Release political prisoners unconditionally

Hyderabad: ‘Human rights activists should work together in cooperation, not in competition like different sects’, said well-known writer and human rights activist Arundhati Roy. She was speaking at a meeting organized by the Committee for the Release of Political Prisoners (CRPP) A.P. chapter on the occasion of the 80 death anniversary of Shaheed Bhagat Singh.

Two locks opened in 1991 to divide depressed classes

She said, in 1991 two locks were opened in this country, one was the lock of Babri Masjid, and other was of the Indian markets. “The demolition of the Babri Masjid and the opening up of Indian markets were a deliberate attempt to weaken opposition to India becoming an ally of the US,” she said.


Arundhati Roy addressing the CRPP meeting in Hyderbad on 23rd March 2012
According to Mrs. Roy those two factors were used by different governments to divide the depressed classes and to isolate them. “Babri Masjid demolition was used to terrorize and demonize Indian Muslim community, whereas 1991 reforms were used against Tribals and to help corporate houses to exploit depressed classes,” she added.

She further said that the US relationship has never benefited any country in the world. She gave the example of turmoil, and civil war kind of situation in Pakistan which according to her is the result of US strategic partnership.

She warned India of same fate if it gets closer to US. “Indo-US relations were a ‘theatrical drama’ enacted to induce India to support the US with a view to isolate Iran on one hand and to help build a cold war situation in China. India had acceded to the US at every stage right from buying nuclear reactors to opening up foreign direct investment. The big investments right now were in the education sector wherein US universities wanted to set up franchises in India. That is why all universities in India were shifting to the semester system of examinations like in the US. It was also not a coincidence that spiritual leader Sri Sri Sri Ravi Shankar insisted that education should be privatized.”

Ending her speech she urged the audience to give up the narrow thinking of political prisoners, and widen its meaning which includes every person who is in jail in any false case, even if the case is so petty like pick pocketing.


On this occasion rich tributes were paid to Shaheed Bhahgat Singh and his comrades for sacrificing their life for a better nation. The committee demanded the government to recognize the rights of the political prisoners and release them unconditionally.

By Mohd. Ismail Khan

Source:
http://twocircles.net/2012mar24/release_political_prisoners_unconditionally_crpp.html