NIA Raids
On August 30, the NIA conducted raids on the homes of democratic rights activists, lawyers, Farmer leaders, and student activists across nine locations in Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh. The targets included Advocate Mandeep (President AFDR Chandigarh/Mohali), Advocate Ajay Kumar (Democratic Rights Lawyer and Anti-Displacement Activist), Sukhwinder Kaur (General Secretary, Bharti Kisan Union Krantikari), Davinder Azad (Student Activist, InquilabiChhatarMorcha Allahabad), and Advocate PankajTyagi (Renowned Lawyer, Sonipat). Following these raids, the NIA issued interrogation notices, summoning them to Lucknow on various dates. Advocate Ajay Kumar was interrogated extensively at the NIA office in Chandigarh and was officially arrested at 3 AM. He has since been transferred to Lucknow.

Law and order are state matters, yet the Union Government, through agencies like the NIA, is encroaching upon state powers, as part of the BJP government's sustained endeavour to suppress democratic and dissenting voices on fabricated pretexts. The NIA, along with agencies like the ED and CBI, has become a primary tool for the Union Government to stifle opposition and silence progressive voices.

Ironically, the Aam Aadmi Party which heads the Government in Punjab has failed to speak out against this even though its own leaders have been jailed by the Modi regime.
AILAJ

The Mute Community
Traditional nomadic Tribes have been the protectors of Hindu religion and culture. William Booth Tucker, a British ICS officer, formed the Salvation Army on the lines of South Africa, on the pretext of development and welfare of the Denotified and nomadic Tribes. The real objective was to convert these communities to Christianity! Despite all the temptations, the Denotified and nomadic tribes did not adopt Christianity. 

After India’s independence, it was hoped that they would be given human dignity. But alas, they do not have any place to live during their lifetime! Never mind! The aspect that puts humanity to shame is that after death there is neither a crematorium nor a graveyard for them. They dig a pit and bury the dead in the same tents in which they live. There are some nomadic tribes who carry the dead on a donkey in the dark of night and bury them in faraway forests. 

Society not only considers them untouchables, but also considers them born criminals. Despite being untouchables, most of them are neither included in SC nor ST nor OBC! The crime may be anywhere! The criminal may be whoever he is! The police authorities frequently put them behind bars. Even in jail, as per the jail manual, they are made to clean the toilets. On this the Supreme Court declared it inhuman and unconstitutional on 03 October 2024. 

Extreme poverty, helplessness, police harassment and penury have forced them to adopt Christianity and Islam in some regions.

Bara or Barah Samaj [i.e. Denotified Tribes] initially had 12 clans (W. Crooke-1800) which are now divided into about 112 clans. Their dialect, language, lifestyle, culture are all the same. They call themselves 12 people among themselves. Wherever they are, people understand from their dialect that this person belonging to the 12-people. They are spread across India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Afghanistan. Hindus and Muslims will be found in the same family. All of them have the same caste panchayat. And they get married in all the countries mentioned above. Their condition is the worst in India. The government is not ready to give them certificates of Vimukta and Nomadic caste. While without the certificate they cannot get the benefit of any schemes. Due to their very weak economic conditions and dispersion they cannot organise and start any agitation for their legitimate demands. They are called mute community.
Dr B K Lodhi, DNT Activist

Murder of a Dalit family in UP
A person from Dalit community has been shot dead along with his family in Amethi, Uttar Pradesh. The deceased include a young man, his wife and two daughters. The brutal murder of four members of the same family has created a stir in the entire state. Serious questions are being raised on UP Police in this case. It is reported that Sunil’s wife Poonam Bharti had complained to the police on August 18 about molestation and death threats in Rae Bareli, but the police did not take it seriously.

Nagina MP Chandrashekhar Azad said that if the police-administration had taken action on Poonam Bharti’s complaint of molestation and death threats one and a half months ago, then four lives would not have been lost today. Chandrashekhar Azad has demanded CM Yogi to take the matter seriously and arrest all the accused within 48 hours and take strict action against the  insensitive policemen. If this does not happen, he has threatened to go to Amethi and sit- on a dharna at the Amethi District Magistrate’s office to get justice for the victim’s family.
HN

Prof G N Saibaba
With the deepest sorrow, Civil Liberties Monitoring Committee mourns the passing of Professor G N Saibaba, a warrior who carried the weight of his people’s pain even as his own body struggled against overwhelming odds. Bound to a wheelchair, he fought not only the physical limitations of 90% disability but the chains of unjust imprisonment, held captive by a system that feared his voice. Despite all this, his heart remained with the oppressed, never ceasing to advocate for their rights, even from behind bars.

His life was not just one of resistance but of unshakable belief in justice. Through years of isolation and suffering, denied basic medical care, he never wavered. His struggle for the marginalised will not fade with his passing; it will bloom in the hearts of those he touched. His loss is a monumental blow to the suffering masses of India. But his spirit, his sacrifice, and his enduring fight will live on; his life’s work will bear fruit long after his death, guiding countless others in the quest for a more just and compassionate world.

On this sad occasion, Civil Liberties Monitoring Committee expresses solidarity and stands firmly with his family. Professor Saibaba’s name will forever be etched in the annals of history as a symbol of undying hope, resilience, resistance against American imperialism, Hindutva fascism, and the relentless pursuit of justice.
Lateef Mohammed Khan, General Secretary
Civil Liberties Monitoring Committee

Call for Papers
World capitalism is going through the first great depression of the Twenty-first century since 2006-07. The social-economic and political insecurity created due to the capitalist crises gave impetus to the reactionary forces owing to the weakness of the subjective forces of revolution. Consequently, people have been witnessing the rise of various far-right movements including fascism in different countries.

Fascism is not just any far-right reaction. It is a particular type of far-right reaction. In various sections of the communist movement of the world, the tendency of carelessly characterizing any kind of reaction as fascism has been prevalent. The task of formulating an effective proletarian strategy and general tactics against fascism cannot be fulfilled without understanding the general particularities of fascism.

It is also necessary to understand the changes taking place around the world. The changes taking place in Turkey, Brazil, Philippines, Russia, Middle-East Region, the US, Britain or France need to be comprehended. What is the character of the Erdogen regime? What is the character of Putin’s regime? How do people understand the character of the regime of Marcos Jr. and Duterte and similar forces? What is the nature of National Rally in France? What is the nature of forces like Golden Dawn of Greece? What kind of political tendency is represented by Bolsonaro in Brazil? How do we understand the Trump phenomenon in the US? What is the character of the regime that came into being following the Khomenei-led revolution in Iran? These are living questions for Marxist and progressive political activists as well as academics.

It is precisely for a detailed and satisfactory dialogue, discussion and debate on these questions, that Arvind Institute of Marxist Studies is organising the Seventh International Arvind Memorial Seminar from 29th December 2024 to 2nd January 2025 in Hyderabad (India). The Institute extends invitation to left groups, organizations and parties, Marxist intellectuals, progressive and anti-fascist academics, researchers and students of the country and the world to take part in this seminar. During these five days, the arrangement for accommodation and food will be made by the Arvind Memorial Trust.

Important Dates :

15th November 2024: Paper submission deadline
1st December 2024: Information of accepted papers to the senders
Organising Committee
Seventh International Arvind Memorial Seminar (Hyderabad)
Arvind Institute of Marxist Studies
Anand–9971196111
Jayprakash–9871794036

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Frontier
Vol 57, No. 19, Nov 3 - 9, 2024