The Hindu : Front Page : Ban on Virasam lifted

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Nov 18, 2005

Front Page

Front Page

Ban on Virasam lifted

Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD: The three-month-old ban on the Revolutionary Writers' Association (RWA) was lifted by the Government on Thursday following a recommendation by the Advisory Board headed by Justice T. L. N. Reddy.

The revocation, effected through a GO, will free RWA (Virasam) president G. Kalyan Rao and its Executive Member P. Varavara Rao, now lodged in Chanchalguda jail, from the charges framed under the Andhra Pradesh Public Security Act. But, they are unlikely to be released from jail immediately as they face charges in seven other cases.

The ban was imposed on Virasam along with the CPI (Maoist) and seven other revolutionary organisations on August 17 after Congress MLA C. Narsi Reddy was killed by naxalites in Mahabubnagar district. The Government had justified the ban on Virasam on the ground that sufficient material was found establishing its link with the Maoists.

Material not enough

However, the Advisory Board did not find the material sufficient enough to declare the RWA unlawful. During the review at two sittings, the board went through activities of the RWA and the video tapes of speeches of the two writers who acted as emissaries along with Gaddar during the Government-naxalite talks.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Front Page