Reading Poem in Solidarity | Release Sanjiv Bhatt

Sanjiv Bhatt, the former IPS officer of the Gujarat cadre, has been in prison for the past two years, for an alleged custodial death in the mid-nineties. 

He is known for his role in filing an affidavit in the Supreme Court of India against then Chief Minister of the Government of Gujarat, Narendra Modi concerning Modi’s alleged role in the 2002 Gujarat riots. 

He has been vocal about the Gujarat riots and the persecutions of Muslims under the regime current Prime minister of India. 

This perhaps the reason he’s in jail and no other IPS officer ever in the history of India for custodial deaths. 

The NCRB data maintains that 1731 deaths in custody were recorded in 2019, 125 of them in police custody and the rest in judicial custody.

The case against Sanjiv Bhatt is widely believed to be flimsy but ever since he deposed against the then Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi for his role in the Gujarat riots in 2002, he was targeted by the state. The custodial death case against him was revived after he resigned from the IPS

He claimed to have attended a meeting, during which Modi allegedly asked top police officials to let Hindus vent out their anger against the Muslims. 

However, the Special Investigation Team appointed by the Supreme Court of India concluded that Bhatt did not attend this meeting, and dismissed his allegations.

Last week on 21st December, Sanjiv Bhatt, turned 57 in jail. Here in solidarity, we are posting his poem.

I WILL FIGHT

I have principle and no power

You have power and no principle

You being you

And I being I

Compromise is out of the question

So let the battle begin…

I have truth and no force

You have force and no truth

You being you

And I being I

Compromise is out of the question

So let the battle begin…

You may club my skull

I will fight

You may crush my bones

I will fight

You may bury me alive

I will fight

With truth running through me

I will fight

With every ounce of my strength

I will fight

With my last dying breath

I will fight…

I will fight till the

Castle that you built with your lies

Comes tumbling down

Till the devil you worshiped with your lies

Kneels down before my angel of truth.