Hyderabad: Rights activists and political parties termed the death of Prof. G.N. Saibaba as institutional murder resulting from his incarceration for nine years. They drew parallels with Father Stan Swamy, an 84-year-old Jesuit priest and tribal rights activist, who died in hospital while in custody after being denied basic needs like a drinking straw and sipper.
Prof. M. Kodandaram of the Telangana Praja Samiti said the death of Prof. Saibaba on Saturday was the fallout of his illegal detention despite his physical limitations. Hailing from a humble background, he worked hard to become an intellectual and worked for the people.
His long incarceration, where he was denied basic facilities despite being 90 per cent handicapped, took a toll on his health “The state should not deal in a punitive manner for raising concern on issues arising from socio-economic problems,” Prof. Kodandaram said.
“Prof. Saibaba was a dissenter. More important than ensuring financial compensation is for the judiciary to ensure that the principle ‘bail is a right and jail is an exception’ is followed in letter and spirit, said BRS leader B. Vinod Kumar.
CPI leader K. Narayana, who refused to attend the Alai Balai programme hosted by Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya, a former BJP leader, called Prof. Saibaba's death ‘murder by the government’.
“Our party may not agree with his politics but a rights violation has taken place. He was found not guilty after 10 years. His body is still in Hyderabad and as you are a representative of the Central government I cannot attend this programme,” he wrote in reply to the invitation to the Alai Balai programme.
Expressing concern that the BJP did not see democrats in a good light, Congress leader Addanki Dayakar said, “BJP is guided by Manu’s philosophy. They don’t want anyone to question them. They are trying to eliminate opponents physically also.”
Balla Ravindranath, High Court advocate and general secretary of Committee for the Release Of Political Prisoners, said, “The Supreme Court sat on a Saturday to suspend the judgment after Prof. Saibaba was acquitted on technical grounds by the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court. He was acquitted on merits. He was denied bail throughout. The judiciary was also party to his death.”
CPM state secretary Tammineni Veerabhadram blamed the Centre for the death.
Civil liberties activist Prof. G. Haragopal felt that Prof. Saibaba’s martyrdom was a manifestation of the increasing dehumanisation of the State and its institutions. No one, including the university, judiciary, police and jails, dealt with him in a humane manner, Prof. Haragopal said. “His case is similar to Stan Swamy. Civil rights, Dalit and women’s movements should work in solidarity and fight for democratic space.”
The Forum against Repression, of which Dr Haragopal, is a convener, in a release, said that the 90 per cent disabled activist was denied parole even when his mother had passed away.
It noted that a person, who did not have any ailment, came out of prison with 19 health issues on March 7, 2024.
