This book reveals how state didn't incarcerate Saibaba solely to suppress his activism, but to isolate him from buoyant struggles
‘He Who Defied Death – A Tribute to the Life and Times of Professor Saibaba’ is a testimony that the state did not incarcerate Saibaba merely to suppress his actions, but to isolate him from the buoyant world of struggle that was erupting amidst adversity.
This book comprises a series of tributes to the late Professor Saibaba. Reflections on his martyrdom have come from a broad spectrum of democratic quarters and individuals in our society. It stands as evidence that Saibaba’s death broke the silence and resurrected the vitality of democratic aspirations.
Each chapter is a testimony to, and admiration of, Saibaba’s death-defying determination and courage. Some essays scale historical, philosophical, and theoretical domains, posing essential questions. Collectively, they affirm that Saibaba remains an everlasting icon of people’s resistance, an essential chapter not only in the ongoing struggles against imperialist forces but also in the Indian revolutionary movement as a whole.
The contributors testify that even after his death, Saibaba’s work, struggles, writings, speeches, and life will continue to inspire future generations until imperialism and feudalism are completely eradicated. These tributes bear witness to his dedication to building an alternative socio-economic order—one that is humane, equal, and just—anchored in unwavering faith in the toiling masses.
The state did not incarcerate Saibaba solely to suppress his activism, but to isolate him from the buoyant struggles that were erupting amidst widespread adversity.
The common threads unravelled in this volume include Saibaba’s rural background, his mother’s anxiety, the polio attack that crippled his body, his relentless quest for education, his unwavering dedication to revolutionary change, the movements he led, his boundless courage despite deteriorating health and incarceration, and the neo-fascist character of the Indian state.
This work will stand as a milestone of historical importance, holding relevance not only for our times but for future generations. It will serve as a source of inspiration, shaping the social and political landscape. Overall, the book manifests how individuals are shaped by history—and how they, in turn, shape it. It illustrates how the memories of certain figures live on as beacons of the eras in which they lived.
Summary of Various Writers
K. Ravi Chander elaborates on Saibaba’s political journey, tracing his work since the 1990s. He analyses Saibaba’s formative years in Hyderabad University, his role in shaping the All India People’s Resistance Forum and the Revolutionary Democratic Front, and leading the Joint Action Committee for Democratic Rights in Andhra Pradesh. He details Sai’s activism: supporting mess workers at the Central Institute of English and Foreign Languages, organizing an international seminar on the nationality question, participating in the Separate Telangana Movement and Warangal Declaration, and founding the Anti-Imperialist Front and Mumbai Resistance in 2004. He covers Saibaba’s campaigns for political prisoners, resistance to Operation Green Hunt, and critiques of urban Naxal branding, as well as his jail poems and persecution as one of India’s most harassed political prisoners since 1947.
Ravi Chander describes Saibaba as a multifaceted personality: poet, academic, intellectual, activist, strategist, and skilled organizer. He calls him an evergreen warrior, unhindered by physical limitations, who embodies a vital chapter in India’s revolutionary history.
N. Venugopal presents a similarly detailed account, focusing on Sai’s defense of the Mandal Commission, the Telangana Movement, and anti-globalization struggles. He highlights five themes in Saibaba’s resistance: transcending physical disability, resilience in the face of adversity, solidarity and collective struggle, unwavering commitment to justice, and the enduring nature of the fight for social transformation. Venugopal underscores Saibaba’s grassroots organizing and his love for Telangana, dating back to his arrival in Hyderabad in 1987.
Venugopal concludes that Saibaba’s role must be viewed not only in terms of economic policies and political activism but as part of a broader historical and social resistance to global imperialism. His imprisonment, Venugopal argues, symbolized his powerful impact in mobilizing resistance for over three decades.
Pani, leader of Virasam and a poet, explores the revolutionary democratic content of Saibaba’s politics within India’s socio-economic context. He analyses Sai’s critique of bourgeois democracy versus revolutionary democracy and his vision for the Janatana Sarkar as an alternative. Pani contextualizes Operation Green Hunt and Operation Kagar, framing Sai’s incarceration as part of the state’s war on the people. He asserts that Saibaba’s legacy lives on in struggles across the nation and that his commemoration is not mere eulogy but a validation of his ideals by the oppressed.
Pani examines how Sai framed the war against Adivasis as a war against all the people of India, placing it within the wider conflict with the Indian ruling classes and foreign capital. He provides a powerful account of how the state criminalized democratic activity, caged Saibaba in prison, and orchestrated a brutal model of counter-insurgency. Yet, the Adivasis rose in rebellion. Pani concludes that the state feared not just Saibaba’s actions, but the movement that blossomed around him.
Ehtamul Haque and Syed Affan provide an in-depth narrative of Saibaba’s life, particularly his resistance to the war on the people after 2005 and his role in the anti-displacement movement, Visthapan Virodhi Jan Vikas Andolan (2007). They analyze why his work became intolerable to the state and describe his humiliating prison experiences and the hypocrisy of his incarceration.
Kasim explores the social roots of Brahmanical fascism that imprisoned a revolutionary democrat like Sai, while Pani contextualizes this politically.
B.S. Raju describes Saibaba as “a brain with wheels,” elaborating on his organizational mastery, especially after relocating to Delhi.
Manjeera, Sai’s daughter, recalls his dream of establishing a university for Adivasi students and his efforts to teach the alphabet to tribals in prison, helping them pass exams and earn degrees. She describes how he turned his disability and confinement into tools of resistance.
Nalluri Rukmini writes about Vasantha, Saibaba’s wife, as a pillar of support throughout his life. She praises Saibaba’s literary understanding and recounts his mother and sister’s vital roles in his education and values of compassion.
Ramdev emphasizes that Saibaba never saw himself as handicapped and never surrendered morally.
Ashok Kumbamu, in The Heart That Never Surrendered: A Mother’s Fight for G.N. Saibaba, empathizes with Saibaba’s mother’s pain and heroism in standing firm while her son languished in prison.
Professor Karen Gabriel reflects on Sai’s physical struggles in prison, his denial of a wheelchair, and how his experience of corporeality shaped his deep understanding of solidarity and collective strength. She provides an insightful analysis of how his life embodied the political and social meaning of physical existence.
Madhu Prasada recalls how people’s democratic rights were trampled upon and shares poignant memories of Saibaba and Vasantha.
Anand Teltumbde offers a detailed account of Saibaba’s fight against Operation Green Hunt and the UAPA, focusing on the Gadchiroli court hearings.
Professor Haragopal reflects on the Indian state’s nature, its prison system, and healthcare infrastructure in the context of Sai’s incarceration.
Meena Kandasamy portrays Saibaba with romanticism against the backdrop of India’s sociopolitical crisis, discussing issues like Dalit suppression, UAPA, and Operation Kagar, praising his methods of organizing collectives.
Saroj Giri, in a brief but powerful essay, states that Saibaba’s life was not just a chronicle of his times, but also a reflection of what those times refused to chronicle. He remarks that Saibaba’s death was “perfect” for the courts, corporate capital, and the ruling class infrastructure.
C.S.R. Prasada writes about Saibaba’s selflessness and human touch.
K. Sajaya recounts how Saibaba fearlessly taught Adivasis in jail, enabling ten tribal prisoners to pass their graduation exams. She also exposes the cruel mockery the state made of his disability and recounts Saibaba’s reports on prison conditions and the solidarity he received from fellow inmates.
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Harsh Thakor is a freelance journalist who interacted with the late Professor Saibaba during his lifetime
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