‘Golden Telangana’ without Democratic Rights? (I wrote this for a newspaper, but I dont know whether they publish this unsolicited article. Anyway, I wanted to share it with friends) If the widespread and indiscriminate arrest of people, obstructing movement and police raj let loose on Sunday are any indication, the government of Telangana seems to be trying to set new standards in violation of constitutional and democratic rights and planning to break the record set by its predecessors. At least 500 activists, including revolutionary poet Varavara Rao and Jarkhand folk artiste who narrowly escaped death sentence Jeetan Marandi, were arrested, a seminar was scuttled by cordoning off the venue Sundaraiah Vignana Kendram, and hundreds of people who were coming to participate in the seminar were intercepted. Why did the government try to prevent a simple seminar, which would have gone almost unnoticed except for about 500 participants, but for the knee-jerk reaction from police and provide more attention than it expected? Pratyamnaya Raajakeeya Vedika (Forum for Alternative Politics), a loose conglomeration of different mass organizations and individuals wanted to mark the occasion of ten years of the formation of Communist Party of India (Maoist) with a seminar, rally and a public meeting in Hyderabad. Incidentally, the Maoist party, formed with the merger of CPI (ML)(People’s War) and Maoist Communist Centre of India on September 21, 2004 was first announced by its spokespersons in Hyderabad only when they were here for talks with the government. The seminar was to be addressed by Prof. Amit Bhattacharya (Jadavpur University), Varavara Rao, G Kalyan Rao, Pani and CSR Prasad. The speakers at the public meeting included Prof G Haragopal, Bojja Tarakam, Prof K R Chowdary, and R Narayana Murthy. However, the police denied permission to the rally and the public meeting. Technically, a meeting inside a premises or a hall need not seek any permission from police. After the denial of permission for the rally and public meeting, the organizers wanted to go ahead with the seminar alone. A few hours before the seminar, there was an indication from the police that they would not allow even the seminar. Surprised at this unprecedented and illegal act of police, the organizers approached bigwigs in the government and ruling party including Home Minister and got an oral assurance that the seminar would be allowed without any hindrance. But then began the drama of midnight knocks and arrests. More than 40 volunteers and leaders of some mass organizations staying in Tulja Bhavan were arrested at midnight, followed by five women activists from the house of the secretary of a woman’s organization. The arrests were so coordinated that not only government of Telangana but also government of Andhra Pradesh began intercepting and arresting people who were coming to Hyderabad. Then Varavara Rao was arrested in the early hours and scores of people were arrested in railway stations, bus stands and even the private vehicles on the way to Hyderabad were intercepted and taken into custody. On the whole at least 500-600 were arrested even before the scheduled beginning of the seminar. The apprehended people were lodged in various police stations including Bolaram, Lalaguda, Gandhinagar, Ghoshamahal, and Kanchanbagh. While arresting people on the way, not only the hall, but also the entire road was cordoned off and whoever wanted to pass through the road was checked, interrogated and arrested if found planning to go to the meeting. Bagh Lingampalli, particularly SVK area appeared like a war zone with dozens of police vans, water cannons and thousands of armed policemen. Prof Haragopal who wanted to meet the CM to discuss the issue was not given appointment and escorted back home by policemen. When Varavara Raos family members wanted to see him in Kanchanbagh police station, they were not allowed and they had to argue with the police for half an hour. Some people who wanted to register their protest against the arrests at Ambedkar Statue were also taken into custody. This saga of repression and gross violation of democratic and constitutional rights by the first government of Telangana within three months of its existence has a number of interesting aspects. One, the chief minister and Telangana Rashtra Samiti supremo K Chandrasekhar Rao time and again in the past openly announced that he would follow and implement “Maoist agenda.” Strangely, the seminar wanted to do was to only discuss Maoist agenda, not even following or implementing as he used to say. Two, K Chandrasekhar Rao stirred a controversy when he was Union minister in 2005 as he visited Varavara Rao in Chanchalguda jail when the latter was arrested for being a Maoist interlocutor in 2004 talks between the Maoists and the government. He set aside the protocol to meet a Maoist representative in jail, but within nine years Varavara Rao was arrested on the same charge and his visitor held the power to arrest him. Three, the repression on people’s movements in general and the Naxalite movement in particular is not new. But most of those whose rights were suppressed today were part of the Telangana movement and all through its leaders were promising a ‘golden, free, just and peaceful Telangana’ that would respect democratic rights. Within no time, the government that emerged out of a people’s movement proved itself to be hindrance on people’s rights.
Posted on: Sun, 21 Sep 2014 15:15:11 +0000
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015