Anti Emergency Day & In Solidarity with Seema Azad and Vishwa Vijay WITHDRAW THE UNDECLARED EMERGENCY
JOIN THE CONVENTION ON THE ATTACK ON LIFE AND LIBERTY OF THE INDIAN PEOPLE 26th JUNE, 2012 5pm onwards Gandhi Peace Foundation, N Delhi CALL TO DEMAND THE • REPEAL OF DRACONIAN LAWS • UNCONDITIONAL RELEASE OF SEEMA AZAD & VISHWA VIJAY & • ALL ARRESTED UNDER SUCH LAWS Dear friends, 26th June, 2012 it will be 37 years since the emergency was imposed in 1975. If we see out present times, it is clear that an undeclared emergency persists with life and liberty of the people of India being the biggest casualty.. The increase is not only on the attack on the life and liberty of ordinary people but also human rights defenders wherein a large number of people find themselves booked on false charges and inside the Jail without bail being granted to them. . The use of the IPC and over fifty draconian laws legislated by the centre and various States has made such violation very easy, legitimising the police acts. Disappearances, False cases and illegal detentions have become rampant in the name of fighting Maoism and Terrorism. It is as though a new wave of counter terrorism has been launched to terrorize poeple belonging to Minorities, Tribals and Dalit communities and those fighting to save their land, water and forests. Men and women are picked up, some times snatched by one agency from another and presented to the world as dreaded Maoists or Terrorists. A section of the judiciary too refuses to see the fabrication of cases or the profiling that is happening and ends up endorsing the decision of the police and the Government. The most recent and shocking example is the conviction for LIFE of Seema Azad (Journalist, editor Dastak and the PUCL Uttar Pradesh Organising Secretary) along with her husband Vihwa Vijay, by a district court in Allahabad against charges of Waging War against Government of India which is Section 121 of the Indian Penal Code. She has also been punished under sec 121(A) of the IPC-conspiracy of waging war, criminal conspiracy sec 120 (B) of the IPC along with section 13, 18, 20, 38 and 30 of the UAPA, 2004 and 2008 amended. In all these sections except section 13 they have been sentenced to rigorous imprisonment of a minimum of ten years. It is all the more shocking that this harsh punishment was delivered when the entire evidence in this case was based on heresay and on the basis of supposedly possessing incriminating materials along with the seizure of mobiles. Seema who is only 36 years of age, a student of astronomy and social change has been condemned by the lower court to be behind bars all her life. This decision is completely uacceptable and has to be fought tooth and nail on all fronts. The criminal appeal will be filed shortly, however, it should also be our effort to expose this judgement and demand their release. Many of us organisations have decided to observe anti emergency day this year as one demanding the unconditional release of Seema Azad and Vishwa Vijay and other prisoners who have been wrongly booked and detained under these draconian laws in the various jails of the country. We would also like to raise our voice demanding the Repeal of all draconian laws. A campaign towards this end would be announced in the meeting. We would like to request all of you to join us for the Convention on the Attack on the life and liberty of People taking place on the 26th June at 5 pm at the Gandhi Peace Foundation in Delhi. We also take this opportunity to give a call to all PUCL branches and other Human Rights Organisations to make similar demands on the Anti Emergency day whether it be the 25-26 of June. We are, People's Union for Civil Liberties, Jan Hastakshep, Confederation for Democracy (CFD), People's Union for Democratic Rights (PUDR), Champa – The Amiya & B.G. Rao Foundation, Jan Saskriti Manch, Samkaleen Teesri Duniya, NAPM, HRLN, AIPWA, NFFWFP, Safai Karamchari Andolan, INSAF, FFPHRD, AISA, Samyantar, Pratirodh.com, Vihaan, PDFI along with several writers, thinkers and activists, Contact Persons: Mahipal Singh: 09312206414 N D Pancholi: 09811099532 Anand Swaroop Verma: 09810720714 Bhasha Singh: 09818755922 Chittranjan Singh: 09415249770 -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "humanrights movement" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/humanrights-movement?hl=en.
