CONDEMN THE ARREST OF REVOLUTIONARY SINGER KOVAN! RELEASE HIM IMMEDIATELY!
We the undersigned organizations strongly condemn the forceful arrest of Revolutionary cultural activist Kovan
from his home in an arbitrary manner as he was part of the campaign protesting against the liquor policy of Tamil
Nadu government. We condemn the manner in which he was arrested, as it violates basic human rights, was not
given any reason for his arrest and his arrest was not even formally announced. So, it becomes „abduction‟ and not
the arrest as it denies the legal rights to the activist.
Friends, as you might know that Kovan, a revolutionary singer has been arrested for song demanding shutdown of state-run liquor shops in Tamil Nadu. People‟s Power, a mass organization in Tamil Nadu, has been conducting agitations demanding shutdown of liquor outlets run by state owned TASMAC. Inspite of sustained and widespread struggles and demand by all sections of society, the Jayalalithaa government stubbornly refuses to
change its liquor policy which has impoverished the working population in Tamil Nadu. Students and People‟s Power activists who fought against TASMAC were arrested and jailed for many weeks. As part of this campaign,
two popular video songs by People‟s Art and Literary Association (PALA) “Moodu Tasmac-i Moodu – Shutdown TASMAC…” and “oothi kodutha uthami… – the lady who served liquor makes merry in Poes garden”) were
released in Vinavu (vinavu.com) news magazine and reached lakhs of viewers. The lyrics of Moodu Tasmac Moodu make an appeal to the ruling party to close liquor shops as alcoholism has spoiled the state. There is nothing in the compositions which encourages violence, beyond calling for the closure of state-run liquor outlets as part of a campaign against government policy. The song has gone viral on social media, and many relate to its central theme. The song delineates with a great sense of irony the idea of the state selling liquor while at the same time showering the people with freebies. In a sense, it has captured the present patronage paradigm in the political economy wherein the ruling party poses as the provenance of all welfare, but keeps the people disempowered through alcohol addiction.
Comrade Kovan, the lead singer of PALA cultural troupe has been arrested by the police at around 2.30 midnight
(30-10-2015) from his house at Trichy. He is charged under section 124A (sedition), 153 (attempt to create enmity
between social groups) and 502/1 (sale any printed or engraved substance containing defamatory matter) by the
Chennai city crime branch police. A special squad of around 10 policemen swooped into his house, roughed him
up and took him into custody. In the increasingly bizarre universe called Indian democracy, demanding shutdown
of liquor shops becomes another item of the long list of “seditious” activities, like drawing a cartoon, posting in
Facebook or writing a magazine article.
This is not the first time when we have seen the state has witch-hunted cultural activists, and acted against the
freedom of expression by filing sedition charges – the cases of crackdown on Kabir Kala Manch & revolutionary
singer Jitan Marandi should also be analysed along these lines. Putting to use state mechanisms for abduction of
cultural activists and slapping cases with no evidence has become a pattern.
The revolutionary struggle against the Fascist state will not be cowed down by this oppression. The songs of PALA
and other arts will continue to reverberate. We express solidarity with the courageous demonstration and protest
by students, cultural activists and masses against the liquor policy. We demand the immediate and unconditional
release of folk singer Kovan and all the charges should be scrapped immediately.
Join JNUSU’s Protest against the State Oppression on Cultural Activists – AISA AISF BAPSA Collective DSF DSU Hundred Flowers Group JANRANG JNUSU KNS Nowruz NSUI Pa.Cha.S Sanhati SFI TNM UDSF
VENUE: TAMIL NADU BHAVAN
DATE: 13-11-2015 FRIDAY
ASSEMBLE @ GANGA DHABA @ 1.30 PM
-SCRAP SEDITION CHARGES AGAINST KOVAN
-UNCONDITIONAL RELEASE
-SHUT DOWN ALL TASMAC SHOPS
THE NEW MATERIALISTS
Shut down TASMAC in Tamil Nadu!
Shut Down The TASMAC,
Shut It Down
Dont Wait In Vain For The Elections, Shut It Down Now
How Many Kids Should Perish
How Many Women Should Lose Home
How Many Elections Till / Will You Wait
Shut It Down – Now, Its Evil – You Know, Shut It Down.
Liquor To Gather Crowd
Liquor To Garner Votes
Liquor To Shout Their Slogans
Liquor To Hold Their Flags
Parties You Know, Grow In The Brew
YOU, My Love, re The Side Dish In Their Electoral Game.
You Are The Side Dish In Their Electoral Game.
Come On, You Only Need A Big Lock
Not A Vote, To Shut This Evil Down
Father A Drunkard, Together The Son, Also In The Bar.
For The Woman The Menfolk Is Useless
The Menfolk Is Useless
Life Drowning In Sea Of Debts
Honour Auctioned In Streets
You Think They Give Us Freebies?
They Squeeze Our Lives As Price
Life’s Light Is Gone, Darkness Drowns Our Homes
Curse On The Lady
Ruined Are Our Lives
Broken Are Our Homes
Fire In Our Bellies
Who Invited This Hell Here
Out The Liquor Shops, Ours Is This Village – And
Who Is The Collector To Decide?
The State Is Raged Against You – Don’t Plead
The Police May Pounce Upon You – Don’t Fear
Down The Shutters
Who Will Stop Us?
No Tasmac Here, In This Village, Anymore
Shut It Down.
(Comrade Kovan was arrested on sedition charges for singing the above song against the State Govt policy of liquor.
He is a member of Peoples Art and Literary Association and campaigning for Peoples Power!)
THE NEW MATERIALISTS
