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The Visakha Civil Society Forum, a collective of leaders and activists, expressed deep sorrow and shock at the passing of G.N. Saibaba, a renowned professor and human rights activist, who breathed his last at the NIMS Hospital in Hyderabad on Saturday. The forum, in a poignant demonstration of solidarity, gathered near the Gandhi statue opposite the GVMC main office on Sunday to mourn Saibaba's demise.
The forum asserted that the Union government, under the leadership of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), should bear responsibility for Saibaba's death. They alleged that Saibaba, imprisoned in Nagpur without concrete evidence, suffered a deterioration in health due to the lack of proper medical attention within the prison walls. This neglect, they argued, stemmed from the BJP government's oppressive policies.
The forum highlighted the particularly heartbreaking aspect of Saibaba's imprisonment, lamenting that he was denied the opportunity to see his own mother who died during his incarceration. This poignant detail underscored the cruelty and injustice they perceived in the government's actions. Saibaba, a 90% disabled individual, was not granted bail despite his disability and the severity of his health condition. Despite the hardships he endured, he remained dedicated to fighting for the rights of the people through his writings and speeches.
Saibaba's untimely death, they emphasized, represents a significant loss for the country. Despite serving a 10-year prison sentence, he was eventually acquitted, but his life was tragically cut short. The forum members paid tribute to Saibaba by garlanding his portrait during their commemoration.
The solidarity meeting was presided over by P. Chandrasekhar, the coordinator of the Visakha Civil Society Forum. Notably, several prominent figures from various organizations participated in the event, including J.V. Satyanarayana Murthy of the Visakha Marxist Study Centre, M. Venkateshwarlu, the state vice-president of the IFTU, T. Sreerama Murthy, the state president of the Indian Atheist Association, B. Venkata Rao, the president of Vidasam Aikyavedika, S. Venkatalakshmi, the district president of POW, Yedukondalu, a retired employee of AU, advocate K.S. Chalam, and leaders from Arasam, namely M. Paidiraju and others. Their presence underscored the widespread impact of Saibaba's work and the deep sense of loss his passing created among various sections of society.
Source: Visakha Civil Society Forum mourns the death of Human Rights Activist G.N. Saibaba