Freedom of expression being 'compromised' in TN: Rights activists

A group of rights activists came down hard on the Tamil Nadu government today alleging that people's freedom of expression was being "compromised" in the state and false cases were being slapped against protesters to "oppress" them.

Supreme Court lawyer Prashant Bhushan, author Arundhati Roy and a few activists from Tamil Nadu spoke at a protest meet organised at the Press Club of India here by a Delhi-based civil society.

"Chhattisgarh has become a black hole...virtually no freedom of speech and democratic rights of people (is being) taken away. Similar thing (is) now happening in Tamil Nadu," Bhushan alleged.

"...protest meetings are not allowed, hall and press conference venue bookings being cancelled, mala fide cases being slapped against protesters as happened in (anti-sterlite) protests in Tuticorin," he said.

Bhushan, Roy and other activists also alleged that there was a "fascist-situation" in the country.

"Tactics of repression have changed -- from jungles of Chhattisgarh, it has now moved to Tamil Nadu, in semi-urban or semi-rural areas," Roy said.

She said earlier only Muslims were "branded as terrorists" but now even intellectuals, Maoists and poor people are being targeted.

"The kind of language being used, people being criminalised... After demonetisation, if you protested you were called 'corrupt', if you speak again on the NRC issue, you are called anti-national and pro-Bangladeshi," she alleged.

In the name of development, "harmful and devastating infrastructure projects" are being imposed upon the people of the state (TN)," activist Uday Kumar alleged.

"Most of these are being done without following right procedures," he said.

Activist Kavita Krishnan alleged that while Chhattisgarh was being made out as a "state of exception" but what was happening in Tamil Nadu was to tell the message that this is the "new normal".

Bhushan said people must raise voices despite oppression and defeat these "fascist forces".

"We have to gird up our loins and build teams and solidarity and use spaces online and social media to speak out," he said.