Mumbai:
Two activists from the Pune-based Kabir Kala Manch handed themselves over to the police to face the law after they were charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act or UAPA two years ago. Sheetal Sathe and Sachin Mali were taken away by the police after they arrived at the gates of the Maharashtra assembly on Tuesday morning.
The duo read out a statement clarifying their actions before they were taken away. "This is not a surrender and they have faith in the courts and the democratic process and they hope for justice," they told reporters.
Filmmaker and activist Anand Patwardhan, who was present when they surrendered, told NDTV, "They are not surrendering. They are doing Satyagraha. They are not apologising. They are saying we have done no wrong. We have spoken out for the poorest of the poor."
This was the first public appearance of Sheetal Sathe and Sachin Mali after living underground for two years. Both were members of the Kabir Kala Manch, a Pune-based group of cultural activists, when they were charged under the UAPA over allegations of being Naxalites.
"This is our Satyagraha. Freedom of expression is our struggle," Sheetal told NDTV.
"Incidents like Khairlanji and the lack of justice in the Ramabai firing case, their songs became more militant and the state interpreted them as some kind of extremism. To my knowledge, they have never been charged with any kind of violence," Mr Patwardhan said.
NDTV had reported their story earlier from the slum in central Pune's Swargate area where Sheetal was born and brought up by her mother Sandhya, who encouraged the former to sing and supported her fight for Dalit Rights. When NDTV spoke to her after her daughter went underground, she had said, "The State is accusing them of being "desh drohi". We don't understand what this means. After all, they are not manufacturing bombs or killing people...they are only providing entertainment through their songs."
Sandhya has always believed in her daughter's innocence. After Sheetal's news appeared on TV channels, she told NDTV, "If they were involved in any anti-national activity, I would have shot them dead before the Anti-Terrorism Squad or police."
Now, activists are hoping that the duo will get a speedy trial and that, their case will not drag on like that of activist Binayak Sen. A recent Bombay High Court ruling has given them reason to hope. The ruling states that unless the police make out a case that an actual crime has been committed by the accused, they cannot interpret the UAPA to arrest people merely on the basis of any alleged ideology.
Meanwhile, the fight for Dalit rights, the duo says, will continue.