Protests in Punjab against new criminal laws and prosecution sanction against writer Arundhati Roy, Prof Shaukat Hussain
BATHINDA: Representatives of various left-leaning organisations led by Association for democratic rights (AFDR) and Tarksheel Society Punjab held protests against the implementation of new criminal laws and prosecution sanction given by Delhi LG against noted writer Arundhati Roy and academician Prof Shaukat Hussain under UAPA in a 14 years old case.
The protesters also burnt the copies of news laws which came into being from today, July 1 at district and sub-division levels across Punjab. Memorandums were sent to the President of India through administrative officials demanding the immediate cancellation of these cases and laws. The organisations have also decided to hold a state-level convention at Jalandhar on July 21 against the prosecution of the two under UAPA.
While speakers condemned the anti-democratic move of the central government, they also condemned the Punjab government for organizing training camps for officials to implement these laws.
Association For Democratic Rights Punjab President Prof Jagmohan Singh, General Secretary Pritpal Singh and organizing secretaries of Tarksheel Society Punjab Rajinder Bhadour and Hem Raj Steno said that allowing the filing of a case under UAPA by Delhi LG against Arundhati Roy and Prof Sheikh Hussain based based on their 14-year-old speech is an attack on the fundamental constitutional and democratic rights of citizens to express their opinions through writing and speech and is a step towards suppression of dissenting opinions.
This approval is a violation of the rights enshrined in the Constitution. Similarly, demanding the immediate withdrawal and annulment of the orders to implement the three criminal laws from July 1, the central government's reasoning that they are meant to replace colonial laws is baseless. But on careful reading, it is clear that there is nothing new in them, rather the laws of the British state have been renamed and more stringent clauses have been added to them, which violate the achievements of the freedom struggle and the guidelines of the Supreme Court.
These are steps towards imposing an authoritarian police state over the people in the name of justice. There is an attempt to nullify the basic rights that our forefathers fought against the colonial rulers and made sacrifices to live a dignified life.
Speakers expressed fear that after the implementation of these laws, the situation will be worse than before. The citizens may have to become victims of the oppression of the state, the freedom and democratic rights won by them will be lost and the entire administrative structure will come under the grip of the police system. In fact, the draft of these three criminal laws is more terrible than the emergency of 1975 and not only the citizens, but even the administrative officers will have to bow their heads in the will of power, which will push the soul of the democracy to end.
For more news like this visit TOI. Get all the Latest News, City News, India News, Business News, and Sports News. For Entertainment News, TV News, and Lifestyle Tips visit Etimes