Over five hundred individuals and groups have endorsed an open letter to Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana urging the immediate intervention of the Supreme Court of India on matters pertaining to the Indian end of the international Pegasus spyware scandal.
The letter requests the Supreme Court to demand of the Government of India and the NSO time-bound answers to the several pressing questions regarding the state-sponsored cyber-warfare that has been waged against Indian citizens, given the revelations of the Pegasus Project. This was an international collaborative investigation conducted by several international media and research organisations.
The letter appeals to the Supreme Court to declare a moratorium on the export, sale, transfer, and use of Pegasus in India.
The signatories said they were shocked by media reports that Pegasus spyware a military-grade malware sold by the Israeli firm NSO only to whetted governments, was used to also target and surveil women students, academics, journalists, human rights defenders, lawyers, and victims of sexual violence.
They were aggrieved by the findings of the Pegasus Project that the Supreme Court woman employee and members of her family were made a target of Pegasus surveillance after she had filed an affidavit complaining of sexual harassment and victimisation against the then CJI Ranjan Gogoi (now a member of the Rajya Sabha from the ruling party) in April 2019.
The signatories requested the Supreme Court to adopt a gender-just sexual harassment policy in the Supreme Court and data protection and privacy policy that ensures that protection from such cyber warfare is a basic feature of the independence of the judiciary.
Signatories noted that concerns for gender equality and human rights were inextricably linked to the assurance of the right to privacy and protection from surveillance.
The signatories were drawn from all four corners of the country and across professions. Alongside well-known individuals who have stood steadfast for democratic reforms (Aruna Roy, Anjali Bhardwaj) and human rights (Kavita Srivastava, Teesta Setalvad, Harsh Mander), scholars and practitioners of the law and lawyers (Vrinda Grover, Kalpana Kannabiran, Jhuma Sen, Aparna Chandra, Pratiksha Baxi) eminent academics and scientists (Zoya Hasan, Niraja Gopal Jayal, Utsa Patnaik, Jayati Ghosh, Rosemary Dzivuchu, Romila Thapar, Sukanta Chaudhuri, Ram Ramaswamy), acclaimed writers (Arundhati Roy, V. Geetha, Githa Hariharan, Amit Chaudhuri), musicians and artists (TM Krishna), architects and artists (Pushpamala N., Prem Chandavarkar, Vivian Sundaram), persons in political life (Kavita Krishnan, Manoj Jha, MP), journalists (Anuradha Bhasin, Patricia Mukhim, John Dayal), the list includes hundreds of students and research scholars, researchers and academics, retired government officials, retired members of the armed forces, private entrepreneurs, RTI, human and women’s rights activists, health professionals and members of social organisations.
They said they reposed their trust in the Supreme Court as the CJI had assured all citizens that it was aware that citizens know that “when things go wrong, the judiciary will stand by them”. This letter is therefore both an assessment that things have gone very wrong indeed as well as an appeal to the judiciary for meaningful reassurances from the Supreme Court that the promises to citizens of the rule of law, justice, equal rights, and freedoms enshrined in the Constitution still guides Indian democracy, a press release issued by them said.
Here is the text of the letter along with the names of the signatories:
To
The Hon’ble Chief Justice of India,
Supreme Court of India
Respected Hon’ble Chief Justice of India,
The Pegasus spyware investigation has unveiled how its military grade malware installed on the phones of those targeted converts the device for use by a consumer to an object that spies on the individual, steals data and transmits data to unknown persons/databases. This has been defined as cyber warfare by experts in the field and it is nothing less than an act of state sponsored cyber terrorism against individuals. In this context, the Pegasus project and information in public domain raises concerns for the integrity of constitutional authorities including the independence of the Supreme Court. The investigation starkly discloses that the rights and freedoms of peoples, of which the Supreme Court is the guardian, are under grave risk.
We are deeply disturbed by reports that journalists, lawyers, clients, activists, academics, students, and even complainants of sexual harassment, witnesses and their support persons were made persons of interest and targets of the Pegasus malware. Human rights activists have repeatedly asserted that such hacking as well as other kinds of abuse of office has resulted in malicious prosecution, wrongful imprisonment, custodial torture, and custodial death of political prisoners.
For women, the Pegasus scandal is deeply concerning, for speaking out against the state and men in positions of state power has meant that their lives are wrecked by such surveillance permanently. Human rights defenders have been imprisoned, and victims of sexual harassment have also not been spared such shocking forms of state sponsored cyber-crimes, which are analogous to digital forms of state terror. We are extremely disturbed by indications that targets for such hacking included the Supreme Court woman staffer who in April 2019 raised a complaint of sexual harassment and victimisation against former CJI Ranjan Gogoi, as well as 10 mobile numbers linked to her family members. The woman complainant and her family members were added to the list of targets days after she placed an affidavit detailing her complaint of sexual harassment and victimisation, before the then sitting Judges of the Supreme Court.
