Over five hundred artists, academics, activists wrote an open letter to the Chief Justice of India, N.V. Ramana, urging the intervention of the Supreme Court of India in the Pegasus spyware scandal. The signatories said that various media reports suggest that the Pegasus spyware, a military-grade malware, is sold by the Israeli firm NSO, only to governments, and that it was used in India to target and surveil academics, journalists, human rights defenders, lawyers, scientists, students and even victims and witnesses of sexual violence.

They said that the Indian list of targets as reported in media 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. 

Calling this as nothing less than an act of state sponsored cyber terrorism against individuals, the signatories, who endorsed the letter, pointed out that the Pegasus project and information in public domain raises serious concerns for the integrity of constitutional authorities including the independence of the Supreme Court and the entire episode starkly discloses that the rights and freedoms of peoples, of which the Supreme Court is the guardian, are under grave risk.

The open letter to the CJI pointed out

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?

The Government of India, the Home Ministry, Mr. Ranjan Gogoi, and the NSO must answer these questions, but as citizens we do not have the power to command such answers from these powerful entities, the signatories said and added that the Supreme Court has the power and duty to ask these questions, and it must speak for the victims — just as the CJI recently assured the citizens 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.”

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,

1. Mangai, Marappachi Theatre Group, Chennai
2. R. Rauf, student, Kishanganj
3. Aaditya Arya, student (school), Kamhera, Distt. Saharanpur
4. Aakriti, Delhi/NCR
5. Aakshat Sinha, Delhi/NCR
6. Aarthi Sridhar, Bengaluru
7. Aastha Deshpande, academic, Mumbai
8. Abdul Kalam Azad, human rights researcher, Assam
9. Abdul Nazar, Malappuram
10. Abhijit Gupta, academic, Jadavpur University, Kolkata
11. Abhisht Hela, lawyer, Delhi High Court, Allahabad
12. Abou Mere, President, NNagaDAO, Kohima
13. Achin Vanaik, academic (retired), University of Delhi, Delhi/NCR
14. Achin Vinayak, academic, New Delhi
15. Aditi Das Gupta, Kolkata
16. Aditi Gupta, Ahmedabad
17. Aditi Mehta, Indore
18. Aishwarya Visweswaran, Hyderabad
19. Akhileshwari Ramagoud, journalist (independent) and academic, Secunderabad
20. Akshay, student, IIT Bombay, Mumbai
21. Albeena Shakil, academic, Kolkata
22. Albin David Rebello, business executive, Delhi/NCR
23. Ali Zaidi, lawyer, Supreme Court of India, Delhi/NCR
24. Alok Rai, Allahabad
25. Amba Sanyal, Delhi/NCR
26. Ambika The, social activist, Hyderabad
27. Ameet Parameswaran, academic, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi/NCR
28. Amit Chaudhuri, writer, Kolkata
29. Amit Jangid, student, Delhi/NCR
30. Amita, lawyer, Delhi/NCR
31. Amitabh Srivastava, theatre artiste, Delhi/NCR
32. Amlan Dasgupta, Kolkata
33. Ammu Joseph, writer, Bangalore
34. Amrit Wilson, South Asia Solidarity Group, London
35. Amrita Johri, SNS, Delhi/NCR
36. Anil, student, Delhi/NCR
37. Anindita Bose, Delhi/NCR
38. Anisha A, entrepreneur, Mumbai
39. Anjali Bhardwaj, SNS, Delhi/NCR
40. Anjali Monteiro, filmmaker and academic, Bardez, Goa
41. Anjali Ojha, Delhi/NCR
42. Anjana Mangalagiri, Delhi/NCR
43. Anjani Kumar Sharma, Ara
44. Ankur Agraj, lawyer, Patna
45. Ansar Indori, lawyer, National Confederation of Human Rights Organisations, Delhi/NCR
46. Anupama Potluri, Hyderabad
47. Anuradha Bhasin, journalist, Jammu
48. Anuradha Boonlia, Indore
49. Anuradha Chenoy, academic (retired), Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi/NCR
50. Anuradha Kapoor, Kolkata
51. Anuradha Talwar, State Committee member, Paschim Banga Khet Majoor Samity, PO Badu
52. Anusha Khan, researcher, Mumbai
53. Aparna Chandra, academic, National Law School of India University, Bengaluru, Bengaluru
54. Apeksha Priyadarshini, research scholar, Bhagat Singh Ambedkar Students Organization, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi/NCR
