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| << April18, 2005 - [India Thinkers Net]GUJARAT GENOCIDE VICTIMS DEMAND JUSTICE |
April20, 2005 - [India Thinkers Net] North East & Punjab news >> |
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From: "CHROkeralam" <chro1@rediffmail.com> Date: Tue Apr 19, 2005 Subject: TN: Coimbatore Bomb Blast: 5 Accused Consume Poison, Swoon In Court New Indian Express, April 19, 2005, Tuesday Coimbatore bomb blast: 5 accused consume poison, swoon in court COIMBATORE: Five persons accused in the Coimbatore serial bomb blasts case swooned before the special court judge this afternoon after consuming poisonous substances. Yakub (25), Ubaidur Rahman (37), Sikkander (35), Sheik alias Bakruddin (25) and Abu Sali (45), along with about 162 other bomb blasts accused, are being lodged in the central prison for the past seven years. As they were being examined at the special court, they told judge Uthirapathy that they had consumed poisonous substances and demanded speedy justice. Immediately afterwards all five fainted in the court hall, triggering panic among the police and legal circles. The police rushed the undertrials to the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital, where a large number of mediapersons and members of the public had gathered. As they were being carried to the intensive care unit, the undertrials shouted slogans demanding the government expedite the trial of the serial bomb blasts case. The police said the undertrials had consumed a mixture made out of mosquito coil, low blood pressure tablets and a powder used to kill ants inside the prison. All five were still in the ICU but out of danger, hospital authorities said. A section of the accused, numbering 71, claiming to be innocent, had urged the special court judge to split the case and conduct a separate trial. The police moved the High Court opposing the move, and the court accepted the plea. The wives of the bomb blasts accused, who are running the Charitable Trust for Minorities, had observed a fast demanding speedy justice a month ago. While courting arrest along with their children, they had threatened to end their lives if their husbands were not released on bail.The accused in the blasts case have not been granted bail. The five undertrials, have been repeatedly petitioning the government and other higher officials, to release them on bail. In their petitions, besides threatening to commit suicide, they had ???opted??™ for mercy killing, according defence counsel. The police dismissed today??™s episode as an ??????attempt??™??™ at pressuring the government into granting the accused bail. They also said it was dangerous to supply the prisoners mosquito coils or similar poisonous substances. Central prisons officials, including prison DIG B M Ezra, were not available for comment. http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IET20050418121911&Page=T&Title=Southern+News+%2D+Tamil+Nadu&Topic=0 ------------------------------------------------------------ The Hindu, April 19, 2005, Tuesday Tension as bomb case accused consume `poison' Special Correspondent COIMBATORE: Tension gripped the special court for the serial bomb blasts trial here this morning as five of the 166 accused swooned on the premises after consuming "some poisonous substance." According to official sources, when Special Judge K. Uthirapathi enquired them about their health, they said that as the Madras High Court did not concede their plea for expediting the trial, they consumed "poison." The sources said the prisoners had been languishing in jail for almost seven years. The judge directed the police to shift them to the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital. They were admitted to the Intensive Care Unit where they are said to be out of danger. According to the sources, Yakub, Sikander and Obaidur Rehman, all 32, Sheikh Fakhrudin, 30, and Abu Salikh ,33, consumed a "mixture of mosquito coil and blood pressure tablets". They are said to be among the 71 accused who moved the court for a separate trial contending that they had not been charged under Section 120 B of the Indian Penal Code (criminal conspiracy).While the special court conceded their plea, the High Court rejected it recently following an appeal by the Crime Branch-CID. The serial blasts in the city on February 14, 1998, claimed 58 lives apart from injuring about 250 people. The damage to the property was assessed at Rs. 75 crores http://www.hindu.com/2005/04/19/stories/2005041907440400.htm ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [2] KERALA: NAXALITES RAKE UP 'ENDOSULFAN ISSUE' TO WIDEN BASE New Indian Express, April 19, 2005, Tuesday Naxalites rake up `endosulfan issue' to widen base KASARGOD: The agitation against endosulfan, a pesticide which had reportedly caused deadly diseases in some villages in the district, is being taken up by the Naxalite groups in order to widen their base in the tribal belt of the district. A small band of the activists of `Porattam', a Naxalite group, had barged into the office of the Plantation Corporation, Kerala (PCK) last Friday. They destroyed the office files and also took out the barrels of endosulfan kept in the godown. The agitation against endosulfan, which at times enjoyed popular support and now on the wane, is being revived by Naxalite groups. The police which raided the strongholds of the Naxalites had seized a number of leaflets and flags of the newly formed revolutionary women's movement in the area. Naxalite groups such as `Porattam' and `Ayyankalipada' now wield considerable influence among the tribals and poor communities in the villages of Ennappara, Chamakuzhi, Thayannur and Kalichanadkam, which were once the strongholds of the CPM. According to police, the Naxal groups used to conduct study classes and camps in remote villages in the area. The issue of endosulfan has come in handy for the Naxalite groups to boost their activities in the area. The villagers, said to be the victims of the