India - Police denying permission to TDF meeting decried

The TRS government should restrain itself from stifling peoples’ fundamental rights and their right to debate on issues concerning them, said noted human rights activist G. Haragopal. Addressing a public meeting organised by the Telangana Democratic Forum (TDF), he said formation of separate Telangana was made possible with the involvement of people in agitations such as Sagara Haram, Million March and other programmes. The same party that mobilised people was now curbing them from getting together to fight atrocities against Adivasis, Dalits, women and minorities and that was strange, he said. Prof. Haragopal was referring to police denying permission to the TDF’s meeting here.
The meeting was held after the High Court gave permission for the meeting with certain conditions. Mild tension prevailed at the venue with a large number of police personnel keeping an eye on the movement of people who had come to attend the meeting. Prof. Haragopal decried the denial of permission to hold the meeting and not allowing revolutionary poet Varavara Rao to address the gathering. It was undemocratic, he said adding that the restrictions imposed by the government have made the meeting a great success as it attracted much public attention.
He objected to the contention of the police that Maoists would attend the meeting. The meeting was aimed at discussing exploitation and attacks on laks of tribals in Chhattisgarh and elsewhere by the police and Central paramilitary forces. Speakers at the meeting said that leaders of various political parties spoke in favour of the naxal movement and after assuming power, they targeted the same naxals who enjoy public patronage. “Right from NTR, YSR and KCR too hailed the naxal agenda. What happened to that after coming to power”, he sought to know.
Prof. Haragopal said that innocent Adivasis living in the forest area of Chhattisgarh were only asking the government to let them live. They do not want to be displaced in the name of development or law and order. But the multi-national companies were prevailing over the governments and people should fight it. “The Operation Green Hunt emerged from the USA to displace local tribals and the same is being adopted here in India,” he pointed out. TDF leaders C. Narayana Rao and B. Ravindranath addressed the meeting. Varavara Rao, Delhi University professor G. N. Saibaba and a host of TDF leaders attended the meeting.
Leaders of various political parties speak in favour of the naxal movement, but after assuming power, they target the same naxals