Odisha PUCL: Press Statement: 14th December, 2016
Tags: Odisha Police, Repressive actions, Navanirman Krushak Sangathan, Farmers’ rights, Arrests, Police detention, Right to assemble peacefully, Protest, Farmers' demands, Police repression
Related Issue: Right to Freedom of Speech and Expression, Right to Assemble Peacefully, Right to Form Associations or Unions, Right to Life and Personal Liberty
The PUCL expresses its deep concern at the repressive actions of Odisha Police against the leaders and farmer-members of Navanirman Krushak Sangathan, a farmers’ body fighting for the legitimate rights of farmers in the state. On 12th of December 2016, two leaders of the organisation, Sri Akhsya Kumar and Sri Seshadeba Nanda, were picked up from a Press Conference and were arrested later. The two arrested, along with other leaders, were holding a Press Conference to announce the programme for a farmers’ convention in Bhubaneswar scheduled to be held on 14th of this December. Nabanirman Krushak Sangathan had announced this programme long back, and was also granted police permission for it. However, from 13th onwards, police began picking up many farmers’ leaders from various places. According to media reports, many of them have been picked up from their homes when they were asleep. And on the 14th, the scheduled day for the farmer’s convention, there have been massive police deployment to forcefully detain the farmers coming to Bhubaneswar to participate in the convention. Hundreds of farmers have been taken into police custody from buses on the road and from train stations, in complete disregard of the law of the land.
The PUCL strongly believes that in a democracy people have a right to assemble peacefully and register their protest against any injustice meted out to them by the government of the day. Nabanirman Krushak Sangathan has been consistently raising the issues of farmers, particularly demanding better price for their produce and pension. These demands of the Sangathan need to be seen in the context of increasing pauperisation of the farmers community in the state and the phenomenon of farmers’ suicide due to indebtedness. The government, however, instead of addressing the genuine demands of the farmers, through dialogue and discussion, has resorted to police repression and even has prevented them from assembling peacefully.
The PUCL strongly condemns this undemocratic action of the government. The PUCL also demands that the arrested leaders and farmers of the Nabanirman Krushak Sangathan be released unconditionally.
Ms. Pramodini Pradhan, Convenor, PUCL (Odisha)