Stand By Bant Singh in his Struggle to Walk Tall!

Liberation readers will recall the barbaric, gruesome attack on Bant Singh, a dalit singer and leader of AIALA, early this year in Punjab .

As you may know Bant Singh has shown exemplary courage in the face of extreme adversity. He refused to surrender to the demands of the caste panchayat when they asked him to drop the case against the rapists of his minor daughter. He relentlessly pursued legal justice by declaring that the struggle that he pursued for his daughter was also the struggle for the dignity of similarly oppressed dalit women. He continued to organize agricultural workers for their rights and wages brushing aside dangers to his person. And when his arms and legs were smashed to a pulp (and subsequently amputated) by politically powerful landlords he comforted his friends and said, “They have taken my limbs but I've got my voice – I can still sing!”

Medical Rehabilitation of Bant Singh

While Bant Singh continues to defy the fetters imposed by disability following the barbaric assault, he is currently facing several difficulties. He is unable to move on his own, a surgery is pending in the leg that was left intact but dysfunctional.   He has 8 very young children to look after; his piggery—the work that had freed him from the feudal bonds of being tied to the landlords' fields—has collapsed and there are multiple medical complications.

What needs to be done

Bant Singh's courage will be a source of inspiration to all but we need not be mere spectators to the tragedy unleashed on him. We can express our solidarity by helping him access the best possible medical rehabilitation, so that he is back on his feet. Doctors have pointed out that with the current developments in medical technology, it would not be impossible to fix artificial limbs, both arms and legs, for him . Given the nature of amputation and the extent of prosthetic aids required, it is an expensive procedure but this is also necessary to prevent his organs from getting atrophied.

The St. Stephen's Hospital, Delhi , is attempting to medically rehabilitate Bant Singh. While this procedure has started, there is an urgent need for funds so that the best possible prosthetic aids can be acquired for him. We urgently seek your financial support for this purpose.

Bant Singh's rehabilitation would give all struggling people immense courage and hope. We owe it to Bant Singh to enable him to walk again.  

You can draw your cheque/ DD in favour of AIALA, and send it to U-90, Shakarpur, Delhi 110 092.

For further details, you could contact:

Forum for Democratic Initiatives

fdidelhi@gmail.com, fdi_delhi@yahoo.co.in

Radhika Menon, Manisha Sethi, Ravindra Garia, Tanveer Afaque, Satya Sivaraman  

9868038981/ 9811625577 / 9910074470 / 9818416968/ 9818514952