The need to bring about changes in training the police force to remove their biases was emphasised.
A meeting was called by the All India Convention against Sedition and other repressive laws and the Committee for Protection of Democratic Rights (CPDR) at the Mumbai Press Club near Azad Maidan in South Mumbai on Friday. The meeting was attended by Prakash Ambedkar, Dalit leader and spokesperson on behalf of Sudhir Dhawale Muktata Abhyan, human rights activist PA Sebastian of CPDR, Prashant Rahi, a journalist and a political prisoner who was arrested for sedition and activist Arun Ferriera who was arrested under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967.
“Section 124-A of the Indian Penal Code, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967 and other such repressive laws, serve only the interest of the state, and have no place in a democratic set-up,” said advocate Maharukh Adenwala, while inaugurating the meeting.
Activist Arun Ferriera who was recently released on bail after over four years in prison stressed on how the media had misreported the issue. He said that the sedition act had not been misused by the state, but on the contrary, had been “deliberately used to crush dissent and political opposition”. Prashant Rahi, an engineer by profession has also been a journalist, and activist and a political prisoner. He was arrested for sedition in 2007 and released in 2011. “I was arrested for supporting the movement against Tehri Dam,” he said.
Dalit leader Prakash Ambedkar emphasised the need to bring about changes in training the police force in order to ensure they have no biases. He also said that every citizen was a part of the state and they had a right to wage a war against any government.
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