Vizag data centres lack transparency on water, power and jobs, say speakers at HRF meet

Y. Rajesh, State general secretary of the Human Rights Forum, speaks at the HRF’s tenth Visakha district conference in Visakhapatnam on Sunday. | Photo Credit: V. Raju

The Human Rights Forum (HRF) held its tenth Visakha district conference, themed “Remembering Balagopal”, at Alluri Vignana Kendram in Daba Gardens in Visakhapatnam on Sunday (October 4, 2026). About 100 people, including young participants and veterans of the organisation, attended the event.

Speaking on “Balagopal’s Continuing Relevance”, Y. Rajesh, general secretary of the HRF’s Andhra Pradesh unit and an advocate based in Amalapuram, said he had drawn on the writings of the late lawyer and civil rights activist, whom he had not known personally. He said Balagopal and his colleagues had built a non-hierarchical work culture in the HRF, emphasising fact-finding on the ground and broader coalitions. Many of Balagopal’s writings dealt with destruction and development, he said.