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[1] Independent Tribunal On Kandhamal Violence Nirat, Juhu Tara Road, Mumbai 400 049 Camp office: Dr Pran Parichha, Kanika Road, Tulsipur, Cuttack 753 008 Members of the Tribunal Mr. Justice Hospet Suresh Mr. Justice Kolse Patil Mr. R. B. Sreekumar, IPS, Director General of Police [Retd.] Gujarat, Ms Teesta Setalvad Facilitation: Dr Pran Parichha [943709714], Mr. Joseph Dias, Mr. Hemant Nayak Convener: Dr John Dayal, Member, National Integration Council, Govt of India 09811021072 johndayal@vsnl.com URGENT PRESS STATEMENT Bhubaneswar, 12 May 2008 Independent Tribunal of Justices Suresh, Patil, Teesta Setalvad and RB Sreekumar, IPS Retd, leaves for Kandhamal The four-member Independent Tribunal consisting of eminent jurists Justice Hospet Suresh, Justice Kolse Patil [both former High Court judges], Director General of Police [retired], Gujarat, Mr. R. B. Sreekumar and Ms Teesta Setalvad, the noted Human rights activist, left for Kandhamal this afternoon. The members arrived from Mumbai earlier in the day. Archbishop Raphael Cheenath called on the Tribunal before they left by road for Behrampur on their way to Brahminigaon to see for themselves the status of relief, reconstruction and security in the district four months after the violence that traumatized The Christian religious minority groups in the region from 24 December 2007 to 2 January 2008.. The Tribunal will visit the major blocks affected by the violence. The public hearings, in which a cross section of victims including displaced villagers will depose, will be held in Balliguda from 13th May to 16th May 2008. The Independent Tribunal will release its preliminary report at a Press Conference in Bhubaneswar on 17th May 2008 before the members depart for Mumbai. The final report will be published in due course Copies of the findings will also be sent to the President and Prime Minister of India, Hon'ble Governor of Orissa, the Hon'ble Chief Minister, the Home Secretary and Director General of Police, Orissa, the National Human Rights Commission, New Delhi, the National Minorities Commission, the National Commission for Scheduled Castes, the national Commission for Scheduled Tribes, the national Commission for Women, the Press Council of India, the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, New Delhi, and other authorities.. The coordinating groups have informed the State government and the State Civil and Police authorities about the Independent Tribunal and its tentative itinerary. Independent Tribunals and commissions set up by civil society have a distinguished global tradition and their reports have formed important inputs in opinion forming, reforms and human rights legislation. India has also had a distinguished tradition of Independent Tribunals which have had an impact on civil society and have unearthed truth and brought out facts that governments, administrations, police and political parties have sought to suppress. Major recent tribunals have been on the Bhopal gas tragedy, police atrocities in the Punjab in the 1980s, the Gujarat anti-Muslim pogrom of 2002, displacement, child labour, anti-Dalit violence and atrocities, police impunity, fake encounters, custodial deaths and issues such as the Nandigram violence. Released to the media by Dr John Dayal Member, National Integration Council, Government of India Convener of the Independent Tribunal Mobile phone number 09811021072 Email: johndayal@vsnl.com ---------------- [2] From: "Sukla Sen" <sukla.sen@gmail.com Date: Wed May 14, 2008 9:34 pm Subject: Free Binayak Sen: The Cry Goes Up Globally http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Free_Binayak_campaign_gathers_steam_acr\ oss_globe/articleshow/3037844. cms 130 'Free Binayak' campaign gathers steam across globe 14 May 2008, 0423 hrs IST, TNN NEW DELHI: When the Chhattisgarh police arrested him on May 14, 2007, health activist Binayak Sen was known to few beyond the thousands of tribals of that state he had treated over two decades. In the one year that he has since spent in a Raipur jail on terror charges, Sen's fame has spread far and wide. This is evident from the sheer number of places within the country and outside where protests are due to be held on Wednesday observing the first anniversary of his incarceration. They are also demanding Sen's release so that he could receive in person the prestigious Jonathan Mann award for health and human rights from the Global Health Council in Washington on May 29. The growing band of Sen's supporters are planning to hold demonstrations in Delhi, Kolkata, Trivandrum, Coimbatore, Chennai, Bangalore, Pune, Lucknow and of course Raipur. Apart from the usual protests, they say they are going to organize medical camps, film festivals, public lectures and cultural performances. A broad coalition of liberals is also said to be coordinating protests in 13 cities outside India. These include Washington, New York San Francisco, London, Paris and Stockholm. The campaign for Sen's release received a major boost on May 9 when 22 Nobel laureates came out with a joint statement in his support and highlighted the significance of his being the first South Asian to have been selected for the Jonathan Mann award. The trial against Sen started only on April 30. A leader of People's Union for Civil Liberties, he is accused of passing notes from a Naxalite he was treating in jail to someone outside. His supporters however alleged that he had been framed for exposing the Chhattisgarh government-backed vigilante movement called Salwa Judum to combat Maoist insurgency in forest