PUCL,
October 2003
Andhra Pradesh Civil Liberities Committee (APCLC)
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Life
and liberty of APCLC activists under serious threat
Dear Friends,
In the backdrop of C.P.I.(M.L.) peoples War’s attack on the life
of Chief Minister Andhra Pradesh Mr. Chandra Babu Naidu on 1st October
2003, near Tirupati Ghat Road (temple town), the APCLC activists have
been targeted by the police and vigilante groups. The life and the liberty
of the civil rights activists is under serious threat in Andhra Pradesh.
Mr. Hari Prasad (Advocate), Mr. M.V. Prasad, Mr. Kesava, Mr. C. Raja Ram
of APCLC and their relatives Shankar, Mr. Uday, Eswaraiah and Chandrasekhar
have been arrested in the early hours on 2nd October 2003. The police
whisked away the APCLC members from their houses and detained in the station
house and later released them by stating that their arrests are preventive
arrests u/s. 151 Cr. P.C. During the custody the activists were subjected
to interrogation and humiliation. In the early hours on the same day,
the police in search of Mr.K. Kranthi Chaitanya (Advocate), the state
joint secretary of A.P.C.L.C., forcibly made their way into his house
and created panic and terrorized the family members. They left the house,
as they could not find Kranthi Chiatanya in his house. Till today the
police have been searching for some of the APCLC members and keeping close
and continuous surveillance on their houses.
The police again on 17-10-2003 have arrested M.V. Prasad and Vijay Bhaskar
convener for Revolutionary Writers Association, (RWA), tortured for 2
days and extracted confessions. Based on the involuntary confession a
case is registered under AP. Public security Act. The family members of
the activists are terribly afraid and suspected that the police may kill
the detainees in false encounter. Further the police are planning to implicate
Kranti chytanya and others in the above case.
As soon as the electronic media flashed out the news of attack on Chief
Minister, at Hyderbad a group of persons in TATA SUMO vehicles reached
Dr. Laxman’s (State President, APCLC) house and keep on surveillance
till mid night. The next day some unidentified persons made an attempt
to enter the house of Dr. Laxman, situated in the Osmania University Campus.
They knocked the doors several times and terrorized his wife and children.
Similarly some unidentified persons made their entry into the house of
Mr. K.G. Kannabiran (PUCL), and his daughter received phone calls that
she would be kidnapped. It is open secret that in A.P. the police are
conniving with the surrendered Naxalites and using them to terrorize the
Human rights activists. You might be aware of the brutal murder of Prushotham
and Azam Ali by the state sponsored criminal gangs.
On 14-10-2003, the houses of APCLC activists Chilaka Chandra Sekhar, Ch.
L.N. Murthy, in Guntur District are simultaneously attacked between 2-30
a.m. and 3-30 a.m.. The police ransaked the houses and attempted to enter
and catch hold of the activists. But, the activists narrowly escaped death.
After causing damage, the police claimed themselves as ‘Planadu
Tigers’ and shouted slogans against APCLC and issued a death warrant
to the activists.
It is common for APCLC leaders to receive threatening phone calls from
the "Green Tigers or the Red Tigers". When ever a police man
was killed or kidnapped by the CPI(M.L.) Pepoles War, these self styled
‘Tiger forces’ terrorize the APCLC., and other mass organizations.
Immediately after the attack on the Chief Minister a press statement was
released in the name of ‘Red Tigers’ warning Mr. G. Laxman
and Prof. S. Sheshaiah, the APCLC State President and General Secretary,
Ballad singer Gaddar, Revolutionary Writers Association secretary and
Executive Member Mr. Pinka Pani and Varavara Rao. Further the statement
says if these leaders do no facilitate and help to nab or surrender the
persons responsible for the attack on Chief Minister, all will be physically
liquidated.
The State police knew that the members of APCLC are no way concerned with
the bomb blast. The Peoples War Party itself made it clear and owned the
responsibility for the attack. But the police higher officials including
the D.G.P. Mr. Sukumaran, talks like a private person and use the language
of revenge and retaliation.
The APCLC will not subscribe to the theory and practice of Peoples War
and never take part in its activity. It is an independent organization
fighting for the defense and protections of people’s rights. APCLC
has been pleading with the government that the Naxalite movement is a
socio, economic and political movement and not a law and order problem.
But the government, instead of dealing with the movement politically unleasing
repression on the movement and in the process the state became a "Police
State".
During the Chandra Babu Naidu regime there are about 1500 persons killed
by the police indiscriminately in false encounters. In the wake of bomb
blast, the police have seized the opportunity to blame and delegitimise
the activities of APCLC by branding at as one of the frontal organisation
of People War.
Although the APCLC reacted against the Bomb attack on Chief Minister as
unfortunate and sad and further explained the incident is nothing but
an inevitable result of the increasing repression by the State on the
Naxalite Movement. The APCLC has been urging the state Government that
providing more and more democratic space would reduces the violence in
society, including the counter violence by the Peoples War Party. It is
the responsibility of the State Government to open a dialogue with the
Peoples War and other revolutionary parties and provide a conducive atmosphere
in the state. But the state Government is delaing with the single agenda
of
crusing the Naxalite movement and at present an absolute state lawlessness
is prevailing in the state. Any kind of dissent or
agitation could not be tolerated by the state Government. Now the state
police have targeted human rights activists and determined to cripple
their voice.
We therefore request all the human rights organizations and the democratic
forces across the country to raise voice of protest and bring pressure
on the state Government to give due respect for the human rights and ensure
protection to the human rights defenders.
With regards
Prof. S. SESHAIAH
State General Secretary
A.P.C.L.C.
e-mail : seshuclc2003@yahoo.co.in
Mail to :
1. The Hon’ble Governor
State of Andhra Pradesh
Rastrapathi Bhavan
Hyderbad.
Email:governer@ap.nic.in
2. The Hon’ble Chief Minister
Government of Andhra Pradesh,
Secretariat,
Hyderbad.
Email:cmap@ap.nic.in
ANDHRA PRADESH CIVIL LIBERITIES COMMITTEE (APCLC)
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