Anand Teltumbde: Life in prison, losing Fr. Stan Swamy, and who’s an ‘urban naxal’ скачать в хорошем качестве

Anand Teltumbde: Life in prison, losing Fr. Stan Swamy, and who’s an ‘urban naxal’

#AnandTeltumbde #Newslaundry #bhimakoregao #stanswamy In April 2020, scholar and civil rights activist Anand Teltumbde was arrested in the Elgar Parishad-Bhima Koregaon case and charged under the draconian Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). After serving 31 months in Taloja Jail, he was released on bail in November 2022. During his time in jail, he wrote The Cell and the Soul: A Prison Memoir – an in-depth account about his experiences in jail, which included surviving COVID, and the failures of the justice system. Teltumbde sat down with Nidhi Suresh to discuss his book, his experiences in jail, the discourse around ‘Urban Naxal’, caste, the loss of his comrade, Father Stan Swamy, and the inequities of the Indian justice system. He said: “Prison counts as something like a rupture in your life, that happens in the life of anybody who never expected to go to prison and still had it. So, it took time to adjust to normal life outside, but outside, it is not unlike prison conditions," adding that while going to prison, he thought he may not come out alive. One of the most powerful lines in the book is when Teltumbde writes, “The most painful part about being arrested is the complete loss of control over yourself.” Despite this, he asserts what Nidhi calls a "small moment of agency", where he is asked about his caste, and he tells the authorities to write down 'Muslim'. During the course of this conversation, Teltumbde describes the conditions in prison, including a funny anecdote about his request for a ‘Western-style’ toilet – maintaining a sense of humour even while suffering from serious ailments. Reflecting on the loss of Father Stan Swamy, he says, “It exposes the dirty face of the state.” Nidhi also asks Teltumbde whether he has heard the term ‘Urban Naxal’ before the Bhima-Koregaon case. He says that in prison he read Vivek Agnihotri’s book, calling it “a very curious kind of writing”. Finally, when asked whether he believes in the abolishment of the prison system, he says, “If you go to prison, there is nothing. You are treated as an object, a criminal or a danger to society. This is the way even society looks at you.” Watch. The first quarter of the century is coming to an end, make it count: https://rzp.io/rzp/ujjpB44dyrs Join the #FightToBreathe: https://rzp.io/rzp/T4Ob0FCb Download the accessible Newslaundry app: https://www.newslaundry.com/download-app Join us on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va61... Follow and engage with us on social media: Facebook:   / newslaundry   Twitter:   / newslaundry   Instagram:   / newslaundry