Forum plans to go to UN on activists’ arrest

A decision on this will be taken by the forum – Professional Social Workers’ Association(PSWA) in a further deliberation in a larger group of social workers who are planning a consultation meeting in this regard on Sunday. 

A member of the forum observed that there was no use in trusting neither the state nor the centre in this matter since the planes on which the arrested activists were working were focussed on the lapses of both the machineries in the uplift of the downtrodden. 

“It started with a vigorous social activist Thirumurugan Gandhi of May 17 movement. He was consistent in his dissent over the centre’s projects which he deemed as anti-people. It extended to academician Prof Jayaraman who is also the chief-coordinator of anti-methane projects. Being an academician, the social activist was more focussed in his approach and was subsequently arrested at Kathiramangalam for protest. Caught in the same web is activist Divya Bharathi. She was arrested in a case registered against her eight years ago. 

The case pertains to her participation in an agitation seeking compensation for a Dalit student who died after being bitten by a snake at an Adi-Dravidar Welfare Department Students hostel in 2009.” The member listed out the arrests vociferously. M Andrew Sesuraj, secretary, PSW, said that the activists were taught to respond socially during such situations.