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April23, 2005 - [India Thinkers Net] CHRO updates 6-9 & Dalit News >> |
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[1] KERALA: Tsunami Relief: Dalits To Take Out Protest March chro2003 The Hindu, April 22, 2005, Friday Tsunami relief: Dalits to take out protest march KOLLAM: Members of Dalit communities from the tsunami-hit Alapad panchayat will take out a march to the Kollam Collectorate on Saturday in protest against the denial of relief to those affected by the tsunami. At a press conference here on Thursday, the State chairman of the Tsunami Dalit Monitoring Committee (TDMC), R. Prakash, said that 124 Dalit families from Alapad have been denied the benefits. The Dalit families at Alapad have suffered losses amounting to Rs.8 crores as a result of the devastation. As many as 107 Dalit students from the area lost all their books in the tsunami attack. Fishing Twenty-five families are engaged in fishing for a livelihood. Mr. Prakash said the Dalits would submit a memorandum to the District Collector on Saturday under the banner of the TDMC. http://www.hindu.com/2005/04/22/stories/2005042205700300.htm ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [2] New Indian Express, April 22, 2005, Friday Adoption racket: Govt to probe allegations against IAS officer KURNOOL/HYDERABAD: The State Government is probing allegations levelled by certain human rights groups that DGP Swaranjit Sen is attempting to implicate senior IAS officer Shalini Misra in a child adoption racket case. ``We will examine the issue thoroughly,'' Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy told reporters in Kurnool where he made a transit halt on his way to Anantapur. Meanwhile, the Government has begun processing Shalini Misra's request to approach the High Court in connection with her "framing" by the Medak police under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. ``We received a representation from Shalini Misra, currently special commissioner of the Housing Board, two days ago and it is under consideration. She will be accorded permission though orders are yet to be issued,'' officials in the General Administration Department (GAD) told this website's newspaper. Four years after the child adoption racket surfaced (Shalini Mishra was then the director of Women & Child Welfare), a tribal youth Banoth Lakshman of Pedda Gottimukkala village, Medak district, lodged a complaint with the police alleging that he was beaten up by the Shivvampet police for trying to sell a girl child to a voluntary organisation ``Precious Moments'' managed by Anita Sen, wife of Swaranjit Sen. Lakshman claimed that the police bashing had resulted in his health being badly affected. ``Shalini Misra was also present when the police beat me,'' he said in his complaint lodged a month ago. Upset by this charge, Shalini Misra, who says she is being framed in the case by the police, called on Chief Secretary Mohan Kanda two days ago and submitted a representation seeking permission to approach the High Court. Meanwhile, the Telugu Desam on Thursday demanded that the Government institute a judicial inquiry into the issue. Speaking to reporters, senior TD leaders K Vidyadhara Rao and E Peddi Reddy also demanded that Swaranjit Sen be removed from the post and that Governor S K Shinde intervene and advise Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy suitably, they said. http://www.newindpress.com/Newsitems.asp?ID=IEA20050421113649&Title=Southern+News+%2D+Andhra+Pradesh&Topic=0& ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [3] UP: Municipal Employees Starving In Ghazipur chro2003 Offline Send Message Edit Membership AHRC, April 22, 2005, Friday (HA-09-2005) Municipal employees starving and sick in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from the Social Development Foundation (SDF) in Delhi, India of a disturbing case where the government is playing a vital role in creating poverty and hunger. Suddhu Rawat, his wife, and children are just one of several families living in Ghazipur and employed by the Municipality of Mohammdabad as daily wage labourers. The employees have all been working for the municipality as street/sewer cleaners for over 10 years but have not been guaranteed permanent employment. This means the employees receive less wages, no benefits, health care, social security and job security. They must work everyday and even a day's sick leave will result in the reduction of their income. The families can barely afford food and as a result live in a near hunger situation. The AHRC urges you to write to the concerned authorities, including