Mahavir Narwal passed away of COVID on Sunday 9th May, while his daughter Natasha who has been wrongfully incarcerated for over a year now, awaited bail to be able to see her father in his last moments. Her bail was granted, not without resistance, but so she could perform the last rites.
During the period of Natasha’s arrest and imprisonment, Mahavir Narwal stood proudly in defence of truth and right to protest. We shall not forget that G.N. Saibaba, who is serving a life sentence at a jail in Nagpur, was denied bail by the courts to visit his mother when she was unwell as well as to perform her last rites.
On the other hand, the nation is collectively struggling to breathe. Government’s apathy and negligence has lost us a gut-wrenching number of lives. We have forgone the possibility of respectable farewells to our departed as the crematoriums and burial grounds fall short and rivers too cannot take any more death. In a time marked an unprecedented collective grief, and by innumerable “Last Rites” being performed, K Srilata gives voice to the despair and resilience that we must acknowledge, and stand united in.
This week’s Bol is dedicated to all the Hany Babu, Umar Khalid, Siddique Kappan, and all the political prisoners who must be freed.
