Ajay
Wed, 16 Aug 2006 21:45:36 -0700
Prisoners' Human Rights : K Venu Commences
Indefinite Hunger Strike from Oct.2nd
K. Venu, noted thinker and activist will start indefinite hunger strike in front
of the secretariat from October 2nd as part of the satyagraha movement initiated by
Anti Death Penalty Committee. It will be preceded by a state level Convention in Trivandrum on the same day.
It was in the Satyagraha Samithi Organising Committee meeting at
Trissur on August 15th that Venu expressed his willingness to start satyagraha unto death.
Samithi raises two demands before the government, that a 'Human rights Resolution' should be passed in the legislative assembly and should take immediate steps to release eligible prisoners who have completed their life imprisonment term.
The increasing number of custodial deaths in the state is to be viewed as denial of basic rights to prisoners [in lockups] and mere administrative steps won't be enough in curtailing it, the meeting opined. What the government should do is to pass a human rights resolution encapsulating the policy on such matters.
At present over 400 prisoners are kept under unethical detention long after completing their sentence. The government is forfeiting the federal right of the States to take decision on prisoners pointing to a case in the high court. The meeting urged the state government to uphold the constitutional right and release the eligible prisoners without further delay. It is shocking that Annamma; an 80-year-old lady is not being released though she had already completed 19 years in jail.
K K Koch, K Venu, George Pulikkuthiyil, Dr. Rajaram, P. U. Meera, DileepRaj, T. K. Vasu, Punam Rahim, Adv. Baby Antony and George spoke in the meeting.An Organising committee with K Gireeshkumar as general convenor and K K Koch, Adv. Baby Antony, Dr. Rajaram, Dileep Raj, I. Gopinath, P. U. Meera, George, K K rajmohan as conveners was formed.