Condemn arrest of Journalist SriSailam ! డిసెంబరు 6, 2007
Posted by JayaPrakash Telangana in Arrest, Telangana Journalist Forum.trackback
Latest update: 02:30am EST, 06th December 2007
Our journalist friend Pittala Srisailam, the force behind Musi TV, was arrested and implicated in a false case by Andhra Pradesh police. He was whisked away in Kandukur in Prakasam district some time in the afternoon of December 4, 2007 when he went to interview a leader of the CPI (Maoist). His whereabouts were not known for the next 30 hours, despite his family and friends, including journalist unions’ office bearers making representations to the police bosses and Home Minister. Finally in the night of December 5, the Home Minister accepted that Srisailam was in their custody. He also said they would let him off if it is true that he went for an interview only. However, by the late night Srisailam was implicated in a false case and shown as a “courier” of the Maoists.
While changing from Ongole subjail to Nellore jail, Srisailam had an occasion to speak to press and said “I was kidnapped by police and wrongly implicated as a ‘courier’ to Maoists. I was also tortured by the police in custody to confess some statements which I am not aware of. I have no connections whatsoever with the Maoists and was there only for an interview as a part of my job as a journalist“. These statements were prominently displayed by all TV news channels.
As we all know, many journalists interviewed Maoist leaders innumerable times in the past but no one has ever been arrested or harassed for doing their job. Pittala Srisailam who has already been arrested and harassed last week by Amberpet police for screening pro-Telangana films as street shows is now being targeted by the state police for performing his job as a journalist. When he was arrested in Amberpet last week, supposedly the police mentioned that they were under a lot of pressure from higher officials to curb his activities for Telangana cause. It is obvious that he is specifically being targeted for his dedicated work for Telangana media.
It is observed that some of the mainstream media are addressing him as ‘ex-journalist’. We should all note that Srisailam resigned from MaaTV recently to work full-fledged for MusiTV. Reportedly, MaaTV was not happy with Srisailam’s activities for Telangana. Now that he is working full time for a Telangana TV (Musi TV), he is not even being considered as a journalist anymore. Does working for Andhra media only make someone a journalist and not working independently for Telangana?
Srisailam’s family is trying to arrange a bail for Srisailam. We all are aware that Srisailam, in spite of his meager income has invested over Rs. 5 lakhs for MusiTV by selling his land. It is our moral responsibility as Telangana supporters to stand by him & his family, who has done so much to bring Telangana to our screens.
Please go to http://www.petitiononline.com/musitv/petition.html
and sign the petition Condemning the illegal arrest of Telangana Journalist & Activist Pittala Srisailam !
Jai Telangana !
I have been trying to know more about Srisailam from morning. Spoke to Allam Narayana(TJF), he was travelling and said they have not taken any decision. Prof . Kodan Ram (TVV) said that Home Minister gave assurence that if he doesnt have any connection with Maoists , police just finish formalities and leave Srisailam, by tomorrow TVV might give some statement. I even called Prakash(TRS), he said from yesterday they are trying and spoke in TV, police filed a case and sent him Nellore jail today and we have to get him back by taking bail or we have to go to high court. No response from his MAA TV friends. We are also pushing things from Telangana Utsav Committee.
It is very sad to see our Srisailam going through such crisis . I request all groups of Telangana come together and show so called Andhrites or other media persons that we are not easily available and we will teach them lesson if they dare to do it again.
Lets hope by tomorrow we can do something..
Sujatha Surepally (Telangana Utsav Committee)
> Let us all make an effort towards drafting an appeal demanding his immediate and
> unconditional release. We should send the appeal to the C.M, P.M, HomeMinister and all
> other concerned people.
It must include Amnesty International and other Human Rights organizations. CM, PM, Home Minister… they are all part of the problem, not part of the solution, appeal should be sent to them just as a formality to be followed. We have to see how to advertise this to whole of Telangana by advertising in news paper as one possibility. We have to make use of internet widely (because it doesn’t cost any thing) to expose the attrocities and anti-Telangana stand by YSR government, TDP, movie industry and andhra businesses and media. We should release tons of videos on “youtube” with songs against government and any clips showing anti_Telangana stand.
We should have taken and still should advertise, CI/Amberpet Musi TV incident…. which is very clear as anti-T activity and that is easy to show it to people of Telangana.
Last but not least, we should use KCR/TRS to pressure and speak against Amberpet incident and as well as this one. The govt. is trying to get Telangana activists and arrest and torture on the name of some non-Telangana issue.
Govt has to release Srisailam Immeadiately.
I condemn Srisailms arrest. Govt. attacking on Telangana Journalists only by naming moists etc.
I condemn the heinous attackand arrest of state Govt./police on P. Srisailam. All Telanginites do not forgive. He must be released without delay.
We all should condemn and let governament know that we are all behind Srisailam, so that they will not do such kind of arrests on our activists.
Srisailam’s arrest is the latest in the long list of false cases that the AP Police have foisted on journalists and thinkers in this state. It is high time that we call the bluff.
I literally condemn Srisailam’s arrest. He is a Telangana activist, by this reason only congress state govt wontedly arrested him. This is ridiculous, congress government and AP police should be responsible for this.
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