Allahabad High Court Questions Use of ‘Andolanjeevi’ in Journalist’s NSA Detention

The Allahabad High Court has raised concerns regarding the use of the term “andolanjeevi” in the grounds for the detention of journalist Satyam Verma under the National Security Act (NSA). This inquiry arises in the wake of protests by workers in Noida, as reported by Live Law.

During the hearing, a bench comprising Justices Atul Sreedharan and Achal Sachdev sought clarification on the origins of this contentious term. The court inquired, “Where did this term ‘andolanjeevi’ come from? How did it find its way into an official document?” The usage of the term has been controversial since Prime Minister Narendra Modi first employed it in 2021, characterizing certain protesters as individuals who “feed off protests”. This label has sparked significant debate regarding its appropriateness and implications for dissent in the country.

Satyam Verma, a 60-year-old former journalist from Lucknow, has been challenging his detention, which occurred alongside that of Aakriti Chaudhary, a 25-year-old member of the Mazdoor Bigul Dasta, a workers’ organization. Both individuals were detained on May 13 following the protests that occurred the previous day. Police authorities claimed that Verma and Chaudhary played a pivotal role in instigating violence and chaos during the demonstrations.

While the NSA permits lengthy detentions without trial, lasting up to a year, the judiciary’s scrutiny of the terminology used in the detention order raises questions about due process and the treatment of dissenting voices in India. As the court reviewed the detention order issued by Gautam Buddh Nagar District Magistrate Medha Roopam, the implications of such language in legal documents become more pronounced.

The protests in Noida were initially sparked by issues related to workers’ rights, and the heavy-handed response from authorities, including the use of the NSA, has drawn criticism from various sectors of society. This case underscores the ongoing tension in India between state power and individual rights, particularly in the context of public protests and the framing of dissent.

Source: scroll.in