Rights activists and People’s Organisations, who expressed shock at registering cases against several prominent persons under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act - 1967 (UAPA) by Tadwai police in Mulugu district, have decided to fight back. It was decided to build a public movement in this regard demanding to withdraw cases registered under UAPA and repeal the Act.
Under the banner of Forum Against Repression- Telangana, led by its convenor Prof. G. Haragopal, a round table conference was held here on June 17 in which representatives from several organisations participated and expressed their opinions. All the speakers have pointed out how the UAPA Act is being misused by the government and how cases are being registered against activists in the name of ‘Confession Statements’ by those arrested.
“Cases are being registered against one after other. It is becoming highly difficult to face these cases. We are being forced to attend court twice a week and imagine the plight of the family, financially and emotionally, who are making life on small earnings,” said Bhavani, an activist of Amarula Bandhu Mitrula Sangham. She said that six of their activists are facing cases.
An activist from another organisation said that one of the accused has been facing cases and going to court by selling his cattle to meet the expenditures.
“All of us fought for Telangana. We thought of getting a Telangana where there is freedom and no repression. We have never imagined such a Telangana existing now. Even in the combined Andhra Pradesh, no such cases were registered against me,” said Prof. Haragopal while speaking to reporters. Stating that he has unconfirmed information that his name was removed from the case, he has demanded that the same be applied to all those 151 other persons whose names cropped up in the case.
The Forum has decided to take the issue to district and mandal level and hold another Round Table Conference inviting political parties, except BJP and BRS, and seek their opinion on UAPA. They said that they would demand the political parties, in view of forthcoming elections, to promise repealing of UAPA in their manifesto.
When pointed out that all three major political parties - BJP, BRS and Congress- are directly involved with the implementation of UAPA, they said that by bringing pressure from civil organisations and the public, they can force the government to retreat and this had happened in the past TADA and POTA Acts.
Rights activists Prof. G. Lakshman, M. Raghavachari, K. Ravichandar, Vimalakka, Sandhya and others attended the programme.
