Why should you worry about the State Terror on Allan Shuaib?
“CPI(M) and SFI we know, whom we consider amongst our friends and comrades. They protest with us against state repression… Against persecution of Bhima Koregaon case victims… Against UAPA… The same people who raise slogans of justice, are becoming agents of state terror in Kerala…”
_ Surjadipta
Over the last few years, students being picked up by the police for the flimsiest of reasons; being jailed for participating in peaceful socio-political movements, for simply being muslim or adivasi, for demanding jobs, for social media posts, etc. have become the norm. The UAPA and other draconian laws have been strengthened and weaponised with added artilleries to full extent by the Indian state to terrorise its people. Once charges of UAPA are put on someone, they become an undertrial prisoner. They are deprived of fundamental and legal rights. We have seen almost 97% of UAPA cases were false and have led to many institutional deaths like Kanchan Nanaware, Pandu Narote, etc. Today, it is clearly spelt out that, express any form of dissent and the Indian state shall neutralise you!
Even in such dystopian times, this case merits special attention. Because of two reasons.
One, that Allan was involved in protesting against ragging going on in college, which erupted spontaneously from within the student community. The student community of Palayad Campus, Kannur University were agitated by the manhandling meted against their fellow students by SFI, and the same had happened previous year also! Fake cases were filed against him to stop that, fully aware that his bail from UAPA charges will be in jeopardy.
Just like how every muslim and every adivasi has to think twice before participating in any protest demonstration, however peaceful… Just like how climate change activists discuss possible Police action and UAPA before public awareness demonstrations… This case marks the time when students should start considering possible Police action and UAPA before protesting against ragging in colleges or any other campus issue, that too in the State governed by a Left Front. It is high time we take a moment and really ask ourselves, how far will we tolerate such state repression. In each of the above examples, cases of actual police action may be fewer than anticipated, but the fear generated is enough to push students and youth towards inaction.
Two, it is a persecution by CPI(M) govt, SFI unit at a Law college, Kerala Police combined. CPI(M) and SFI we know, whom we consider amongst our friends and comrades. They protest with us against state repression… Against persecution of Bhima Koregaon case victims… Against UAPA… The same people who raise slogans of justice, are becoming agents of state terror in Kerala.
On one hand, this means that amongst our friends and comrades in CPI(M) lie people so morally corrupt and politically bankrupt waiting to switch into becoming pimps of the ruling class the moment they get political power. On the other hand, it means that Left or Right, no matter who is in the Governing body, none of them will take a bold stand against State Terror. Whether it is TMC in West Bengal, CPI(M) in Kerala or Congress in Chhattisgarh, Adani’s business interests will lead to forced evictions and students and youth will be persecuted for any dissent! Whether it is BJP or these parties in power, the state terror against people will continue in full swing…!
Allan is only one among the thousands of political prisoners who are being wasted away in jail, with their Right to Life being eaten away by the State and on which Fascism ferments and spills into the streets, devouring all those who dissent.