It is common knowledge that Pegasus software is sold by the Israeli firm NSO only to governments, ostensibly for “national security” and “counter-terrorism” purposes. It is used to hack into smartphones remotely, and then gain control over those smartphones, without the knowledge of the target. The Indian list of targets indicates that the software was used, not to counter terrorism, but to gather information on, and perhaps thereby seek to control, Opposition politicians, the judiciary, the Press, as well as activists and others in civil society.
Women all over the country demand to know: was a sexual harassment complainant, along with members of her family, subjected to such invasive hacking—and if so, to what purpose and by whom? How can any woman in India ever be expected to pursue a complaint against a hierarchical superior in the face of the chilling possibility that this may expose her and her loved ones to such a sinister criminal invasion of privacy? The Supreme Court’s response to the woman’s complaint in 2019 had been to set up an In-House Committee of three sitting Judges of the Supreme Court. The complainant withdrew from the said In-House Committee proceedings, stating that the Committee refused to inform her about the procedure being followed; she was not allowed to have her lawyer present; the proceedings were not recorded; and copy of her testimony was not simultaneously given to her. She also stated that she and her family members were being intimidated and followed. The In-House Committee ex-parte concluded by awarding CJI Ranjan Gogoi, a clean chit. After retiring as Chief Justice of India, Mr. Gogoi is now a Rajya Sabha M.P. from the ruling party.
The recent revelations in the Pegasus project now suggest that far from being a perpetrator of such a plot, the complainant along with her family members was the victim of an elaborate program of illegal hacking and spying. If the complainant was under such criminal duress at the time, can the proceedings of the In-House Committee really have been free and fair? The silence of the Supreme Court as an institution on these revelations is deeply troubling for women in India. There are many questions that the Government of India, the Home Ministry, Mr. Ranjan Gogoi, and the NSO must answer, but as citizens we do not have the power to command such answers from these powerful entities. The Supreme Court has the power and duty to ask these questions, and it must speak for us— just as you recently assured us while speaking at an event in mid-July, “People are confident that they will get relief and justice from the judiciary. They know that when things go wrong, the judiciary will stand by them. The Indian Supreme Court is the guardian of the largest democracy.”
We hope that your office will lose no time in taking notice of this matter, and seeking time-bound answers to protect our rights and freedoms, its own credibility as an institution and in defence of our Constitution. The Indian public, and the women of India in particular, troubled by the questions as to whether any Indian entity purchased Pegasus, who that entity was, how it was paid for (given that the costs are reportedly estimated to amount Rs 1.5 crore per phone)? If it was indeed purchased, how were the targets for hacking chosen and what use was made of the information so gained? What were the admissible justifications for such targeting, and before which Constitutional authority were they presented? Which Constitutional authority oversaw or reviewed the criminal violation of privacy of so many individuals, including journalists, politicians, lawyers, human rights activists, and academics (and the SC staffer and her family members) so that they came to be on the list of Pegasus targets? We believe that the Supreme Court can only instil confidence in people’s, and particularly women’s minds by transparently demanding and making public all answers relating to the use of Pegasus in India. Above all, we look to the Supreme Court to declare a moratorium on the export, sale, transfer and use of Pegasus in India.
We seek your assurance that the institution of the Supreme Court of India is committed to upholding conditions free of intimidation as a prerequisite for fair inquiry in all matters, including inquiry into complaints of sexual harassment in the workplace (for which, regrettably, the Supreme Court of India has yet to institute an inquiry and redressal mechanism that judiciously combines the principles underlying its Vishaka judgment and the concerns of independence of the judiciary). The Supreme Court must fulfill its institutional obligations to provide women a safe workplace, and to that end, ensure full protection to complainants, their families and lawyers from cyber warfare.
We raise the concerns we do in this letter in order to safeguard the independence of the judiciary, and its commitment to gender equality and freedoms.
