Scrap false cases against OU Professor, poet and writer Dr. Kasim

Repeal undemocratic UAPA

We, the undersigned strongly condemn the implication of Dr C Kasim, Assistant Professor of Osmania University and a well-known Telugu poet and writer, in a false case under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), along with charges of criminal conspiracy and sedition under the Indian Penal Code. This is the first sedition case booked after Telangana state is formed and a new government that calls itself born out of the people’s movement. The infamous history of booking writers under conspiracy and sedition charges in the previous united Andhra Pradesh state since 1970s is just continued by the new state also. It is to be noted that in the last forty years, not even a single case of conspiracy and sedition against writers is proven. Present case against Dr Kasim is booked at Mulugu police station in Medak district, Telangana. The F.I.R shows Dr Kasim as accused No. 2, while accused No.1 is Shyamsundar Reddy, an alleged courier of Communist Party of India (Maoist). The police allege that Kasim has been corresponding with the Maoists through Shyamsundar Reddy and registered a case under Sections 120-B, 121(A), 124(A) IPC and sections 10 and 18 of the UAPA. The FIR mentioned about letters and ‘Nadustunna Telangana’ monthly magazine, for which Dr Kasim is Chief Editor, is run “on behalf of Maoists”. ‘Nadustunna Telangana’ is a widely circulated magazine which is read all over the state and even in government libraries and universities.

Dr. Kasim is an executive member of Revolutionary Writers’ Association also. As a poet and literary critic he published more than ten books in Telugu. ‘NadustunnaTelangana’ a monthly magazine under his editorship, stands firmly as Telangana peoples’ platform of alternative views. Kasim is one of the strongest voices of Telangana during its struggle for separate statehood. For more than 20 years he has been in various struggles of Telangana starting from his student days. He is one of the intellectuals who voiced the demand of Democratic Telangana with a theoretical and political understanding of nationality question informed by Marxism. He understands and advocates that the goal of Telangana people is not a mere geographical statehood but a Democratic Telangana where real aspirations of people come true. Adhering to any ideology is not a crime. Dr. Kasim is booked under the UAPA twice before the formation of Telangana and in both the cases he was shown as absconding while he has been a regular teacher of Telugu literature to Post Graduate students of Osmania University. The same policy is continued in Telangana state where people are promised their democratic rights after decades of struggle and repression. The UAPA is an undemocratic law and it is being used as a weapon to suppress all democratic movements throughout the country. Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) strongly opposed it in the past and now it is the same party in power that is using against people with alternative views.

Imposing false cases on a writer and teacher is nothing but curtailing the freedom of expression. We demand immediate withdrawal of all the charges against Dr. Kasim. We also demand to repeal undemocratic UAPA and sedition sections.