Wall writing is not a crime!

We share below an edited version of the press statement by the Campaign Against State Repression condemning the unlawful detention, violent abuse and interrogation of university students by the National Investigative Agency. InSAF India stands in solidarity with the students and calls upon their immediate release, an end to the interference of the state in academic life, and an end to the genocidal violence in Bastar.

PRESS STATEMENT

5 FEBRUARY 2025

CASR STRONGLY CONDEMNS THE BRUTAL VIOLENCE, THE UNLAWFUL DETENTION AND INTERROGATION OF STUDENT ACTIVISTS BY NIA

In the early hours of February 4th, 2025 at around 3 AM, four students activists — Gaurav, Gauraang, Rahul, and Kiran — associated with the student group called Bhagat Singh Chhatra Ekta Manch (bsCEM), were detained by guards on the campus of the Jawaharlal Nehru University for peacefully raising concerns through painting slogans on the walls relating to the ongoing military operations in Bastar, Chhatisgarh, fake encounter killings and the plunder of the country's resources by big corporations. The students were then handed over to the Vasant Kunj police, who arrived with a cavalcade of 6-7 vehicles to take them into interrogative custody.

The students were brutally beaten during interrogation by the Vasant Kunj Police. Gauraang and Gaurav were beaten for more than 30 minutes, which left their ears bleeding. All four students were beaten in the morning by police officers before being sent to investigation, including by sub-inspector Vinay Bhardwaj from Vasant Kunj South police station. Besides this, the students were handed over to intelligence agencies, including the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Intelligence Bureau (IB), who visited the Vasant Kunj Police station and illegally interrogated the students by abusing their power of imposing investigative detention in what is essentially a frivolous case of defacement of public property and trespassing. The intervention of such intelligence agencies in a case relating to the basic expression of political views is a concerning trend and should be countered to protect democratic spaces within the university. The state’s heavy-handed response to their act of protest is a clear violation of constitutional rights and serves as a stark reminder of the increasing repression of political dissent.

In places like Bastar, the state is operating with unchecked impunity, with it having unleashed an undeclared war on the people under the guise of “eliminating” Maoists through Operation Kagaar. In resource-rich Bastar, foreign corporations are invited by the Indian bureaucracy and protected by the police and military so that they can plunder our people's resources. In the name of development, what we see in Bastar is increasing militarisation, displacement and state repression. The Indian state doesn't want the people of Bastar to be heard in order to keep its excesses hidden. That is why they work in a completely illegal manner in order to suppress all dissent and all questions about the exploitation and oppression of the people in Bastar, of the adivasis and their struggle. In Bastar, we saw this in the way in which the Moolwasi Bachao Manch was banned for supposedly being "anti-development" and "anti-national".

The detention of the students is a direct violation of Article 19(1)(a) of the Indian Constitution, which guarantees the right to freedom of speech and expression. By expressing their political views through wall paintings, the students exercised their fundamental right to protest and to draw attention to the ongoing military operations, the violation of tribal Rights, and plunder of Bastar’s resources by corporate entities. The arbitrary crackdown on this peaceful form of protest, while other political graffiti — both from democratic and fascist organizations — remains unchallenged on campus, reflects a selective and unjust application of rules.

Moreover, the right to personal liberty under Article 21 of the Constitution was flagrantly violated when the students were detained without legal justification, their phones confiscated, and their whereabouts concealed for hours. Despite false claims of their release, the students were held with no information provided about their location. This illegal detention not only violates their constitutional rights but also undermines the very principles of justice and fairness.

In addition, the prohibition of torture and ill-treatment under Article 21 was violated when the students were subjected to physical abuse during their detention. This constitutes a clear breach of India’s commitment to human rights, including its obligations under the Convention Against Torture, which India has ratified.

The detention and torture of these students are part of a broader pattern of state repression aimed at silencing dissent and stifling the voices of those who question the policies and actions of the ruling powers. This attack on democratic rights is not just an attack on the individuals involved, but on the larger movement for justice, equality, and accountability. We stand in unwavering solidarity with the bsCEM members and with all those fighting for the rights of the oppressed and marginalized.

We call upon all democratic, progressive individuals and organizations to join in demanding strict action against police officials responsible for physical torture and illegal detention of students. Their struggle is a struggle for justice, and it is a struggle we must all collectively participate in.

We demand from the Indian state:

• A thorough investigation into the physical abuse inflicted upon the students, especially the brutality faced by Gaurang and Gaurav, and immediate disciplinary action against the officers responsible.

•The immediate cessation of Operation Kagaar and all operations that violate the rights of the people of Bastar.

• The restoration of academic freedom and the protection of democratic expression within universities, ensuring that students can peacefully express their political views without fear of persecution.

CAMPAIGN AGAINST STATE REPRESSION

Organising Team* (AIRSO, AISA, AISF, APCR, ASA, BASF, BSM, Bhim Army, bsCEM, CEM, COLLECTIVE, CRPP, CSM CTF, DISSC, DSU, DTF, Forum Against Repression Telangana, Fraternity, IAPL, Innocence Network, Karnataka Janashakti, LAA, Mazdoor Adhikar Sangathan, Mazdoor Patrika, NAPM, NAZARIYA, Nishant Natya Manch, Nowruz, NTUI, People’s Watch, Rihai Manch, Samajwadi Janparishad, Smajwadi lok manch, Bahujan Samjavadi Mnach, SFI, United Peace Alliance, WSS, Y4S).

See our statement on how our shrinking academic freedoms are linked to Adivasi people’s repression and un-freedoms