A guest blog by Henri Tiphagne on the death of human rights defender GN Saibaba. Professor GN Saibaba died on 12 October 2024, seven months after his release from Nagpur Central Jail after almost a decade of arbitrary detention. You can read more about his human rights work and the repression he faced here.
Dear Comrades and Friends,
It is with profound grief and a deep sense of loss that I mourn the passing away of a friend, a husband, an academic, and our beloved comrade, Professor GN Saibaba. His departure leaves us with a sorrow that words cannot adequately convey—a grief not only for the man we have lost but for our collective failure to ensure his safety after his release from the brutal confines of incarceration.
I recall our last meeting, when Professor Saibaba addressed the Northern regional consultation of HRDA in New Delhi this past June, sharing with us his steadfast commitment to stand in solidarity with human rights defenders across the country. He spoke with the same clarity and conviction that marked his life, even as his own body bore the scars of years of torture, suffering, and neglect. His voice, despite the physical toll, carried the unbroken spirit of a man dedicated to justice for the most vulnerable.
Like Fr. Stan Swamy before him, who we lost under similarly tragic circumstances, GN Saibaba’s death is an institutional murder—an outcome of the state’s relentless apathy and repression. I will never forget appealing to the National Human Rights Commission, imploring them to intervene and save both their lives. Yet here we are today, mourning not just their deaths, but the unfulfilled dreams they carried.
Saibaba’s poetry, written from the confines of his prison cell, was an act of defiance, a beacon of hope that transcended walls and bars. In his poem “This Day, Too, Will Pass,” he writes:
Dizziness, nausea, breathlessness…
Outside the high walls of my state’s abode,
the destitute children
in uniforms of half-nakedness,
parade around the islands
of busy traffic with flags of patriotism…
His words give voice to those silenced by oppression, reminding us of the painful contradictions of a nation that celebrates freedom while shackling its dissenters. Even in his darkest moments, Saibaba’s poetry called for collective action, for solidarity, for the persistence of love in the face of brutality.
His body may have been frail, his movements restricted by a wheelchair, but his mind and spirit soared, stronger than ever. His incarceration did not break him; it fortified him. He continued to challenge power, to confront the injustices of a system designed to silence people like him, and he did so with grace, intellect, and undying commitment.
In his poem “The Ocean is His Voice,” he writes:
The collective voice speaks
through his nimble words.
His lullabies are hummed to children
who fall into vivid dreams of the future…
The ocean is his voice.
Today, we carry forward Saibaba’s voice, his teachings, and his legacy. We continue to fight for the oppressed, for those who have been silenced, imprisoned, or forgotten. His voice echoes in the winds of resistance that sweep across this land, and we must let it guide us in our ongoing struggle for justice.
Let us also remember his partner, Comrade Vasantha, who stood by him through these long years of suffering. Her courage mirrors his, and we must offer her our solidarity now more than ever.
Comrades, GN Saibaba’s life was a testament to the unyielding power of resistance, to the bravery of standing up against oppression, and to the importance of collective action. His death is not an end but a call to renew our commitment to the causes for which he fought so tirelessly. We have lost a giant, but his spirit remains with us, urging us forward.
In his own words, let us remember:
They have imprisoned us, me inside the high walls, you outside,
in the wider prison.
But who has been spared that dreams of freedom, of a hopeful future?
May we honor him by continuing to dream of that hopeful future and working tirelessly to make it a reality.
Henri Tiphagne, National Working Secretary of HRD Alert India
