AP Civil Liberties panel may split

HYDERABAD, Sept 12: The civil liberties movement in the State is likely to suffer a setback with some important office-bearers of the AP ...

HYDERABAD, Sept 12: The civil liberties movement in the State is likely to suffer a setback with some important office-bearers of the AP Civil Liberties Committee APCLC, including the high-profile general secretary K Balagopal deciding to step down from their positions following differences within the organisation over extremist violence in the State.

The two-day State convention of APCLC will mark a major change in the course of the organisation with both the hardliners and moderates adopting different stands on the organisation8217;s stand vis-a-vis Naxalite violence, particularly by the PWG. The CLC is the major civil liberties organisation in the State.

Though any immediate split in the organisation is ruled out by both the groups, an influential section of intellectuals who had been steadfastly opposing State violence against Naxalites for the last two-and-a-half decades is expected to part ways with the APCLC.

Differences between the two sections were there for the last four years but they came intosharp focus since a year with Balagopal and others openly questioning the violence perpetrated by the Naxalites.

While the hardliners view is that the extremist violence should be treated only as 8220;a counter to State violence8221;, the other group argued that attacks by Naxalites on ordinary people and those belonging to weaker sections cannot be justified.

The flashpoint came when Balagopal started openly questioning the deeds of Naxalites stating that their acts bordered on 8220;mindless violence8221;. The issue was thrashed out at a meeting held at Guntur a few months ago where the views of Balagopal were rejected by an overwhelming majority.

He and his associates insisted on widening the scope of the rights movement by incorporating other allied issues such as environmentalism, feminism and Dalit struggles in the agenda. 8220;After recent voting on these issues, it became clear that our voice is marginalised,8221; Balagopal admitted.

Story continues below this ad

Conceding that the moderates were in a hopeless minority, he told The IndianExpress that over 75 per cent of the cadre felt Naxalite violence should not be condemned. 8220;But our contention is that civil rights movement should not become an appendage to the Naxalite movement,8221; he said.

Having served as APCLC general secretary since 1983, Balagopal wields considerable influence over intellectuals within and outside the ogranisation. Being a full-time worker, he had considerably enlarged the activity of CLC during the past 15 years.

8220;We need to mobilise people and increase awareness about various forms of social oppression affecting different sections of society. Ours should be a value-based movement instead of becoming an integral part of the Naxalite movement. Since we are answerable to people, we should be prepared to openly condemn undemocratic acts of revolutionaries,8221; he said.

Those opposed to him are, however, of the view that the revolutionary movement should be placed above all other issues as it alone can find a solution to the people8217;s problems. Any criticismagainst it amounted to indirectly helping the State, they maintain.