PUCL Writes to Venkaiah Naidu

The letter written by PUCL to Minister M Venkiah Naidu

To,
Hon’ble Mr. M. Venkaiah Naidu
Minister of Information & broadcasting,
Govt. of India,
New Delhi. 5th May 2017

Dear Mr. M. Venkaiah Naidu,

In your article in the Indian Express of May 1st 2017, “Romancing the Maoists” with a headnote‘. The silence of the human right activist after an attack in which security forces are killed is telling’ you have irresponsibly alleged that human right activists are silent on Sukma ambush . You have also alleged that whenever an extremist or terrorist is killed in an exchange of fire with security forces human right activists raise a hue and cry. But there is deathly silence when the outlawed Guerillas go on a rampage and kill security forces or innocent villagers. After having said so you have asked ‘these activists’ to ‘answer if they believe in the moist ideology of achieving power through the barrel of gun’.
Well, you are wholly wrong in saying that human right activists are silent on Sukma ambush. Before giving such a statement a minister is supposed to act with responsibility and check whether human right activists were really silent. You did not care to do so. The Chhattisgarh state unit of PUCL immediately issued a press statement on 25th April 2017 ‘severely‘ condemning ‘the ruthless ambush carried out by Maoists at the Burkapal area’ in District Sukma on 24th April 2017 and expressed ‘its deep grief at the killing of 25 jawans, mostly young persons of poor family’. The copy of that press statement is annexed herewith.
PUCL (People’s Union for Civil Liberties) is well known Human Rights Organization of this country which was founded by Shri Jai Prakash Narain in October 1976. PUCL is committed to the use of only peaceful means to achieve its objects. By the same token it does not support use of violence even for laudable causes .Our answer to your question whether ‘these activists believe in the Maoists ideology of achieving power through the barrel of gun is a big NO.
We condemn the killing of any extremist, Maoist or a terrorist by the security forces in so called ‘exchange of fire’. The security forces kill these persons in a fake encounter wh
ich is a cold blooded murder by the state. No person can be deprived of his life or liberty except according to the procedure established by law. A terrorist or a Maoist should be put to trial and punished according to law. He should be given the same treatment which was given to Nathuram Godse who killed Mahatma Gandhi and to Ajmal Kasab, a Pakistani citizen accused of terrorist attack committed in Mumbai. There should be no killing in fake encounters or in custody of security forces.
Yours,
Ravi Kiran Jain
President, PUCL National