Sincerely yours,
- A. Mangai, Marappachi Theatre Group, Chennai
- A.R. Rauf, student, Kishanganj
- Aaditya Arya, student (school), Kamhera, Distt. Saharanpur
- Aakriti, Delhi/NCR
- Aakshat Sinha, Delhi/NCR
- Aarthi Sridhar, Bengaluru
- Aastha Deshpande, academic, Mumbai
- Abdul Kalam Azad, human rights researcher, Assam
- Abdul Nazar, Malappuram
- Abhijit Gupta, academic, Jadavpur University, Kolkata
- Abhisht Hela, lawyer, Delhi High Court, Allahabad
- Abou Mere, President, NNagaDAO, Kohima
- Achin Vanaik, academic (retired), University of Delhi, Delhi/NCR
- Achin Vinayak, academic, New Delhi
- Aditi Das Gupta, Kolkata
- Aditi Gupta, Ahmedabad
- Aditi Mehta, Indore
- Aishwarya Visweswaran, Hyderabad
- Akhileshwari Ramagoud, journalist (independent) and academic, Secunderabad
- Akshay, student, IIT Bombay, Mumbai
- Albeena Shakil, academic, Kolkata
- Albin David Rebello, business executive, Delhi/NCR
- Ali Zaidi, lawyer, Supreme Court of India, Delhi/NCR
- Alok Rai, Allahabad
- Amba Sanyal, Delhi/NCR
- Ambika The, social activist, Hyderabad
- Ameet Parameswaran, academic, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi/NCR
- Amit Chaudhuri, writer, Kolkata
- Amit Jangid, student, Delhi/NCR
- Amita, lawyer, Delhi/NCR
- Amitabh Srivastava, theatre artiste, Delhi/NCR
- Amlan Dasgupta, Kolkata
- Ammu Joseph, writer, Bangalore
- Amrit Wilson, South Asia Solidarity Group, London
- Amrita Johri, SNS, Delhi/NCR
- Anil, student, Delhi/NCR
- Anindita Bose, Delhi/NCR
- Anisha A, entrepreneur, Mumbai
- Anjali Bhardwaj, SNS, Delhi/NCR
- Anjali Monteiro, filmmaker and academic, Bardez, Goa
- Anjali Ojha, Delhi/NCR
- Anjana Mangalagiri, Delhi/NCR
- Anjani Kumar Sharma, Ara
- Ankur Agraj, lawyer, Patna
- Ansar Indori, lawyer, National Confederation of Human Rights Organisations, Delhi/NCR
- Anupama Potluri, Hyderabad
- Anuradha Bhasin, journalist, Jammu
- Anuradha Boonlia, Indore
- Anuradha Chenoy, academic (retired), Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi/NCR
- Anuradha Kapoor, Kolkata
- Anuradha Talwar, State Committee member, Paschim Banga Khet Majoor Samity, PO Badu
- Anusha Khan, researcher, Mumbai
- Aparna Chandra, academic, National Law School of India University, Bengaluru, Bengaluru
- Apeksha Priyadarshini, research scholar, Bhagat Singh Ambedkar Students Organization, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi/NCR
- Apeksha Vora, Mumbai
- Apoorva G., Delhi/NCR
- Apurba Roy, Kolkata
- Archana Chhetri, psychologist, Gangtok
- Archana Prasad, academic, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi/NCR
- Areet Kaur, doctor, Mohali
- Arokiaraj Edward, teacher, Dehradun
- Arpita Das, publisher, Yoda Press, Delhi/NCR
- Arun Pratap Shah, lawyer, Dehradun
- Aruna Roy, Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan, Village Devdungri, Distt. Rajsamand
- Arundhati Roy, writer, New Delhi
- Asha Dey, Bengaluru
- Ashalatha S, Makaam, Hyderabad
- Ashok Nehru, Delhi/NCR
- Asrarul Haque, academic, Hyderabad
- Atul Gurtu, academic (retired), Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai
- Atul Sood, academic, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi/NCR
- Austin Thomas, Bangalore
- Avani Chokshi, lawyer, AILAJ, Bangalore
- Avik, student, Delhi/NCR
- Avinash Kumar, academic, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi/NCR
- Ayesha Kidwai, academic, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi/NCR
- Azim Khan, General Secretary, NCHRO, Delhi/NCR
- B.K. Choudhary, Delhi/NCR
- Banojyotsna Lahiri, senior researcher, Centre for Equity Studies, Delhi/NCR
- Beena Xavier, Ghaziabad
- Ben Imsong, social activist, Kohima
- Bharat, Jaipur
- Bharati Jagannathan, academic, Faridabad
- Bharti Ali, child rights activist, Delhi/NCR
- Bharti, Trustee, Santokba trust, Mumbai
- Bhashyam Srinivasan, Bengaluru
- Bhupender Yadav, academic (retired), Bareilly Cantt.