pesticide, have not been given proper medical attention despite the medical camps organised by the Health Department. The resentment of the affected people suffering from various diseases has been well exploited by the Naxalite groups. Aneesh, a native of Vaduvakkode, Ernakulam, and an activist of `Ayyankalipada', had been conducting classes in the area for the last one month. Aneesh, involved in some cases, was instrumental in planning the attack on the PCK office, said the police. Aneesh had been arrested by the police with explosives from the Muthanga forest last year. He was also involved in the attempt to rob a commercial bank. Aneesh was arrested by the police on Sunday following the attack on the PCK office. According to police, there are more than 30 hardcore Naxalites in the Chamakuzhy area alone. The leaflets seized from them speak of armed uprising if the cause of the tribals continues to be ignored by the Government. The Naxalites were targeting the `blade mafia' and also planning a series of `people's trials', but the move has been pre-empted by the police. http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IER20050418130542&Page=R&Title=Kerala&Topic=0& ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [3] Amnesty On Promotion And Protection Of Human Rights : Death Sentence Amnesty International, AI Index: IOR 41/039/2005, 15 April 2005 2005 UN Commission on Human Rights: Oral statement on item 17: Promotion and protection of human rights Delivered by Patrizia Scannella Mr. Chair, In this statement, Amnesty International will address the death penalty and counter-terrorism. Five countries having abolished the death penalty in 2004; the steady progress towards universal abolition is undeniable. Yet executions persist. Amnesty International found that in 2004 at least 3,797 people were executed in 25 countries and at least 7,395 were sentenced to death in 64 countries. The true totals were certainly higher. Most of the persons executed did not receive fair trials. With capital punishment's evident cruelty, its arbitrariness, and the inherent risk of executing the innocent, the application of the death penalty should be suspended immediately pending its abolition in law. Amnesty International calls on the Commission on Human Rights to renew its call for a universal moratorium on executions and on countries that retain the death penalty to heed the call. Governments have a special duty to protect the most vulnerable members of society. Despite the now universal acceptance that the death penalty shall not be imposed on offenders under age 18, child offenders were reportedly executed last year in China and Iran, and remain under sentence of death in several other countries. The Commission should insist that retentionist states take all necessary measures to ensure that child offenders are not executed. Amnesty International urges this Commission to confirm that the use of the death penalty against child offenders is contrary to customary international law. A valuable step to secure the abolition of the death penalty is to enshrine abolition in the constitution. In a study released last week, Amnesty International reported that 42 countries have now adopted constitutional provisions prohibiting the death penalty. The Commission should encourage other countries to do so. Abolition of the death penalty contributes to the enhancement of human dignity and the progressive development of human rights. Most of the existing constitutional prohibitions of the death penalty are based on human rights considerations. Amnesty International calls on the Commission to clearly condemn the death penalty as a violation of fundamental human rights - the right to life and the right not to be subjected to torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment. Mr. Chairman, Amnesty International welcomes the report of the Independent Expert mandated to study ways and means of strengthening the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism. However, as the Independent Expert notes in the introduction, there are many issues that the report does not address, notably the effect of counter-terrorism measures on economic, social and cultural rights. Over the past year, Amnesty International has continued to observe the negative impact on human rights of legislation and measures introduced by states to counter terrorism in a range of countries. Amnesty International strongly supports the recommendations by the Independent Expert to create a new special procedure with a multi-dimensional mandate, and urges the Commission to give effect to those recommendations. We also look forward to the appointment of a Special Rapporteur with the demonstrated ability to fulfil the mandate. Thank you, Mr. Chair. View all AI documents on the UN: http://amnesty-news.c.topica.com/maadpX2abf9u9bfEPEmb/ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [4] BIHAR: Villagers Lynch Woman Accused Of Witchcraft Rediff.com, April 19, 2005, Tuesday Villagers lynch woman accused of witchcraft Anand Mohan Sahay in Patna A Dalit woman was beaten to death by locals of a Bihar village after they suspected that she was practising witchcraft. Sumitra Devi, 30, of Sant Kabaria village in Purnea was tortured and killed by a mob of villagers. The villagers contended that her witchcraft was responsible for the death of a child. They forced her to exhume the body in an attempt to bring it alive. Soon after the incident, the police took her to a local government hospital where she was declared dead. The doctors said she died due to a deep injury to her liver and heart. Purnea district Superintendent of Police Sudhansu Kumar said a complaint was lodged against the villagers. "We have arrested nine people in this connection and we will nab more," Kumar told rediff.com. http://in.rediff.com/news/2005/apr/18anand.htm ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [5] &K: Muslims & Pandits Come Together Rediff.com, April 19, 2005, Tuesday J&K: Muslims & Pandits come