We have come to know that our dear friend and comrade Dr Partho Sarothi Ray, Associate Professor, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), has been summoned by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in connection with the Elgar Parishad-Bhima Koregaon case. He has been asked to present himself before the investigators in Mumbai on 10 September at 11am.

Partho has been pro-actively involved with peaceful, democratic people’s movements, especially the struggles for the rights of poor and marginalised dalits and adivasis. He is an active member of Persecuted Prisoners’ Solidarity Committee as well as Joint Action Committee for Social Justice. His tireless work in defence of civil liberties and for the release of political prisoners is exemplary. Partho has been ever-present in marches, rallies, and other street programmes with his stirring but lucid speeches and an endearing smile.

At IISER, Partho has been carrying out extensive and useful research on molecular biology. His pioneering work on viruses has taken him to the lecture-halls in universities and scientific gatherings across the globe. He is a front-runner in the present battle against Covid-19 and his idea of community participation has been successfully implemented in Nadia district, inviting widespread interest. He was among the scientists consulted by the World Health Organization (WHO) to understand the character of the Coronavirus and formulate a policy to tackle the pandemic.

The harassment of Dr Ray by the NIA is yet another sinister attempt in the fascist regime’s witch-hunt at silencing the voices of dissent and protest. We, the undersigned, strongly condemn this brazen assault on democratic activities and demand immediate withdrawal of NIA’s menacing, threatening interrogation notice. We stand hand-in-hand with Dr Partho Sarothi Ray.

Signed

1. Aamra ek Sachetan Prayas
2. Aashita Dawer, Professor, OP Jindal Global University
3. Abhijit Pathak, Chartered Accountant
4. Abhijit Roy, Professor, Jadavpur University
5. Achin Chakraborty, Professor, Institute of Development Studies, Kolkata
6. Achin Vanaik, Professor (Retd), University of Delhi
7. Adibashi Gaonta
8. Adibashi Juan Mahal
9. Adibashi Samanyaya Mancha
10. Aditi Chowdhury, Citizen
11. Aditi Roy Ghatak, Journalist
12. Aditya Nigam, Professor, CSDS, Delhi
13. Afaf Jameel, Schoolteacher
14. AJC Bose, Professor, SRCC, University of Delhi
15. Ajijul Haque, Writer
16. Dr Alessandra Mezzadri, Dept of Development Studies, SOAS, University of London
17. Alik Chakraborty, CPI (M-L) Red Star
18. All India Central Council of Trade Union (AICCTU)
19. All India Federation of Trade Unions (AIFTU – new)
20. All India Kshet Mazdoor Kisan Sabha (AIKMKS)
21. All India People’s Forum (AIPF)
22. All India Peoples’ Science Network (AIPSN)
23. All India Progressive Women’s Association (AIPWA)
24. All India Revolutionary Students’ Organisation (AIRSO)
25. All India Revolutionary Women’s Organisation (AIRWO)
26. All India Sanjukta Kisan Sabha
27. All India Students’ Association (AISA)
28. All West Bengal Sales Representatives’ Union (AWBSRU)
29. Aloke Mukherjee, CPI (M-L)
30. Alpa Shah, Associate Professor, London School of Economics
31. Amal Sanyal
32. Ambedkar Periyar Study Circle, IIT Madras
33. Ambedkar-Periyar-Phule Study Circle, IIT Bombay
34. Ambikesh Mahapatra, Professor, Jadavpur University
35. Amit Bhaduri, Professor (Retd), Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU)
36. Amit Kundu, Journalist
37. Amit Roychowdhury, Prof. & Head, Dept of Aerospace Engineering & Applied Mechanics, Indian Institute of Engineering Science & Technology (IIEST), Shibpur
38. Amitabha Chakraborty, Activist
39. Amra Monbhashi
40. Analabha Basu, National Institute of Biological Genomics
41. Ananta Acharya, Editor, Chetana Lahar
42. Aneek Patrika (Bengali Monthly)
43. Anik Dutta, Filmmaker
44. Aniket Chattopadhyay, Filmmaker