- Bishnupriya Dutt, academic, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi/NCR
- Biswapriya Kanungo, lawyer, Bhubaneswar
- Bittu KR, academic, Women Against Sexual Violence and State Repression, Sonipat
- Bobbeeta Sharma, General Secretary/Chairperson Media, Assam Pradesh Congress Committee, Guwahati
- Brinelle, academic and activist, Mumbai
- Cedric Prakash, human rights and peace activist, Ahmedabad
- Chayanika Shah, academic (retired), Forum Against Oppression of Women, Mumbai
- Cheryl Kharwansan, Mumbai
- Chingkhei Saikhom, student activist, Delhi/NCR
- Chirashree Das Gupta, academic, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi/NCR
- Clifton D’ Rozario, lawyer, All India Lawyers Association for Justice, Bangalore
- David D’Costa, business manager, Pure Water House, Bangalore
- Debaditya Bhattacharya, academic, Kazi Nazrul University, Asansol
- Debashis Ghoshal, Delhi/NCR
- Debi Prasad Ghosh, govt official (retired), Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, Kolkata
- Debjanee Ganguly, Howrah
- Deepa Bhargava, Delhi/NCR
- Deepa Vasudevan, Thrissur
- Deepika Sondhi, freelance communicator, Delhi/NCR
- Deepti Bharti, General Secretary, National Federation of Indian Women, Delhi/NCR
- Deepti Pradhan, Branford
- Dennis S, researcher, Chennai
- Denzil Fernandes, Delhi/NCR
- Deshdeep Dhankhar, University of Hyderabad, Delhi/Hyderabad
- Dev Desai, human rights activist, ANHAD, Ahmedabad
- Devakumar R.T., lawyer, Thiruvananthapuram
- Devyani Bhardwaj, education, Delhi/NCR
- Devyani Gupta, lawyer, Delhi/NCR
- Dhruv Raina, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi/NCR
- Dhruva Narayan, Founder Trustee, JANAM Foundation, Patna
- Dianitius George, engineer, Kochi
- Dilip D’Souza, writer, Mumbai
- Dilip Simeon, academic and writer, Delhi/NCR
- Dolly Thakore, media consultant, Mumbai
- Dr. Bhat, academic, Delhi/NCR
- Elias M, retired teacher, Tirunelveli Distt.
- Enakshi Nandi, Delhi/NCR
- Faizan Sarwar, research scholar, Hyderabad
- G Arunima, Thiruvananthapuram
- G. Vijay, academic, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad
- Garima, student, Delhi/NCR
- Gaurav, Vadodara
- Gautam Dasgupta, teacher, Kolkata
- Gautam Menon, academic, Sonepat
- Gautam Mody, New Trade Union Initiative, Delhi/NCR
- Geeta Seshu, journalist, Free Speech Collective, Mumbai
- Geetha Venkataraman, academic, Ambedkar University Delhi, Delhi/NCR
- George Monippally, Latehar, Jharkhand
- George, Thrissur
- Girish Kaushik, retired captain (Sr. Commander), Mumbai
- Githa Hariharan, writer, Delhi/NCR
- Govind Kelkar, academic, Delhi/NCR
- Gyanendra Pandey, academic, Atlanta
- Haridas, private sector employee, Thrissur
- Harsh Mander, Delhi/NCR
- Harsh Parashar, lawyer, Delhi/NCR
- Hasina Khan,
- Hima Sasidharan, researcher, Gangtok
- Huma Khan, Lucknow
- Indira Banerjee, research scholar, Kolkata
- Indira Bharadwaj, mental health professional, Pune
- Indu Kumari, research scholar, Delhi/NCR
- International Solidarity for Academic Freedom in India (InSAF India), Europe and North America (organisation)
- Ira Raja, Delhi/NCR
- Jacobshally, teacher, Goa
- Jagdeep Chhokar, academic (retired), Delhi/NCR
- James Valanarasan, Godda
- Janaki Abraham, Delhi/NCR
- Janaki Nair, academic (retired), Jawaharlal Nehru University, Bengaluru
- Janani, Chennai
- Janet Chawla, Delhi/NCR
- Jarjum Ete, Advisor, APWWS (CEC), Itanagar
- Jaya Menon, academic, Shiv Nadar University, Delhi/NCR
- Jayati Ghosh, academic, University of Massachusetts at Amherst, USA, Northampton
- Jaykishan Godsora, Bokaro
- Jenny Rowena P, academic, Miranda House, University of Delhi, Delhi/NCR
- Jessica Gupta, Delhi/NCR
- Jhuma Sen, lawyer, Kolkata
- Joe, Hosur
- John Dayal, writer and activist, Delhi/NCR
- John Paul, social activist, Ahal, Thiruvannamalai
- Joy, Thiruvananthapuram
- Joya Uraizee, USA
- Juhi Bansal, lawyer, Delhi/NCR
- K. Lenin Devasahaya Vinober, lawyer, Students for Social Justice, Delhi/NCR
- K. Menon, academic, Ambedkar University Delhi, Delhi/NCR
- K. Neelu, researcher, Delhi/NCR
- K. Padma, lawyer, Committee for Release of Political Prisoners, Visakhapatnam
- K. Satyanarayana, academic, Hyderabad
- K.G. Prakash, Thiruvananthapuram
- K.K. Muhamed, artist, Kozhikode
- Kalpana Kannabiran, Hyderabad
- Kalpana Sharma, journalist (independent), Mumbai
- Kalpana Wilson, London
- Kalyani Menon Sen, researcher (independent), Delhi/NCR
- Kamalika Mukherjee, archivist, Kolkata
- Kamayani Bali Mahabal, Mumbai
- Kamini Tankha, Delhi/NCR
- Karan Bali, filmmaker, Mumbai
- Karthik R, Bangalore
- Kaushal Kumar, academic, Delhi/NCR
- Kavita Gaur, academic, Delhi/NCR
- Kavita Krishnan, Secretary, All India Progressive Women’s Association, Delhi/NCR
- Kavita Panjabi, academic, Jadavpur University, Kolkata
- Kavita Srivastava, National Secretary, People’s Union for Civil Liberties, Jaipur
- Kawalpreet Kaur, lawyer, All India Students’ Association, Delhi/NCR
- Ketholelie Angami, Kohima
- Kezia Shah, student, Delhi/NCR
- Kh. Pou, Delhi/NCR
- Kirti Singh, Delhi/NCR
- Kochurani Abraham, Thrippunithura
- Krishnakumar B, bank employee, Alappuzha
- Krithika Radhakrishnan, Bangalore
- Kumkum Roy, Delhi/NCR
- Kumudini, columnist, All India Progressive Women’s Association, Allahabad
- Laavanya, Ranchi
- Lalita Ramdas, educator and activist, Bhaimala Village, Alibag, Raigad Distt.
