Lucknow- In a shocking episode reflecting the fraught landscape of press freedom in India, French documentary filmmaker Valentin Henault faced severe hardships while covering a Dalit movement in Uttar Pradesh.
Henault, who was in India to document the struggles of marginalized communities, was arrested by Gorakhpur police in October 2023 during the 'Ghera Dalo Dera Dalo' protest organized by the Ambedkar Morcha.
What followed was a harrowing experience marked by unjust detention, extensive interrogation, and severe living conditions, all while grappling with the local authorities' attempts to stifle his work.
His story highlights the increasing pressures and dangers faced by journalists and filmmakers working on sensitive issues in the country.
In October 2023, the Gorakhpur police in UP arrested Henault, for participating in the 'Ghera Dalo Dera Dalo' movement by Ambedkar Morcha.
Initially, the police claimed it was a conspiracy to incite riots in Gorakhpur and made various arrests. Following the arrest of a foreign national, the movement for land rights for landless Dalits took on a different character.
The victim, returned to France in May, has made serious allegations against the police. He claims that he was subjected to severe mental torture, held at the police station for 40 hours, and allowed to sleep for only one hour in a 24-hour period.
Speaking with The Mooknayak, Henault shared his ordeal. He mentioned that dealing with "moral torture" in India was the hardest part. The police's attitude was inhumane. He didn’t know whether he would be in jail for a few days or be incarcerated for a long time.
Notably, in October 2023, leaders of the Ambedkar Morcha raised the demand for one acre of land for Dalit, backward, Muslim, and poor landless laborer families in the Gorakhpur district.
On October 10, they staged a day-long 'Ghera Dalo Dera Dalo' movement at the Commissioner’s office. Later that night, the police registered cases against Ambedkar Janmorcha leaders, authors, and journalists under serious charges including attempted murder and arrested them within 24 hours.
They were presented in court and then sent to jail. Among those arrested was French citizen Valentin Roger Henault.
A filmmaker by profession, Henault was in India to make a documentary on Dalits and became a victim of UP police's methods. He was arrested and sent to jail, later released on bail, but due to a lookout notice (LOC) against him, he could not leave India for six months after his release.
Henault had arrived in India on August 10, 2023, to work on a film focusing on atrocities against Dalit women.
Before coming to Uttar Pradesh, he had traveled to Bihar and Jharkhand. On October 10, 2023, Henault joined the “Ambedkar’s People’s March” led by farmer women, demanding land rights for Dalits.
On stage, a speaker who knew him mentioned the presence of "international observers" and named Henault, after which he was surrounded by local intelligence agents (LIU).
These agents questioned him and then allowed him to leave the event site.
Henault Tells The Mooknayak: "I was in my hotel room. It was around 6 in the evening. Suddenly, the police knocked on my door. About 6 policemen were there, and many of them were recording me on video. They then took me to the police station. The police asked me about Ambedkar Morcha, JNU, and Naxalite organizations, but I had no information about these."
Henault told The Mooknayak: "The police knew very well what I was doing. They understood that I was making a film about atrocities against Dalits. They scolded me for my work and said, 'Why are you making a story on Dalits? Life for Dalits in India is very good. You don't know anything about this place. Why are you making misleading videos?' They were angry about my work and wanted me not to show anything about Dalits."
"The police were harassing me unethically. I was given food, but I was interrogated extensively. It felt like I was a major criminal. When the police took me from the hotel, I was kept at the police station for 40 hours. During this time, I was interrogated for perhaps 20 hours out of 24 and allowed to sleep for only one hour, early in the morning. When I tried to sleep in the morning, a policeman would come and shout loudly, 'Wake up, it's morning!' Henault recounted.
The police allegedly arrested Henault under Article 14B of the Foreigners Act, accusing him of "violating visa conditions."
According to this law, if a person knowingly uses a forged passport to enter India or stays in the country without lawful authority, they can be "punished" with a minimum of two years' imprisonment, which can be extended up to eight years. Additionally, the media fueled perceptions and discussions about ISI and foreign funding.
Law enforcement officials claimed that Henault had "indicated a reference contact in Dhanbad on his visa application and was not permitted to leave Jharkhand." However, Henault stated that "this accusation is completely baseless, as his e-business visa, valid for one year, included no geographical restrictions."
"About 20 hours after my arrest, the police had filed a case against me. Despite this, I was not sent to jail. After about 40 hours, I was taken to a parking area in the evening. A car arrived, with a lady magistrate inside. She didn't even get out of the car. She signed the papers and left. The next day, I was sent to jail. I wasn't even given a chance to present my case," Henault said.
"I was sent to Gorakhpur District Jail. The conditions in the jail were very bad. There were more than two hundred men in one barrack. I slept on the floor, and there was very little space to sleep. It was impossible to turn over in such a small space. Most of the inmates were poor people, predominantly from Dalit, Adivasi, and Muslim communities. Wealthy people faced no problems in jail. But life was very difficult for the poor. For 20-30 rupees, the poor were willing to do any work in jail." Henault described his observations from the jail.
Henault said, "I thought caste discrimination happened only outside the jail. But after spending days in jail, I was astonished. There was significant caste discrimination in the jail. Dalits were forced to do the dirty work. They were given the most menial and unpleasant tasks. The barracks were also segregated. One barrack was entirely filled with Yadavs, who were the most influential in the jail. They ran the place. Additionally, the caste of wealthy people was never questioned."
Henault recounts, 'When the jail administration felt I was facing inconvenience, I was transferred to a cell designated for mentally unstable individuals. There, other inmates were physically abused into silence, but staying there was a relief, as the cell had a bit more space. Afterward, I was shifted to a hospital."
Henault managed to contact the French Embassy on his first day in jail. The embassy provided him with a lawyer's contact information. During the third week of his arrest, an embassy official visited him in jail. Following this visit, his father came to meet him and changed his lawyer, which led to Henault securing bail and being released on November 10, 2023.
Despite being released on bail, the LOC (Lookout Circular) against Henault was not lifted, and his passport remained with the police until May. He has now returned to France.
According to reports, the French Embassy informed his family during this difficult time that "the delay in the process was due to the elections." Henault finally left India on May 4.
Former IPS officer Amitabh Thakur, in an interview with The Mooknayak, vehemently criticized Henault's detention, branding it a blatant violation of human rights.
Thakur remarked, "There have always been concerns regarding the conduct of the Uttar Pradesh police. The level of brutality inflicted upon the French citizen undoubtedly made him feel like he had stepped into a different realm. It's imperative to note that the police cannot legally detain an individual for more than 24 hours. It is mandated by the rules to present the detained individual before a magistrate within this timeframe. This blatant disregard for human rights cannot be overlooked. Rest assured, Adhikar Sena will take decisive action in response to this matter."
In the 2024 World Press Freedom Index released by the press freedom NGO Reporters Without Borders (RSF), India was ranked 159th out of 176 countries. RSF has previously stated that the central government arbitrarily uses visa procedures to limit the work of foreign correspondents in India and exerts pressure to control their media coverage.
-Translated by Geetha Sunil Pillai
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