THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The hunger strike by those wo had undergone imprisonment during Emergency demanding recognition as political prisoners in front of the Secretariat has entered the second day on Wednesday.
The relay hunger strike, which was inaugurated by Bhasurendra Babu on Tuesday, was carried forward by prisoners from Thrissur on Wednesday.
The prisoners demanded that the State Government should immediately take steps to recognise them as political prisoners and provide several benefits such as pension and other allowances as done in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
“A total of 1,40,000 people were imprisoned throughout the country during Emergency and they had contributed in a big way to the restoration of the democratic rights. The three states of UP, MP and Punjab were the first to recognise this,” said CPI (ML) All-India secretary M S Jayakumar in his address on Wednesday.
“The resistance to Emergency and the resultant awareness had played a major role in the formation of the Left Front in the State and by recognising these prisoners of Emergency as political prisoners, the State Government would be making a historical step forward,” M S Jayakumar said.
A convention to this effect was held in the city on Tuesday and Thamban Thomas, who presided over the function, had remarked that the Left Government had a moral responsibility towards these prisoners as they had given the leadership for the struggle against Emergency.
At the convention, a co-ordination committee was formed with people from various fields in addition to those who had undergone imprisonment during
Emergency.
They include Thamban Thomas (chairman), T N Joy (general convener), P C
Unnichekkan (vice-chairman), Charles George,
Bhasurendra Babu and Gowridasan Nair (conveners) and M K Thankappan (treasurer).
The executive members include K Venu, Philip M Prasad, Civic Chandran, A Vasu, M M Somasekharan, B Rajivan, S Manoharan, Savithri Rajivan, A N Salimkumar and K Aravindakshan.
The ‘satyagraha’ in front of the Secretariat will continue on Thursday too.