India
‘Warrior, advocate of the oppressed’: Politicians, family mourn GN Saibaba | India News – Times of India
“That has always been his wish. We have already donated his eyes LV Prasad Eye Institute (in Hyderabad), and his body will also be donated tomorrow,” Saibaba’s daughter Manjeera told news agency PTI.
The ex-DU professor, about seven months after he lost ties with Maoistsdied Saturday evening due to postoperative complications Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences Hopital.
Saibaba was diagnosed with a gallbladder infection and underwent surgery two weeks ago, but later developed complications.
After his release from prison, he received medical care in Delhi due to various health problems that had arisen as a result of his long term imprisonment.
“When I went to prison, I had no illness other than my disability. Now my heart is 55% functional… liver, gall bladder and pancreas are also affected,” he had said while released from jail.
‘I hoped another miracle would happen’
His daughter recalled that the last time she spoke to her father was the day before evening and he told him everything would be fine. “None of us, not even he, could have foreseen that something like this would have happened.”
‘We hoped another miracle would happen, but this time it didn’t. His body had endured too much all these years,” Manjeera told news agency PTI.
Meanwhile, GN Saibaba’s brother told news agency ANI: “NIMS doctors declared his death 8:36 pm today due to many ailments. He underwent his gallbladder surgery at NIMS. The operation was successful and he was able to talk to us and move freely in the wheelchair. He was very well the last five days after surgery. But suddenly we don’t know what happened, pus formed inside and he developed fever and severe stomach pain for five days. The doctors used some medical medication, but still pain or temperature control. They discovered that there was pus in it and then two days ago they performed a procedure to remove the pus… But later the next day they discovered that there was internal bleeding in the stomach and they performed a procedure to stop it . But even after stopping he could not recover.”
‘Fighter’
His friends and colleagues remembered Saibaba, whom they affectionately called Sai, as a warrior.
“He contracted polio when he was five years old. That is when his struggle began and never ended,” said Nandita Narain, former professor at St. Stephen’s College.
“I met him when I was elected to the DU Executive Council from 1996 to 2000. He came to my house with his wife once when he didn’t have a wheelchair. He was just dragging himself along, but had a big smile on his face.”
Narain added, “Those ten years in prison left him completely broken. He was thrown around and dragged when he was arrested. When we last counted, he had 21 conditions. They did this to him because he spoke out on issues that no one was talking about. They wanted to crush his voice. He still had the determination. In prison he taught prisoners.”
She also recalled, “When he came out of prison, he made pickles with lemons from Medak himself and gave them to me. He said it would be good for my health.”
Fragile in prison
Saibaba had a strong presence and he ran things, recalls Karen Gabriel, assistant principal at St. Stephen’s. “We had common problems that we fought against, such as land grabbing, illegal mining, etc., and we became good friends.”
Gabriel said Saibaba had never been vulnerable. “Then we saw how vulnerable they made him in prison. He was barely able to lift his right arm when he left prison. His organs were damaged,” she said. “I spoke to his family and they are in a mess.”
‘Key role in various popular movements’
“Saibaba played a key role in several people’s movements such as pro-reservation protests in 1989-90, the democratic rights of prisoners in 1993, the movement in support of Adivasi rights, and several others. Though he was from Andhra Pradesh, he led a major public meeting in 1997 in support of the formation of a separate Telangana,” said K Ravi Chander, president of Forum Against Repression.
‘Tireless advocate for the oppressed’
Meanwhile, there were also political reactions, with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin greeting the ex DU professor as a “tireless advocate for the oppressed”.
“The passing of Prof. GN Saibaba is a great loss to the human rights community. A tireless advocate for the oppressed, he fearlessly fought against injustice, even when his own freedom and health were at risk. His courage in defending civil liberties, despite many challenges, will be remembered as an enduring example of integrity. My sincere condolences to his family and loved ones in this difficult time,” Stalin wrote on X.
‘His death was partly a result of the UAPA’
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi blamed the Unlawful Activity (Prevention) Act for the death of former Delhi University professor GN Saibaba. “The death of Prof. Saibaba is also very worrying,” Owaisi wrote on
“It is very disheartening to hear about the cowardly attack on Baba Siddique in which he unfortunately lost his life. This shows the complete lack of will of political parties. This clearly shows that the present state government is not at all concerned about providing security to the common people of Mumbai and Maharashtra in general… They are only concerned about saving their seat and their skin so that they can win the next elections can win… What happened to Baba Siddique is a complete failure of law and order,” he told news agency ANI.
‘Murder’
TMC MP Saket Gokhale termed his death a “murder” and added, “This murder was committed by the government which framed him in a false case and then by the legal system which denied him personal freedom for over a decade and his acquittal has ‘ended’. ”
‘Denied bail for years’
The Kerala CPM, meanwhile, alleged that the Union government was responsible for his demise while mourning his death.
“He was denied bail for years. He was denied medical treatment that was urgently needed for someone with such an acute disability. His life was dedicated to the fight for justice, courageously facing torture. Responsibility for his death lies with the government. In sorrow and anger at the injustice he suffered, we salute this brave fighter for justice. We extend our deep condolences to his wife Vasantha and daughter Manjeera,” the party said in a message on X.
