Irrespective of their political differences, governments led by the BJP, Congress, and Left parties are misusing the provisions of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) to quell public dissent, according to Himanshu Kumar, rights activist.
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“UAPA is being used against people, who question the economic policies of the government. Most human rights violations are being committed against people who speak against economic policies that favour corporates and call for further divestment of public sector institutions,” he told The Hindu on the sidelines of a meeting organised by the Anti-UAPA People’s Collective against the draconian provisions of the Act and its misuse by various governments, including the LDF government in Kerala.
On the recent acquittal of 121 tribespeople by a Chhattisgarh court in a UAPA case after five years in jail, Mr. Kumar said it remained a classic example of the blatant misuse of the Act. “It was a case in which many innocent tribespeople were incarcerated in a single case. Five years of their lives were wasted. When they came back from prison, their houses and fields were ruined. The Congress government has not yet given them compensation,” he added.
Mr. Kumar, who ran Vanvasi Chetna Ashram, a non-profit organisation for tribespeople in Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada from 1992 to 2009, expressed concern over what he termed the “losing faith” in the judiciary, which was supposed to be the last resort for ensuring rights and liberty of individuals. “Our democracy is under threat in view of the degeneration visible in national institutions, which are not working as mandated. It is a serious situation,” he said.
On the “exemplary” cost of ₹5 lakh imposed by the Supreme Court on him for filing a petition seeking probe into the alleged massacres of tribespeople in Chhattisgarh in 2009, Mr. Kumar said he would not pay the fine. “They can arrest me. It is a very serious judgment, as it could be used to prosecute tribespeople who raise questions on atrocities committed by security forces,” he said.