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[1] Musharraf’s ‘Restoration Of Constitution’ A Sham By HRW http://www.countercurrents.org/hrw151207.htm Lifting the state of emergency will not restore real constitutional rule in Pakistan unless President Pervez Musharraf also withdraws changes he made to the constitution and reinstates the judiciary, Human Rights Watch said today. Musharraf imposed a state of emergency and suspended constitutional rule on November 3, 2007 on the pretext of fighting terrorism Pakistan's January Polls Already Rigged: UN Rights Envoy By P. Parameswaran http://www.countercurrents.org/parameswaran151207.htm A UN human rights envoy on Thursday told US lawmakers not to send any delegation to monitor the upcoming election in Pakistan, claiming that it was already rigged by President Pervez Musharraf On The Significance Of Nandigram By Ramsey Clark http://www.countercurrents.org/clark151207.htm Ramsey Clark, former US Attorney General, anti-imperialist campaigner and President of the US-based International Action Center, was in Kolkata to attend the Anti-Imperialist International Conference and rally organised by the All India Anti-Imperialist Forum from 27th to 29th November. On 29th November, he visited Nandigram for a first-hand experience of the situation there. Returning to the closing session of the Conference, he made the following brief speech on the significance of Nandigram ---------- [2] North East Support Center & Helpline B-123, 2nd Floor, Amar Colony, Lajpat Nagar IV, New Delhi 110024. 9868184939, 9818314146, 9868157066, 9810554901 Fax 011-42811185 nesupportcentre@gmail.com, www.nehelpline.net PRESS STATEMENT 16 December 2007 N C W URGED TO TAKE ACTION IN CASE OF SEXUAL ASSAULT ON MANIPUR GIRL IN GURGAON [The following is the text of a complaint by the North East Support Centrre and Helpline to Ms Girija Vyas, Chairperson, National Commission for Women, New Delh] Re: Landlord’s sexual assault on Manipur woman in Gurgaon - FIR No. 552 of 2007 Police Station DLF, District Gurgaon, Haryana u/s 354, 376, 511 IPC sec 3-33-89 Sc/St Act We are writing to you in some distress on an urgent matter relating to the plight of tribal women, specially those from the North eastern States, who work in the National Capital Region, and particularly in NOIDA [Uttar Pradesh] and Faridabad and Gurgaon [Haryana]. While earlier we had a history of migration, and exploitation, of young women from the tribal belts of Jharkhand, Orissa, and Chhattisgarh coming as domestic maids, the recent migration, in the thousands, is of educated girls from Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Nagaland who come to work in Call Centers and the IT industry in these towns. They live in small groups, and often alone, and are subject of much harassment in areas of residence and the workplace.. The North East Support Centre & Helpline was recently founded in New Delhi by concerned NGOs to assist such girls in distress and in danger of physical and psychological harm. The NE Support Centre & Helpline on Friday, 14th December 2007, brought to my attention the following case which I am submitting to the N C W for your urgent attention and action. I visited Gurgaon on 15th December 2007, interviewed the young women, Linda, and spoke with the Gurgaon Commissioner of Police as also other officers because the extremely unprofessional and sadistic behaviour of the SHO of the DLF Police station, Gurgaon, and the aggressive attitude of friends of the criminal son of the landlord against whom the girl has complained. The landlord’s son and his friends, in fact, followed me and my associates around as we went to the Police station, and later the offices of the ACP and the Police Commissioner in different sectors of Gurgaon. In brief, the case is as follows: Linda is from Manipur from where she came about seven months ago to do a course in beauty-care to be able to take up a job as her father, a carpenter, is not able to support his large family of seven. Linda lives with her sister in a room they rented on 11 November 2007, in House Number 65, Chakkarpur village, near Krishna Market, in the DLF area of Gurgaon, Haryana. In the past, other girls of the region have stayed in this village. The son of the landlord, named Vikram, has apparently had his eye on these girls. On three occasions, he attempted to molest Linda. He entered their room when her sister had gone to her job in a beauty salon, was away. On two occasions, he caught hold of her and sought to take advantage of her. She screamed, struggled, and resisted his advances. When she ran and opened the door to cry for help, he slinked away. The third time, on 11 December 2007 at 7.30 pm, he again entered her room and grabbed her, trying to kiss her and fondle her body. She again screamed and when there was a commotion, he ran away. The girl and her sister, together with other friends from their state, protested to the landlord about his son. Instead of listening to them, apologizing for his son, and making amends, the landlord threw the girls out of the house. They could not collect even their