areas. Trained as a pediatrician at the Christian Medical College in Vellore, Sen has focused his lifework, according to the citation of the Jonathan Mann award, on improving the health care and living conditions of the very poor in the tribal regions of central India. -------------- [3] From: "Dalits, The Seeds of India .." <india4dalits@gmail.com Date: Thu May 15, 2008 12:19 am Subject: Dalit woman burnt to death *Dalit woman burnt to death* Tuesday, 13 May 2008 http://www.saharasamay.com/samayhtml/articles.aspx? newsid=99064 *Badaun, May 13: In a shocking incident, a dalit woman was burnt to death by her neighbours in a village under Kotwali Ujhani police station area over a trivial issue, the police said today. The neighbours of the victim yesterday barged into her house in Prithvipur village and poured kerosene before setting her afire, Superintendent of Police (City) Jagdish Singh said, adding she was rushed to a hospital where she later died. There was a fight between the children of the two neighbours which had annoyed the accused, Singh said, adding he fled the village after committing the crime.* ** ** ** *Caste Hindus return to TN village* Tuesday, May 13, 2008 http://news.in.msn.com/national/article.aspx? cp-documentid=1396587 Uthapuram: Caste Hindus of this village, who were staying on a near by hill for the past eight days and observing a fast since yesterday to protest against the demolition of a wall that divided their colony and Dalits, returned tonight after former MLA Thalapathy and New Justice Party leader A C Shanmugam held talks with them. Senior leaders of 20 villages around Uthapuram, who were backing caste Hindus and those who participated in the 1989 talks when it was agreed to raise the wall, also participated in the discussions held today, officials said. The leaders agreed to hold talks with the Chief Minister and find a solution to the main demand of the caste Hindus, that a small plot of land, measuring eight cents adjoining the local Muthalamman temple, be given back to the temple. Caste Hindus charged the Left and a section of the media with dividing the people in the village and said the wall was constructed as per a mutual agreement between them and the Dalits to avoid skirmishes. About 200 caste Hindus lived in the hills with their children from April 6 when the wall was demolished. *Dalits In U. P. Face Hunger Deaths And Suicides* *By S. R. Darapuri* 09 May, 2008 - *Countercurrents. org* ** *W*hen George Bush is admonishing India for eating too much, Dalits in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh face hunger deaths and suicides The state of Uttarpradesh (U. P) in India has the distinction of having 3.51 crores of Dalits at 2001 census constituting 21.1 % of the total population (16.6 crores) of the state. U. P. holds 1st rank and the 4th rank in terms of absolute number of SC population and its proportion to total population respectively among all the States and Union Territories. The state has a total of sixty six (66) Schedules Castes. U. P. has also got the distinction of having a dalit lady Miss Mayawati as Chief Minister for the fourth time. U. P. has also won the distinction of being one the most under developed states of India. It has got the largest number of illiterate, malnourished persons, polio, leprosy and TB cases. The SCs in U. P. are predominantly rural as 87.7 % of them live in villages. Their literacy rate is 46.3 % which is much lower than the national average (54.7 %) aggregated for all SCs. Male and female literacy rates (60.3 % and 30.5 % respectively) among the SCs is also lower than those recorded for all SCs at he national level (66.6 % and 41.9% respectively ). Among the SCs literates, 38 % are either without any educational level or have attained education below primary level. The proportion of literates who have attained education up to primary and middle levels are 27..1 % and 18.5 % respectively. Literates who are educated up to matric/higher secondary constitute 13.3 %. Graduated & above are just 3. 5%. The non-technical and technical diploma holders constitute a meager 0.1 % only. Out of the total 133 lakhs SC children in the age group 5-14 years, 58.3 lakhs only have been attending school constituting 56.4 percent. As many as 45.1 lakh (44.6%) children in the corresponding age group have not been going to the school. Work participation rate (WPR) of the SC population is 34.7 % which is lower than that of all SCs at the national level (40.4 %). Among the total workers, 65.2 % are main workers, which is lower than that recorded for all SCs at the national level (73 %). "Agriculture Labourers" constitute the highest proportion (42.5 %) among the total SCs workers. This is lower than the national average 45.6 % recorded by all SCs in this category. 'Cultivators' constitute 30.9 % which is significantly higher than the national average (20.0 %). 