Over 230 Academics, Organisations Flay NIA Summons to IISER Professor Partho Sarothi Ray

New Delhi:  After the summons and arrest of Delhi University professor Hany Babu and two activists of Kabir Kala Manch, in the Elgar Parishad/Bhima Koregaon case, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has issued summons to two more academics and a journalist, two of whom are sons-in-law of poet Varavara Rao, who is already in jail.

Condemning the hounding of civil rights activist and well known academic Partho Sarothi Ray, over 230 academics and orgnaisations have issued a statement on the “brazen assault”, demanding immediate withdrawal of NIA’s interrogation notice to him.

Dr Ray, and associate professor in Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), has been asked to appear before NIA on September 10 in Mumbai. 

Expressing shock at the summons, the statement by his colleagues and fellow academics, condemned the “fascist regime’s witch-hunt at silencing the voices of dissent and protest”, pointing out his pioneering research on molecular biology. “He was among the scientists consulted by the World Health Organisation to understand the character of the coronavirus and formulate a policy to tackle the pandemic,” the statement read.

Read the full statement below:

A statement issued by different organisations, academicians and activists condemning brazen assault by the state on democratic activities and demanding immediate withdrawal of NIA’s menacing and threatening interrogation notice to Partha Sarathi Ray.  

6 September 2020 

We have come to know that our dear friend and comrade Dr Partho Sarothi Ray, Associate Professor, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), has been summoned by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in connection with the Elgar Parishad-Bhima Koregaon case. He has been asked to present himself before the investigators in Mumbai on 10 September at 11am. 

Partho has been pro-actively involved with peaceful, democratic people’s movements, especially the struggles for the rights of poor and marginalised dalits and adivasis. He is an active member of Persecuted Prisoners’ Solidarity Committee as well as Joint Action Committee for Social Justice. His tireless work in defence of civil liberties and for the release of political prisoners is exemplary. Partho has been ever-present in marches, rallies, and other street programmes with his stirring but lucid speeches and an endearing smile. 

At IISER, Partho has been carrying out extensive and useful research on molecular biology. His pioneering work on viruses has taken him to the lecture-halls in universities and scientific gatherings across the globe. He is a front-runner in the present battle against Covid-19 and his idea of community participation has been successfully implemented in Nadia district, inviting widespread interest. He was among the scientists consulted by the World Health Organization (WHO) to understand the character of the Coronavirus and formulate a policy to tackle the pandemic. 

The harassment of Dr Ray by the NIA is yet another sinister attempt in the fascist regime’s witch-hunt at silencing the voices of dissent and protest. We, the undersigned, strongly condemn this brazen assault on democratic activities and demand immediate withdrawal of NIA’s menacing, threatening interrogation notice. We stand hand-in-hand with Dr Partho Sarothi Ray. 

