---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Shiva Shankar <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Jul 27, 2006 11:30
The Pioneer- Kerala HRC seeks reason for lack of relief to tsunami hit Dalits Pioneer News Service | Kochi The State Human Rights Commission has decided to seek the explanation from the chief secretary on the discrimination against Dalits in tsunami rehabilitation. In a recent sitting held at Mavelikkara Rest House, Human Rights Commission member Prof S Varghese heard the grievances of Dalit victims of tsunami and the representatives of National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights (NCDHR) and observed that in Kollam, Alappuzha and Ernakulam districts, the Dalit families in the coastal areas experienced discrimination in the tsunami rehabilitation measures. Representatives of several Dalit families deposed before the Human Rights Commission. The Commission conducted the sitting on basis of a complaint filed by R Prakash, State convenor of NCDHR on the discrimination against Dalit families. There were widespread complaints that both the government authorities and the NGO s ignored the Dalit families in tsunami rehabilitation in the three coastal districts. Earlier, on basis of the complaints about discrimination, the SC/ST Commission has visited Arattupuzha in Alappuzha district and visited the Dalit families and held a public hearing. Individuals and representatives of various organisations participated in the public hearing organised by the Commission. The Commission during its visit in Arattupuzha has found out that there was clear discrimination against Dalit families in tsunami rehabilitation. It was found out that anomalies occurred even during the preparation of the list of the beneficiaries for various relief measures. "Even during the stage of enumeration Dalits have been neglected. The authorities are violating constitutional rights and the five principles set by the UN General Assembly with regard to the disaster management", alleged the NCDHR sources. "Despite the SC/ST Commissions' findings, the district administration and other concerned authorities have not yet taken any relief measures to help the Dalit families in Alappuzha district", said R Prakash of NCDHR. The SC/ST Commission also got complaints from Ernakulam and Kollam districts in this regard and urged the District Collectors to submit detailed reports of tsunami affected Dalit families in the area. But the district administrations have not yet submitted the data in this regard. Meanwhile the members of NCDHR alleged that their request for the data with regard to the number of tsunami affected Dalits has been neglected by the District Collectors. http://dailypioneer.com/indexn12.asp?main_variable=KOCHI <http://dailypioneer.com/indexn12.asp?main_variable=KOCHI&file_name=KOCHI4%2 Etxt&counter_img=4> &file_name=KOCHI4%2Etxt&counter_img=4 --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ greenyouth mailinglist is the activist support mailinglist for kerala run by Global Alternate Information Applications (GAIA) To post to this group, send email to [email protected] -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
