to America’s fundamental values, dissent in India needs to be considered as an ‘Indian Tradition’". He further emphasized, "For a democracy to sustain, thrive and flourish, the right to free speech must remain as one of the most sacred rights a citizenry can and must have, and we must all stand for unconditionally. Criticism allows us to introspect on our conduct both at an individual level and the institution level that we claim represent – it can allow for new ideas, new values system to emerge whereby disagreements do not necessarily mean disrespect, and by no stretch of imagination they bring disrepute to the institutions that have withstood for far too long and far bigger than a
few individuals," and called for a reexamination of Contempt of Courts Act, 1971.
Finally, the press conference presentations concluded with a beautiful and powerful invitation from Suniti Sanghavi to join in a day-long fast on August 22nd: International Day of Fasting In Solidarity with Prashant Bhushan. LA-based Ms. Sanghavi spearheaded a chain-fast that started in the wake of the Delhi pogroms in February. 28 people have participated in this chain-fast, each fasting for 5 days, for a total of 177 days thus far.
Ms. Sanghavi opened her remarks with the Pavamana Mantra of the Upanishads:
Asatoma Sadgamaya [When surrounded by lies and deception, let us be led towards the truth]
Tamasoma Jyotirgamaya [Amid the darkness of ignorance and despair, let us be led towards enlightenment and hope]
Mrtyoma Amritgamaya [When surrounded by short-term distractions, trials, and temptations, let us be anchored by the true meaning of life]
Om shanti, shanti, shantihi [Om, peace, peace, peace]
"It is not difficult to recognize that we are spiraling ever faster towards asatya, tamas, and mrityu — untruth, darkness, and destruction," Ms. Sanghavi said. "The only means we have to put a check on this dangerous trend is to speak up, to infuse the current political climate with some desperately needed satya, jyoti and amrit — truth, light, and the essence of what it means to be truly alive."
[Full Suniti Sanghavi remarks]
The press conference concluded with a Q&A moderated by Sunita Viswanath of Hindus for Human Rights (HfHR), and a final call to join the upcoming day of action:
August 22 was declared an International Day of Fasting in Solidarity with Prashant Bhushan.
Hashtags #FastforPrashant and #InSolidarityWithPrashantBhushan.
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