G N Saibaba: A Determined fighter, Defying All Constraints

Saibaba 1

When I refused to die My chains were loosened.
My smile caused intolerance in them;
I was shackled again. When I defied death again,
Tired of my life, My captors released me.
I still stubbornly refuse to die.
The sad thing is that They don’t know how to kill me.

( From GN Saibaba’s anthology of prison poems- Why Do You Fear My Way So Much? Poems and Letters from Prison, 2022)

Gokarakonda Naga Saibaba was born in Amalapuram to a peasant family, Andhra Pradesh, on the banks of the Godavari River on 24th July 1967. He fought several struggles resolutely during his 57 years of life. Despite being 90% physically challenged, he never turned his back on any challenge. Perhaps he was the only person with such a deformity to be incarcerated in the Anda Cell for ten years in Indian prisons. He was a dynamic and multifaceted personality- a poet, academic, intellectual, activist, strategist, skilled organiser, and relentless fighter. It can be witnessed from his participation in multiple organisations at national and international levels.

The Turbulent 90s: In the Central University, Hyderabad

As he moved to Hyderabad for higher education at Hyderabad Central University (HCU), where Rohith Vemula exposed the naked picture of caste hegemony and

supremacy, Sai, at the inception of 1990, rightly grasped the true colours of RSS elements leading the Anti-Reservation Movement. He took the mantle of the Mandal Commission Recommendations to provide reservations for oppressed sections (OBC). He participated in the pro-reservation movement called Jana Chaitanya Samithi. He participated in several agitation programmes as one of the leaders, along with other like-minded left and Bahujan student organisations. Protest programmes spread to other universities like Osmania in Hyderabad and Kakatiya in Warangal, where Sai’s active role was remarkable.

In CIEFEL- Integrates with Mess Workers

Sai raised his voice against the injustice meted out to mess workers, whose labour was exploited by authorities in the Central Institute of English and Foreign Languages (CIEFL), Hyderabad. He led the movement to hike the wages of mess workers and ultimately fought for their regularisation as permanent employees. Sai’s integration with the mess workers reminds us of the role of martyr Surapaneni Janardhan, the founder of RSU while he was in REC Warangal before the Emergency days.

Prisoners’ Struggles: Saibaba Leads the JACDR

More significantly, Sai came into the limelight with the movement to protect prisoners’ rights in A.P. under the banner of the Joint Action Committee for Democratic Rights (JACDR). This movement attracted broad sections of people, mainly since it was led by 90% of the challenged Saibaba and the visually challenged Pawan. The duo agitated the entire state administration, enlightening people to recognise prisoners’ legitimate demands. They even met with prisoners in jail, prepared a report of their findings, and brought them to the notice of bureaucrats and the public. Comparatively, the jails in Telangana and A.P. are considered better than those in other states, with good jail manuals and reasonable facilities. This JACDR struggle for prisoners’ rights is the stepping stone of his activism, a milestone in Saibaba’s future role as an activist and a public intellectual.

1996: International Seminar on Nationality Question, Delhi

Another important event led by Sai was organised in Delhi in February 1996. As General Secretary of the All India People’s Resistance Forum (AIPRF), he conducted a two-day ‘International Seminar on Nationality Question’ to understand the various nationality movements across the world, particularly in North East, Kashmir, Punjab, and other parts of India, from a Marxist perspective. Eminent personalities like Arundhati Roy, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, and leaders of these nationality struggles, apart from leaders of various communist parties in the

U.S., Philippines, and International League of Peoples’ Struggles (ILPS), participated in this seminar. It helped Sai develop relations with different movements and individuals across the country and the world. Later, AIPRF published a book, A Symphony of Freedom, an anthology of articles on worldwide nationality movements. Sai edited the book.