- Lara Jesani, lawyer, Mumbai
- Lata Bhise Sonawane, State secretary, Maharashtra National Federation of Indian Women, Pimpri Chinchwad, Distt. Pune
- Lata Singh, academic, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi/NCR
- Laxmi Murthy, journalist, Bengaluru
- Laxminarayan Ramdas, Admiral, former Chief of the Naval Staff, Bhaimala Village, Alibag, Raigad Distt.
- Leena Abraham, Mumbai
- Leena Dabiru, social activist, Delhi/NCR
- Leena Wadia, researcher, Bengaluru
- Leila Kabir, Bengaluru
- Leo Anthony Singh, National Alliance of People’s Movements, Jharkhand, Ranchi
- Liji J., Thiruvananthapuram
- Lillette Dubey, actor/ director, Mumbai
- Lochumbeni, Dimapur
- Lotika Singha, Stoke on Trent UK
- Machangbibou Chawang, Dimapur
- Madhava Prasad, Hyderabad
- Madhu Bhushan, Bangalore
- Madhu Sahni, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi/NCR
- Madhurima Kundu, All India Students’ Association, Delhi/NCR
- Mahabir Singh Khatri, teacher, Delhi/NCR
- Maimoona Mollah, President, AIDWA Delhi, Delhi/NCR
- Maitrayee Chaudhuri, academic, Delhi/NCR
- Maitreyi, Bangalore
- Malem Ningthouja, researcher, Imphal
- Malika Virdi, Uttarakhand Mahila Manch, Pithoragarh
- Malini Subramaniam, Bastar
- Mamata Dash, Delhi/NCR
- Mamta Jaitly, women’s rights activist, Jaipur, Rajasthan
- Manju Sharma, Jaipur
- Manjula Pradeep, Ahmedabad
- Manoj Kumar Jha, Member of Parliament, Delhi/NCR
- Manoj, lawyer, Delhi/NCR
- Mansur Ahmed, Progressive Society, Tezpur
- Maria Michael R, Hisar
- Mary Mitzy, lawyer, SCBA, Delhi/NCR
- Mashruf Kamaal Adv, Bijnor
- Maya Krishna Rao, theatre artist, Vismayah, Delhi/NCR
- Meena Gopal, Mumbai
- Meena Kandasamy, writer, UK
- Meera Sanghamitra, activist, National Alliance of People’s Movements, Hyderabad
- Meeta, self-employed, Jaipur.
