CONCENRED CITIZENS OF GUJARAT LETTER TO PRESIDENT OF INDIA ON JNU INCIDENTS

MEMORANDUM

To
Shri Pranab Mukherji,
The President of India,
New Delhi, India

Sir,
We the citizens of Gujarat would like to share our deep concern about the series of happenings from 9th of February to 18th of February.
While dissociating ourselves from anti India pro Pakistan slogans in JNU campus, we are horrified to watch the unprecedented authoritarian arm twisting punitive measures like witch hunt in the campus and slapping Sedition Charge on President of JNU Students Union, Mr. Kanhaiya Kumar by the BJP led NDA Govt at Centre as per the direction of Home Minister Mr. Rajnath Singh and Human resources Minister Smt. Smriti Irani.
The police interference in JNU Campus, slapping the Sedition Charge on the President of JNU students Union Mr. Kanhaiya is condemnable.
The chain of incidents of hooliganism, like repeated attack on Kanhaiya Kumar in Patiala house court, attack on teachers and students, journalists, hooting the Supreme Court appointed five members panel as anti-National by the forces in the presence of police appeared to be backed by the ruling party BJP and its’ outfits expose the absence of safety of the citizens even in the court premises. This open terrorizing tactics has been prompted by the Govt. in power, police and hoodlums to send a loud message to scuttle the freedom of expression endanger democracy and democratic institutions in our country.
Defying the Supreme Court’s order tantamounting to contempt, the repeated attacks on Kanhaiya Kumar and journalists is nothing but the fascist onslaught to muzzle the voices of dissent. Casting anyone anti- BJP and anti-Govt as anti- national and any one pro BJP as patriots is to say the least, quite ridiculous.
The attackers like BJP MLA O.P Sharma, numbers of so- called black coat worn advocates like Mr.Vikram Chauhan are moving freely and side by side the lies are fabricated to mislead the people in the name of Nationalism and patriotism.
There are worldwide condemnation including in our country against of arrests, sedition charge, attacks on journalists, academician but all these have no effect on the attitude of the Govt. and the authority.
We the citizens endorse the voices raised by concerned citizens across the country and world.
Under this circumstances we would like to reiterate that Universities are the space for open debates and polemics and we request your intervention to save the democracy, autonomy of the universities, safeguard the freedom of expression and provide security to all citizens.

We demand

- Release of Kanhaiya Kumar
- Repeal of sedition charge
- Stop police interference in universities
- The securities to all citizens, media persons be ensured
- Arrest the BJP MLA and lawyers like Vikram Chauhan and other identified persons responsible for attacks
- Institute impartial inquiry into the whole affair.

Yours,
Prakash N. Shah (President, P.U.C.L.))(M. 9879919421, e-mail:  prakash.nirikshak@gmail.com)
Gautam Thaker (Chairman, Indian Radical Humanist Association) (M.9825382556, e-mail:  gtakher1946@gmail.com
Dwarika Nath Rath (Secretary, M.S.D.) (M. 9426369858, e-mail:  dn.rath@gmail.com)
Girish Patel (eminent lawyer)
Dr. Ghanshyam Shah (Sociologist)
Dr. Vidyut Joshi (former Vice-Chancellor)
Dr. Mallika Sarabhai (Danseuse and activist)
Dr. Rohit Shukla (eminent economist and President, Gujarat Chapter, AISEC)
Suresh Mehta (Prabuddh Nagarik Shakti Manch)
Prof. Dinesh Shukla (Retired Professor and columnist)
Father Cedric Prakash (Prashant)
Dr. Saroop Dhruv (poetess and activist)
Prof. Dhaval Mehta
Dr. Raghavan Rangarajan (Professor)
Urvish Kothari (journalist)
Ravji Sondarva (Cinematographer)
Dr. Damini Shah (Lecturer)
Hemantkumar Shah (economist)
Prof. Babubhai Desai (activist)
Prof. Kishorebhai Desai(activist)
Paresh Nayak (litterateur)
Suhel Tirmizi (advocate)
Sara Baldiwala (secretary, AWAG)
Dr. Jharna Pathak (Researcher).
Dr. Svati Joshi (Retired Professor, Delhi University)
Father Francis Parmar
Hiren Gandhi (Darshan)
Neeta Mahadev (secretary, Gujarat Lok Samiti)
Manishi Jani (activist)
Uttam Parmar (Activist)
Harinesh Pandya (Janpath)
Prof. Sanjay Bhave
Mahesh Pandya (Gujarat Social Watch)
Rajeev Shah, Editor, Counter View.
Meenakshi Joshi (women activist)
Dr. Ramya
Vismay Shah (media person)
Sanjiv Shah (media person)
Pankti Jog (Mahiti Adhikar Gujarat Pahel)
Ketan Rupera (freelance journalist)
Dr. Kanu Khadadiya (Associate Professor)
Ashok Shrimali (activist)
Dr. Hanif Lakdavala (Sanchetna)
Dilip Chandulal (activist)
Mahadev Vidrohi (Sarva Seva Sangh)
Abdulbhai Vora
Himmatbhai Shah
Dilipsinh Chauhan
Amit Dave (writer and media person)
Jayesh Patel (youth activist)
Bhavik Raja (students’ activist)
Rimmi Vaghela (students’ activist)
Dr. J. S. Bandukwala(Retired Professor)
Dr. Alaknanda Patel(economist)
Dhiru Mistry(Documentary film maker)
Dr. Ganesh Devy(Bhasha)
Dr. Bharat Mehta(Professor, M.S. University)
Rohit Prajapati(activist)
Trupti Shah(activist)
Kanji Patel(litterateur)
Tapan Dasgupta(activist)
Bharti Parmar(women activist)
Prof. Iftikhar Ahmed(Professor, M. S. University)
Chinu Shrinivasan(activist)
Jagdish Patel(Lok Shikshan ane sanshodan kendra)
Manisha Doshi(artist)
Dr. Johannes Manjrekar(Professor)
Shaukat Indori(activist)
Prof. Dipta Achar(Professor, M. S. University)
Prof. Santosh Das(Professor, M. S. University)
Ashok Gupta(activist)