personal belongings and were forced to leave the house with most of their belongings in the room. The girls could also not lodge a complaint with the police. They are still terrified and can hardly express themselves coherently out of fear and mortification. Eventually they approached the NE Support Centre & Helpline in Delhi through another youth from Manipur. NE Support Centre & Helpline secretary Rev Madhu Chandra, a Manipuri, accompanied them to the Police Station. He was surprised to find that not only were the assault and his fiends already at the police station, the SHO was extremely aggressive. He did not show any sympathy for the girl. He also was not bothered that Rev Chandra was pleading that a case be registered. After a very long time, but not before he had shown extreme hostility towards the group, the police register a complaint. At that stage they refused to give a copy of the complaint. On Saturday, 15 December 2007, Dr. John FDayal, Member, National Integration Council, accompanied NE Support Centre & Helpline President, Ms Lansinglu, a Supreme Court of India Advocate, Rev Madhu Chandra, and the victim and her sister, to the Police station. The police again would not talk about the case, though the assailant and his friends were present in large numbers and even tried to persuade me t not take up the matter with the police. We then went to the Assistant Commissioner of Police, DLF region, and eventually met the Commissioner of Police, Gurgaon, who gave us a patient hearing. He has assured action. However, the matter is far more serious and deserves the concern of the National Commission for Women. We request that the NCW make a through survey of working women in Haryana and devise steps, in conjunction with the police and the government, to ensure the safety and security of the working women from distant parts of India. We must mention that we did not find a single woman police at the Gurgaon police station. We are sure you will treat this letter as an urgent complaint. Dr. John Dayal Release by Mr. Madhu Chandra Spokes Person ------------ [3] North East Support Center & Helpline B-123, 2nd Floor, Amar Colony, Lajpat Nagar IV, New Delhi 110024. 9868184939, 9818314146, 9868157066, 9810554901 Fax 011-42811185 nesupportcentre@gmail.com, www.nehelpline.net Press Release Minor Northeast Girl Molested Repeatedly New Delhi, December 13, 2007, (North East Support Centre & Helpline) A minor girl of 17 years old who is doing a designing course was molested repeatedly by her landlord in Gurgaon, Haryana. After failing the repeated attempt to rape, the house owner, in frustration threw out the girl along with her sister and cousin from the house without any reason at midnight. The North East Support Centre & Helpline went to lodge an FIR at Gurgoan Police station today, but the police denied even registering it. It was on November 11, 2007 that Miss. Shiela (name changed) with her elder sister and cousin took a rented room in Gurgaon, Haryana. On December 2, 2007 at around 9.30 pm , the owner came and molested her knowing that she was alone. He tried to lure her and forced to use her. When she denied, he tried to strangulate her. On December 9, she was again attacked by the lustful owner who is already married and has two children. He molested her and tried to rape her but the attempt was failed as the girl raised alarm and brought attention to the outsiders. On December 11, at around 7.30 pm , house owner went inside Shiela’s room and molested her. Luckily she was not alone that day; her cousin was inside the bathroom taking a bath. On hearing the shriek from the girl, the cousin came out and saw their owner running out of the room. The next day without any notice or reason they were thrown out of the house along with their belongings. “Some of our belongings are still locked away in that room” Shiela’s sister said “The owner even slapped my cousin and threatened to use violence to my friends who came to help us in shifting.” On being asked why she did not inform the police when the owner first tried to rape her, Shiela confessed that she was terribly afraid, humiliated and ashamed. Along with the victims, the Fact Finding Team of North East Support Centre went to the concerned police station but instead of extending help, they refused to register the case and insisted on identifying the accused first. They were detained in the police station for a long time by the SHO Mr. Mohamad Hussain on the pretext of filing an FIR. Without delay the accused family members and friends were contacted and they came to the station immediately in three vehicles. Inspite of repeated request, SHO Mr. Hussain was nowhere to be seen, while the accused member pressed for a situation where both the parties can come to a compromising term. The FIR is still not yet filed nor they were given chance to register the case. There are more then 2000 North East people staying in Gurgaon, where more then 68% of the discrimination went unreported and 22% denied even if they seek help from the police. It is up to us to decide whether we should allow this case to be