Separate Telangana Movement

Sai’s role in the movement for a separate Telangana Statehood is significant and memorable. All sections of the people widely recognised the aspiration for a separate Telangana state, and a public meeting was organised in Warangal in December 1997 under the banner of AIPRF led by Sai. In the name of forming ‘Linguistic States,’ the erstwhile Hyderabad State was merged with Andhra State and carved as Andhra Pradesh on 1st November 1956, against the wishes of the Telangana people. Since then, the movement for separate Telangana Statehood has gained momentum, with 369 people killed by police during the 1969 agitation for Telangana State, suppressed by the ruling classes.

The second phase of this movement began in 1996. It ignited the people in 1997 with the meeting organised by AIPRF, initiated mainly by Sai. Fierce threatening messages were sent to organisers, warning that the stage would be bombed if they proceeded. Kaloji, the People’s poet of Telugu soil, declared that he would be the first speaker on the stage, which drew around 2 lakh people, with Gaddar, the famous balladeer, performing despite suffering from bullet injuries inflicted by the Chandrababu Naidu government. This meeting sent shockwaves into the camp of the ruling classes, forcing them to chant the slogan of a separate Telangana.

Warangal Declaration: Saibaba was Key in Its Formulation

Finally, the intellectuals, academicians, poets, students, employees, and people were inspired by this meeting and organised themselves to further the Telangana movement in the coming days. A public document called the Warangal Declaration was released—a roadmap to achieve Telangana State—primarily drafted by Sai with ideological inputs and references from the ongoing revolutionary movement. Later, different forces utilised the ‘Warangal Declaration’ as a guiding document to advance the movement. By then, no political party supported the cause of a separate Telangana until the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) was formed by KCR in 2001. The Warangal Declaration played a pivotal role in the formation of Telangana, and Sai’s instrumental initiation in bringing out the declaration was laudable and historic.

Saibaba Led the Campaign Against World Bank Policies

During Chandrababu Naidu’s rule (particularly 1998-2000), Andhra Pradesh became a laboratory for implementing World Bank policies, leading to the removal or reduction of welfare schemes. The C.M., who called himself the CEO of A.P., cared little for the people’s welfare, focusing instead on capitalist and corporate interests. Lives were pushed to vulnerable and miserable conditions as welfare schemes were withdrawn or reduced. Under Sai’s leadership, AIPRF campaigned widely, organising protests with massive public participation, demanding the restoration of welfare schemes and exiting the World Bank’s clutches.

Saibaba’s Efforts in Formation of FAIG: An Imperialist Front to Fight LPG Policies

To counter the policies of Liberalisation, Privatisation, and Globalization (LPG), an organisation called the Forum Against Imperialist Globalization (FAIG) was formed, comprising various mass organisations, including revolutionary left parties in the country. FAIG organised the broadest campaign against LPG policies by conducting rallies and protests. A large rally was organised in Delhi, where brutal lathi charges were unleashed on peaceful protesters, including Sai. FAIG was a novel united platform of communist revolutionary organisations unprecedented in India’s history.

Mumbai Resistance- 2004: Continuation of Fight against Neoliberal Policies

A large mela of the World Social Forum (WSF) was organised in Mumbai, a conglomeration of NGOs and other corporate-sponsored groups under the guise of Human Rights and Ecological organisations. The constituent organisations of WSF primarily promote and protect the interests of neo-liberal companies, denying the class-based nature of social issues. Issues like displacement, ecological destruction, and climatic imbalance are analysed from a laissez-faire, individual-centred approach, not a holistic perspective. To counter this paradigm, various mass, democratic, and civil rights organisations, including liberal democrats, united under a forum called ‘Mumbai Resistance-2004,’ which conducted seminars, conventions, and round-table conferences for three days in Mumbai in 2004. Personalities like Arundhati Roy, Medha Patkar, and actor Nandita Das critically analysed society’s issues from a class-based perspective. This alternative event, held on the sidelines of WSF meetings, attracted global attention.