the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, and call on them to take necessary action in granting these workers full, permanent employment. The municipal employees should also be provided with the benefits and ration cards necessary to support their own livelihoods. Urgent Appeals Desk -- Hunger Alert Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) ----------------------------------------------------------- DETAILED INFORMATION: Location: Nagar Palika Parishad Municipality, Mohammdabad, Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh, India Persons affected: Suddhu Rawat (43), son of the late Vishuni Rawat, and his family. They include: 1. Jiuti Devi, wife, age 40, illiterate 2. Jitendra, son, age 18, educated up to third standard 3. Dharmendra, son, age 15, educated up to class 5 4. Virendra, son, age 13, educated up to class 5 5. Neha, daughter, age 10, educated up to class 2 6. Surendra, son, age 8, educated up to class 1 Other municipal employees residing in Ghazipur without permanent employment: ------------------------------------------------------------ Name / Father/Husband / Location / Working Since 1. Suresh Ram / late Ghurhu Ram / Adilabad (Mohd.) / 01/01/1989 2. Ramashankar Ram / late Hardev / Semra (Mohd.) / 01/08/1989 3. Girdhari Ram / Mr. Sachchinanda / Rauja (Mohd.) / 01/08/1989 4. Gama Ram / late Bagden / Adilabad (Mohd.) / 16/08/1989 5. Suddhu Ram / late Vishuni Ram / Pakhanpura / 01/09/1989 6. Smt Sanmatia Devi / wife of Sallu Ram / Darji Mohalla (Mohd.) / 01/09/1989 7.Mr. Kedar Ram / son of Tulasi Ram / Do / 01/02/1990 8. Prakash Ram / late Shayam Bihari / Shaikh Tola / 01/01/1991 9. Kanhaiya Ram / late Gariban / Jafarpura / 01/01/1991 10. Mrs. Rani Devi / wife of Shri Hari Ram / Shaikh Tola / 01/01/1991 11. Satyendra Ram / son of Khirodhar Ram / Dakshin Mohalla / 01/01/1991 12. Santosh Ram / son of Nandu Ram / Adilabad (Mohd.) / 01.01.1991 13. Mrs. Radhika Devi / wife of Kanhaiya Ram / Jafarpura / 01/01/1991 14. Mrs. Gyanati Devi / wife of late Suggan / Jafarpura / 01/08/1991 15. Mrs. Chanda Devi / wife of Jeevan Ram / Dakshin Mohalla / 15/04/1996 ------------------------------------------------------------ The Social Development Foundation (SDF) reports that Suddhu Rawat, aged 43, and his family are living in appalling conditions due to the nature of his employment. Mr. Rawat can no longer support his family and, his wife and eldest son (aged 18) have needed to find employment. Nonetheless, the family is struggling against hunger and malnutrition and the children don't have finances to attend school. Mr. Rawat and his family currently live in Mohammdabad. The family is landless, and Rawat is a daily wage labourer who cleans the city streets, sewers and latrines in the municipality of Mohammdabad. He has been employed in this line of work for the last fifteen years although he is able to read and write. He commutes the 4 kilometres to his worksite by bicycle everyday. The work is terrible and workers are not given the proper safety equipment needed in this type of vocation. As a result, Rawat, along with many of his co-workers, suffer from several illnesses and injuries directly resulting from the job. Rawat's right hand is paralysed and he further suffers from skin and respiratory illnesses. His illnesses have affected his work dramatically and as a result he often brings his eldest son to the work with him, introducing a new generation to this dirty work culture. Further, because Rawat is not a permanent employee, he cannot afford to take sick leave; his salary of Rs. 1750/- per month is further reduced when he takes leave. He also does not get any benefits from the municipality and cannot depend on them for treatment. The little money that Mr. Rawat does makes is insufficient to support his family. Thus, his wife Jiuti Devi has also taken up employment as a manual scavenger, cleaning human excrement and carrying night-soil (human waste) in private homes on a daily basis. She currently cleans the toilets of 16 families living in the village and in lieu of a salary, is paid in left over rice, bread and pulses. Her work is disgusting, humiliating and discriminatory but is all she can find because of her "untouchability". Still, despite her efforts to secure food for her family, the family lives in a near hunger situation. Mr. Rawat and his family members all live in abject poverty and are malnourished and hungry. Yet, not one family member possesses a government issued Below Poverty Line (BPL) card. Instead, Rawat holds an Above the Poverty Line (APL) card which allows him to buy rations from the Public Distribution Shop (PDS) and only 3 litres of kerosene per month, which he still cannot afford. A small home is also being constructed for his family by the Indira Awas scheme however he still needs the means to afford food, medical treatment and schooling, and should be provided the appropriate permanent work and poverty alleviation cards to support his family. