Garhwa (Jharkhand): On March 28, activists Vivek Gupta and Anuj Kumar had organised a public hearing aimed to discuss implementation right to food, social security pensions and matters of education. Prof Jean Dreze, a renowned development economist who currently teaches in Ranchi University, was also present at the meeting. However, before the meeting could even start, police unceremoniously called it off. The three activists were detained for more than three hours at Bishnupura police station, for allegedly violating the model code of conduct. In a statement, they said the police coerced them to sign a bond which stated that they had “no complaint against the government”. When they refused to do so, they were threatened and harassed. However, later, as public pressure mounted, they were released unconditionally.Also read: Why Doesn’t the Govt Want People to Engage in Constructive Dialogue?The Right to Food Campaign in Jharkhand has played a major role in conducting such meetings to ensure that people can be engaged in a continuous dialogue on various developmental issues. In 2017, the campaign’s efforts revealed the grave failure of government’s pilot project of direct benefit transfer in PDS in Nagari, Jharkhand. The scheme was rolled back in less than a year’s time. In 2018, it also exposed the malfunctioning of the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) in Manika, Latehar by a corrupt company. The RTF Campaign has also continuously sent fact-finding teams to areas from where starvation deaths have been reported.Intimidation tacticsAs news of detention and the subsequent release did the rounds, Gupta and Kumar started receiving concerned calls from friends and family. The next day, on March 29, sub-divisional officer Kamlesh Narayan filed an FIR against the two under Sections 188 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). From being food rights activists, Gupta and Kumar now stand accused of committing a “criminal act…(with) common intention”. Also read: Jharkhand’s Starvation Deaths Raise Questions About India’s Welfare SchemesGupta, however, is unperturbed. Sitting in his modest room in Ranchi, he says: “The allegation of violating the model code is baseless. We are not a political party. It was meant to be a meeting where we would speak of the people’s demands, and our rights as voters.”Gupta, a 22 year-old graduating in economics, is a student-turned-activist. Fighting at the forefront against rampant food insecurity and implementation of National Food Security Act in Jharkhand, his work is focused on the welfare schemes and speaking for the rights of marginalised Dalits and adivasis. He is also the convenor of a local non-profit, Dehan, which works around the matters of employment, food security and education. He works closely with Prof. Jean Dreze on matters of Right to Food and its implementation in the conflict ridden state of Jharkhand.Also read: In Jharkhand, Schemes Neglected While Hunger Flares in the CountrysideFor Gupta, intimidation is not new. “It is a reality for an activist like me. The fear of speaking up against rampant corruption is palpable in Bishnupura, and rarely anyone stands up. This is an over-lived reality for me, to speak is to attract such baseless allegations,” he says. “This is not the first time that the state is intimidating me with law. A few years ago, we conducted a survey to audit the implementation of MNREGA. We had found that in one village of a panchayat, Rs 28 lakh were embezzled by creating false accounts of job demanders while the workers received nothing. So you can imagine the enemies I have made in the process. From threats against my life, to other ways, the state has always attempted to repress activists,” Gupta says.Reflecting on the condition of Jharkhand, he says, “Over 18 starvation deaths occurred in the last one year alone. The state and the central governments have done nothing to curb them. Moreover, in Garhwa, there have been over four deaths, now. How is it criminal to talk about the citizen’s fundamental right to food, in a place where unavailability of food is causing deaths every day? And where in the model code of conduct does it mention that we cannot hold meetings to educate voters about their issues?”Also read: In Rural Jharkhand, Aadhaar Link to Welfare Schemes is Excluding the Most NeedyGupta’s journey in activism has not been an easy one. After realising the grim situation in his hometown, he was drawn to raise his voice. With stiff resistance from the police and ruling class, he has often been asked to put off. “In a place like Bishnupura where no one has ever questioned the bada babus, any small attempt of accountability threatens them,” he explains. “It is tough for grassroot activists. We are known by name, by face and live too close to the ones against whom we raise our voices. But how can I stay quiet when people are dying and nobody does anything?”Also read: 18 Years On, Memories of Jharkhand’s Adivasi Anti-Dam Struggle EndureAn unhealthy democratic spaceIn Gupta’s opinion, what happened to him last week is an indication that the elections are far from being free and fair. “We had seeked permission for the event ten days ago, but had received no information from the SDO. He did not bother to inform us. Moreover, the gathering was meant to reveal rampant corruption in the PDS, many families had not received the food grains for the month of March whereas their ration card had an entry. The corrupt dealers were set to be in grave danger. The nexus between the state and dealers worked against us.” The magnitude of oppression and fear created by the state government will undoubtedly affect the way in which votes are cast. “These are attempts to curb down on healthy democratic practices of debates and discussions that form the duty of a voter. How will people be confident to choose their leader if they cannot even ask what they want from them?” he says.Terming it as an attack on the foundations of a democracy, Gupta slams the way in which the poor are being left to their own by an arrogant state. “As long as we are here, we will speak, and they will indulge in baseless rumour mongering to legal actions, but we will stay strong and fight. It is a fight between the constitution and the exploiters, the law is on our side,” he said.Attempts to contact the local station in-charge were met with hostility. “First get your Aadhaar card, only then will we divulge any information on the status of the FIR,” the police said. Abinash Dash Choudhury is a Skye Fellow, he is currently based in Ranchi, Jharkhand.