* PEOPLE'S UNION** FOR CIVIL LIBERTIES- Tamil Nadu & Puducherry*
*`Hussaina Manzil' 123, Angappa Naicken Street, Chennai – 600 001*
*Ph:94440 83494 or 94442 31497 e-mail : [EMAIL PROTECTED]
21.04.2008
Sub: *PUCL condemns labeling of human rights activist as Naxalite leader*
* *
1. It is a matter of concern to us at the PUCL to note the
report in your newspaper dated 21.04. 2008 wherein at page 7 there is a
report on `How the Naxalite movement has taken roots in Tamil Nadu.' In the
said report there is a reference to the women's wing in which you have
mentioned the name of Prof Saraswathi as having been an 'influential leader'
of women's wing of the Naxalites.
2. The PUCL expresses its strong objection to such mischievous reporting.
The above mentioned statement is with out any factual basis and it is denied
that Prof Saraswathi is or ever was even a member of any Naxalite group.
Therefore depicting her as an `influential leader' is not only factually
incorrect but has been done to intentionally mislead the general public. It
is quite apparent that the report is deliberately misleading and is
calculated to `brand' or `label' a person so as to stifle all opposition to
police excesses. Prof Saraswathi is a respected women's rights activist and
a civil right activist who is also a very active Periyarist.. She retired as
Head of the Sociology Department, in Queen Mary's College, Chennai . She is
an active member of the PUCL and has served as the President of the Chennai-
Chengai unit of the PUCL and as Vice President of the PUCL, Tamil Nadu state
unit.
3. In this context it is pertinent to point out that PUCL has
always been a strong opponent of all `encounter deaths' or extra judicial
killings. Our consistent stand has been that such killings are all murders
or homicides and should be treated as such.
*This extract is taken from People's **Union** for Civil Liberties v. **
Union** of **India**, (1997) 3 SCC 433**, at page 437 :*
*This extract is taken from People's **Union** for Civil Liberties v. **
Union** of **India**, (1997) 3 SCC 433**, at page 437 :*
4. In the case of *People's Union for Civil Liberties v. Union of India,
(1997) 3 SCC 433* the Hon'ble Supreme Court held that "In our opinion, the
right to life and liberty guaranteed by Article 21 is so fundamental and
basic that no compromise is possible with this right. It is
'non-negotiable'. ... The State has no right to take any action which will
deprive a citizen of the enjoyment of this basic right except in accordance
with a law which is reasonable, fair and just." …………If the police had
information that terrorists were gathering at a particular place and if they
had surprised them and arrested them, the proper course for them was to deal
with them according to law. "Administrative liquidation" was certainly not a
course open to them."
5. The National Human Rights Commission has also decried the
practice of encounter deaths and has recommended that the concerned police
officers should be prosecuted for murder and whether an `encounter killing
was done in self defence is a matter to be established in the trial.
6. It is in this context of the PUCL's national mandate which is
in line with the constitutional principles and ratio of the Supreme Court
judgments that Prof Saraswathi has been involved in issues of asserting the
democratic rights of citizens of our country and establishing the rule of
law. The PUCL suspects that the present report in your newspaper is an
attempt to stifle all voices against police excesses and suppress all
opposition to police and state lawlessness. Such indiscriminate labeling and
branding of civil rights activists is deliberately done in the present
juncture to silence all critics of lawless State action.
7. It is not out of context to point out that your reporter has
not even attempted to ascertain the facts from Prof. Saraswathy before
publishing this report which is against all norms of ethical reporting as
framed by the Press Council of India.
Sd/-
Sd/
Dr. V. Suresh
S.Balamurugan
President , PUCL – Tamil Nadu Secretary, PUCL –
Tamil Nadu
--~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
"Green Youth 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/greenyouth?hl=en-GB
-~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
