Dear friends, Perhaps you are that Thirumurugan Gandhi, who is a well known human rights activist has been imprisoned with many false charges in Tamil Nadu. This is not the first time Thirumurugan has been harassed and hunted by the Tamil Nadu police. He has bravely stood for the human rights of Tamils, worked without compromise on various draconian laws in this country, supported the causes of dalits, farmers, marginalised nationalities, the struggle of the local people of Koodankulam and many other issues.
Recently, he participated in the 38th UNHRC session in Geneva, where he spoke against the brutal killings of 13 innocent civilians in Thoothukkudi who participated in the anti sterlite protest, where Vedanta is trying to expand a plant which is already polluting and creating hazards for the local people. When he came back to India on August; 9, 2018, he was arrested from the Bangalore International Airport and transferred to Tamil Nadu, where the police slapped dozens of cases on him including four sedition cases and the draconian law UAPA for speaking in support of the Palestinian Liberation Struggle, way back in 2017. It must be noticed that both Gandhi and Nehru had demanded the removal of the draconian law called sedition law during the anti-British struggle. The human rights activists have been campaigning for the removal of the draconian law called UAPA for a long time, stating that the law is against the very premises of the Indian Constitution. During the hearing of the case, on September 17, 2018, the judge himself stated that his case can not be charged under UAPA. However, he is still languishing in Vellore prison with around 40 fabricated cases. At the moment, he is kept in solitary confinement in an old unhygenic block within the prison, without any proper access to the decent food and medication. Even after repeated demands, the police had refused to take him to the hospital for medical check up. On September 24, 2018, Thirumurugan Gandhi fainted in the prison premise and he was rushed to the hospital. However, the police has refused to admit him for proper treatment, despite the advice of the doctor. In this context, we feel that all those who respect the values of human rights of citizens, especially those concerned about the human rights of human rights defenders must come together and express their concerns on this issue. We strongly demand that Thirumurugan Gandhi be unconditionally released immediately and appeal to all those who believe in justice and democracy to support this demand. We appeal to you to endorse the following statement and generate further support for endorsements. We appeal to you to send you endorsements within the next 3 days (by Saturday Morning) so that the statement can be used for extensive campaigning. Enclosing the statement for you endorsement along with more information on this issue. Looking forward to receive your endorsements at the earliest, Arun Kaliraja, May 17 Movement, Tamil Nadu Satya Sagar, Journalist/writer Jagdish Chandra, People's Solidarity Concerns Binu Mathew, Editor, Countercurrents.org K.P. Sasi, Film Maker, Writer, Cartoonist https://countercurrents.org/2018/08/24/uapa-on-thirumurugan-gandhi-for-expressing-solidarity-to-palestinian-struggle/ https://countercurrents.org/2018/08/09/thirumurugan-gandhi-arrested-at-bangalore-airport/ https://countercurrents.org/2018/08/14/the-arrest-and-detention-of-thirumurugan-gandhi-is-illegal/ https://countercurrents.org/2017/08/19/thirumurugan-gandhi-%E2%80%8B90-days-prison-continues/ *RELEASE THIRUMURUGAN GANDHI ! RESIST UNDECLARED EMERGENCY !* We the following writers, film makers, poets, artists, theatre personalities, musicians, activists, academicians and members of civil society demand that Thirumurugan Gandhi be immediately released unconditionally. Thirumurugan Gandhi, a prominent rights activist and coordinator of May 17 movement from India has been subjected to harassment and imprisoned by the Tamil Nadu police since August 9, 2018, for participating in the UNHRC session that was held in Geneva in June 2018. The provocation for the arrest of Thirumurugan Gandhi seems to be mainly: a. He supported the struggle of the Palestinian people; and b. He spoke against the police firing on the local people of Tuticorin who have been struggling for their rights. Thirumurugan Gandhi, was detained at the Bangalore Kempagowda International Airport on his arrival at 3.45 AM on Aug 9, 2018, on the basis of the Look Out Circular (LOC) given by the Tamil Nadu police. The case against him under IPC (Indian Penal Code) sections 153, 505(1)(b) and 505(1)(c) was speaking in the UNHRC sessions against the killing of 13 innocent unarmed civilians by the State police force, including a 17 year old minor girl, who were protesting against the Sterlite copper smelter plant, which was causing environmental pollution in Tuticorin. Thirumurugan Gandhi appealed to UNHRC to stop police atrocities on the people of Tuticorin district and stop misuse of detention laws in India as a tool for silencing civil rights activists. The video of Thirmurugan Gandhi speaking at a UN meeting on the Tuticorin killings was published in social media. The police has accused Thirumurugan Gandhi of speaking at the UNHRC meeting* “with the intention to provoke the public against the government*” and further claimed that he has “*no right to host the video and text pursuant to his speech before the UN council*”. A case was filed on June 29, 2018, when Thirumurugan Gandhi was still in Geneva and Look out Circular issued. He or his family members were neither notified about the case nor about the LOC. The next day, on August 10, 2018 he was produced in front of the magistrate in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The Court, after hearing the case, stated that there is no prima facie material and refused to remand Thirumurugan Gandhi and directed the police to release him immediately. He was released that evening. But when he was coming out of the police station, around 30 police men surrounded him and took him into custody forcefully. Thirumurugan Gandhi and his lawyers repeatedly demanded the police to show proper legal order on which this arrest is happening. The police failed to produce one and took him to