Human Rights activist Binayak Sen will soon launch a movement along with other activists to seek the striking down of the sedition law.
Sen was himself was booked under the sedition law by the Chhattisgarh government, which led to his conviction by a lower court before he was finally let off on bail by the Supreme Court.
Explaining the reasons why he opposed the sedition law, Sen said in Mumbai on Monday, "This law was used by the British against the Indian population. The sedition laws are not befitting a free country. We are going to hold a public campaign against the law and for that we are going to collect one million signatures and give it to Parliament before the winter session."
He claimed that the movement was necessary, as hundreds of innocent activists and people were simply being booked under sedition and were languishing in jails.
The activist charged that the governments were working against the interests of the poor and the marginalised people.
He pointed out that a study had shown that 37 per cent of the total adult population in the country was malnourished.
"These people are surviving simply because of common property resources. However, the government is running a programme against these communities. Governments in power are removing them from their lands. This causes the problem of displacement."
Sen said he was against land acquisition by the government.
"Our view is that any land acquisition that hands over land to private interests is illegitimate. It is based on taking land from the poor and giving it to the rich. This is against the Directive Principles of the Constitution, which says that all people are to be treated equally," he said.
Sen called India a 'sham democracy'.
He said that democracy did not jst mean the government ascertains the views of the people after every five years. "There should be a dialogue between the government and the people."