Campaign for the Release of Political Prisoners

As anti-people policies were rigorously implemented, repression of people’s movements intensified, and false cases and indiscriminate arrests became common under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and Public Safety Act (PSA). Targeted Adivasis were falsely accused while fighting for ‘Jal, Jangal, Jameen’ (Water, Forest, Land). Sai observed how Binayak Sen, a renowned doctor and civil rights activist, and Jiten Marandi, a people’s cultural activist, languished in jail despite worldwide protests for their release. Moved by the plight of Adivasis incarcerated without trial, Sai initiated the formation of the Committee for the Release of Political Prisoners (CRPP), involving many, including SAR Gilani. CRPP state units formed throughout the country to ensure the release of political prisoners, engaging many advocates for legal work. Besides this, CRPP conducted meetings to bring awareness in the society the necessity of getting the political prisoners, who were the active voice of the oppressed people, released.

Struggle Against Displacement: The Ranchi Declaration

The development model chosen by the ruling classes led to displacement and destruction, particularly in Central and Eastern India. Sai brought like-minded people such as B.D. Sharma (Retired IAS), Father Stan Swamy, and various concerned organisations and movements together under a single forum, Visthapan Virodhi Jan Vikas Andolan (VVJVA), floated in Ranchi on 23rd March 2007 (Bhagat Singh Martyrdom day) and released a historical document called the Ranchi Declaration. It emphasised a ‘People’s Model of Development,’ which is ecologically sustainable, free from forest destruction, and prevents indiscriminate mining and resource plundering. Sai was crucial in forming VVJVA and converging Adivasi and other organisations nationwide.

The Hideous War on People: The Operation Green Hunt

Consequently, the ‘Committee Against War on People’ was initiated by Sai to expose atrocities on Adivasis by paramilitary forces under ‘Operation Green Hunt’ (OGH). Around 100 MoUs (Memorandums of Understanding) were signed with multinational companies to exploit the rich mineral resources in Adivasi areas. Central India began militarising with hundreds of police camps to suppress Adivasi protests supported by Maoists. After Jammu & Kashmir and Eastern states, Central India became one of the most militarised zones globally. India declared war on its people. Sai garnered support from writers, activists, and journalists at home and internationally to fight against OGH.

State’s Retaliation and Efforts to Silence Saibaba

On the other hand, the Supreme Court of India struck down the ‘Salwa Judum’ vigilante organisation, which aimed to kill the Adivasis. The effect of the relentless campaign against the war on the people is reflected in the judgement, and it is a slap on the Government. State, in its retaliation, targeted Sai. The state began its efforts to silence Sai’s voice, ultimately leading to his incarceration in Anda Cell with the sinister intention of causing his death in jail. The Committee Against War on People (CAWP) expanded its propaganda worldwide, exposing the repressive nature of the State, which resorts to genocide against Adivasis by unleashing terror in the name of ‘Operation Green Hunt’ (OGH). The architect of OGH, then Home Minister P. Chidambaram, personally named Saibaba, referencing CAWP’s activities with a vengeance and threatening that Sai would be taken to task in the future.

Sai believed that large-scale participation of the people was a prerequisite for fighting against the Government’s anti-people policies. When it became difficult to carry out activities under the name of AIPRF for various reasons, a large platform consisting of diverse groups was brought together as the Peoples Democratic Forum of India (PDFI). Along similar lines, Sai played a vital role in the formation of the Patriotic Democratic Movement (PDM) in A.P., which fought against imperialism and the anti-people policies of the State.

State Bans RDF

Later, it was thought that an organisation was needed to propagate the necessity of revolution. Thus, the Revolutionary Democratic Front (RDF) was formed with revolutionary thinkers and people who believed in and practised revolutionary methods, critiquing policies from anti-imperialist and anti-feudal perspectives. Sai was elected as Joint Secretary of RDF during its conference held in Hyderabad in 2012, though the State later banned it. The primary accusation against Sai was his alleged membership in the banned RDF, repeatedly cited in the chargesheet. The same RDF affiliation was referenced to accuse Varavara Rao, a renowned Telugu poet incarcerated in the infamous Bhima-Koregaon case.