Royapettai police station, Chennai. This was more of a kidnap than an arrest. The police used an old case that was filed against him in September 2017, and charged him for ‘Unlawful Assembly and Sedition’. The court granted a police custody of 15 days and he was imprisoned in Puzhal Jail, Chennai. Later than night without any notice to his legal counsel or family members he was moved to Vellore prison. In all this time he was denied proper food and deprived of sleep intentionally by the police. It must also be remembered that both Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru had demanded the removal of the Sedition Law during the Freedom Struggle. Unfortunately, seven decades later this law is still being used against activists. Ever since his imprisonment, every day new cases are filed against Thirumurugan Gandhi. So far 13 cases have been filed for various reasons. Some of the cases include speaking at a peaceful anti-Sterlite rally in Tuticorin, speaking at a public meeting against the Indian Governments move to end the public distribution system at the insistence of WTO, speaking on Ambedkar’s birth anniversary public meeting. Out of the 13 cases the notorious IPC section 124-A, which accuses one of sedition, is used in four cases. The section is used for the flimsiest of the reasons like garlanding statues of social reformers, Dr.B.R. Ambedkar and Periyar E.V.R and addressing the gathering, expressing his views on facebook. Further, some of the cases are filed in districts Tuticorin, Nagercoil. So for every hearing, Thirumurugan Gandhi is made to travel to and fro from the Vellore prison. He is also kept in solitary confinement in the prison, though the cases filed against him doesn’t demand so. By putting him through physical and mental stress the Indian government is making its intention clear. On August 24th Thirumurugan Gandhi was booked again under the draconian Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). The case has been filed under section 13(1)(B) of UAPA for his speaking in a public meeting organized in 2017, to condemn the oppression and human rights violations in Palestine and expressing solidarity with the Palestinian liberation struggle. The government claimed that through his speech he has incited the public to do unlawful activities. The court found this claim absurd and refused to remand him under UAPA. The police has now charged him with section IPC 505 for the same case. Thirumurugan Gandhi is still in prison, thanks to the myriad of cases filed against him by the Tamil Nadu police. The May 17 movement was started in 2009, to fight for the democratic rights of the Eelam Tamils and to voice various issues faced by the Tamils in India. The movement has ever since been in the forefront of many social, economic and environmental struggles that has rocked the state. Be it Koodankulam Anti-nuclear struggle, anti-fracking struggles in the Tanjore delta regions, student protests in 2013 against the US Sponsored UN resolution in favor of the genocidal Sri Lankan state, *jallikattu *protest, anti-WTO protests against the closure of public distribution shops in Tamil Nadu, anti-NEET protests - the May 17 movement has played a critical ideological role in challenging the state’s economic development model. The movement has campaigned extensively against the Modi governments’ demonetization and GST schemes and conducted protests throughout the state. The movement has been rigorously propagating the ideas of Ambedkar and Periyar in Tamil Nadu, which has irked the RSS in the State. Many of the RSS functionaries have openly called for an arrest and imprisonment of Thirumurugan Gandhi several times. In 2017 he was arrested for conducting a candlelight vigil in Marina beach to commemorate the Eelam Tamil genocide. He was imprisoned under the notorious Goondas act, a detention law, for over four months and then released. We hereby appeal to all those who respect human rights of citizens in every country to condemn the harassment and voice for the release of Thirumurugan Gandhi. Release Thirumurugan Gandhi! Resist Undeclared Emergency ! Endorsed by: 1. Justice D.Hari Parandhaman Retired Madras high court Judge 2. Henry Tiphange National Secretary, Human Rights Defenders Alert National Secretary, All India Network of NGO’s and Induviduals 3. Brahma Director of National award winning movie "Kutram Kadithal" 4. Rajumurugan Writer, Journalist and Film Maker. Director of National Award winning feature film “Joker” 5. Professor A. Marx Writer, Activist and President of National Confederation of Human Rights Organisations (NCHRO) 6. S.V.Rajadurai Writer and Marxist Intellectual 7. Piyush Manush Environmental activist and Convener of Salem Citizens’ Forum 8. Dr. V. Arasu Former Head of Department of Tamil Literature, Madras University 9. Binu Mathew Editor, CounterCurrents.org 10. KP Sasi Film Maker, Writer and Activist 11. Satya Sagar Writer/Journalist 12. Jagadish G.Chandra Activist, New Socialist Alternative Convener of Peoples’ Solidarity Concerns, Bangalore. 13. Meghnath Documentary Film Maker 14. Achin Vanaik Retd Professor, University of Delhi 15. Nadeem Khan United Against Hate 16. Saktiman Gosh National Hawker Federation 17. Utkarsh Sinha Associate Editor, National voice TV 18. Wilfred Dcosta Indian Social Action Forum 19. Anil Chaudhary, PEACE 20. Joe Athialy Delhi Solidarity Group 21. Dr.Pankaj Srivastava Editor, MediaVigil.com 22. CP Surendra, Writer, Poet, Former Editor in DNA 23. Sharib Ali QUILL Foundation 24. Sanjay Joshi Cinema of Resistance 25. Irfan Ahmed 26. Surendra Rajan 27. Gautam Raikur Nadi Ghati Morcha 28. Ravindra Singh PSCDS 29. Rakesh Bharadwaj Freelance Theatre Artist 30. Shahira KK Journalist 31. Anil Varghese Delhi Solidarity Group 32. Apoorvanand 33. Josna, Critical Quest 34. Anwar Ali Poet 35. John Dayal Rights Activist, Member of National Integration Council 36. Ashok Choudhary General Secretary, All India Union of Forest Working People 37. Gopal Krishna Editor ToxicsWatch.com 38. Pamela Philipose Public Editor, The Wire 39. Sathyaraj Kalaimamani Award Winning Tamil Actor 40. Ameer Director -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send an email to [email protected]. Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
