A group of concerned citizens, including Prof. A. Marx, People’s Union for Human Rights; Ko. Sugumaran, People’s Rights Forum; Dr. P. Sivakumar and Prof. M. Thirumavalavan, Ex-Principals of Government Colleges; V. Srinivasan, Environmentalist; Advocate Manoharan, People’s Lawyers Association; Advocate Sengodi; Advocate K. Natarajan; and Advocate Rajini (Madurai), in a statement on 24 June, revealed “a curious case of doublespeak by the state”.
The statement said, “The central and state governments constantly advise Maoists to give up arms and join the mainstream. But, in Tamil Nadu, the government in collusion with the police is torturing a group of ex-Maoists who have joined the mainstream. These comrades have given up armed struggle and have come out to function in the open under a party named People’s Democratic Republic Party (PDRP). They have also accepted the electoral path to pursue their mass line. It is clear from their case that the intention of the state is not to mainstream the armed fighters but to incapacitate anyone who dares to criticize the state’s policies, without any compromise.”