55. Apeksha Vora, Mumbai
56. Apoorva G., Delhi/NCR
57. Apurba Roy, Kolkata
58. Archana Chhetri, psychologist, Gangtok
59. Archana Prasad, academic, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi/NCR
60. Areet Kaur, doctor, Mohali
61. Arokiaraj Edward, teacher, Dehradun
62. Arpita Das, publisher, Yoda Press, Delhi/NCR
63. Arun Pratap Shah, lawyer, Dehradun
64. Aruna Roy, Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan, Village Devdungri, Distt. Rajsamand
65. Arundhati Roy, writer, New Delhi
66. Asha Dey, Bengaluru
67. Ashalatha S, Makaam, Hyderabad
68. Ashok Nehru, Delhi/NCR
69. Asrarul Haque, academic, Hyderabad
70. Atul Gurtu, academic (retired), Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai
71. Atul Sood, academic, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi/NCR
72. Austin Thomas, Bangalore
73. Avani Chokshi, lawyer, AILAJ, Bangalore
74. Avik, student, Delhi/NCR
75. Avinash Kumar, academic, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi/NCR
76. Ayesha Kidwai, academic, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi/NCR
77. Azim Khan, General Secretary, NCHRO, Delhi/NCR
78. K. Choudhary, Delhi/NCR
79. Banojyotsna Lahiri, senior researcher, Centre for Equity Studies, Delhi/NCR
80. Beena Xavier, Ghaziabad
81. Ben Imsong, social activist, Kohima
82. Bharat, Jaipur
83. Bharati Jagannathan, academic, Faridabad
84. Bharti Ali, child rights activist, Delhi/NCR
85. Bharti, Trustee, Santokba trust, Mumbai
86. Bhashyam Srinivasan, Bengaluru
87. Bhupender Yadav, academic (retired), Bareilly Cantt.
88. Bishnupriya Dutt, academic, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi/NCR
89. Biswapriya Kanungo, lawyer, Bhubaneswar
90. Bittu KR, academic, Women Against Sexual Violence and State Repression, Sonipat
91. Bobbeeta Sharma, General Secretary/Chairperson Media, Assam Pradesh Congress Committee, Guwahati
92. Brinelle, academic and activist, Mumbai
93. Cedric Prakash, human rights and peace activist, Ahmedabad
94. Chayanika Shah, academic (retired), Forum Against Oppression of Women, Mumbai
95. Cheryl Kharwansan, Mumbai
96. Chingkhei Saikhom, student activist, Delhi/NCR
97. Chirashree Das Gupta, academic, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi/NCR
98. Clifton D’ Rozario, lawyer, All India Lawyers Association for Justice, Bangalore
99. David D’Costa, business manager, Pure Water House, Bangalore
100. Debaditya Bhattacharya, academic, Kazi Nazrul University, Asansol
101. Debashis Ghoshal, Delhi/NCR
102. Debi Prasad Ghosh, govt official (retired), Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, Kolkata
103. Debjanee Ganguly, Howrah
104. Deepa Bhargava, Delhi/NCR
105. Deepa Vasudevan, Thrissur
106. Deepika Sondhi, freelance communicator, Delhi/NCR
107. Deepti Bharti, General Secretary, National Federation of Indian Women, Delhi/NCR
108. Deepti Pradhan, Branford
109. Dennis S, researcher, Chennai
110. Denzil Fernandes, Delhi/NCR
111. Deshdeep Dhankhar, University of Hyderabad, Delhi/Hyderabad
112. Dev Desai, human rights activist, ANHAD, Ahmedabad
113. Devakumar R.T., lawyer, Thiruvananthapuram
114. Devyani Bhardwaj, education, Delhi/NCR
115. Devyani Gupta, lawyer, Delhi/NCR
116. Dhruv Raina, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi/NCR
117. Dhruva Narayan, Founder Trustee, JANAM Foundation, Patna
118. Dianitius George, engineer, Kochi
119. Dilip D’Souza, writer, Mumbai
120. Dilip Simeon, academic and writer, Delhi/NCR
121. Dolly Thakore, media consultant, Mumbai
122. Bhat, academic, Delhi/NCR
123. Elias M, retired teacher, Tirunelveli Distt.
124. Enakshi Nandi, Delhi/NCR
125. Faizan Sarwar, research scholar, Hyderabad
126. G Arunima, Thiruvananthapuram
