Hyderabad: The Human Rights Forum (HRF) has strongly condemned the ruling of 16 organizations, including the Revolutionary Writers Association (Virasam), by the Telangana government for a period of one year. The HRF had hoped that the Telangana government would revoke the notice under which it banned the bodies.
The banned organizations, with effect from March 30, include the Civil Liberties Committee (CLC), Virasam, Telangana Praja Front, Committee for the Release of Political Prisoners, Tudum Debba and Chaitanya Mahila Sangam. “HRF is of the opinion that this is a hard attempt by the state to criminalize political beliefs and differences of opinion. This is in line with democratic principles, “the HRF said in a strongly worded statement on Saturday.
The HRF warned the state government that the move to ban the 16 organizations under The Telangana Public Security Act, 1992, ‘is nothing more than a political instrument disguised as criminal law’. It added that the government has decided to ban these organizations as ‘social activism is not palatable to the ruling dispensatio’. It essentially says that the ban took place as the governments are dissatisfied with the issues raised by the banned bodies.
“Such an approach affects fundamental freedoms and is unacceptable in a democracy. GO no. 73 of 30-3-2021, under which the 16 organizations were declared illegal associations, has the effect of melting away the basic freedoms and greatly damaging the idea of democracy. HRF sincerely hopes that the Telangana government will make better sense and that the notice will be revoked, ”the HRF statement concluded.
On April 23, the Telangana government on Friday banned 16 organizations, including the Revolutionary Writers Association, known as Virasam, and claimed to be frontal bodies of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist), and was engaged in ‘tactics’ that’ work war against the state ”. The mandate was accepted by General Secretary Somesh Kumar with effect from 30 March this year.
The 16 banned organizations are: Telangana Praja Front, Telangana Asanghatitha Karmika Samkhya, Telangana Vidyarthi Vedika, Democratic Students Organization, Telangana Vidyarthi Sangham, Adivasi Students Union, Committee for Release of Political Prisoners, Telangana Raithanga Samithi, Tudum Debba, Telja Kala Democratic Front, Forum Against Hindu Fascism Offensive, Committee on Civil Liberties, Amarula Bandhu Mitrula Sangham, Chaitanya Mahila Sangham and the Revolutionary Writers Association.
The ban on these organizations is likely to raise many questions. The state government claims in its order that activists from these ‘illegal’ organizations’ move into urban areas and adopt ‘urban guerrilla tactics’, which in itself is rather vague. In addition, the GO also says that members of the 16 groups “attract” others and recruit them through “inflammatory” statements, rallies and meetings, to “raise issues against the central and state governments”.
The JV also clearly states that the organizations are also banned because they are demanding the release of prof. GN Sai Baba, Rona Wilson and the author Vara Vara Rao (from Virasam), who are all currently in jail with regard to the Elgar Parishad. case, over allegations of conspiracy to assassinate Prime Minister Narendra Modi. However, it can be noted that a Washington Post investigation found that evidence was planted in Wilson’s laptop to falsely involve people in the case..
What the Supreme Court says about banned organizations:
However, the Supreme Court contends that mere membership of a prohibited organization is not sufficient to regard a person as a criminal. “In our opinion, section 3 (5) cannot be read literally, because it is in conflict with section 19 9 (freedom of speech) and 21 (freedom) of the Constitution.
It should be read in the light of our observations above. Thus, mere membership of a banned organization will not make a criminal unless he uses violence or incites people to violence or creates public disorder through violence or incitement to violence, ‘a bench of judges Markandey Katju and Gyan Sudha Mishra said in said a statement. ordered from 2011.
Source: The Siasat Daily