JOIN USCalling the sedition laws in the country ''draconian'' and ''arbitrary'', civil rights organisations will launch an All India campaign against ‘repressive’ laws on January 31 in Delhi.
People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) along with members from other rights groups — People’s Union for Democratic Rights, Association for Protection of Democratic Rights, Committee for Protection of Democratic Rights , Coordination of Democratic Rights Organisations, Andhra Pradesh Civil Liberties Committee, Masum, Human Rights Alert (Manipur) and National Alliance of People’s movements—will launch this pan India campaign.
Representatives from all organisations met in Delhi on Monday to plan the campaign and form a steering committee that will look into matters related to misuse of sedition laws in the country. “Two meetings were held last year in May and December where 40 people had participated raising their voices against the injustice done to people in the name of ‘sedition laws’. A million signatures will be collected and presented to the Lok Sabha Speaker demanding the repeal of Section 124 (A) IPC and Section 2 (o) (iii) of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), 1967 and other anti-sedition provisions in other legislations. “This is the beginning of a fight against all laws harassing Indians in the name of national security,” said Kavita Srivastava, PUCL and convenor of this campaign.
Case studies of people under trial, out on bail and with pending sedition cases will be collaborated from places like Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, Orissa, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Jammu and Kashmir, Manipur and Nagaland. “We will prepare case studies of major cases involving sedition charges, highlighting details of glaring absurdity of the case, human interest, political vendetta, impact on families and length of arrest and difficulties in getting bail by January 15,” said Pushkar Raj, general secretary, PUCL, Delhi.