ignored or give justice by giving our best involvement. The Fact Finding Team consists of Madhu Chandra, Ambika Hongsha and Lemyao Shimray. North East Support Centre & Helpline (www. nehelpline. net) is combined initiative of various human rights activists, social workers, students, journalists and lawyers seeking to prevent harassment and abuses meted out to North East People and tribal communities of other states. Release by Lemyao Shimray shimrayalem@yahoo.com +91-9868740513 Media and Publicity Desk North East Support Cent ---------- [4] The Adivasi Question In Assam By Moirangthem Prakash http://www.countercurrents.org/prakash171207.htm Recent violence involving Assam's adivasis highlights the region's uniquely complex realities Modi's Gujaratis By Nasiruddin Haider Khan http://www.countercurrents.org/haiderkhan171207.htm What will we call Ghulam Mohammad Sheikh, who put Gujarat on the painting map of the world. What about Bandukwala? What name will be given to garba music of Ismail Darbar? Zaheer Khan, Irfan Pathan, Yusuf Pathan, Saira, Rashida, Niazben where will they fit? Are they Gujarati or just "them" in Modi's Gujarat? Tamils: Thy Kingdom Come? By Chandi Sinnathurai http://www.countercurrents.org/sinnathurai171207.htm I for one, don’t care who landed in Ceylon first, and least bothered from where we landed - especially after so many centuries. What both, the Sinhalas and the Tamils need to concentrate is this. The reality is we find our selves together on this beautiful island. Now how best can we live side by side peacefully? How can we together dismantle oppression and hegemony? ----------- [5] From: "dn.rath" <dn.rath@gmail.com Date: Wed Dec 19, 2007 1:29 pm Subject: India Across Border, A reflection of Indian - American A talk PROF. PRANAV JANI Asst. Prof. of English. OHIO State University, USA will discuss On- India Across Border, A reflection of Indian - American Date- 20th. December, Thursday, Time- 6 P. M. Place- Narmad- Meghani Library, Meethakhali Rly. Crossing, Meethakhali, Ahmedabad From- Movement Secular Democracy(MSD) Ph. 079 26404418 ----------- [6] From: jindia <raj.justindia@gmail.com Date: Wed Dec 19, 2007 6:05 pm Subject: Towards Glorious and Invincible India By Maulana Wahiduddin Khan * * *Towards Glorious and Invincible India* By Maulana Wahiduddin Khan http://www.alrisala.org/Articles/india/glorious.htm In its editorial 'Neighbor's Neighbor', The Times of India (April 21, 95) wrote: "Though India is the second largest Islamic country in the world [recent estimates show that India's Muslim population is now the largest] it has been subjected to hostile propaganda in the Organization of the Islamic Countries. It is, therefore, necessary for India to cultivate leading Islamic countries and explain to them, the realities of the situation in the country. It is on record, for example, that although Mr. Fakhruddin Ali Ahmad was deputed by Mrs. Indira Gandhi to attend the first meeting of the Organization of the Islamic Countries held in Morocco in 1969, this mission was not a success because of Pakistan's opposition to India." It needs to be emphasized far beyond the borders of India, that in addition to constituting the largest Muslim population in the world, Indian Muslims have made extraordinary progress since 1947. Most Muslim families are now far better off than they were prior to that date. (For details, please refer to Indian Muslims by the author). There can be no doubt that Muslims are a great asset to their country. When it comes to holding the banner of India high on the world Muslim map, they make a solid contribution. Our neighbor, Sri Lanka, having grasped this reality, has assigned its foreign ministry and many other important posts to Muslims. Sri Lanka is now benefiting greatly from the relations thus established with Muslim countries. I feel that India has yet to fully tap this precious opportunity. Today the country is beset by serious problems to solve which new blood is required. And this new blood, according to the predictions of Swami Vivekananda, can be found among the Muslims. On June 19, 1898, he wrote: * I see in my mind's eye the future perfect India rising out of this chaos and strife, glorious and invincible, with Vedanta brain and Islam body. *(Letters of Swami Vivekananda, p. 380)*.* To put it quite plainly, this would mean having a Hindu president and a Muslim prime minister for our great democratic system. Today the formation of such a government has become an inescapable necessity. The Swami's dictum of one hundred years ago would appear to be an ideal proposal in terms of present circumstances. It is not just playing with ideas, it is rather making a cool assessment of the country's present condition. More than eighty percent of the problems faced by our country today relate directly or indirectly to Muslims. Would not an able and patriotic Muslim prime minister deal with them with greater insight and efficiency? Let us look at what India's most serious problems are, given its central position in a huge chain of Muslim countries stretching to its east and west. The most difficult problem