together Kashmiri Pandits and Muslims came together on Tuesday for a unique meeting of "hearts and minds" as part of an initiative to enable the displaced community to return to the Kashmir valley. "It is the biggest people-to-people initiative in 15 years and is a move towards the return of Pandits to the valley," Jammu and Kashmir Roads and Buildings Minister, Gulam Ahmed Mir said. Mir, who was instrumental in bringing together the Muslims and Pandits of his Dooru constituency at a New Year get-together in Jammu, said, "We want to restore the old-bonding between Pandits and Muslims and make their return purely a people's affair and non-governmental." Said Gulam Mohideen from Verinag: "I am here to meet my old friends and neighbours on the invitation of Moti Lal Koul, chairman of Dooru migrants and a very close friend. I am unable to control my tears after meeting them here. It was a dream come true for me. I thought I would die without meeting them." Along with Mohideen, 100 others also reached Jammu to take part in the get-together. Koul said the Pandits wholeheartedly welcome the Muslims, who came from various parts of Dooru despite having faced death and destruction due to the massive snowfall in February. "I am happy to see them and this is the ray of light from across the tunnel. One day, we will be back," he said. Attending the function, Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee general secretary Hiralal Pandita said that the Kashmiri Pandits would also come to the valley when the Muslims would hold a conclave for them in Verinag health resort in May next. "This people-to-people interaction would pave a way for the Pandits to come back to the valley with dignity and honour in a safe environment without the government's involvement," Mir, who is also the Dooru legislator, said. http://in.rediff.com/news/2005/apr/19kash.htm ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [6] Indian Muslims Condemn US Pak Physicians' "Peace Award" To Advani Indian Muslim Council (USA), April 18, 2005 Indian Muslim Council-USA is appalled by APPNA "Peace" Award to LK Advani New York, NY; April 18th 2005: Indian Muslim Council-USA, a grassroots advocacy organization dedicated to the promotion of pluralism in India and the US, has expressed its shock and dismay over media reports that a delegation of Pakistani physicians has honored the Hindutva-fascist leader LK Advani with an award for "promoting peace and harmony". The delegation comprised of members of the Association of Pakistani Physicians of North America (APPNA). Advani leads the hard-line wing of Hindutva, a supremacist movement founded on the model of Mussolini's Fascist party and many of its leaders and pioneers regard Hitler as one of their heroes. Advani led the movement that demolished the famous Babri Mosque and was instrumental in creating conditions that caused wholesale massacres of Muslims all over India in 1992. Under Mr. Advani's tenure as a Home Minister, over 2,000 Muslims were massacred, hundreds of women were raped and more than 150,000 were ethnically cleansed in the Gujarat pogroms of 2002. Narendra Modi, a political prot?©g?© of Advani and Gujarat state Chief Minister is widely blamed for orchestrating this violence. Advani allowed these massacres to continue by refusing to dismiss the Gujarat state government during the violence despite calls from all quarters to do so and the constitutional provisions requiring such a measure. The pogroms lasted for over three months. To date, not a single person has been brought to justice. Indian Christians have also been targeted for murder, rapes and discrimination by the Hindutva parties. On the India-Pakistan peace front, Advani repeatedly called for settling scores by waging a fourth war with Pakistan. He is on record stating "let us fight it out face to face. We have fought thrice, let there be a fourth war". Most hard-line Hindutva followers dream of annexing all the countries in South Asia and creating a greater India or "Akkhand Bharat." Hindutva parties have infiltrated the US power centers and are in the forefront of anti-Islamic propaganda in the US, especially in Washington DC. Their websites such as http://www.hinduunity.org spew venom against Muslims, Christians and Hindus who do not agree with their Hindutva ideology. A wide spectrum of rights organizations successfully campaigned against the visit of Narendra Modi to the US which led to the US State Department revoking his visas and imposing a ban on him for his role in the Gujarat genocide. Mr. Advani continued to defend Modi after his visa revocation and led a rally that denounced the United States. He is on record defending Modi as an "efficient" Chief Minister when controversy erupted on Modi's role in the Gujarat violence. Media reports mention that the meeting to honor Advani was planned through the Pakistani wing of the family of Najma Heptullah a BJP leader. The pluralist-minded Indians consider Heptullah to be a political opportunist without any regard for the representation of India's Muslim community. IMC-USA has been in the forefront of bringing different religious and ethnic groups together and in fostering religious tolerance. IMC-USA hopes and works for a peaceful India, peaceful South Asia and a peaceful world. Realization of this hope is only possible when pogrom mongers and supremacist leaders such as Advani and Modi are brought to justice and their ideology marginalized. Contact: Dr. M.K.Rahman Tel: (516) 567-0783 media@... ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Confederation of Human Rights Organizations (CHRO) 3, Rams' Cottage Ambalathumukku Pettah Thiruvananthapuram-695024 Kerala South India Ph.: 0471-2476262 www.humanrightsindia.com www.humanrightskerala.com |
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| << April18, 2005 - [India Thinkers Net]GUJARAT GENOCIDE VICTIMS DEMAND JUSTICE |
April20, 2005 - [India Thinkers Net] North East & Punjab news >> |
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