New Delhi- The Campaign Against State Repression (CASR), a coalition of progressive organizations, has strongly condemned the arrest of Mukesh Malaud, President of the Zameen Prapti Sangharsh Committee (ZPSC), by Punjab Police. The arrest, described by CASR as a "deliberate attempt to crush democratic dissent," occurred at Delhi's Nizamuddin railway station as Malaud was returning to Punjab following his attendance at an Ambedkar Mission programme in Maharashtra.

According to CASR's statement, the arrest is connected to multiple longstanding cases in Sangrur district. One prominent case dates back to 2014 and stems from a ZPSC-led agitation in Balad Kalan village, where activists demanded Dalits' legal entitlement to a one-third share of panchayat land. Another case relates to a planned protest on May 20 at Bir Eswan village, during which ZPSC called for the distribution of 927 acres of land from the former Jind Riyasat among landless Dalits under the Land Ceiling Act. Although Malaud was not physically present at the Bir Eswan protest—where over 400 activists were detained—police have accused him of issuing the call for the demonstration, leading to his inclusion in that case.

Malaud, a prominent figure in Punjab's Dalit land rights movement, has led the ZPSC in a "peaceful and democratic struggle" advocating for the lawful rights of Dalits and landless communities over village common lands. CASR highlighted that his activism has consistently exposed "entrenched caste oppression and the systematic denial of land rights to Dalit communities."

The circumstances of the arrest have drawn sharp criticism from CASR. They described it as lacking transparency and involving "coordinated action of intelligence agencies and special police" outside Punjab's borders. In their statement, CASR accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab of adopting repressive tactics it once criticized in others. "On the question of democratic rights, there is no difference between the AAP government in Punjab and the BJP-led governments elsewhere," the group asserted. "When people assert their rights, governments across party lines unite to use state power to silence resistance."

CASR framed Malaud's detention as part of a broader pattern of state repression against the ZPSC. The organization noted that "in the past, several members and leaders of the Zameen Prapti Sangharsh Committee have been arrested and targeted with false and fabricated criminal cases" for their efforts to secure land rights for landless Dalit families. Instead of implementing land reform laws to address these demands, the Punjab government has resorted to "repression, harassment, and coercion," according to CASR. The arrest, they argued, is "clearly aimed at weakening the growing land rights movement and spreading fear among activists and marginalised communities," constituting a "grave violation of democratic norms and fundamental rights, including the right to dissent, organise, and struggle for justice."

In response, CASR issued a set of specific demands:

• Immediate and unconditional release of Mukesh Malaud.

• Withdrawal of all false cases against ZPSC members and activists.

• An end to repressive tactics against Dalit and landless people’s movements.

The group urged "all democratic forces, civil society organisations, and concerned citizens to raise their voices against this injustice and stand in solidarity with the Dalit land rights struggle in Punjab."

CASR, which describes itself as an alliance focused on combating state repression, is supported by a wide network of organizations, including AIRSO, AISF, APCR, ASA, BASF, BSM, Bhim Army, BSCEM, CEM, Collective, CRPP, CSM, CTF, DISSC, DSU, DTF, Forum Against Repression Telangana, Fraternity, IAPL, Innocence Network, Karnataka Janashakti, LAA, Mazdoor Adhikar Sangathan, Mazdoor Patrika, NAPM, Nazariya Magazine, Nishant Natya Manch, Nowruz, NTUI, People’s Watch, Rihai Manch, Samajwadi Janparishad, Samajwadi Lok Manch, Bahujan Samajwadi Manch, United Peace Alliance, WSS, and Y4S.