127. Vijay, academic, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad
128. Garima, student, Delhi/NCR
129. Gaurav, Vadodara
130. Gautam Dasgupta, teacher, Kolkata
131. Gautam Menon, academic, Sonepat
132. Gautam Mody, New Trade Union Initiative, Delhi/NCR
133. Geeta Seshu, journalist, Free Speech Collective, Mumbai
134. Geetha Venkataraman, academic, Ambedkar University Delhi, Delhi/NCR
135. George Monippally, Latehar, Jharkhand
136. George, Thrissur
137. Girish Kaushik, retired captain (Sr. Commander), Mumbai
138. Githa Hariharan, writer, Delhi/NCR
139. Govind Kelkar, academic, Delhi/NCR
140. Gyanendra Pandey, academic, Atlanta
141. Haridas, private sector employee, Thrissur
142. Harsh Mander, Delhi/NCR
143. Harsh Parashar, lawyer, Delhi/NCR
144. Hasina Khan,
145. Hima Sasidharan, researcher, Gangtok
146. Huma Khan, Lucknow
147. Indira Banerjee, research scholar, Kolkata
148. Indira Bharadwaj, mental health professional, Pune
149. Indu Kumari, research scholar, Delhi/NCR
150. International Solidarity for Academic Freedom in India (InSAF India), Europe and North America (organisation)
151. Ira Raja, Delhi/NCR
152. Jacobshally, teacher, Goa
153. Jagdeep Chhokar, academic (retired), Delhi/NCR
154. James Valanarasan, Godda
155. Janaki Abraham, Delhi/NCR
156. Janaki Nair, academic (retired), Jawaharlal Nehru University, Bengaluru
157. Janani, Chennai
158. Janet Chawla, Delhi/NCR
159. Jarjum Ete, Advisor, APWWS (CEC), Itanagar
160. Jaya Menon, academic, Shiv Nadar University, Delhi/NCR
161. Jayati Ghosh, academic, University of Massachusetts at Amherst, USA, Northampton
162. Jaykishan Godsora, Bokaro
163. Jenny Rowena P, academic, Miranda House, University of Delhi, Delhi/NCR
164. Jessica Gupta, Delhi/NCR
165. Jhuma Sen, lawyer, Kolkata
166. Joe, Hosur
167. John Dayal, writer and activist, Delhi/NCR
168. John Paul, social activist, Ahal, Thiruvannamalai
169. Joy, Thiruvananthapuram
170. Joya Uraizee, USA
171. Juhi Bansal, lawyer, Delhi/NCR
172. Lenin Devasahaya Vinober, lawyer, Students for Social Justice, Delhi/NCR
173. Menon, academic, Ambedkar University Delhi, Delhi/NCR
174. Neelu, researcher, Delhi/NCR
175. Padma, lawyer, Committee for Release of Political Prisoners, Visakhapatnam
176. Satyanarayana, academic, Hyderabad
177. G. Prakash, Thiruvananthapuram
178. K. Muhamed, artist, Kozhikode
179. Kalpana Kannabiran, Hyderabad
180. Kalpana Sharma, journalist (independent), Mumbai
181. Kalpana Wilson, London
182. Kalyani Menon Sen, researcher (independent), Delhi/NCR
183. Kamalika Mukherjee, archivist, Kolkata
184. Kamayani Bali Mahabal, Mumbai
185. Kamini Tankha, Delhi/NCR
186. Karan Bali, filmmaker, Mumbai
187. Karthik R, Bangalore
188. Kaushal Kumar, academic, Delhi/NCR
189. Kavita Gaur, academic, Delhi/NCR
190. Kavita Krishnan, Secretary, All India Progressive Women’s Association, Delhi/NCR
191. Kavita Panjabi, academic, Jadavpur University, Kolkata
192. Kavita Srivastava, National Secretary, People’s Union for Civil Liberties, Jaipur
193. Kawalpreet Kaur, lawyer, All India Students’ Association, Delhi/NCR
194. Ketholelie Angami, Kohima
195. Kezia Shah, student, Delhi/NCR
196. Pou, Delhi/NCR
197. Kirti Singh, Delhi/NCR
198. Kochurani Abraham, Thrippunithura
199. Krishnakumar B, bank employee, Alappuzha
200. Krithika Radhakrishnan, Bangalore
201. Kumkum Roy, Delhi/NCR
202. Kumudini, columnist, All India Progressive Women’s Association, Allahabad
203. Laavanya, Ranchi
204. Lalita Ramdas, educator and activist, Bhaimala Village, Alibag, Raigad Distt.
205. Lara Jesani, lawyer, Mumbai
206. Lata Bhise Sonawane, State secretary, Maharashtra National Federation of Indian Women, Pimpri Chinchwad, Distt. Pune