Signed by

1. Aamra ek Sachetan Prayas 

2. Aashita Dawer, Professor, OP Jindal Global University 

3. Abhay Shukla, JSA

4. Abhijit Roy, Professor, Jadavpur University 

5. Achin Chakraborty, Professor, Institute of Development Studies, Kolkata 

6. Achin Vanaik, Professor (Retd), University of Delhi 

7. Adibashi Gaonta 

8. Adibashi Juan Mahal 

9. Adibashi Samanyaya Mancha 

10. Aditi Chowdhury, Citizen 

11. Aditi Roy Ghatak, Journalist 

12. Aditya Nigam, Professor, CSDS, Delhi 

13. AJC Bose, Professor, SRCC, University of Delhi 

14. Alik Chakraborty, CPI (M-L) Red Star 

15. All India Central Council of Trade Union (AICCTU) 

16. All India Federation of Trade Unions (AIFTU – new) 

17. All India Kshet Mazdoor Kisan Sabha (AIKMKS) 

18. All India People’s Forum (AIPF) 

19. All India Peoples’ Science Network (AIPSN) 

20. All India Progressive Women’s Association (AIPWA) 

21. All India Revolutionary Students’ Organisation (AIRSO) 

22. All India Revolutionary Women’s Organisation (AIRWO) 

23. All India Sanjukta Kisan Sabha 

24. All West Bengal Sales Representatives’ Union (AWBSRU) 

25. Aloke Mukherjee, CPI (M-L) 

26. Amal Sanyal 

27. Ambedkar Periyar Study Circle, IIT Madras 

28. Ambedkar-Periyar-Phule Study Circle, IIT Bombay 

29. Ambikesh Mahapatra 

30. Amit Bhaduri, Professor (Retd), Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) 

31. Amitabha Chakraborty, Activist 

32. Amra Monbhashi 

33. Aneek Patrika (Bengali Monthly) 

34. Anik Dutta, Filmmaker 

35. Aniket Chattopadhyay, Filmmaker 

36. Anindita Sarbadhikari, Filmmaker 

37. Anindya, Blogger 

38. Anindya Sengupta, Professor, Jadavpur University 

39. Anish Vanaik, Professor, OP Jindal Global University 

40. Anomita Sen, Citizen 

41. Anup Gampa, Asst Professor, Harvey Mudd College, Claremont, California 

42. Anuroop Mallik, Folk Singer 

43. Anwesha Sengupta, Institute of Development Studies, Kolkata 

44. Arijit Mitra Smarak Committee 

45. Arundhati Dhuru, National Alliance of People’s Movements 

46. Arundhati Roy, Writer 

47. Arup Baisya, Writer, Silchar 

48. Arup Dasgupta 

49. Ashani Natyam 

50. Ashish Lahiri, Writer, Adjunct Professor, IISER 

51. Ashok Choudhary, All India Union of Forest Working People (AIUFWP) 

52. Asit Basu 

53. Avishek Konar, Professor, OP Jindal Global University 

54. Avishek Mukherjee 

55. Ayodhya Buru Bachao Andolan 

56. Azad Gano Morcha 

57. Badshah Moitra, Actor 

58. Baidyanath Sengupta, Editor, Samaj Bignan o Prakriti Parichay Patrika 

59. Bandi Mukti Committee 

60. Bharatiya Adibashi Ekata Mancha 

61. Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya, MP & Former Mayor, Kolkata Municipal Corporation 