to be solved is that of Kashmir. Then there is the normalization of relations with the west Asian countries, with whom innumerable matters of national interest are at issue. Other problems include securing the support of the Muslim members in the United Nations; the normalization of relations with Pakistan, which for us is of prime importance, the establishment of a corridor through Bangladesh to join northern India with the rest of the country by road or rail, and the formation of a federation of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh as a permanent political solution to the problems of the subcontinent, besides the internal normalization of Hindu-Muslim relations, and so on. Serious problems like these have become obstacles in the path of our progress. Our journey as a nation has reached a dead end. In such circumstances, an able Muslim prime minister may effectively lead the caravan of national progress out of its present state of impasse. The number of Muslims in Malaysia is less than that of India (about 120 million). Although the ratio of Muslims to adherents of other faiths is greater than in India. Malaysian Muslims are still numerically in a minority. Even so, for almost the last twenty years, Malaysia has had a Muslim prime minister in Maathir Mohammed. And this is without there being a Muslim majority in parliament. The number of Muslim members of parliament is actually less than fifty per cent, so that it is not a Muslim parliament which Maathir Mohammed heads, but a coalition government. During a tour in Malaysia in July 1984, I had occasion to meet Maathir Mohammad and was able to form my own personal estimate of him. I came to the conclusion that the quality which has enabled him to head a coalition government for the last twenty years was the realism of his approach. Unlike our Muslim leaders, he does not indulge in wishful thinking, but makes an in-depth study of circumstances and then makes plans of proven feasibility. It is this quality in him which is responsible for Malaysia's extraordinary progress. It is significant that even with a minority in the Assembly, he has been able to form a government for four successive terms. Indian Muslims are generally regarded as the downtrodden objects of social and religious persecution. But to my way of thinking, if old attitudes could be shaken off, there should be nothing to present them playing the same role in this country as is played by Mr. Maathir Mohammad in Malaysia. It would be ridiculous to suggest, of course, that a few articles published in the newspapers should suffice for a Muslim to be offered the post of prime minister. Prime ministership is not something to be lightly conferred on demand. The aspirant should first have to prove his mettle, and then the post should be given to him on the basis of outstanding personal merit. Swami Vivekananda meant just this when he made the above-mentioned observation. If meritorious Muslims go forward at the national level where, by virtue of their excellent performance in the country's mainstream, they come into public's eye, and emerge as national figures, they can certainly reach the highest political offices in the country. For this to happen, Muslim intellectuals and leaders shall have to adopt a totally non-communal approach. They must concentrate on what is in the general interest of the nation and not just on the welfare of their own community. They shall have to develop national thinking instead of sectarian thinking and should have the guts to say: "I am proud to be an Indian Muslim." Their approach must be secular in the best sense of the word, and, without differentiating between Hindus and Muslims, they must show their love for all Indians in equal measure. While in Kuala Lumpur, I said my prayers at the official residence of the Prime Minister. As a devout Muslim, Mr. Maathir Mohammad joined us. But when it comes to public life, he adopts an entirely secular approach, for, in a country with a diverse cultural and religious background, no system other than secularism is practically possible. If a high-caliber secular, realistic, patriotic, nationally-minded Muslim were to appear on the Indian political scene, and, most important, if his character remained unaffected by malign pressures, there is no doubt about that he would make an excellent choice of becoming prime minister of India. Had Kashmiri Muslims not waged a senseless separatist war in 1989, thereby discrediting themselves in the eyes of our countrymen, I am certain that the first Muslim prime minister of India could very well have been a Kashmiri. Even today if the Kashmiris, severing all connections with the separatist movement, joined the mainstream they would astonishingly find that the India which proposed them the post of the Prime Minister of Kashmir was willing with great pride to offer them the post of the Prime Minister of India. ------------- |
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| << December15, 2007 - [India Thinkers Net]Epower posts ,students killed in US ,Iran etc |
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