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: The government of India prohibits manual scavenging yet we see how circumstances and caste discrimination have compelled Suddhu Rawat and his family to get involved in this line of work. A large number of manual latrines are still prevalent in Mohammdabad and the demand for manual scavenging is high. Many other villagers and employees of the Nagar Palika Parishad (municipal council) suffer in similar circumstances and because of their non-permanent job status live in a near hunger situation. The Nagar Palika Parishad in Mohammdabad has not confirmed employment of 15 employees, including Suddhu Rawat, who have been working under the municipality for over 15 years. Mohammdabad is a rural town in Ghazipur district with a population of over 150,000 people. The workers are paid Rs. 1750/- per month and receive no work benefits, leave, health care or provident fund. Their jobs are not secure, they work every day of the year, even during floods and holidays, and they suffer significant reductions in salary if they take sick leave. Further, they clean the streets and sewers of the village without masks, headgear and safety equipment. Many suffer from respiratory and skin diseases as a result of this work. Being upgrade to permanent employment status would at the very least provide these workers with better pay scales to provide food and medical care for their families, social security, job security and holidays. The municipal employees have petitioned for permanent employment but they have had no results. On July 10, 2003 Mr. Rakesh Bahadur, Secretary of the Uttar Pradesh government, wrote to all executives, district magistrates and related municipal officials in the state citing government rules that all employees appointed by a municipality before June 20, 1991 who have completed three years of term should be granted permanent employment inclusive of all benefits (notification no. 1335/9-1-03). While the 15 workers have appealed to the municipality with this notification they have still not received permanent work status. Thus, the workers and their families continue to live in abject poverty and hunger and have had to rely on manual scavenging as supplementary work. Please write to government officials and other related local authorities in Mohammdabad, Ghazipur and Uttar Pradesh asking them to find permanent employment for Suddhu Rawat and the many other municipal employees in the State suffering the same fate. SUGGESTED ACTION: Please write to the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, the District Magistrate of Ghazipur, the Chief Executive Officer of Nagar Palika Parishad, Mohammadabad, and other relevant government officials regarding the poor living conditions and employment concerns of the victims. The employees, in accordance with government laws, should be granted social security, leave benefits, safety equipment, health benefits and schooling for their children. PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS TO: 1. Mr. Mulayam Singh Yadav Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister's Secretariat Lucknow Uttar Pradesh INDIA Fax: + 91 522 223 0002/223 9234 Email: cmup@... 2. Mr. KM Pandey District Magistrate of Ghazipur Collectorate, Ghazipur Uttar Pradesh INDIA Tel: +91 548 222 0204 Fax: +91 548 222 0160 3. Mr. Shamim Ahmad The Chairman Nagar Palika Parishad, Mohammdabad, District Ghazipur Uttar Pradesh ??“ 233 227 INDIA -------------------------------------- [4] Mumbai Rape Of Minor: Constable In Police Custody chro2003 Rediff.com/PTI, April 22, 2005, FRiday Mumbai rape: Constable in police custody The police constable arrested on charges of raping a minor girl at a police post in south Mumbai was remanded in police custody till May three by a local court. A metropolitan magistrate remanded him under Section 376 (punishment for rape) of the Indian Penal Code. (EARLY REPORT BOTTOM) Sunil More had allegedly raped the 16-year-old girl at Meghdoot police post at Marine Drive on Thursday evening. Soon after his arrest on Thursday night, More was taken to a hospital for medical examination and the report is yet to come, the police told the magistrate. According to the police, the girl had come to the area with her friends and was walking down the promenade at the Marine Drive, when the constable