The arrest of five prominent Human Rights activists by the Pune police from across the country in connection with the Koregaon-Bhima violence that happened earlier this year has triggered a massive outcry. The arrest of Varavara Rao, Vernon Gonsalves, Arun Ferreira, Sudha Bharadwaj, and Gautam Navlakha has triggered a public debate whether the action was really part of a probe to unearth an alleged plot by the banned Communist Party of India (Maoists) to overthrow the democratically elected government, or just a case of orchestrated onslaught against political dissent.
The Maharashtra police have claimed that the arrested activists were behind the Elgaar Parishad event on December 31 the previous year that supposedly contributed to the Koregaon-Bhima violence. They alleged that it was part of a larger conspiracy to depose the NDA government. However, civil rights activists and opposition parties have dubbed it a deliberate attempt to stifle those who speak against the present government. Amid high drama and public uproar, the Supreme Court defused the volatile situation by ruling that “dissent is the safety valve of democracy. If dissent is not allowed, then the pressure cooker may burst.” By passing an order that the activists be put under house arrest till the matter is heard next on September 6 instead of being kept in police custody, the apex court has conveyed a clear message that it will not allow even state forces to trouble the citizens of the country without sufficient basis.
A clearer picture of the matter will emerge only when the Supreme Court pronounces its verdict next week. It is not uncommon for Human Rights activists in conflict-prone areas to be harassed by state armed forces, but it doesn’t mean that they will never do wrong. They should be punished according to the law of the land if they are found guilty. But if the allegations leveled against them are found to be fabricated with a motive to muzzle political dissent, the court should see to it that it sets a precedent through a verdict to stop government high-handedness. High-handedness of state forces has the potential to damage democracy and pave way for autocracy. The Maharashtra police should now fight the case with concrete proof and not with shallow evidence based on the left-leaning activists’ rhetorical support, or the activists’ sympathy for the less-privileged that might be mistaken as collaboration. The activists are innocent until they are proven guilty.