207. Lata Singh, academic, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi/NCR
208. Laxmi Murthy, journalist, Bengaluru
209. Laxminarayan Ramdas, Admiral, former Chief of the Naval Staff, Bhaimala Village, Alibag, Raigad Distt.
210. Leena Abraham, Mumbai
211. Leena Dabiru, social activist, Delhi/NCR
212. Leena Wadia, researcher, Bengaluru
213. Leila Kabir, Bengaluru
214. Leo Anthony Singh, National Alliance of People’s Movements, Jharkhand, Ranchi
215. Liji J., Thiruvananthapuram
216. Lillette Dubey, actor/ director, Mumbai
217. Lochumbeni, Dimapur
218. Lotika Singha, Stoke on Trent UK
219. Machangbibou Chawang, Dimapur
220. Madhava Prasad, Hyderabad
221. Madhu Bhushan, Bangalore
222. Madhu Sahni, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi/NCR
223. Madhurima Kundu, All India Students’ Association, Delhi/NCR
224. Mahabir Singh Khatri, teacher, Delhi/NCR
225. Maimoona Mollah, President, AIDWA Delhi, Delhi/NCR
226. Maitrayee Chaudhuri, academic, Delhi/NCR
227. Maitreyi, Bangalore
228. Malem Ningthouja, researcher, Imphal
229. Malika Virdi, Uttarakhand Mahila Manch, Pithoragarh
230. Malini Subramaniam, Bastar
231. Mamata Dash, Delhi/NCR
232. Mamta Jaitly, women’s rights activist, Jaipur, Rajasthan
233. Manju Sharma, Jaipur
234. Manjula Pradeep, Ahmedabad
235. Manoj Kumar Jha, Member of Parliament, Delhi/NCR
236. Manoj, lawyer, Delhi/NCR
237. Mansur Ahmed, Progressive Society, Tezpur
238. Maria Michael R, Hisar
239. Mary Mitzy, lawyer, SCBA, Delhi/NCR
240. Mashruf Kamaal Adv, Bijnor
241. Maya Krishna Rao, theatre artist, Vismayah, Delhi/NCR
242. Meena Gopal, Mumbai
243. Meena Kandasamy, writer, UK
244. Meera Sanghamitra, activist, National Alliance of People’s Movements, Hyderabad
245. Meeta, self-employed, Jaipur.
246. Mihika Noronha, doctor, Pune
247. Mini Mathew, lawyer, Mumbai
248. Mohammed Mustafa Ali, Hyderabad
249. Mohan Rao, public health researcher, Bangalore
250. Moushumi Basu, academic, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi/NCR
251. Mridul, technology professional, Mumbai
252. Muizz Drabu, lawyer, Delhi/NCR
253. Muneer M., academic, Collegiate Education Department, Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram
254. Jayaram, journalist, Bangalore
255. Sai Balaji, National President, All India Students’ Association, Delhi/NCR
256. Venugopal, journalist, Editor, Veekshanam, Hyderabad
257. D. Jayaprakash, social activist, Delhi/NCR
258. Nadathur Krishnan, Panvel/Raigad
259. Nadeem Khan, United Against Hate, Delhi/NCR
260. Nandini Rao, Delhi/NCR
261. Nandita Narain, academic, Democratic Teachers’ Front, University of Delhi, Delhi/NCR
262. Nandita Shah, Mumbai
263. Narayan Bharadwaj, retired sailor, Pune
264. Narendra Dengle, Pune
265. Natasha Badhwar, filmmaker and author, Delhi/NCR
266. Navdeep Mathur, Ahmedabad
267. Navsharan Singh, researcher and feminist activist, Delhi/NCR
268. Neelakshi Suryanarayan, teacher, Delhi/NCR
