'Hum Dekhenge' Sung at Memorial Event, Ambedkarite Actor's Widow Faces Sedition

Three people, including the widow of a prominent Ambedkarite activist and actor in Maharashtra, have been slapped with sedition charges by the Nagpur police. Reason? Pakistani poet Faiz Ahmad Faiz’s poem Hum Dekhenge was recited at an event organised by them.On 16 May, a First Information Report (FIR) was filed at Nagpur’s Sitabuldi police station against Pushpa Sathidar, wife of the late activist Vira Sathidar, and two other unknown individuals, based on a complaint filed by Dattatray Shirke, the president of an outfit called Jansangharsh Samiti.“The poem contains lines such as ‘sab taj uchale jayenge, sab takht giraye jayenge’ (All crowns will be thrown off, all thrones will be toppled),” the FIR stated, adding that statements were also made against “fascism” at the event.While no arrests have been made yet, further action may be taken after a probe by the police, sources said.Here’s what the event was all about and what the FIR states.The annual memorial for Vira Sathidar was organised on 13 May by the Vira Sathidar Smruti Samanvay Samiti, a committee formed to carry forward the activist’s legacy. A COVID-19 victim, the event has been organised annually since his passing in 2021.Held at the Vidarbha Hindi Sahitya Sammelan in Nagpur’s Rani Chowk area, the event was attended by about 150–175 people, with social activist and senior advocate Uttam Jagirdar as the guest of honour.At the event, Mumbai-based members of the Samta Kala Manch recited several Hindi and Marathi songs and poems, including Dabe Pairon Se Phir Ujala Aa Raha Hai and Hum Dekhenge.The event was then addressed by Jagirdar, who spoke about the Maharashtra government’s proposed Maharashtra Special Public Security Bill, 2024.'New Bottle, Old Wine': Experts on Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Sedition LawsThe complaint was filed by the president of a Nagpur-based outfit called Jansangharsh Samiti, which claims to work in the "Naxalite-affected areas of Gadchiroli district to carry out health, education, and development activities opposing the Naxalite groups," according to the FIR. The complaint described Samta Kala Manch as an "extremist organisation with a suspicious background linked to Naxalism."Specifically objecting to the ‘seditious’ lines in the poem, the FIR stated that "objectionable and provocative statements" were also made at the event, when one of the speakers called it an era of "fascism and dictatorship."The FIR cites links to two YouTube videos, including one by the Marathi news channel ABP Majha, in which the alleged objectionable comments can be heard. However, the FIR did not name the speaker who made these comments."Such objectionable and provocative statements were made, and by organising such a programme with these disruptive views, the common public was deliberately misled, resulting in illegal acts that threaten the sovereignty, unity, and integrity of India. The statements made during the event have created discord in society, disturbed peace, and raised law and order issues in the country and the city," Shirke stated in his complaint.The following sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) were invoked:Section 152 (Acts endangering sovereignty, unity, and integrity of India)Section 196 (Promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to the maintenance of harmony)Section 353 (Statements conducing to public mischief)Section 3(5) (Acts committed with a common intention)A staunch Ambedkarite and social activist, Sathidar was one of the founding members of the Samta Kala Manch. His wife, Pushpa, who has been named in the FIR, is an anganwadi worker based in a village near Nagpur.As an actor, Sathidar was best known for the critically acclaimed 2014 film Court and the 2022 movie Jayanti on Prime Video. He had also been active in Marathi theatre circles.Court went on to win the Best Feature Film award at the 62nd National Film Awards in 2015. In the film, Vira Sathidar plays a protest singer who is acquitted in a case of abetment of the suicide of a manhole worker after a long-drawn trial. But as the trial ends, he is arrested again—this time for allegedly carrying out 'seditious' activities under the guise of conducting folk-singing workshops, while he continues to claim that the evidence against him is fabricated.The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had also named Sathidar in a supplementary chargesheet filed in the Elgar Parishad case, but he was never arrested. While his home has been raided by the Nagpur police in the past, the Gadchiroli police also reportedly raided the set of his movie Court in 2013.Pahalgam Attack Aftermath: Terrorism, Sedition, and the Divisive Narrative

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'Hum Dekhenge' Sung at Memorial Event, Ambedkarite Actor's Widow Faces Sedition

Late activist Vira Sathidar's wife was present at an event where Pakistani poet Faiz Ahmad Faiz's poem was recited.

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Topics: urban naxals Vira Sathidar