Condemn the detention and arrest of advocates, journalists and activists by Telangana and Chhattisgarh police

Demand to release them immediately and repeal draconian CSPSA

Civil Liberties Monitoring Committee strongly condemns the arrest of seven activists by the Chhattisgarh police. The seven activists are Duddu Prabhakar, President Kula Nirmulana Porata Samiti, Advocate Chikkudu Prabhakar, Advocate Balla Ravindranath, Durga Prasad, R Laxmaiyya, Rajendra Prasad and Mohammed Nazeer. This fact finding team of seven people were on the way to Chhattisgarh to know the facts of human rights violations of Adivasis in Chhattisgarh. As per our sources, these seven people were detained by the Telangana police near Dummugundem in Khammam district on morning of 25th December and later handed them over to the Chhattisgarh police and were shown as arrested in Konta and produced them in Sukma Court on 26th December. They were slapped with draconian Chhattisgarh Special Powers Security Act, 2005 (CSPSA) under sections 8(1), 8(2), 8(3) and 8(5). The court has denied them bail and ordered to send them to judicial custody at Sukma.

It is a clear sign of nexus between Telangana and Chhattisgarh police to intimidate and suppress the activists in the name of Maoists who are fighting for the rights of the Adivasis. The Telangana police have become notorious from the time separate state of Telangana has been formed. The Telangana state has given complete impunity to its police forces. Not only the state has become fascist but its police as well are behaving with complete impunity. The leaders who are ruling over Telangana state have come to power only due to the struggles and sacrifices of the activists who fought rigorously for the statehood of separate Telangana. And this state is intimidating, suppressing, arresting and slapping the same activists and students with draconian laws. And a bunch of so called activists and leaders who pretended to be fighting for the cause of separate statehood are now enjoying awards, rewards and key positions in the beaurocracy given by this fascist government under the rule of K. Chandrasekhar Rao.

Even the Chhattisgarh government and its police are carrying out the torture and killings of Adivasis by labeling them as Maoists and sympathizers. The Inspector General of Police, Bastar Range S R P Kalluri is famous for his notorious activities in Bastar region. Even the CBI has found him responsible for burning of homes in that region. National Human Rights Commission also had issued summons to Kalluri last month “to explain the allegations of hostility and abuse of power against human rights defenders” and directed him to appear in person.

The people arrested by the Chhattisgarh police are very well known figures in the Telangana and Andhra regions; especially Duddu Prabhakar who is working for the annihilation of caste across the two states, Chikkudu Prabhakar who is High Court advocate fighting for the cause of peoples’ rights and democratic Telangana, Balla Ravindranath who also happens to be High Court advocate struggling for the release of political prisoners. The other people are research scholars in the path of restoring democratic and human rights of the common people. Hence, the malicious act of Telangana and Chhattisgarh states and police is highly suspicious and condemnable. These arrests are nothing but to curtail the democratic rights of the people and create terror among the people who are working for the people’s rights. It is a matter of fact that Telangana government led by K. Chandrashekhar Rao is trying to silence the voice of the people so that no one can dare to raise their voice against the fascist nature of the government. Under these circumstances where the fascist ruler and his sources suppress the democratic rights, this committee appeals to the people to come forward and raise their voice against the fascist rule and targeting of human rights activists.

Therefore, Civil Liberties Monitoring Committee demands to:

1. Immediately release all the seven activists arrested.

2. Repeal the draconian law (CSPSA) Chhattisgarh Special Powers Security Act, 2005.

3. Stop intimidating, threatening and suppressing the human rights activists and advocates.

4. Stop killing the Adivasis in the name of Maoists.

Lateef Mohammed Khan

Gen. Secretary