62. Bimal Chakraborty 

63. Dr Binayak Sen 

64. Bodhisatya Ray, Radical Socialist 

65. Central Convening Committee (CCC), No NRC Movement 

66. Chanchal Chakraborty 

67. Chandan Sen, Playwright 

68. Charoibeti 

69. Chittaroopa Palit, Narmada Bachao Andolan 

70. Committee for the Release of Political Prisoners (CRPP), West Bengal 

71. Confluence, IISER, Mohali 

72. CP Geevan, Former Senior Environmental Scientist, Independent Researcher 

73. Das Theke Das Hazaar 

74. DC Gohain, Jharkhand Krantikari Mazdoor Union 

75. Debdoot Ghosh 

76. Debdutta Paul 

77. Delhi Science Forum, Delhi 

78. Dhritisree, Theatre Activist 

79. Dhruv Narayan, Publisher 

80. Doyeeta Majumder, Professor, Jadavpur University 

81. Ebong Bisongbad 

82. Prof. Felix Padel 

83. Feminists in Resistance 

84. Forum Against Monopolistic Aggression (FAMA) 

85. Freny Manecksha 

86. Dr Fuad Halim, People’s Health Activist 

87. Ganatantrik Sangrami Udyog 

88. Gautam Chakraborty 

89. Githa Hariharan, Writer 

90. Gorky Chakraborty, Institute of Development Studies, Kolkata 

91. Goutam Seal 

92. Harkumar Goswami, Guwahati 

93. Hosiery Workers’ Unity Centre 

94. Indian Federation of Trade Union (IFTU) 

95. Indira Ghose, University of Fribourg, Switzerland 

96. Indu Chandrasekhar, Publisher 

97. J Devika, Feminist Historian 

98. Jadavpur Commune 

99. Jai Bhim India Network 

100. Janakalyan o Santras Birodhi Gana Abhijan Mancha, Bagnan 

101. Janaswasthya Suraksha o Adhikar Mancha, Uluberia 

102. Jayati Ghosh, Professor, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) 

103. Joint Action Committee for Social Justice 

104. Joint Platform of Academicians 

105. Jomi Jibika Bastutantro o Poribesh Raksha Committee 

106. Joyraj Bhattacharya, Theatre & Social Activist 

107. Kamayani Bali Mahabal, JSA

108. Kaushik Sen, Playwright & Actor 

109. KP Fabian, Ambassador (Retd) 

110. Kranti Shilpi Sangha 

111. Krishna Bandyopadhyay, Activist in Women’s Movements 

112. Kumar Rana, Social Activist 

113. Kunal Chattopadhyay, Professor, Jadavpur University 

114. Kuntal Rudra 

115. Little Magazine Samannaya Mancha 

116. Mahila Jagaron Samiti, Bagnan 

117. Manoj Bhattacharya, RSP 

118. Masood Akhtar 

119. Mazdoor Kranti Parishad 

120. Megha Unwer, Professor, Purdue University, Italy 

121. Miratun Nahar, Writer 

122. Mitra Sengupta 

123. Moinak Biswas, Professor, Jadavpur University 

124. Nagarik Udyog 

125. National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM), West Bengal 

126. New Democratic Students’ Front 

127. New Trade Union Initiative (NTUI) 

128. Nikhil Banga Mahila Sangha 

129. Nilanjan Dutta, Writer, Filmmaker, Human Rights Activist 

130. Nisha Biswas, Activist 

131. Nitish Roy, Singer 

132. Nivedita Menon, Professor, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) 

133. Nupur Basu, Bachik Shilpi 

134. Pamela Philipose, Journalist 

135. Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, www.paranjoy.in 

136. Partha Chatterjee, Professor, Columbia University 

137. Partha S Banerjee, Writer & Retired Journalist 

138. Paschim Banga Khet Majoor Samity 

139. Paschim Banga Ganasanskriti Parishad 

140. People’s Film Collective 

141. People’s Study Circle 

142. Persecuted Prisoners’ Solidarity Committee 

143. Prabhat Patnaik, Professor Emeritus, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) 

144. Prabir Mukhopadhyay, Teacher (Retd), South Point School 

145. Pradip Chatterjee, Activist 

146. Prakriti Sebasram Sangha 

147. Pramod Gupta, Social Activist 

148. Pranab Kanti Basu, Professor (Retd), Vishva-Bharati 

149. Prantajan 

150. Pratip Nag, Activist 

151. Progressive Democratic Students’ Federation (PDSF) 

152. Progressive Plantation Workers’ Union 

153. Progressive Students’ Union (PSU) 

154. Progressive Youth League (PYL) 

155. Pulak Chanda, Professor (Retd), Shyamsundar College 

156. Purbasha Auddy, Jadavpur University 

157. Purulia Bauri Samaj Kalyan Samiti 

158. Rajashri Dasgupta, Social Activist 

159. Ranjana Padhi, WSS 

160. Ranjit Sur, Human Rights Activist 

161. Ratan Khasnabis, Former Professor, Calcutta University 

162. Ravi Pallur, Political Activist 

163. Refraction (Magazine) 

164. Revolutionary Cultural Forum 

165. Revolutionary Youth and Students’ Federation 

166. Revolutionary Youth Federation of India (RYFI) 

167. Revolutionary Youth Front (RYF) 

168. Right to Food & Work Campaign, West Bengal 

169. Rimi B Chatterjee, Professor, Jadavpur University 

170. Ritam Bhaumik, INRIA, Paris 

171. Ritam Palit, Student Activist 

172. Romar Correa, Professor, University of Mumbai 

173. Rongili Biswas, Writer & Musician. Associate Professor, WBES 

174. Sabyasachi Chakraborty, Actor 

175. Sabyasachi Chatterjee 

176. Sabyasachi Deb, Poet 

177. Sachetana 

178. Sahaman 

179. Sailendra Nath Bhattacharya, ECL Colliery Sramik Union 

180. Sajni Mukherjee, Professor, Jadavpur University 

181. Salil Biswas, Principal (Retd), South City College 

182. Samantak Das, Professor, Jadavpur University 

183. Samar Bagchi, Science, Education, Environment & Social Activist 

184. Sampradayikota o Fascibad Birodhi Ganatantrik Mancha 

185. Sandeep Pandey, Socialist Party (India) 

186. Sanjay Basak, Journalist 

187. Sanjay Kak, Filmmaker 

188. Sanjeeb Mukherjee, Calcutta University 

189. Saswata Ghosh, Professor, Institute of Development Studies, Kolkata 

190. Satya Sagar, Journalist 

191. Dr SC Byne, Gana Adhikar Mancha, Durgapur 

192. Shakti Pada Badyakar, SC-ST-OBC & Minority Employees’ Federation, Durgapur 

193. Dr Sharmistha Dutta Gupta, Independent Researcher 

194. Shramajibi Swasthya Udyog 

195. Shamim Ahmed, Writer 

196. Shuddhabrata Sengupta, Delhi 

197. Shukla Bhowmick 

198. Sipra Mukherjee, Professor, Jadavpur University 

199. Sitansusekhar, Na Hanya Te 

200. Soma Marik, Associate Professor, RKSM Vivekananda Vidya Bhavan 

201. Dr Soumya Sahin, Asst Professor, National University of Juridical Sciences (NUJS) 

202. Souvik Mukhopadhyay 

203. Sramajibi Mahila Samiti 

204. Srikanta Mohanty, CPI (M-L), Odisha 

205. Students for Change 

206. Subhash Deb, CPI (M-L) PCC 

207. Subhasis Bandyopadhyay, Associate Professor, IIEST, Shibpur 

208. Sugata Ray 

209. Sukanta Chaudhuri, Professor Emeritus, Jadavpur University 

210. Sukumar Muralidharan, Journalist and Journalism Instructor 

211. Sumit Bhaduri, Scientist (Chemist) 

212. Sumit Sarkar, Historian 

213. Sumit, Filmmaker, Writer 

214. Sunandan Chakraborty 

215. Supriya Chaudhuri, Professor Emeritus, Jadavpur University 

216. Sushanta Mukherjee, Activist 

217. Sushil Khanna, Professor (Retd), Indian Institute of Management Calcutta (IIMC) 

218. Sushovan Dhar, Trade Union Activist 

219. Susmit Bose, Singer-Composer, Activist 

220. Suvrat Raju, International Centre for Theoretical Sciences, Bengaluru 

221. Swastha Siksha Nirman 

222. Tanika Sarkar, Historian, Professor (Retd), Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) 

223. Tarun Bhartiya, Imagemaker & Union Activist, Shillong 

224. Tobu Banglar Mukh 

225. Trade Union Centre of India (TUCI) 

226. Tuhin Maparu 

227. Umar Awais, United Forum for National Integrity (Rajabazar Shireen Bagh) 

228. United Trade Union Congress (UTUC) 

229. Vandana Misra, Civil Liberties Activist 

230. Vanessa Chisti, OP Jindal Global University 

231. Women Against Sexual Violence & State Repression (WSS)