By the point the Nagpur HC acquitted him in March this yr in an Illegal Actions (Prevention) Act case over alleged Maoist hyperlinks, former Delhi College professor G.N. Saibaba had already spent a greater a part of the final decade in varied prisons — together with the Nagpur Central Jail. Two days after his demise from postoperative problems, his solely youngster Manjeera, a PhD scholar at Hyderabad’s English and International Languages College, spoke to The Indian Categorical about her father, his incarceration and his needs and aspirations. Listed here are excerpts.
The time he obtained to spend outdoors as a free man was lots lower than what he deserved. He deserved to be right here for a lifetime. The jail authorities sentenced him to a lifetime in jail. He has already spent a number of years in jail however he obtained life imprisonment.
What have been the previous few months after your father’s launch like?
When he was acquitted of all prices we thought, you understand, his life that he obtained again, he’d spend your complete life with us. I believed I’ll be there with him until he’s 80-90 and I’ll maintain him we’ll be collectively, we’ll talk about issues you understand, and I missed him I missed lots, I missed him lots and he missed a giant a part of me of my life and he promised me this time that he is not going to go, that he’ll spend all his time with me. It’s unlucky that his physique, after being degraded a lot after 10 years of improper care, couldn’t deal with a easy surgical procedure and such it’s fairly unlucky that this has needed to occur.
However I’m nonetheless imagining conversations with my father, I’m discussing issues with him, I’m speaking, casually chatting… all of the conversations I couldn’t not have with him but.
May you inform me about his final want?
He didn’t know that there was going to be a final want that he’ll make. The final time I spoke to him was two days earlier than within the night, and he described the process to cease the interior bleeding. He’s at all times well-read and well-aware of what’s going to occur to his physique. He makes positive about that. And he mentioned it’s a really protected process, they’ll cease the bleeding, (he mentioned): “I’ll be high quality after that”. And he advised me…like he had plans for the following day… he advised me that he learn the ebook we have been discussing and requested me to learn it and (mentioned) we’ll talk about it tomorrow.
What’s the ebook?
‘Chosen Writings of Marx’ from Bottomore and Co.
That was the ebook he was studying?
He needed to introduce me to a piece of Marxist writing. He mentioned that’s the most effective for actually understanding what Marx meant. So, we needed to debate that collectively. And apart from that, he advised me to get him a planner as a result of he was like there’s lots I’ve to do after I get higher and get out of the hospital. So, I obtained… obtained him a planner and he began writing, barely began writing into it earlier than all this ache and inside bleeding and every little thing occurred. He had a lot of plans.
Did he share with you what he actually wished for, after being acquitted?
There is no such thing as a dying want that he had. But when there was a want that he wished, since he was a child, the one want he had was for folks…for society to be equal and free. The one factor he ever struggled for. And the one factor he might by no means comprehend was that there was such inequality between folks. This inequality he might by no means comprehend. And he at all times believed that our achievement must be to realize this equality in society the place no different human is handled unfairly to others. That was his want all all through his life. And on these traces his ideology developed and he has been working in the direction of and combating for it. And that’s the want now all of us must proceed with us.
What’s the street forward for you? Do you additionally consider taking the identical path your father took?
For me, I haven’t…I believe all of us should take the identical path as my father as a result of in his personal phrases… like you understand… he advised me as soon as that if we don’t, you understand, battle for the folks, if we don’t converse out for many who can’t converse for themselves, if we stay for our personal particular person greed, then that’s no life. So, all of us should proceed that journey. And I’ve adopted his footsteps to an important extent. I’m taking the identical topic that he taught. It grew to become my ardour as nicely. And I don’t find out about how the longer term can be, however I do know that that is the trail that we’ll all take, and I definitely shall take.
I’m positive this has come as a serious shock to you. How has the household taken it?
Like, I’m nonetheless in disbelief. I can’t consider that. Like, even when I see his physique in entrance of me, I can’t consider it’s true. So I’m at present in denial, you may say that. My mother will not be taking it nicely in any respect. She knew him since she was 15 years outdated. And till the final 10 years, that they had by no means spent a very long time aside, like, a few weeks possibly, once they have been touring or one thing… However they have been at all times collectively. Like, the ten years, she thought she might bear, no matter combat we, she thought she might combat as a result of he was there to combat for. And so they solely obtained such a short while collectively. And so they didn’t get to debate so many issues that they’d prefer to…
Did your father have any regrets?
No, he was very completely satisfied when he was out right here. There was a lot he needed to do. Regrets about what?
The objectives that he had in thoughts and whether or not he has been in a position to obtain it or not.
See, his passing was sudden and surprising. To remorse… I’m fairly positive that dad is not going to remorse something… as a result of in case you are saying he might need regretted his battle, completely not. Completely. Not. He would have…if he had to decide on once more previously, he would have taken the identical path. As a result of that’s the approach he thinks, that’s the approach he features. He can’t do it.
In any other case, how did he recall his days of incarceration?
We obtained brief time with him. He solely advised me a few tales and proper now, I don’t suppose it’s the suitable time for me to recall every little thing.
In the event you can briefly inform me…
Quite a lot of the incarceration, he was in ache always, his medicines weren’t offered, the amenities weren’t apt for a wheelchair-using individual. So, he was in plenty of ache and discomfort and he simply handed the time maintaining one factor in thoughts. Like, his combat, and this combat, will not be his combat alone. It’s everybody’s combat. He learn books and poetry was the one factor that saved him going. He wrote plenty of poems as nicely. And there are some, like, aside from the recollections of sickness and ache and the mistreatment in jail, in case you’re conscious of it. They put up CCTV to invade his privateness. He was by no means given drugs correctly on time.
Did he have any fond recollections too from his jail time?
There was plenty of harassment, and regardless of that, he nonetheless has some fond recollections contained in the jail. Like, so he… I truly mentioned that the most cost effective factor you should purchase there in jail is jaljeera. That was like a particular deal with for them. So, when it might come to the jail retailer, they might all pool of their cash collectively and purchase jaljeera packets and they’d make that drink as a result of within the Nagpur summer time warmth, that was the one refreshing factor they may discover, so he has some recollections like that. He advised me concerning the time he taught everybody English and the type of errors they might make whereas studying and the problem he would have instructing them, as a result of plenty of them solely knew Marathi. There can be a language hole however he nonetheless taught them.
When did your father donate his physique to the hospital? Or when did he say that?
It was at all times his want. He by no means had… He by no means, you understand… He was an atheist however he by no means believed in any funerary rites. He mentioned that at a sure level in society, these rights had a spot to construct a neighborhood. However proper now, that’s not the case. Proper now, a very powerful factor for an individual is to contribute to society. His thought of all that is at all times to be the current.