269. Neelanjana Mukhia, Delhi/NCR
270. Neema Chaurasiya, research scholar, University of Delhi, Delhi/NCR
271. Neeraj Malik, Delhi/NCR
272. Neeraj, Delhi/NCR
273. Nidhi, Delhi/NCR
274. Nikhat Fatima, Hyderabad
275. Nikhil Jois K. S., student, Bengaluru
276. Niloufer Bhagwat, lawyer, Mumbai
277. Nina Chandavarkar, Bangalore
278. Ningthoukhongjam Rajesh, journalist, Citizen Radio, Imphal
279. Niraja Jayal, Delhi/NCR
280. Nirjhari Sinha, Chairperson, Jan Sangharsh Manch, Ahmedabad
281. Nirmala Sharma, administrative service (retired), Justice Seekers, Bengaluru
282. Nisha Biswas, Kolkata
283. Nishu Kumar, academic, East Garo Hills
284. Niti Saxena, Lucknow
285. Nitin Sehgal, Delhi/NCR
286. Nivedita Menon, Delhi/NCR
287. Nupur Chowdhury, Delhi/NCR
288. Nupur Dasgupta, academic, Jadavpur University, Kolkata
289. Nupur, research scholar, Jaipur
290. Oishik Sircar, Kolkata
291. Oishika Neogi, human rights researcher, Delhi/NCR
292. Okram Nutankumar Singh, lawyer and human rights defender, Imphal
293. P Sundar Raj, Ariyalur Distt.
294. Padam Kumar, lawyer, Bengaluru
295. Padma Singh, teacher, Allahabad
296. Padmaja Shaw, Hyderabad
297. Pamela Philipose, journalist, Delhi/NCR
298. Papia Sengupta, Delhi/NCR
299. Papori Bora, Delhi/NCR
300. Paramartha Dutta, Calcutta
301. Parnal Chirmuley, Delhi/NCR
302. Parongama Sen, Kolkata
303. Patricia Mukhim, journalist, The Shillong Times, Shillong
304. Paul C Jesuraja, academic (retired), Palayamkottai, Tirunelveli
305. Pavan Kumar Nair, veteran, Pune
306. Philo Thomas, Director, Women’s Welfare Center, Pune
307. Poulami Ray, Kalyani
308. Prabhat Patnaik, Professor Emeritus, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi/NCR
309. Prabir Bose, Goa
310. Prabir Purkayastha, science activist, Editor, Newsclick.in, Delhi/NCR
311. Pradipta Bandyopadhyay, Delhi/NCR
312. Pramod Balakrishnan, architect, Chennai
313. Prasenjit Bose, Kolkata
314. Pratiksha Baxi, academic, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi/NCR
315. Prem Chandavarkar, architect, Bengaluru
316. Priyaleen Singh, Delhi/NCR
317. Priyam, Dehradun
318. Purnima, Delhi/NCR
319. Pushpamala N., artist, Bengaluru
320. Qaiser Asad, lawyer, Delhi/NCR
321. Chaudhuri, Kolkata
322. Karthick Narayanan, Madurai
323. Ramachandran, Santiniketan
324. Radha Sen, Kolkata
325. Radhika Chakraborty, Delhi/NCR
326. Rafiq Kidwai, architect, Delhi/NCR
327. Rahul Jacob, journalist, Bengaluru
328. Rahul Nigam, academic, BITS, Hyderabad
329. Rahul Roy, academic, Indian Statistical Institute, Delhi/NCR
330. Raina Ghosh, research scholar, Delhi/NCR
331. Rajashri Dasgupta, journalist, Kolkata
332. Rajeev Bhargava, Delhi/NCR
333. Rajeev R. Singh, Delhi/NCR
334. Rajeev Singha, Stoke on Trent UK
335. Rajeev Yadav, General Secretary, Rihai Manch, Lucknow
336. Rajoo Barot, artist, Ahmedabad
337. Rajshree Chandra, University of Delhi, Delhi/NCR
338. Rakhi Sehgal, Delhi/NCR
