Rights group condemns detention of activists

GANDHINAGAR - The Gujarat unit of the People’s Union for Civil liberties and the Adivasi Mahasabha of the state have strongly condemned the illegal detention of two activists on “false grounds” and demanded their release.

Activists Avinash Kulkarni and Bharat Pawar, who have been working with the tribals, were detained by police.

“Is it a crime to work in a democratic and peaceful way for the empowerment of tribals,” Rohit Prajapati and Xavier Manjooran said Tuesday.

Demanding an end to the “police raj” thrust on the people of the state, the two organizations condemned the manner in which the tribals of the state were being subjected to oppression.

“The arrests of the two tribal activists is nothing but a sinister conspiracy of the state government to decimate all efforts to secure the rights of tribals by filing false charges and resorting to unconstitutional practices against all those who work for human dignity.”

In a joint statement on behalf of the two organizations it was pointed out that Kulkarni and Pawar have been working relentlessly for the rights of the adivasis of Gujarat over the past 15 years. Based in Ahwa, Avinash and Bharat have been actively involved on issues pertaining to the empowerment and development of adivasis, through the Dangi Lok Adhikar Samiti and the Dangi Mazdoor Union, in Dang district.

The statement pointed out that the manner in which the police detained them is in clear violation of the Justice D.K. Basu guidelines of the supreme Court.