The two artists belong to the Asmita group, an associate of India Against Corruption
In a shocking example of communal profiling and pre-conceived notions, two young actors from the Asmita theatre group were detained by the Delhi Police on the basis of their “black kurtas and beards”. The two artists were detained for over six hours at the Barakhamba Road Police station on Friday 16 September 2011 and alleged that they were also mistreated and threatened with imprisonment. In recent months, the Asmita group has enjoyed nation-wide popularity since it staged nukkad-nataks (street plays) across the city during Anna Hazare’s hunger-strike against corruption.
Manoj Yadav, 20 and Praveen Kumar, 27, were collecting college application forms near Connaught place in Central Delhi, when a security supervisor stopped them out of suspicion. Even as the two tried to convince the supervisor of their identity, within 20 minutes (at 3.30pm) two policemen arrived in a car and took them to the Barakhamba Road police station without citing any reason.
“We stayed calm and told them that we were associated with Asmita Theatre group and Anna Hazare’s India against Corruption movement. But nobody would listen to us,” said Manoj. “Neither the security supervisor or the policemen would listen to us. The policemen instead questioned us as to why we were in a black kurta and our beards,” he added. The policemen, however, did not seem to be too bothered about the dafli (tambourine) they were carrying.
“We were made to sit on the floor, and not even given water or access to the lavatory. One of them told us that a vigilance report states that terrorists wear black clothes and have beards,” said Manoj. “Even though we are theatre activists and are well-aware of things around us, when the policemen were hurling abuses, we did get scared,” added Praveen. Ironically, the duo was returning from a school in Vasant Vihar after staging a play to raise awareness against communal biases.
Arvind Gaur, theatre personality and convener of Asmita, who turned up at the police station after being alerted by the boys, was also met with the same misbehavior from the policemen. By now it had already been four hours and at 8pm when nearly 50 Asmita theatre activists had already turned up at the police station, the Station House Officer (SHO) Amardeep Sehgal allegedly pushed Shilpi Marwaha, an member of the theatre group.
“This man pushed me without any provocation, I do not know if he was trying to unsettle us or drive home a point,” said Shilpi. “Even if one is to believe the SHO that he was just clearing the crowd, he did not have to push me. There were lady constables there.” However, this was the tipping point and when Gaur and others confronted the SHO; the Assistant Commissioner of Police of Tilak Nagar apologised on the SHO’s behalf.
“This is not about me or the Asmita group. It’s about how the police conveniently get away with trampling on basic rights of citizens. This could have happened to anybody. Similar situations exist in all parts of country,” said Gaur. “If you go by the logic of these policemen, anybody with a beard is a suspect. What happens to the suspects arrested in blast cases when so many of them turn out to be innocent. Who is to fight for their rights?” asked Gaur. The group has filed a complaint against the SHO in the same station against detaining without reason and misbehavior.
Amardeep Sehgal, SHO of the Barkakhamba Road Police station spoke to TEHELKA but refused to reply when asked if he had registered the detainment of the two theatre artists. Questioned about their being detained for over six hours, he stated that he told them to leave much earlier but they refused. When asked about the detention and the misbehavior allegations, Sehgal said: “Let them complain to the NHRC. Delhi is going through high-alert”.
The matter came to light after India Against Corruption’s social media team posted alerts on Facebook and Twitter. The IAC, however, is leaving it to Arvind Gaur and his group to pursue the matter. “Our primary agenda is getting the Jan Lokpal Bill. So, Arvind and group will have to pursue it,” Manish Sisodia, leading campaigner with IAC told TEHELKA.
(courtesy: Arjun Juneja, G.Vishnu & Tehelka.com.)
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Manoj Yadav, 20 and Praveen Kumar, 27, were collecting college application forms near Connaught place in Central Delhi, when a security supervisor stopped them out of suspicion. Even as the two tried to convince the supervisor of their identity, within 20 minutes (at 3.30pm) two policemen arrived in a car and took them to the Barakhamba Road police station without citing any reason.
“We stayed calm and told them that we were associated with Asmita Theatre group and Anna Hazare’s India against Corruption movement. But nobody would listen to us,” said Manoj. “Neither the security supervisor or the policemen would listen to us. The policemen instead questioned us as to why we were in a black kurta and our beards,” he added. The policemen, however, did not seem to be too bothered about the dafli (tambourine) they were carrying.
“We were made to sit on the floor, and not even given water or access to the lavatory. One of them told us that a vigilance report states that terrorists wear black clothes and have beards,” said Manoj. “Even though we are theatre activists and are well-aware of things around us, when the policemen were hurling abuses, we did get scared,” added Praveen. Ironically, the duo was returning from a school in Vasant Vihar after staging a play to raise awareness against communal biases.
Arvind Gaur, theatre personality and convener of Asmita, who turned up at the police station after being alerted by the boys, was also met with the same misbehavior from the policemen. By now it had already been four hours and at 8pm when nearly 50 Asmita theatre activists had already turned up at the police station, the Station House Officer (SHO) Amardeep Sehgal allegedly pushed Shilpi Marwaha, an member of the theatre group.
“This man pushed me without any provocation, I do not know if he was trying to unsettle us or drive home a point,” said Shilpi. “Even if one is to believe the SHO that he was just clearing the crowd, he did not have to push me. There were lady constables there.” However, this was the tipping point and when Gaur and others confronted the SHO; the Assistant Commissioner of Police of Tilak Nagar apologised on the SHO’s behalf.
“This is not about me or the Asmita group. It’s about how the police conveniently get away with trampling on basic rights of citizens. This could have happened to anybody. Similar situations exist in all parts of country,” said Gaur. “If you go by the logic of these policemen, anybody with a beard is a suspect. What happens to the suspects arrested in blast cases when so many of them turn out to be innocent. Who is to fight for their rights?” asked Gaur. The group has filed a complaint against the SHO in the same station against detaining without reason and misbehavior.
Amardeep Sehgal, SHO of the Barkakhamba Road Police station spoke to TEHELKA but refused to reply when asked if he had registered the detainment of the two theatre artists. Questioned about their being detained for over six hours, he stated that he told them to leave much earlier but they refused. When asked about the detention and the misbehavior allegations, Sehgal said: “Let them complain to the NHRC. Delhi is going through high-alert”.
The matter came to light after India Against Corruption’s social media team posted alerts on Facebook and Twitter. The IAC, however, is leaving it to Arvind Gaur and his group to pursue the matter. “Our primary agenda is getting the Jan Lokpal Bill. So, Arvind and group will have to pursue it,” Manish Sisodia, leading campaigner with IAC told TEHELKA.
(courtesy: Arjun Juneja, G.Vishnu & Tehelka.com.)
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