"A preemptive arrest merely on the basis of an FIR appears to be an act of political vindictiveness," said Guha in his email.
In a mail to Stalin, Guha stated that though he do not endorse Seshadri's political views, his arrest is inconsistent with the principles of natural justice (Creative Commons)
Sahitya Akademi and Padma Bhushan awardee Ramachandra Guha wrote to Chief Minister MK Stalin to intervene in the arrest of renowned publisher Badri Seshadri and set him free.
In a mail to Stalin, Guha stated that though he does not endorse Seshadri’s political views, his arrest is inconsistent with the principles of natural justice.
Stating that the arrest brings discredit to the DMK government and to the culture and history of the Tamil people, Guha said, “As you know, Tamil Nadu has been the cradle of great literature down the ages. In more recent times, influential politicians across party lines have also been acclaimed for their contributions to literature. They include three chief ministers— Rajaji, Anna, and M Karunanidhi. Given this rich literary and intellectual history, Tamil Nadu should be the last state in the Indian Union to be held guilty of persecuting writers for their political views.”
Pointing out that Seshadri is accused of having criticised the Supreme Court of India, Guha stated that in a functioning democracy, such criticisms cannot be by themselves be a basis for arrest.
“If there is a case to be made against him, it should be made in court. A preemptive arrest merely on the basis of an FIR appears to be an act of political vindictiveness,” Guha said.
Mentioning the recent inauguration of the library named after Kalaignar Karunanidhi in Madurai and the international book fair organised every year in Chennai, the Sahitya Akademi winner added, “Yet your government’s claim to promote literature and culture rings hollow in the light of the arrest of Mr Seshadri.”
He further appealed to the Chief Minister to release Seshadri.
Earlier, on 29 July, the day of Seshadri’s arrest, Guha took to Twitter condemning the arrest.
The arbitrary or vindictive arrest of writers is wrong, regardless of which party or Government is in power. The defence of intellectual freedoms cannot be conditioned by political partisanship. I urge writers in Tamil Nadu to ask MK Stalin to release Badri Seshadri immediately.
— Ramachandra Guha (@Ram_Guha) July 29, 2023
In his tweet, he said that the arbitrary or vindictive arrest of writers is wrong, regardless of which party or government is in power, and that the defense of intellectual freedoms cannot be conditioned by political partisanship.
It is to be mentioned that during the CAA protests in December 2011, Stalin, as the DMK president, criticised the arrest of Ramachandra Guha by the BJP government. Offering his solidarity at the time, Stalin tweeted that he condemns the high-handedness of the government authorities and police for the arrest.
“When the space for dissent shrinks, dictatorship replaces democracy,” tweeted Stalin.
The national president of the BJP’s women’s wing and Coimbatore South Constituency MLA Vanathi Srinivasan has also criticised the DMK government for the arrest of Seshadri.
Vanathi Srinivasan, in a statement, said that the DMK government in the state is arresting those who post comments on social media with the intention of instilling fear in the minds of its opponents.
“The action reeks of fascism. If people were to be arrested based on their social media comments, most DMK leaders should be in jail,” she said.
Further, the Madras Reporters Guild condemned the arrest of journalist-writer and publisher Badri Seshadri. In a statement, the guild stated that the government had the option to file a case against the writer and allow the law to take its own course, rather than take recourse to arrest, which comes in the way of freedom of speech and expression as well as civil liberties.
The journalists’ body urged Stalin to facilitate the immediate release of Seshadri and give necessary instructions to the police department not to arrest people for comments in the public domain on current affairs.
Badri Seshadri, the founder of Kizhakku Pathippagam, was arrested by the Tamil Nadu police for his critical comments against the Chief Justice of India in the context of the Manipur violence.
May 19, 2024
May 18, 2024
May 18, 2024
May 18, 2024
May 18, 2024
May 16, 2024
![[Left] File photo of BJP MLA Harish Poonja, who has been booked, and [right] Poonja sitting for a protest in front of Belthangady Police Station in the early hours of Sunday, 19 May, 2024.](https://s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media.thesouthfirst.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Harish-Poonja-and-Belthangady.jpg "Harish Poonja and Belthangady")