- Mihika Noronha, doctor, Pune
- Mini Mathew, lawyer, Mumbai
- Mohammed Mustafa Ali, Hyderabad
- Mohan Rao, public health researcher, Bangalore
- Moushumi Basu, academic, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi/NCR
- Mridul, technology professional, Mumbai
- Muizz Drabu, lawyer, Delhi/NCR
- Muneer M., academic, Collegiate Education Department, Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram
- N. Jayaram, journalist, Bangalore
- N. Sai Balaji, National President, All India Students’ Association, Delhi/NCR
- N. Venugopal, journalist, Editor, Veekshanam, Hyderabad
- N.D. Jayaprakash, social activist, Delhi/NCR
- Nadathur Krishnan, Panvel/Raigad
- Nadeem Khan, United Against Hate, Delhi/NCR
- Nandini Rao, Delhi/NCR
- Nandita Narain, academic, Democratic Teachers’ Front, University of Delhi, Delhi/NCR
- Nandita Shah, Mumbai
- Narayan Bharadwaj, retired sailor, Pune
- Narendra Dengle, Pune
- Natasha Badhwar, filmmaker and author, Delhi/NCR
- Navdeep Mathur, Ahmedabad
- Navsharan Singh, researcher and feminist activist, Delhi/NCR
- Neelakshi Suryanarayan, teacher, Delhi/NCR
- Neelanjana Mukhia, Delhi/NCR
- Neema Chaurasiya, research scholar, University of Delhi, Delhi/NCR
- Neeraj Malik, Delhi/NCR
- Neeraj, Delhi/NCR
- Nidhi, Delhi/NCR
- Nikhat Fatima, Hyderabad
- Nikhil Jois K. S., student, Bengaluru
- Niloufer Bhagwat, lawyer, Mumbai
- Nina Chandavarkar, Bangalore
- Ningthoukhongjam Rajesh, journalist, Citizen Radio, Imphal
- Niraja Jayal, Delhi/NCR
- Nirjhari Sinha, Chairperson, Jan Sangharsh Manch, Ahmedabad
- Nirmala Sharma, administrative service (retired), Justice Seekers, Bengaluru
- Nisha Biswas, Kolkata
- Nishu Kumar, academic, East Garo Hills
- Niti Saxena, Lucknow
- Nitin Sehgal, Delhi/NCR
- Nivedita Menon, Delhi/NCR
- Nupur Chowdhury, Delhi/NCR
- Nupur Dasgupta, academic, Jadavpur University, Kolkata
- Nupur, research scholar, Jaipur
- Oishik Sircar, Kolkata
- Oishika Neogi, human rights researcher, Delhi/NCR
- Okram Nutankumar Singh, lawyer and human rights defender, Imphal
- P Sundar Raj, Ariyalur Distt.
- Padam Kumar, lawyer, Bengaluru
- Padma Singh, teacher, Allahabad
- Padmaja Shaw, Hyderabad
- Pamela Philipose, journalist, Delhi/NCR
- Papia Sengupta, Delhi/NCR
- Papori Bora, Delhi/NCR
- Paramartha Dutta, Calcutta
- Parnal Chirmuley, Delhi/NCR
- Parongama Sen, Kolkata
- Patricia Mukhim, journalist, The Shillong Times, Shillong
- Paul C Jesuraja, academic (retired), Palayamkottai, Tirunelveli
- Pavan Kumar Nair, veteran, Pune
- Philo Thomas, Director, Women’s Welfare Center, Pune
- Poulami Ray, Kalyani
- Prabhat Patnaik, Professor Emeritus, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi/NCR
- Prabir Bose, Goa
- Prabir Purkayastha, science activist, Editor, Newsclick.in, Delhi/NCR
- Pradipta Bandyopadhyay, Delhi/NCR
- Pramod Balakrishnan, architect, Chennai
- Prasenjit Bose, Kolkata
- Pratiksha Baxi, academic, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi/NCR
- Prem Chandavarkar, architect, Bengaluru
- Priyaleen Singh, Delhi/NCR
- Priyam, Dehradun
- Purnima, Delhi/NCR
- Pushpamala N., artist, Bengaluru
- Qaiser Asad, lawyer, Delhi/NCR
- R. Chaudhuri, Kolkata
- R. Karthick Narayanan, Madurai
- R. Ramachandran, Santiniketan
- Radha Sen, Kolkata
- Radhika Chakraborty, Delhi/NCR
- Rafiq Kidwai, architect, Delhi/NCR
- Rahul Jacob, journalist, Bengaluru
- Rahul Nigam, academic, BITS, Hyderabad
- Rahul Roy, academic, Indian Statistical Institute, Delhi/NCR
- Raina Ghosh, research scholar, Delhi/NCR
- Rajashri Dasgupta, journalist, Kolkata
- Rajeev Bhargava, Delhi/NCR
- Rajeev R. Singh, Delhi/NCR
- Rajeev Singha, Stoke on Trent UK
- Rajeev Yadav, General Secretary, Rihai Manch, Lucknow
- Rajoo Barot, artist, Ahmedabad
- Rajshree Chandra, University of Delhi, Delhi/NCR
- Rakhi Sehgal, Delhi/NCR
- Ram Ramaswamy, Delhi/NCR
- Rama Baru, Delhi/NCR
- Ramani Natarajan, lawyer, Chennai
- Rani Day, Filmmaker, Bengaluru
- Ranjana Padhi, Women Against Sexual Violence and State Repression, Bhubaneswar
- Ranjit Sabikhi, Architect, Delhi/NCR
- Ranvijay, National Vice-President, All India Students’ Association, Delhi/NCR
- Rashmi Singh, Delhi/NCR
- Ravi Srivastava, academic (retired), Delhi/NCR
- Ravi Narla, self-employed, Hyderabad.