45. Anindita Sarbadhikari, Filmmaker
46. Anindya, Blogger
47. Anindya Sengupta, Professor, Jadavpur University
48. Anish Vanaik, Professor, OP Jindal Global University
49. Anjali Monteiro, Filmmaker & Academic
50. Anomita Sen, Citizen
51. Anup Gampa, Asst Professor, Harvey Mudd College, Claremont, California
52. Anuroop Mallik, Folk Singer
53. Anwesha Sengupta, Institute of Development Studies, Kolkata
54. Arijit Mitra Smarak Committee
55. Arundhati Dhuru, National Alliance of People’s Movements
56. Arundhati Roy, Writer
57. Arup Baisya, Writer, Silchar
58. Arup Dasgupta
59. Ashani Natyam
60. Ashish Lahiri, Writer, Adjunct Professor, IISER
61. Ashok Choudhary, All India Union of Forest Working People (AIUFWP)
62. Asit Basu
63. Justice Asok Kumar Ganguly (Retd), Supreme Court
64. Asoke Prasun Chattopadhyay, Dept of Chemistry, Kalyani University
65. Association for the Protection of Democratic Rights (APDR)
66. Aurobindo Ghose, Lawyer, Human Rights Activist
67. Avishek Konar, Professor, OP Jindal Global University
68. Avishek Mukherjee
69. Ayodhya Buru Bachao Andolan
70. Azad Gano Morcha
71. Badshah Moitra, Actor
72. Baidyanath Sengupta, Editor, Samaj Bignan o Prakriti Parichay Patrika
73. Bandi Mukti Committee
74. Banglar Krishak Shakti
75. Banikanta Mishra, Professor, Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneshwar
76. Banojyotsna Lahiri, Senior Researcher, CES, New Delhi
77. Bedabrata Pain, Scientist & Filmmaker
78. Bharati Mutsuddi, Lawyer
79. Bharatiya Adibashi Ekata Mancha
80. Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya, MP & Former Mayor, Kolkata Municipal Corporation
81. Bimal Chakraborty
82. Dr Binayak Sen
83. Bodhisatya Ray, Radical Socialist
84. Bolan Gangopadhyay, Journalist & Social Activist
85. Central Convening Committee (CCC), No NRC Movement
86. Chanchal Chakraborty
87. Chandan Sen, Playwright
88. Chandrashekhar Bhattacharya, Journalist
89. Charoibeti
90. Chiara Bertone, Associate Professor in Sociology, University of Eastern Piedmont, Italy
91. Chittaroopa Palit, Narmada Bachao Andolan
92. Committee for the Release of Political Prisoners (CRPP), West Bengal
93. Confluence, IISER, Mohali
94. CP Geevan, Former Senior Environmental Scientist, Independent Researcher
95. Das Theke Das Hazaar
96. DC Gohain, Jharkhand Krantikari Mazdoor Union
97. Debashish Bhattacharya, Bharatiya Bigyan o Juktibadi Samiti
98. Debdoot Ghosh
99. Debdutta Paul
100. Debmalya Nandy, NREGA Sangharsh Morcha
101. Delhi Science Forum, Delhi
102. Democratic Students’ Association, West Bengal
103. Dhiman (Raina) Roy, Transgender Activist & Human Rights Defender
104. Dhritisree, Theatre Activist
105. Dhruva Narayan, Publisher
106. Dibyendu Dey, Dept of Mathematics, Kalyani University
107. Dipankar Bhattacharya, CPI (M-L) Liberation
108. Doyeeta Majumder, Professor, Jadavpur University
109. Ebong Bisongbad
110. Prof. Felix Padel, Anthropologist & Writer
111. Feminists in Resistance
112. Forum Against Monopolistic Aggression (FAMA)
113. Freny Manecksha, Independent Journalist
114. Dr Fuad Halim, People’s Health Activist
115. G Arunima, Professor, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU)
116. Ganatantrik Sangrami Udyog
117. Gautam Chakraborty
118. Githa Hariharan, Writer
119. Gopa Joshi, Associate Professor (Retd), University of Delhi
120. Gorky Chakraborty, Institute of Development Studies, Kolkata
121. Goutam Seal
122. Harkumar Goswami, Guwahati
123. Hosiery Workers’ Unity Centre
124. Indian Federation of Trade Union (IFTU)
125. Indira Ghose, University of Fribourg, Switzerland
126. Indu Chandrasekhar, Publisher
127. J Devika, Feminist Historian
128. Jadavpur Commune
129. Jagdeep Chhokar, Former Professor and Dean, IIM Ahmedabad
130. Jai Bhim India Network
131. Janakalyan o Santras Birodhi Gana Abhijan Mancha, Bagnan
132. Janaswasthya Suraksha o Adhikar Mancha, Uluberia
133. Jayashri Sarkar, Activist
134. Jayati Ghosh, Professor, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU)
