Teesta Setalwad gets ''Nani Palkivala'' award

Mumbai, Jan 15 (UNI) Noted civil rights activist Teesta Setalwad was today conferred upon the 'Nani Palkivala Memorial Award-2006 'by Justice S P Bharucha for ''her courageous contribution in bringing to light the miscarriage of justice and atrocities committed against the minority community in Gujarat''.

Addressing a cheering audience, she said ''Whether India in reality is a living, secular, pluralistic and breathing democracy as dictated by the Constitution and foreseen by the forefathers, or is it a hype created by a few wealthy individuals.'' Setalvad pinpointed to the hype and duplicty in an emerging India, where thousands of people still face the brutal brunt of hunger and victimisation of the state in one or the other.

Citing the various incidents of rights abuse starting from the farmers suicides in the Vidarbha region, the non implementation of the Sri Krishna Commission, recent forced and illegal seizure of lands in Singur and Nandigram, She quipped, are we really living in a true democracy? On the occasion, Setalvad said ''The true beneficiary of this honour is a man, who stood against all odds, every pressure and maintained a well drafted personal diary of the events that unfolded, filed affidavits after affidavits before the Nanavati Commission and the price he paid was social and political isolation, and being denied promotion. ''I salute Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), R Sreekumar for his stand and uprightness,'' she said.

On the occasion, the biography of Nani Palkhivala, penned by renowned Journalist M V Kamath, was also released by Justice S P Bharucha.

The Panel of judges comprised Justice M N Venkatachaliah, Justice S P Bharucha - both former Chief Justice of India, and Anu R Aga and former Chairperson, Thermax India Ltd. they chose Setalvad among 50 contestants, while no organisation qualified the criteria for the Insitutional award-2006.

The award was instituted by the Nani A Palkhivala Memorial Trust in 2005 to be given to an individual and an organisation annually for exceptional work for the preservation and protection of civil liberties in the country.

UNI