We, the undersigned, are individuals working for the rights of marginalized persons in India including women, LGBTQ+ persons and people from oppressed castes. We strongly condemn the harassment and subsequent persecution that Piyush Manush has launched against Kiruba Munusamy. We stand in solidarity with Kiruba against this casteist and patriarchal persecution by Piyush Manush.
Piyush Manush sexually harassed Kiruba when she was working with him as a law student. Piyush wields immense power through his networks which he uses to put out false and misleading statements to malign Kiruba. His work in the social/environmental activism does not give him any immunity to the allegation of sexual harassment against him. He has recently issued a video lashing out at Kiruba for her sexual harrassment complaint against him three years ago. His unfounded statements have been refuted by Kiruba in a video statement (https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10217004974649794&id=1029885522&refsrc=http%3A%2F%2Ft.co%2Fn5xKGD2wo3&_rdr).
We strongly condemn these methods adopted by Piyush Manush to aggravate his harassment that is detrimental to the survivor’s mental health and the ends of justice.
We demand that Piyush stop maligning and persecuting Kiruba and publicly apologize for the harm he has caused to her.
In solidarity,
Deepan Kannan, Queer Feminist, Chennai
Gowthaman Ranganathan, Lawyer, Chennai
Valan, PhD Scholar, Sonipat
Krishna Kala Bhaskaran, Teacher, Chennai
L. Ramakrishnan, Chennai
Nikita, Lawyer, Bhopal
Jasoon, Lawyer, Bengaluru
Kanaga Varathan, IT Consultant, Chennai
Srijith Sundaram, Kattiyakari, Chennai
Pushpa Achanta, Writer and Consultant, Bengaluru
Living Smile Vidya, Theatre Practitioner
Darshana, Lawyer, Kolkata
Shruti Ravi, Bengaluru
Ashwin Thomas
Gee Imaan Semmalar, Activist, Bengaluru
Greeshma Kuthar, Journalist, Mumbai
Dr Maari ZM, Researcher, New Delhi
Narmadha Devi, Chennai
Jessica Praksh-Richard, Feminist and Church worker, Chennai
Archanaa Seker, Social Activist and Writer, Chennai
Shweta Narayan, Activist and Researcher, Kumily
Anish Anto, Kattiyakari, Chennai
Shambhavi, Chennai
Sridevi Sarma, Chennai
Bittu, Activist, Sonipat
Sankari, LGBTQ Activist, Chennai
Thenmozhi Soundararajan
Kavin Malar, Writer, Chennai
Jaya, LGBTQ Activist, Chennai
Dhiren Borisa, Researcher, Delhi
Shilpa, Chennai
Ahalya, Chennai
Arthi Vendan, PhD Scholar, Chennai
V. Geetha, Feminist Historian and Writer
Vyjayanti Vasanta Mogli, RTI Transgender Human Rights Activist, Hyderabad
Aadithya Hridhaya, Chennai
Gowdham, Student, Chennai
A. Mangai, Theatre Person and Academician
Aniruddhan Vasudevan, Chennai
Elavenhil Pallipatti Mohan, Chennai
Nandini Rao Akkaraju, New Delhi
Neeti Ravindra, Firefly, Hyderabad
Alifiya Khan, Firefly, Hyderabad
Ayesha Syeda, Firefly, Hyderabad
Aaliya Syeda, Firefly, Hyderabad
Sayantan Datta, Transfeminist activist, Hyderabad
Moses Tulasi, Filmmaker, Hyderabad
Bishal Dey, Hyderabad
Anomitra Biswas, Hyderabad
Santosh Sirra, Queer Swabhimana Yatra (QSY) & Telangana Hijra Intersex Transgender Samiti (THITS), Hyderabad
Arpita Jaya, Quill Foundation, Delhi
Priya Murthy
Vanaja Mohanambal, Retired Professor, Chennai
Nadika Nadja, Writer, Chennai
S. Sarmishta, Interior Designer, Arc Belso, Hyderabad
Sharanya, WSS, Koraput
Mamatha, WSS
Nisha Biswas, WSS
Zenanandini, WSS
Geeta Charusivam, Social Activist, WSS, Kancheepuram
Rachana, THITS