135. Joint Action Committee for Social Justice
136. Joint Platform of Academicians
137. Joint Platform of Doctors, West Bengal Association of Health Service Doctors; Doctors for Democracy; Health Service Association; Shramajibi Swasthya Udyog; West Bengal Doctors’ Forum
138. Jomi Jibika Bastutantro o Poribesh Raksha Committee
139. Joyraj Bhattacharya, Theatre & Social Activist
140. Kaldhwani (Little Magazine)
141. Kamal Sur, No NRC Movement
142. Kaushik Sen, Playwright & Actor
143. Kavita Krishnan, AIPWA
144. Keya Bhaumik Gupta, Activist
145. KP Fabian, Ambassador (Retd)
146. KP Jayasankar, Filmmaker & Academic
147. Kranti Shilpi Sangha
148. Krishna Bandyopadhyay, Activist in Women’s Movements
149. Kumar Rana, Social Activist
150. Kunal Chattopadhyay, Professor, Jadavpur University
151. Kuntal Rudra
152. Lalitha, Jana Chinthana Kendra
153. Little Magazine Samannaya Mancha
154. Madhuchhanda Karlekar, Social Activist
155. Mahila Jagaron Samiti, Bagnan
156. Manabesh Sarkar, Researcher
157. Mandakranta Sen, Poet
158. Manoj Bhattacharya, RSP
159. Manzar Jameel, Social Activist
160. Maroona Murmu, Associate Professor, Jadavpur University
161. Masood Akhtar
162. Dr Matilde Adduci, Dept of Development Studies, SOAS, University of London
163. Mazdoor Kranti Parishad
164. Megha Unwer, Professor, Purdue University, Italy
165. Miratun Nahar, Writer
166. Mitra Sengupta
167. Moinak Biswas, Professor, Jadavpur University
168. Moushumi Bhowmik, Singer & Music Researcher
169. Nagarik Udyog
170. Nandita Narain, Associate Professor and Former DUTA President, University of Delhi
171. National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM), West Bengal
172. New Democratic Students’ Front
173. New Trade Union Initiative (NTUI)
174. Nikhil Banga Mahila Sangha
175. Nilanjan Dutta, Writer, Filmmaker, Human Rights Activist
176. Niranjana Shetty, Human Rights Activist
177. Nisha Biswas, Activist
178. Nitish Roy, Singer
179. Nivedita Menon, Professor, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU)
180. No NRC Movement
181. Nupur Basu, Bachik Shilpi
182. Pallab Kirtania, Singer & Composer
183. Pamela Philipose, Journalist
184. Papiya Adhikari, Actor
185. Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, www. paranjoy.in
186. Partha Chatterjee, Professor, Columbia University
187. Partha S Banerjee, Writer & Retired Journalist
188. Parthasarathi Mukhopadhyay, Dept of Library & Information Science, Kalyani University
189. Paschim Banga Khet Majoor Samity
190. Paschim Banga Ganasanskriti Parishad
191. People’s Film Collective
192. People’s Study Circle
193. People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL)
194. Persecuted Prisoners’ Solidarity Committee
195. Prabhat Patnaik, Professor Emeritus, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU)
196. Prabir Mukhopadhyay, Teacher (Retd), South Point School
197. Pradip Chatterjee, Activist
198. Prakriti Sebasram Sangha
199. Prameela Premnath, Citizen
200. Pramod Gupta, Social Activist
201. Pranab Kanti Basu, Professor (Retd), Vishva-Bharati
202. Prantajan
203. Pratip Nag, Activist
204. Probal Dasgupta, Professor (Retd), Indian Statistical Institute Kolkata
205. Progressive Democratic Students’ Federation (PDSF)
206. Progressive Plantation Workers’ Union
207. Progressive Students’ Union (PSU)
208. Progressive Youth League (PYL)
209. Pulak Chanda, Professor (Retd), Shyamsundar College
210. Purba Rudra, Citizen
211. Purbasha Auddy, Jadavpur University
212. Purbayan Chakraborty, Student, Karnataka State Law University
213. Purulia Bauri Samaj Kalyan Samiti
214. Rabin Chakraborty (Retd), Calcutta University
215. Rajashri Dasgupta, Social Activist
216. Ramesh Dixit, President, Samvidhan Bachao Desh Bachao Abhiyan, Uttar Pradesh
217. Ranjan Palit, Filmmaker
218. Ranjana Padhi, WSS
219. Ranjit Sur, Human Rights Activist
220. Ratan Khasnabis, Former Professor, Calcutta University
