India : Noam Chomsky demands proper medical care for Comrade Ajith

Prof. Noam Chomsky, globally renowned scholar and advocate of human rights, has called for proper medical treatment to ( Comrade Ajith) K. Muraleedharan, an under trial prisoner currently admitted in Sassoon Government Hospital in Pune, Maharashtra. In an E-mail message to the committee campaigning for proper medical care to the Maoist leader, the MIT scholar said he is “happy to sign the statement”.

Prof. Chomsky has also endorsed the call for a “fair, transparent and speedy trial of Muraleedharan or releasing him on bail”.

Prof. Anand Teltumbde of Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur and Bernard D’Mello, deputy editor Economic and Political Weekly have also endorsed the call for appropriate medical care to the 62-year old Muraleedharan, ailing from cardiac related ailments.

Muraleedharan K, a radical political activist for the last four decades and a distinguished scholar of political economy, Dalit studies and the author of ‘Land, Caste and Servitude’, a path-breaking analysis of agrarian relations in Kerala has been admitted at Sassoon Hospital three days ago.

He was arrested by Anti-terrorist squad of the Maharashtra Police from Talegaon Dabhade near Pune on May 9, 2015. After extensive questioning that lasted for several days Muraleedharan, popularly known as Ajit, has been charged under the provisions of the draconian Unlawful Activities
Prevention Act (UAPA) and lodged in the Yerwada Jail in Pune as an under trial prisoner. Excepting for once, he was not produced in any open court for the past 15 months.

Janakeeya Manshyavakasa Prasthanam (JMP), a human rights organisation, has launched a global campaign calling for proper medical treatment to the ailing prisoner.

The health condition of the 62-year old Muraleedharan, a heart patient who had already undergone a bypass surgery, has been a matter of deep concern for friends, relatives and well wishers, the JMP statement said.

“We call upon all persons believing in democracy, human rights and individual liberty to join the campaign for ensuring proper medical care and attention to Mr. Muraleedharan. We also call upon the authorities to ensure a fair, transparent and speedy trial of Mr. Muraleedharan or release him on bail”, it added.

1: Prof. Noam Chomsky
2: Prof. Anand Teltumbde, IIT Khargapur
3: Bernrd D’Mello, Deputy Editor, Economic and Political Weekly
4: Meena Kandasamy: Writer
5: Kanam Rajendran: State Secretary, Communist Party of India, Kerala
6: BRP Bhaskar: Eminent Journalist and Writer
7: K Venu : Writer and social commentator
8: MM Somasekharan: Writer and social commentator
9: Njamal Babu (TN Joy): Public Intellectual
10: Dr. KT Rammohan: Former Dean School of Social Science, GM University, Kottayam
11: Dr. TT Sreekumar: Professor, MICA, School of Ideas, Ahmedabad
12: Dr. J. Devika : Assistant Professor, Centre For Development Studies
Thiruvananathapuram
14: Prof. AK Ramakrishnan: Professor, Centre for West Asian Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi
15: PK Venugopal: Janakeeya Kala Sahitya Vedi