India- A Prison House of Nationalities: Saibaba Formed CCNDM

Sai realised that the Indian subcontinent consists of different nationalities with unique cultures and lifestyles specific to each region. Nagas, Kukis, Bodos, Kashmiris, Punjabis, and others have long fought militantly for their rights, including secession. To suppress these struggles, the Indian Government deployed heavy paramilitary forces in the North East regions and Jammu and Kashmir. Sai’s initiative brought all these national struggles together under the ‘Coordination Committee of National Democratic Movements’ (CCNDM).

Later, it was thought that a broad-based platform was necessary to confront the ‘mighty’ State power. In this context, all People’s Movements and National Movements were brought under a vast network called the ‘Joint Action Forum of Indigenous People’ (JAFIP). This formation is considered a broad United Front in the annals of history.

AIPRF Becomes Part of ILPS: Saibaba Participates in ILPS

Sai also played a pivotal role in the activities of the International League of Peoples’ Struggles (ILPS), a united forum of leftist and democratic parties and organisations in many countries. Representatives from ILPS were invited to India to participate in several meetings, share experiences, and express solidarity with ongoing struggles. Sai himself participated in seminars organised by ILPS constituents in foreign countries.

Sai was instrumental in founding and running these organisations, from drafting manifestos to defining aims and objectives. Sai’s skill in uniting various movements and individuals nationwide was remarkable. In a lighter vein, when we called him the ‘Manufacturer of Manifestos,’ Sai would respond with a gentle smile. On behalf of AIPRF, Sai played an instrumental role in editing its official magazines’ Peoples Resistance,’ ‘Jana Prathirodh,’ and ‘Udyamam’ (Telugu). He presented numerous papers at seminars at national and international levels from a people’s perspective, delivered lectures, and wrote articles for various magazines.

Operation Green Hunt was part of the Low-Intensity War which was aimed to crush the Maoist movement and all the democratic people’s movements against imperialism and semi-feudalism, dissenting voices from the intellectuals and activists, who were described by the state as ‘urban Naxals’. The suppressive campaign against these voices began with the arrest of Saibaba, culminating in the imprisonment of six persons, including Sai. Sai, along with others, were sentenced to life imprisonment. Sai was sent to Nagpur jail. And his address for the next decade was his Anda cell.

Poems Bloomed From Anda Cell

Saibaba penned poems from Anda Cell, published under the title Why Do You Fear My Way So Much? Anticipating the Government’s intention of keeping him in jail indefinitely without bail or parole, he wrote a letter from his prison cell titled They Don’t Know How to Kill Me.

Most Persecuted Political Prisoner in Post-1947 India

Sai left behind his jail experiences unwritten. The merciless ill health caused by the horrendous prison conditions for a decade failed him to fulfil his desire. Like Julius Fusic in Nazi prisons, Like Gramsci in Mussolini’s hell holes, Saibaba faced untold suffering in the Saffron fascists’ jails. He is one of the most persecuted political prisoners in post-1947 India.

A lover of Telugu and English literature, Sai intensely studied the works of veteran writers in both languages. He believed that literature should be ‘People- Centered,’ which led him to join the Revolutionary Writers Association (popularly known as Virasam in A.P. & Telangana), an organisation grounded in Marxism-Leninism-Maoism. Sai adhered to and practised these principles until his last breath.

Saibaba has become synonymous with struggles against the neoliberal policies that drove economic juggernauts to crush people’s lives since the 1990s. Saibababa’s efforts to forge broad united fronts is still a model we have to experiment against the relent fascist onslaught on the people. The far-right ideologies of neoliberalism and Hindu Bramanical fascism have coalesced. The need for Sai is felt more in building such broad anti-fascist organisations to take the counter-revolution head-on.


Sai breathed his last on 12th October at 8.36 pm. It was not an ordinary death. It is an insitutional murder. Saibaba is no longer. However, his work, struggles, writings, speeches, and life continue to inspire generations as long as imperialism and feudalism are completely rooted out. Saibaba remains an icon of people’s resistance forever.

The inspiring life of Saibaba, a steadfast warrior unbound by physical constraints, is an unforgettable poem, a memorable tale, and an essential chapter in the history of the Indian revolution.

K Ravi Chander is co-convenor of “Forum Against Repression, Telangana

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