Noor Sridhar, who was activist since his student days, after coming to the mainstream has played an instrumental role in the struggle for Land and shelter movement in Karnataka.
Photo Courtesy: The State
Noor Sridhar, an activist who has been working with people’s movements all his life went underground when several false cases were filed against him identifying him with the Naxal Movement. Due to the reconciliation efforts done with the Karnataka government by freedom fighter H.S. Doreswamy, Gauri Lankesh and Late A.K Subbiah around 2013-14, Noor Shridhar could return to the mainstream and now is acquitted of all charges that he was facing since 5 years of his return.
He returned to the mainstream on December 8, 2014, with fellow activist Sirimane Nagaraj after spending a month in jail and was released from prison on January 15, 2015. The Court after four years and a half years has acquitted him from all cases. After coming into the mainstream, Noor Sridhar has mobilised several movements for primarily the ones for poor and landless in Karnataka called “Bhoomi mattu Vasati horata” ( Struggle for land and shelter). Along with social recognition, he has also gained legal recognition now.
Out of four cases he was facing, two cases were related to Chikamagalur that resulted in acquittal one year ago. And out of the other two remaining cases in Udupi court, one case he got acquittal six months ago and today he was acquitted of the other remaining case.
The court ruled that he was not involved in any of the crimes and that there were no witnesses of that nature. Padmanabh, who had returned to the mainstream after Noor Sridhar, is acquitted in 5 out of 07 cases. The court today acquitted him as well in the other three cases.
Noor Sridhar, who was activist since his student days, after coming to the mainstream has played an instrumental role in the struggle for Land and shelter movement and with Diddalli Adivasis Land struggle in Coorg district of Karnataka. He has an organic link with all people-centric movements.
It is ironic that on one hand activists who were linked with the Naxalite movement and were booked in false cases are acquitted and around the same time, Raichur police have arrested social activist and journalist Doddipalya Narasimhamurthy on false charges last week.
Speaking to Gauri Lankesh news, Noor Sridhar said- ” There were four cases against me. All were false cases but I had to go through the legal procedure. I had to do the democratic struggle in society and legal struggle for justice. This process is going on for the last five years and one by one, I was getting acquitted. Today even the final case was closed.
“I am relieved but happiness is only temporary as many activists are still in prison under false cases. This foisting of false cases will continue and only increase. We have to be ready for this and still continue the struggle for justice.”
He thanked Late A. K. Subbaiah Late Gauri Lankesh and H.S. Doreswamy who fought with the government for him.
He also thanked his family, friends, and comrades who stood by him and supported him whenever needed.
First published in https://gaurilankeshnews.com/