Veteran Human Rights’ Activist And Advocate,
K G Kannabiran Is No More
By Mahtab Alam
30 December, 2010
TwoCircles.net
K G Kannabiran speaking at the Independent Peoples’ Tribunal on the Atrocities Committed against Minorities in the Name Of Fighting Terrorism”,(Hyderabad, 22-24 August 2008).[TCN photo]
New Delhi/Ranchi: Veteran Human Rights’ activist, lawyer and former national president of Peoples’ Union of Civil Liberties (PUCL) passed away on Thursday evening around 5 pm in Hyderabad after a long ailment. He was 82 years and is survived by his wife and two children.
“It is great loss for activist for human rights’ movement in India and a personal loss for me who learned from him how to fight back human rights’ violations,” told Lateef Md. Khan, General Secretary, Civil Liberties Monitoring Committee, Hyderabad and who worked with him atAndhra Pradesh Civil Liberties Committee (APCLC),while on his way to Kannabiran’s house to pay him tribute.
“In Kannabiran’s death the civil liberties movement in the country has suffered an irreparable loss. This loss is particularly shocking as it has come within a fortnight of the passing away of Surendra Mohan, another stalwart in the field,” reads a press statement by PUCL signed its national secretaries Mahipal Sigh and Kavita Srivastva.
Renewed social activist, Shabnam Hashmi said, “In his death India lost one of the stalwarts of the human rights movement and has created a huge void”. “Human Rights activists of our generation always drew strength from him,” she added while saluting his spirit, his memory, his dedication, his determination and fearlessness.
K.G. Kannabiran, was instrumental in mediating between the Naxalites and the State in Andhra Pradesh along with K. Balagopal who also passed away last year. He was also the President of (APCLC). He had filed more than 400 public interest litigation (PIL) cases single-handedly. He was also one of the jury members of Independent Peoples’ Tribunal on the Atrocities Committed against Minorities in the Name Of Fighting Terrorism”,(Hyderabad, 22-24 August 2008).
Kannabiran was prominent for his most scholarly writer on civil liberties and human rights. He regularly wrote articles for various magazines and daily newspapers apart from PUCL Bulletin. He was author of many books. THE WAGES OF IMPUNITY: Power, Justice and Human Rights published by Orient Longman in 2004, is known to be his best and most read book.
An article by K G Kannabiran at TCN on Pluralism and Communalism
http://www.twocircles.net/2009nov19/pluralism_and_communalism.html