'Other Workers' account for 22.2 % against the national average of 30.5 percent. Workers in House Hold Industry (HHI) constitute 4.3 %, which is higher than the national average (3.9 %). Hinduism is the predominant religion of the state (80.6 %). The SCs profess Hinduism account for 99.3 %. Remaining SCs follow Buddhism (0.6 %) and Sikhism (0.1 %). From the above statistics of 2001 census, it is clear that U. P. Dalits are quite backward as compared with Dalits at the national level. This is not withstanding the fact that a dalit Chief Minister is ruling this state for the fourth time since1995 till date with some gaps in between. So the question arises as to what has happened during all these years of so called 'Dalit Rule'. It is a serious question which needs to be discussed in detail and depth at some later stage. The main question which needs immediate attention of all concerned with dalits' plight in U. P. is the ever increasing number of suicides and hunger deaths among dalits as well as other weaker sections of society especially in the BundelKhand region consisting of Jhansi, Chitrakoot, Jalaun, Lalitpr, Mahoba and Banda districts. The main reason for this situation is the rain failure for the last five years resulting in loss of crops and wages for the agriculture labourers who are predominantly Dalits of Kol and Sahriya castes. Not only higher caste farmers but even dalit farmers are committing suicides due to crop failure and indebtedness. The agriculture labourers are dying of hunger, malnutrion and unemployment. This region has been identified with Vidharba region of Maharashtra where as many as 4,453 farmers have committed suicides during 2006. It is reported that as many 200 farmers had committed suicides and an other 250 had died of hunger deaths in Bundelkhand during the last five years. Out of this dalits' share is about 30 % among suicides and 70 % among hunger deaths. 80 % Dalits are on the verge of hunger deaths. As many as 12 dalits in Bundelkhand and 11 dalits in other districts of U. P. committed suicide and as many 25 dalits died of hunger deaths during the year 2007 only. In the face of this horrifying calamity the so called dalit Chief Minister Ms. Mayawati had the temerity to claim that not a single man had died neither of hunger death nor had committed suicide in U. P. She also declared that she will scrap the National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme which aims at providing 100 days' assured employment to rural labour families. Her claim of zero death and declaration of scrapping NREGP at this juncture are shocking. The need of the hour is to save dalits, other poor families and farmers by providing succor and relief but she has totally denied the existence such situation. In response to her claim of 'No Death', Social Organization like Dalit Mukti Morcha; P. U. C. L; Asha Parivar; Shudra Mahaabha and Ayodhya Ki Awaz have come out with the list of the Dalits who had died of hunger deaths and had committed suicides during 2007 i. e. during Mayawati's tenure as Chief Minister. This list has been published in a Hindi news paper "Daily News Activist" on 3.2.08 published from Lucknow. The interested persons may like to have a look at it. These social organizations had also arranged a Dharna (Protest) before U. P. Assembly on 2.2.08 against Mayawati's apathy towards U. P. Dalits' misery. They also submitted a memorandum to the Governor of U. P; National Commission for Scheduled Castes; National Commission for Human Rights; Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment (Govt. of India) and Minister for Rural Development (Govt. of India) requesting them to get the whole matter enquired by some Independent Enquiry Commission as the State Govt. has refused to take notice of this catastrophe. They have also demanded the honest implementation of National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme; Public Distribution System and Pension Schemes for widows, handicapped and old age persons as these schemes have fallen prey to corruption under Mayawati's misrule. S. R. Darapuri I. P. S. (Retd) Organiser, Dalit Mukti Morcha 18/455, Indira, Nagar, Lucknow(U. P.)-226016, India. email: srdarapuri@yahoo.co.in ---------------- [4] From: WebXpurt <webxpurt@yahoo.com Date: Wed May 14, 2008 7:45 pm Subject: Blasts a conspiracy?- Indian Express News Blasts a conspiracy to disturb peace in state: Raje http://indiasecular.wordpress.com/ May 14, Indian Express Jaipur, May 14: Rajasthan Chief Minister on Tuesday condemned the serial blasts in the pink city which claimed at least 60 lives and said that it was a well designed conspiracy by the terrorists outfit to disturb the peaceful atmosphere in the state. Addressing a late night press conference, Raje said: “never in the history of the state such a heinous incident had happened and this is not an attack on the state but on the nation.” She asked all the political parties to come together and face the crisis. Earlier, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil spoke to Raje and assured all possible help from the Centre. Already a company of NSG has arrived to assist the police, she said. Appealing to the people to maintain peace, she said that section 144 has been promulgated in the city and police vigil has been intensified. She said investigation was going on and reports is expected tomorrow which would specify who were behind this heinous crime. Raje also announced a state mourning on Wednesday and said: “all government offices, schools and colleges will be closed for a day as a mark of respect for all those killed in the serial blasts in the pink city.” At least 60 people were killed and about 200 injured in eight near-simultaneous blasts in Jaipur on Tuesday night. Raje said that a strong law like POTA should be brought to contain the terror in the country which has spread everywhere and is destroying social harmony. “We need a strong law like that in Gujarat to deal with this menace which has vitiated the atmosphere in the country and claimed innocent lives,” she said. |
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| << May14, 2008 - [India Thinkers Net]Nandigram ,Book review,British caste system ? |
May16, 2008 - I[ndia Thinkers Net]Bhopal attack ,failure of intelligence ,dialogue etc >> |
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