339. Ram Ramaswamy, Delhi/NCR
340. Rama Baru, Delhi/NCR
341. Ramani Natarajan, lawyer, Chennai
342. Rani Day, Filmmaker, Bengaluru
343. Ranjana Padhi, Women Against Sexual Violence and State Repression, Bhubaneswar
344. Ranjit Sabikhi, Architect, Delhi/NCR
345. Ranvijay, National Vice-President, All India Students’ Association, Delhi/NCR
346. Rashmi Singh, Delhi/NCR
347. Ravi Srivastava, academic (retired), Delhi/NCR
348. Ravi Narla, self-employed, Hyderabad.
349. Reena Ramteke, community correspondent, Gariyaband
350. Rema Kandaramath, retired IT professional, Ottapalam, Palakkad
351. Renu Kumari, student, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi/NCR
352. Renuka Mishra, Delhi/NCR
353. Riddhi Shah, Delhi/NCR
354. Rita Manchanda, human rights and peace activist, Delhi/NCR
355. Ritesh Kumar, Agra
356. Ritu Varuni, architect, Raigarh
357. Rituraj Pegu, research scholar, Delhi/NCR
358. Ritwik Bagchi, research scholar, Kolkata
359. Riyaz Tayyibji, Ahmedabad
360. Rohini Hensman, writer and independent scholar, Mumbai
361. Rohini Mohan, Bengaluru
362. Rohini Sen, Kolkata
363. Romila Thapar, Professor Emerita, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi/NCR
364. Rosemary Dzuvichu, academic, Nagaland University, Kohima
365. Roshmi, Shillong
366. Rudi Warjri, retired Ambassador, Shillong
367. Rukmini Rao, feminist activist, Hyderabad
368. Rukmini Sen, Kolkata
369. Runu Chakraborty, Ghaziabad
370. Sreedevi, AIIPA, Ernakulam
371. Sachidanand Sinha, academic, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi/NCR
372. Sachin N, Common Teachers’ Forum, DU, Delhi/NCR
373. Sadaf Jafar, social activist, Kalrav, Lucknow
374. Sadhna, Delhi/NCR
375. Sagari R Ramdas, veterinary scientist, Food Sovereignty Alliance, India, Hyderabad
376. Saheli Women’s Resource Centre, Delhi/NCR (organisation)
377. Saibal Roy, Shikasa Bandhu, S.S.M., Mallarpur, Birbhum
378. Sajni Mukherji, academic (retired), Jadavpur University, Kolkata
379. Saket Moon, Vice-President Jawaharlal Nehru University Students, Delhi/NCR
380. Samantak Das, academic, Jadavpur University, Kolkata
381. Sameera Khan, Mumbai
382. Samik Bandyopadhyay, publisher-editor, Kolkata
383. Samiksha Godiyal, lawyer, Delhi/NCR
384. Samir Kumar Sahoo, Bengaluru
385. Sandhya Gokhale, Forum Against Oppression of Women, Mumbai
386. Sandhya Kumari, academic, Delhi/NCR
387. Sangharsh Apte, researcher, DHRDNet, Thakurli, Thane
388. Sanghmitra Acharya, academic, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi/NCR
389. Sanjay Kak, filmmaker, Delhi/NCR
390. Sanjay Kanvinde, architect, Delhi/NCR
391. Sanjay Srivastava, Delhi/NCR
392. Sanjay Wategaonkar, Mumbai
393. Sapna Gupta, academic, Lords Institute of Engineering and Technology, Hyderabad
394. Sarika Chaudhary, Secretary Democratic Students’ Federation, Delhi/NCR
395. Sarla Kumari, social activist, PUCL Jaipur, Jaipur
396. Sarmad Aziz, researcher, Delhi/NCR
