By TCN News,
New Delhi: A meeting of the community leaders, activists and lawyers held at India International Centre, New Delhi decided to undertake nationwide campaign to repeal the “anti-people” law UAPA – Unlawful Activities Activates (Prevention) Act. To coordinate and monitor the activities, a joint platform called ‘People’s Movement Against UAPA’ was announced in the meeting.
Moulana Muhammed Wali Rahmani will be the chairman of the core committee of the Movement. Kamal Farooqui and Muhammed Shafi will be the convener and joint convener respectively.
More than 80 prominent activists and leaders across the country participated in the discussion. Several well-known advocates from the national capital and different states who have been fighting various cases of innocents implicated in false cases also attended the meeting.
The meeting observed that after the repeal of draconian laws namely POTA and TADA, the amended version of UAPA has become a new tool to falsely implicate innocents in cases. The discussion was opened with the presidential remarks by Moulana Muhammed Wali Rehmani.
He asserted over the dire need of scrapping the draconian laws which have become not only the tool of exploitation but a deadlock for the country’s backward classes and minorities. Kamal Farooqui welcomed the guests and briefed about the objectives, the work plan and led the discussion. He deplored that more and more number of people are mercilessly and excessively being victimized by the misuse of UAPA across the country.
Adv. K P Mohammed Sharif, Vice Chairman of NCHRO, presented a paper on UAPA challenging the unconstitutionality of the black law. Supreme Court Adv. Ashok Agarwal, explained the evolution of UAPA over the decades and its dangers after several amendments making it more draconian and anti-people.
Advocate Mehmood Paracha, who is handling cases of UAPA victims, shared his painful experience about the ordeals of the victims. He talked about chalking out a systematic plan to challenge the constitutionality of UAPA in the court of law. Advocate Niyaz Farooqui (General Secretary, Jamiatul Ulama-e-Hind) said that the TADA & POTA have not been actually allowed to go, as each law has been replaced by a more draconian law and we now see it in the form of UAPA.
He expressed horror over the attitude of media which accuses, holds trial, propagates, convicts and punishes the accused without any base.
Sanghmitra Mishra (Jamia Teachers’ Solidarity Association) owed to conduct a nationwide survey of UAPA misuse and come up with authentic reports. Any of the laws framed whether they are for criminal or anti-terror, accountability of the investigating officials should be specified, said Professor Arshi Khan (AMU). Justice Fakhruddin asserted there is a need of holding open debate sessions in order to bring out the facts and figures to put before the judiciary.
Tej Singh (Ambedkar Samajwadi Party) said we are on the verge of diagnosing the disease of terrorism which is prevailing in our nation’s politics, judiciary and media. It’s the upper-caste and micro-minority community which has been leading the campaign of abhorrence against Dalits, Muslims and Adivasis. The majority of those victimized by the evil law UAPA belong to these sections.
Professor Haseena Hashiya (Jamia Millia Islamia) spoke about innumerable painful incidents in which young and innocent Muslim youths were arrested, implicated in false cases, tortured and made captives for years in the name of religion. People’s Alliance for Democracy and Secularism Convener Srinivas Rao said that UAPA is more draconian than the Rowlatt Act enacted under the British rule.
Other dignitaries who attended the get-together include Moulana Seyd Mahmood Madani (President, Jamiathul Ulama e Hind), Dr John Dayal (All India Christian Council), Dr. Zafarul Islam Khan (Editor, Milli Gazette), S. Y. Qureshi, Dr. Lenin Raghuvamshi, E. Abubacker (Former president, SDPI), Suresh Khairnar (Maharashtra), Justice R. K. Ankodia, Baman Meshram, Advocate ND Pancholi, Father Dominique, E. M. Abdul Rahiman (Popular Front of India), Seyd Akhlaq and Shabbak Subhani (APCR), Hasnain, etc.
Kamal Faruqui in his capacity as the convener of the Movement briefed an action plan for the next three months prior to Lok Sabha elections and invited suggestions of the discussants. The movement will be lobbying in national capital and in the states among political party leaders. Delegation from the core committee will visit state capitals to address the issue.
Posters and pamphlets regarding UAPA will be distributed throughout the country. Nationwide post card and online petition campaign have also been planned.
A public gathering “People’s Conference Against UAPA” is scheduled to be held in New Delhi on March 5. The action plan was approved by the meeting. It was also decided to form state committees of the People’s Movement Against UAPA.