[Reader-list] Anti Emergency Day & In Solidarity with Seema Azad and Vishwa Vijay

[asit das]

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, 5 pm 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
June 18, 2012