Mukundan C. Menon

Mukundan Chembakasseriyil Menon, also known as Mukundan C. Menon (21 November 1948 – 12 December 2005), was a human rights activist in India.

He was involved in establishing several human rights groups in India, including the People's Union for Civil Liberties and the National Confederation of Human Rights Organizations (NCHRO) in Kerala.^[1]

After graduating from St. Thomas College in Thrissur, Menon moved to Delhi and worked as a freelance journalist from 1969 to 1970.^[1] He formed the Association for Protection of Democratic Rights (APDR) in 1972.^[1]

Menon worked with the APDR in Delhi for the release of the prisoners of the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) and campaigned to save the lives of the two tribals, Kista Gowda and Bhoomaiah, who were ultimately hung during The Emergency. This work led to his own incarceration during The Emergency. After his release, he edited the journal Third World Unity between 1978 and 1980.^[2]

As the Delhi State secretary of the People's Union for Civil Liberties, Menon addressed issues related to the death penalty, preceding the Supreme Court directive that the death penalty is used only in the rarest cases. He continued his work in the human rights movement in Hyderabad and Thiruvananthapuram, where he worked as a journalist.^[1][3]

Menon's work included reporting on massacres in Bhagalpur (1980) as well as the massacres of Sikhs in 1984. He acted as a mediator during the Ayyankali Army's Palakkad District Collector hostage situation on 4 October 1996.^[4] From 1981 to 1993, he worked as an investigative journalist based in Hyderabad

In 1994, Menon became involved in the human rights movement in Kerala. He was elected Secretary of the National Confederation of Human Rights Organizations (NCHRO), an umbrella organisation of human rights groups, in 1997. He worked with Human Rights Watch (USA), People's Watch Tamil Nadu, and South India Cell for Human Rights Education and Monitoring (Bangalore).

In 1999, he received a Human Rights Award from the Middle East Malayali Association.^[5]

Menon was a regular columnist for Al Jazeera, Rediff News, Indian Currents, Meantime, Thejas, and The Milli Gazette. Menon also wrote for Thejas fortnightly and ultimately became an editorial consultant and the Resident Editor of Thejas Daily.^[5] Upon learning of Menon's death, Dr. Zafarul Islam Khan, editor of The Milli Gazette, said, "We are shocked to know of the untimely demise of our friend Mr. Mukundan C. Menon. He was a great fighter for human and civil rights in this country".^[6]

Menon reported on issues including police violence, the treatment of tribal people and Dalits, and other alleged human rights violations. His work covered issues regarding excessive police brutality, the death of Thangal Kunju and others in police custody in Alappuzha, and several other human rights violations.^[5][7]

Menon wrote published commentary critical of Hindutva fascism and was described by some commentators as controversial; some media associated with Sangh Parivar alleged he was sympathetic to banned organizations. As a human rights activist, Menon condemned the role of the security forces in human rights violations and the high level of impunity that benefited those responsible for human rights violations.^[8]

Menon died on 12 December 2005 at the age of 57, following complications caused by cardiac arrest.^[1][9]

The National Confederation of Human Rights Organizations awards the Mukundan C.^[10] Menon Award annually to human rights defenders, artists, writers, and environmental activists actively involved in defending the rights of the people.^{[11][12][13][14]}

The award was instituted in honour of Menon soon after his death.^[15]

Menon married Lalitha Samuel in 1973. They had three sons together before Lalitha's death in 1986, shortly after the birth of their third son.