- Reena Ramteke, community correspondent, Gariyaband
- Rema Kandaramath, retired IT professional, Ottapalam, Palakkad
- Renu Kumari, student, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi/NCR
- Renuka Mishra, Delhi/NCR
- Riddhi Shah, Delhi/NCR
- Rita Manchanda, human rights and peace activist, Delhi/NCR
- Ritesh Kumar, Agra
- Ritu Varuni, architect, Raigarh
- Rituraj Pegu, research scholar, Delhi/NCR
- Ritwik Bagchi, research scholar, Kolkata
- Riyaz Tayyibji, Ahmedabad
- Rohini Hensman, writer and independent scholar, Mumbai
- Rohini Mohan, Bengaluru
- Rohini Sen, Kolkata
- Romila Thapar, Professor Emerita, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi/NCR
- Rosemary Dzuvichu, academic, Nagaland University, Kohima
- Roshmi, Shillong
- Rudi Warjri, retired Ambassador, Shillong
- Rukmini Rao, feminist activist, Hyderabad
- Rukmini Sen, Kolkata
- Runu Chakraborty, Ghaziabad
- S. Sreedevi, AIIPA, Ernakulam
- Sachidanand Sinha, academic, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi/NCR
- Sachin N, Common Teachers’ Forum, DU, Delhi/NCR
- Sadaf Jafar, social activist, Kalrav, Lucknow
- Sadhna, Delhi/NCR
- Sagari R Ramdas, veterinary scientist, Food Sovereignty Alliance, India, Hyderabad
- Saheli Women’s Resource Centre, Delhi/NCR (organisation)
- Saibal Roy, Shikasa Bandhu, S.S.M., Mallarpur, Birbhum
- Sajni Mukherji, academic (retired), Jadavpur University, Kolkata
- Saket Moon, Vice-President Jawaharlal Nehru University Students, Delhi/NCR
- Samantak Das, academic, Jadavpur University, Kolkata
- Sameera Khan, Mumbai
- Samik Bandyopadhyay, publisher-editor, Kolkata
- Samiksha Godiyal, lawyer, Delhi/NCR
- Samir Kumar Sahoo, Bengaluru
- Sandhya Gokhale, Forum Against Oppression of Women, Mumbai
- Sandhya Kumari, academic, Delhi/NCR
- Sangharsh Apte, researcher, DHRDNet, Thakurli, Thane
- Sanghmitra Acharya, academic, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi/NCR
- Sanjay Kak, filmmaker, Delhi/NCR
- Sanjay Kanvinde, architect, Delhi/NCR
- Sanjay Srivastava, Delhi/NCR
- Sanjay Wategaonkar, Mumbai
- Sapna Gupta, academic, Lords Institute of Engineering and Technology, Hyderabad
- Sarika Chaudhary, Secretary Democratic Students’ Federation, Delhi/NCR
- Sarla Kumari, social activist, PUCL Jaipur, Jaipur
- Sarmad Aziz, researcher, Delhi/NCR
- Sarojini N., Jan Swasthya Abhiyan, Delhi/NCR
- Satish Varma, Ernakulam
- Saugata Bhaduri, Delhi/NCR
- Saumya Uma, Sonipat
- Saurabh, student, Chandauli
- Sawmi Leyri, social activist, Kohima
- Sebastian Packiam, Ramanathapuram
- Sehba Farooqui, political activist, Delhi/NCR
- Shabnam Hashmi, Founder, Anhad, Delhi/NCR
- Shafaq Khab, Bhabua Kaimur
- Shahana Bhattacharya, Delhi/NCR
- Shailesh Kumar, research scholar, University of Delhi, Delhi/NCR
- Shambhavi Prakash, Delhi/NCR
- Shanta Laishram, academic, Delhi/NCR
- Sharmila Kher, Director, Foundation for child protection, Muskaan, Mumbai
- Shatarupa Bhattacharya, academic, Faridabad
- Sheena Choudhary, Delhi/NCR
- Shernaz Italia, Delhi/NCR
- Shewli Kumar, Mumbai
- Shimreichon Luithui, Ukhrul
- Shirshava Indu, student, Kolkata
- Shivam Sharma, Delhi/NCR
- Shivani Nag, academic, Delhi/NCR
- Shivani, interior designer, Shivani Dogra Interiors, Delhi/NCR
- Shubha, Pondicherry
- Shubhanshu Singh, research scholar and political activist, Delhi/NCR
- Shuddhabrata Sengupta, artist and writer, Delhi/NCR
- Shukla Sawant, academic and artist, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi/NCR
- Shweta Vachani, web designer, Delhi/NCR
- Siddhartha Chaudhuri, Senior Research Scientist, Bengaluru
- Sima Raza, actor, Mumbai
- Sindhuja Sankaran, academic, Chennai
- Sitwat Nabi, lawyer, Supreme Court of India, Delhi/NCR
- Soma Das, Mathura
- Sonali Patnaik, Bhubaneswar
- Sonu Kumar, journalist, CEO, IYC News Network/Agency & Media Services, Patna
- Sonu Yadav, student, Allahabad
