Professor and activist Gokarakonda Naga Saibaba passed away on October 12, just seven months after his acquittal in a case in which he was alleged to have links with the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist). He was arrested and incarcerated under the draconian Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for the past 10 years. During the period of his 10-year incarceration, he had complained of harrowing ill-treatment and torture meted out by jail authorities. Though he had permanent polio-paralysis, jail authorities had even refused to hand over his medication. He was 58 when he breathed his last at Hyderabad’s Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) after reportedly suffering a cardiac arrest.
“Prof. G.N. Saibaba’s passing away is a profound loss for the human rights community. A tireless advocate for the oppressed, he fearlessly fought against injustice, even when his own freedom and health were at risk. His courage in defending civil liberties, despite many challenges, will be remembered as an enduring example of integrity. My sincere condolences to his family and loved ones during this difficult time,” Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin said.
Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi also held the government responsible for his death: “His death was also partly a result of the UAPA that allows cops to keep you in prison for lengthy periods without any evidence.”
Former Kerala finance minister Thomas Isaac said, “PM Modi and HM Amit Shah, the blood of Prof. G.N. Saibaba is in your hands. He was murdered by your incarceration and torture. Whom are you trying to teach a lesson? More people will be emboldened to come out to resist your fascistic regime.”
MP Saket Gokhale called his death a “murder” and added, “This murder was perpetrated by the govt which framed him in a false case & then the judicial system which denied him personal liberty for over 10 years & even went to the shocking extent of “staying” his acquittal.”
“Incarcerated by the Indian state on charges of being a Maoist sympathizer, Prof Saibaba, with 90 percent disabilities, spent close to a decade in prison, and was often kept under the harshest solitary confinement. Housed in prison, his radical poetry addressed the colonial nature of the Indian legal system even as it addressed the many social evils that plague us as a nation,” writer and activist Meena Kandasamy said.
Actor Swara Bhaskar said that it was “criminal” that the Union government gets away with institutional murders, referring to the deaths of Fr Stan Swamy and Saibaba. Jesuit priest and human rights activist Stan Swamy was arrested in connection with the Bhima Koregaon-Elgar Parishad case
“The passing of G N Saibaba is reminder that preventive detention has no place in a true democracy. For decades, every government has introduced draconian laws that allow the state to keep a person in custody for extended periods, all in the name of preventive-ness. He lost a decade of his life,” musician TM Krishna said.
The CPI(M) alleged that the Narendra Modi-led Union government was responsible for his demise, while mourning his death. “He was denied bail for years. He was denied medical treatment urgently required for a person with such acute disabilities. His was a life dedicated to fighting for justice, facing torture with courage. The responsibility for his death lies with the Modi govt. In sorrow and anger at the injustice he suffered we salute this brave fighter for justice. We express deep condolences to his wife, Vasantha, and daughter, Manjeera,” the party said.