221. Ravi Pallur, Political Activist
222. Refraction (Magazine)
223. Revolutionary Cultural Forum
224. Revolutionary Youth and Students’ Federation
225. Revolutionary Youth Federation of India (RYFI)
226. Revolutionary Youth Front (RYF)
227. Richa Singh, SKMS, NAPM UP
228. Right to Food & Work Campaign, West Bengal
229. Rimi B Chatterjee, Professor, Jadavpur University
230. Ritam Bhaumik, INRIA, Paris
231. Ritam Palit, Student Activist
232. Rohan Banerji
233. Romar Correa, Professor, University of Mumbai
234. Rongili Biswas, Writer & Musician. Associate Professor, WBES
235. Ronny Sen, Photographer-Filmmaker
236. Sabyasachi Chakraborty, Actor
237. Sabyasachi Chatterjee
238. Sabyasachi Chattopadhyay, Dept of History, Kalyani University
239. Sabyasachi Deb, Poet
240. Sachetana
241. Sahoman
242. Sailendra Nath Bhattacharya, ECL Colliery Sramik Union
243. Sajni Mukherjee, Professor, Jadavpur University
244. Salil Biswas, Principal (Retd), South City College
245. Samantak Das, Professor, Jadavpur University
246. Samar Bagchi, Science, Education, Environment & Social Activist
247. Samir Aich, Painter
248. Sampradayikota o Fascibad Birodhi Ganatantrik Mancha
249. Sandeep Pandey, Socialist Party (India)
250. Sanjay Basak, Journalist
251. Sanjay Kak, Filmmaker
252. Sanjeeb Mukherjee, Calcutta University
253. Saswata Ghosh, Professor, Institute of Development Studies, Kolkata
254. Saswati Ghosh, Academic & Activist
255. Satarupa Sanyal, Filmmaker
256. Satya Sagar, Journalist
257. Dr SC Byne, Gana Adhikar Mancha, Durgapur
258. Shakti Pada Badyakar, SC-ST-OBC & Minority Employees’ Federation, Durgapur
259. Dr Sarmistha Dutta Gupta, Independent Researcher
260. Shamim Ahmed, Writer
261. Shuddhabrata Sengupta, Delhi
262. Shukla Bhowmick
263. Sipra Mukherjee, Professor, Jadavpur University
264. Sitansusekhar, Na Hanya Te
265. Solidarity Against NRC, Murshidabad
266. Soma Marik, Associate Professor, RKSM Vivekananda Vidya Bhavan
267. Sonali Dutta Roy, Faculty, Ambedkar University, Delhi
268. Soumitra Bhose, Citizen
269. Soumitra Dastidar, Filmmaker
270. Dr Soumya Sahin, Asst Professor, National University of Juridical Sciences (NUJS)
271. Souvik Mukhopadhyay
272. Sramajibi Mahila Samiti
273. Srikanta Mohanty, CPI (M-L), Odisha
274. Students for Change
275. Subhash Deb, CPI (M-L) PCC
276. Subhasis Bandyopadhyay, Associate Professor, IIEST, Shibpur
277. Subhendu Maiti, Singer
278. Sugata Ray
279. Sukanta Chaudhuri, Professor Emeritus, Jadavpur University
280. Sukumar Muralidharan, Journalist and Journalism Instructor
281. Sumit Bhaduri, Scientist (Chemist)
282. Sumit Sarkar, Historian
283. Sumit, Filmmaker, Writer
284. Sunandan Chakraborty
285. Supriya Chaudhuri, Professor Emeritus, Jadavpur University
286. Sushanta Mukherjee, Activist
287. Sushil Khanna, Professor (Retd), Indian Institute of Management Calcutta (IIMC)
288. Sushovan Dhar, Trade Union Activist
289. Susmit Bose, Singer-Composer, Activist
290. Suvrat Raju, International Centre for Theoretical Sciences, Bengaluru
291. Swaraj Abhiyan
292. Swastha Siksha Nirman
293. Tanika Sarkar, Historian, Professor (Retd), Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU)
294. Tanima Saha, Dept of Molecular Biology & Biotechnology, Kalyani University
295. Tapas Kumar Bandyopadhyay, Professor, Dept of Molecular Biology & Biotechnology, Kalyani University
296. Tarakdas Basu, Dept of Biochemistry & Biophysics, Kalyani University
297. Tarun Bhartiya, Imagemaker & Union Activist, Shillong
298. Tobu Banglar Mukh
299. Trade Union Centre of India (TUCI)
300. Tuhin Maparu
301. Umar Awais, United Forum for National Integrity (Rajabazar Shireen Bagh)
302. United Trade Union Congress (UTUC)
303. Utpal Basu, Dept of Molecular Biology & Biotechnology, Kalyani University
304. Vandana Misra, Civil Liberties Activist
305. Vanessa Chisti, OP Jindal Global University
306. Women Against Sexual Violence & State Repression (WSS)
307. Yuva Bharat, West Bengal