- Spandana B.V., student, Hyderabad
- Srabani, researcher, Delhi/NCR
- Sri Vamsi Mitta, theatre artist, Bangalore
- Srishti Mehta, student, Indore
- Sruti Bala, Amsterdam
- Subir Dey, Delhi/NCR
- Sucharita Sen, academic, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi/NCR
- Sucheta Mahajan, academic, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi/NCR
- Sudhanva Deshpande, publisher, author, actor, LeftWord Books, Delhi/NCR
- Sudhir Vombatkere, Mysuru
- Sudipta Bhattacharyya, academic, Visva-Bharati, Santiketan
- Sugata Hazra, academic, Jadavpur University, Kolkata
- Sujata Gothoskar, researcher and activist, Forum Against Oppression of Women, Mumbai
- Sujata Madhok, journalist (independent), Delhi/NCR
- Sujata Patel, academic, Pune
- Sujata Paul Maliah, Dehradun
- Sukanta Chaudhuri, Kolkata
- Sukanya Ghosh, artist, Delhi/Kolkata
- Sukumar Muralidharan, journalist, Delhi/NCR
- Suman, Bangalore
- Suman, Delhi/NCR
- Sumeet Krishna, Ghaziabad
- Sumit Baudh,Academic, Sonipat
- Suneeta Dhar, feminist activist, Delhi/NCR
- Sunil VM, retired govt. employee, Muvattupuzha
- Supriya Chaudhuri, Emeritus Professor of English, Jadavpur University, Kolkata
- Supriya Varma, Delhi/NCR
- Suresh Bhat Bakrabail, Mangaluru
- Suroor Mander, Delhi/NCR
- Susai Sebastian, social activist, Delhi/NCR
- Susan Abraham, Delhi
- Susan Abraham, lawyer, Mumbai
- Sushil Khanna, academic (retired), IIM Calcutta, Kolkata
- Sushma Varma, Bengaluru
- Suvir Kaul, Academic, Philadelphia
- Suvojit Bagchi, journalist, Kolkata
- Svati Joshi, Ahmedabad
- Swatija, Forum Against Oppression of Women, Thane
- T M Krishna, musician and author, Chennai
- T.C. Jayaprakash, Coorg Distt., Mysore
- Tara Murali, architect, Chennai
- Tarek Akhtar Ansari, Guwahati
- Tarun Bhartiya, RAIOT Webzine, Shillong
- Tarun Gogoi, research scholar, Delhi/NCR
- Tarun Kumar Yadav, social activist, Saharsa
- Teesta Setalvad, Citizens for Justice and Peace, Mumbai
- Thokchomcha Beejen, self-employed, Kakching
- Thomas Antony, Delhi/NCR
- Trina Mukhopadhyay, Kolkata
- Trishna S.M., lawyer, Delhi/NCR
- Uma Chakravarti, historian and filmmaker, Delhi/NCR
- Urmimala Sarkar, academic, Delhi/NCR
- Ursila Jung, Delhi/NCR
- Usman Jawed, Delhi/NCR
- Utsa Patnaik, Professor Emerita, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi/NCR
- V. Geetha, writer, Chennai
- V. Sujatha, Delhi/NCR
- Vandana Mahajan, development practitioner, Delhi/NCR
- Vandana Nanal, Mumbai
- Vandana Prasad, public health professional, Delhi/NCR
- Vani Subramanian, filmmaker, Delhi/NCR
- Vanita N Mukherjee, Delhi/NCR
- Varghese Thomas, private sector employee, Delhi/NCR
- Varsha Bhargavi, Gender Sensitisation course director, Feminist Collective, Hyderabad
- Vasid Khan, State General Secretary, National Confederation of Human Rights Organizations Madhya Pradesh, Bhopal
- Vasuda Arora, mental health professional, Mumbai
- Vasudha Nagaraj, lawyer, Hyderabad
- Venkatesh Nayak, RTI activist, Bengaluru
- Vickram Crishna, Mumbai
- Vidyun Sabhaney, artist, Delhi/NCR
- Vijay Singh, Delhi/NCR
- Vijaylakshmi, social activist, People’s Union for Civil Liberties, Jaipur.
- Vikas Bajpai, academic, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi/NCR
- Vimeno Angami, Vice President Naga Women Hoho Dimapur, Dimapur
- Vinay Bharadwaj, academic (retired), University of Delhi, Delhi/NCR
- Vincent, engineer, Irinjalakuda, Trichur
- Vineet Tiwari, National Secretary, All india Progressive Writers’ Association, Indore
- Vineeta Bal, academic, Pune
- Vinod Gupta, Delhi/NCR
- Vivan Sundaram, artist, Delhi/NCR
- Vrinda Grover, lawyer, Delhi/NCR
- Vrinda Ravi Kumar, Bengaluru
- Wilson Gangmei, social activist, Imphal
- Xonzoi Barbora, Melbourne
- Yomah Konyak, Dimapur
- Zoya Hasan, Professor Emerita, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi/NCR
Read the letter in Hindi here.