397. Sarojini N., Jan Swasthya Abhiyan, Delhi/NCR
398. Satish Varma, Ernakulam
399. Saugata Bhaduri, Delhi/NCR
400. Saumya Uma, Sonipat
401. Saurabh, student, Chandauli
402. Sawmi Leyri, social activist, Kohima
403. Sebastian Packiam, Ramanathapuram
404. Sehba Farooqui, political activist, Delhi/NCR
405. Shabnam Hashmi, Founder, Anhad, Delhi/NCR
406. Shafaq Khab, Bhabua Kaimur
407. Shahana Bhattacharya, Delhi/NCR
408. Shailesh Kumar, research scholar, University of Delhi, Delhi/NCR
409. Shambhavi Prakash, Delhi/NCR
410. Shanta Laishram, academic, Delhi/NCR
411. Sharmila Kher, Director, Foundation for child protection, Muskaan, Mumbai
412. Shatarupa Bhattacharya, academic, Faridabad
413. Sheena Choudhary, Delhi/NCR
414. Shernaz Italia, Delhi/NCR
415. Shewli Kumar, Mumbai
416. Shimreichon Luithui, Ukhrul
417. Shirshava Indu, student, Kolkata
418. Shivam Sharma, Delhi/NCR
419. Shivani Nag, academic, Delhi/NCR
420. Shivani, interior designer, Shivani Dogra Interiors, Delhi/NCR
421. Shubha, Pondicherry
422. Shubhanshu Singh, research scholar and political activist, Delhi/NCR
423. Shuddhabrata Sengupta, artist and writer, Delhi/NCR
424. Shukla Sawant, academic and artist, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi/NCR
425. Shweta Vachani, web designer, Delhi/NCR
426. Siddhartha Chaudhuri, Senior Research Scientist, Bengaluru
427. Sima Raza, actor, Mumbai
428. Sindhuja Sankaran, academic, Chennai
429. Sitwat Nabi, lawyer, Supreme Court of India, Delhi/NCR
430. Soma Das, Mathura
431. Sonali Patnaik, Bhubaneswar
432. Sonu Kumar, journalist, CEO, IYC News Network/Agency & Media Services, Patna
433. Sonu Yadav, student, Allahabad
434. Spandana B.V., student, Hyderabad
435. Srabani, researcher, Delhi/NCR
436. Sri Vamsi Mitta, theatre artist, Bangalore
437. Srishti Mehta, student, Indore
438. Sruti Bala, Amsterdam
439. Subir Dey, Delhi/NCR
440. Sucharita Sen, academic, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi/NCR
441. Sucheta Mahajan, academic, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi/NCR
442. Sudhanva Deshpande, publisher, author, actor, LeftWord Books, Delhi/NCR
443. Sudhir Vombatkere, Mysuru
444. Sudipta Bhattacharyya, academic, Visva-Bharati, Santiketan
445. Sugata Hazra, academic, Jadavpur University, Kolkata
446. Sujata Gothoskar, researcher and activist, Forum Against Oppression of Women, Mumbai
447. Sujata Madhok, journalist (independent), Delhi/NCR
448. Sujata Patel, academic, Pune
449. Sujata Paul Maliah, Dehradun
450. Sukanta Chaudhuri, Kolkata
451. Sukanya Ghosh, artist, Delhi/Kolkata
452. Sukumar Muralidharan, journalist, Delhi/NCR
453. Suman, Bangalore
454. Suman, Delhi/NCR
455. Sumeet Krishna, Ghaziabad
456. Sumit Baudh,Academic, Sonipat
457. Suneeta Dhar, feminist activist, Delhi/NCR
458. Sunil VM, retired govt. employee, Muvattupuzha
459. Supriya Chaudhuri, Emeritus Professor of English, Jadavpur University, Kolkata
