By TwoCircles.Net Staff Correspondent,
Kozhikode: Noted human rights activist Teesta Setalvad on Wednesday raised grave concern over the draconian laws, which help the state along with its police, to target the voices raised against the human rights violations across the country.
“The state along with its police is targeting the activists and minority youths in the name of fighting against terror,” Setalvad said while inaugurating the releasing of the Malayalam documentary ‘Then They Came For Me’, directed by Gopal Menon, here at KP Kesava Menon Hall.
Setalvad said the dangerous trend, where state is becoming oppressive by imposing draconian laws on its citizens, is prevalent in the country as the masses remain less concern about the attempts to oppress their rights.
Noted human rights activist Teesta Setalvad at the inaugural function for release of documentary ‘Then They Came For Me’ at KP Kesava Menon Hall on Wednesday/ TCN
Heavily criticising the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), Setalvad said the very dangerous oppressive measures of the repealed draconian laws like TADA and POTA were inclusive in the act.
“In Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, youths are labelled as anti-national and targeted by the state for raising their voices against the new corporate friendly economic policies. They were granted ordeal by using TADA and POTA. The same scenario is prevalent in the country, where the dalits, adivasis and minority youths are targeted by the state. The draconian acts are being replaced by new ones instead of completely repealing the old ones,” she said.
Urging for massive protests against the anti-citizen laws, she said the draconian laws such as TADA and POTA were repealed following the mass protests.
Delivering the presidential address ‘Solidarity Youth Movement’, state president T Mohammed Velam stressed on the need to raise mass protests against the worst trend of increasing detention of human rights activists.
Documentary director Gopala Menon, KEN Kunjahammed, G P Ramachandran, P Koya, Civic Chandran and C P Shareef also attended the event.