called her inside the post and allegedly assaulted her physically. http://in.rediff.com/news/2005/apr/22rape1.htm ------------------------------------------------------------ Newindpress.com, April 22, 2005, Friday Constable arrested for raping 16-yr-old inside police station PTI MUMBAI: A police constable was arrested for allegedly raping a 16-year-old inside a police chowky even as angry residents stoned and ransacked the chowky to protest the incident. The Marine Drive police in South Mumbai arrested a police constable who allegedly raped the victim inside the Meghdoot police chowky here between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. Senior police officials who rushed to the site to take stock of the situation questioned the accused who along with the victim was later taken to a hospital for medical examination. The angry residents of the area, demanding an offence be registered against the constable, went on a rampage and ransacked the police chowky, damaging windowpanes and doors and also threw stones. Police said preliminary inquiry revealed that the girl had come to the area with her friends and the constable called her inside the chowky and allegedly raped her. The victim told her neighbours about the incident who came to the chowky and forced the police to register offence. Joint Commissioner of Police Ahmed Javed told reporters that a case under Section 376 has been registered and the victim and the accused had been sent for medical examination. http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IEL20050421135628&Page=L&Title=B+R+E+A+K+I+N+G++++N+E+W+S&Topic=0& ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [5] MUMBAI: 'Hospital Staff Treat HIV Patients Like Pariahs' Rediff.com, April 22, 2005, Friday 'Hospital staff treat HIV patients like pariahs' Vijay Singh in Mumbai Tuesday, April 20, 2005: Kashi (name changed) jumps off the fifth floor of J J Hospital in Mumbai and commits suicide. Monday, April 19, 2005: Tukaram (name changed) commits suicide in similar fashion. Kashi and Tukaram were HIV-positive and were being treated at the hospital. In 2004 too there were two cases of HIV-positive patients committing suicide in J J hospital. Why are they so many suicides happening? What has the hospital done to check the trend? Rediff.com's Vijay Singh finds out. More then 100 HIV-positive patients are being treated at J J Hospital. Ever since the 2004 incidents, the hospital authorities have been trying hard to prevent suicides -- from arranging counselors to covering the ward with steel grilles. But the suicides continue. Doctors and the counselors are of the opinion that patients are driven to suicide mostly due to fear of social stigma. Most HIV patients, who belong to the lower class, have no knowledge of HIV and consider it a social shame. In most cases, the family members also shun them. It is when those on whom they are dependent turn their backs that the patients start thinking they are a burden, said a doctor. A doctor, who did not want to be identified, said: "Sometimes, patients are not even able to move around the hospital for various tests because the lifts don't work. The hospital staff also treats them like untouchables. They often abuse them. This sows negative thoughts in the patients' minds." One suicide case drives others to think along the same lines too, he said. "Under such circumstances, patients need constant counseling," Dr Vinod Agarwal, Associate Professor of Forensic Medicine, J J hospital, said. Regarding counseling, hospital dean P H Shnigare says: "We have pre- and post-HIV counseling centres in our hospital. We train our staff on how to deal with the patients so they don't feel isolated and depressed." The councilors think social stigma and lack of family support are the main reasons that drive the patients to take the extreme step. "There have been cases when family members keep patients separately in the house. They even have separate utensils for them. They are treated like untouchables. Lack of awareness leads to such behaviour," said Meera, a counselor at the hospital. The main job of the counselors is to convince the patients they too can live a normal life if they take proper treatment. Meera said: "Many patients think they will be shunned if the family gets to know the truth and hide the facts from them. We have to convince them to go for a test and also bring their immediate kin for counseling. Once we can get them to believe us, half the problem is solved." http://in.rediff.com/news/2005/apr/21vijay.htm ------------------------------------------------------------------ |
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