460. Supriya Varma, Delhi/NCR
461. Suresh Bhat Bakrabail, Mangaluru
462. Suroor Mander, Delhi/NCR
463. Susai Sebastian, social activist, Delhi/NCR
464. Susan Abraham, Delhi
465. Susan Abraham, lawyer, Mumbai
466. Sushil Khanna, academic (retired), IIM Calcutta, Kolkata
467. Sushma Varma, Bengaluru
468. Suvir Kaul, Academic, Philadelphia
469. Suvojit Bagchi, journalist, Kolkata
470. Svati Joshi, Ahmedabad
471. Swatija, Forum Against Oppression of Women, Thane
472. T M Krishna, musician and author, Chennai
473. C. Jayaprakash, Coorg Distt., Mysore
474. Tara Murali, architect, Chennai
475. Tarek Akhtar Ansari, Guwahati
476. Tarun Bhartiya, RAIOT Webzine, Shillong
477. Tarun Gogoi, research scholar, Delhi/NCR
478. Tarun Kumar Yadav, social activist, Saharsa
479. Teesta Setalvad, Citizens for Justice and Peace, Mumbai
480. Thokchomcha Beejen, self-employed, Kakching
481. Thomas Antony, Delhi/NCR
482. Trina Mukhopadhyay, Kolkata
483. Trishna S.M., lawyer, Delhi/NCR
484. Uma Chakravarti, historian and filmmaker, Delhi/NCR
485. Urmimala Sarkar, academic, Delhi/NCR
486. Ursila Jung, Delhi/NCR
487. Usman Jawed, Delhi/NCR
488. Utsa Patnaik, Professor Emerita, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi/NCR
489. Geetha, writer, Chennai
490. Sujatha, Delhi/NCR
491. Vandana Mahajan, development practitioner, Delhi/NCR
492. Vandana Nanal, Mumbai
493. Vandana Prasad, public health professional, Delhi/NCR
494. Vani Subramanian, filmmaker, Delhi/NCR
495. Vanita N Mukherjee, Delhi/NCR
496. Varghese Thomas, private sector employee, Delhi/NCR
497. Varsha Bhargavi, Gender Sensitisation course director, Feminist Collective, Hyderabad
498. Vasid Khan, State General Secretary, National Confederation of Human Rights Organizations MP, Bhopal
499. Vasuda Arora, mental health professional, Mumbai
500. Vasudha Nagaraj, lawyer, Hyderabad
501. Venkatesh Nayak, RTI activist, Bengaluru
502. Vickram Crishna, Mumbai
503. Vidyun Sabhaney, artist, Delhi/NCR
504. Vijay Singh, Delhi/NCR
505. Vijaylakshmi, social activist, People’s Union for Civil Liberties, Jaipur.
506. Vikas Bajpai, academic, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi/NCR
507. Vimeno Angami, Vice President Naga Women Hoho Dimapur, Dimapur
508. Vinay Bharadwaj, academic (retired), University of Delhi, Delhi/NCR
509. Vincent, engineer, Irinjalakuda, Trichur
510. Vineet Tiwari, National Secretary, All india Progressive Writers’ Association, Indore
511. Vineeta Bal, academic, Pune
512. Vinod Gupta, Delhi/NCR
513. Vivan Sundaram, artist, Delhi/NCR
514. Vrinda Grover, lawyer, Delhi/NCR
515. Vrinda Ravi Kumar, Bengaluru
516. Wilson Gangmei, social activist, Imphal
517. Xonzoi Barbora, Melbourne
518. Yomah Konyak, Dimapur
519. Zoya Hasan, Professor Emerita, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi/NCR

First published in The Leaflet

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