The response I posted here has no reference to the posting of Aftab. My response was to another thread in the list. Anyway am not psoting it once again. d.prasad
On Tue, Jan 20, 2009 at 12:11 PM, damodar prasad <[email protected]>wrote: > Arafat hugging Indira Gandhi was one of the posters the Congress party used > for its promotion. It intended to promote the Congress party's > position on Palestine, support for the struggle led by PLO, Congress party's > deep conviction in Nehruvian commitments. There is no reason for the > Congressmen to be nostalgic about it. Congress party has come a long way. > But one need not forget one's own history. The morphing towards the present > face started with the 1991-minority government. > On Tue, Jan 20, 2009 at 10:48 AM, Afthab Ellath <[email protected]>wrote: > >> >> http://infochangeindia.org/200901197571/Human-Rights/News/International-rights-group-slams-Indian-government.html >> >> In its 'World Report 2009', Human Rights Watch says India lacks the "will >> and capacity" to implement many laws and policies despite an overarching >> commitment to respecting citizens' freedom to express their views, >> peacefully protest and form their own organisations >> >> In India there is a pattern of denial of justice and impunity, whether it >> is the failure to protect women, children and marginalised groups such as >> dalits, tribal groups and religious minorities, or in cases of human rights >> violations by the security forces, says Human Rights Watch (HRW) in its >> 564-page report reviewing international civil liberties during 2008. >> >> "The failure to properly investigate and prosecute those responsible leads >> to continuing abuses," the report says. Since August 2008, Hindu militant >> groups in Orissa have attacked Christians, many of them tribal minorities or >> dalits. The militants burned down churches, beat priests and nuns and >> destroyed property. More than 40 people were killed in the Orissa violence. >> >> >> Failure to secure justice for the 2002 Gujarat riots -- in which more than >> 2,000 Muslims were killed following an attack on a train carrying Hindu >> pilgrims -- too has been underlined by the rights body. While India "claims" >> that its national and state human rights commissions ensure protection of >> human rights, HRW says, these commissions are "not fully independent", for >> their members and chair are appointed by the government. Thus, they lack >> sufficient resources to conduct their own investigations, it adds. >> >> India has routinely ignored recommendations from UN human rights bodies >> including UN committees on the elimination of racial discrimination and >> discrimination against women. Despite a scheme launched four years ago to >> provide universal education, millions of children in India still have no >> access to education and work long hours, many as bonded labourers. >> >> Women and children continue to be trafficked for marriage, sex work, or >> employment. Others languish in sub-standard orphanages or detention centres. >> Children and adults living with HIV/AIDS, as well as those whose >> marginalised status puts them at highest risk -- internal migrants, sex >> workers, injecting drug users, men who have sex with men, and transgender >> populations -- face widespread stigmatisation and discrimination, including >> denial of employment, access to education and healthcare. >> >> According to the National AIDS Control Organisation, more than 2.5 million >> people are living with HIV. Four southern states (Andhra Pradesh, >> Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka) account for nearly two-thirds of >> those infected. Although antiretroviral therapy is supposed to be freely >> available at public health facilities, there are significant regional >> disparities in implementation of the policy. >> >> India is a member of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) and, in 2008, came >> up for universal periodic review by the HRC, agreeing to several >> recommendations including that it sign and ratify UN treaties banning >> torture and enforced disappearances. But the report alleges Indian security >> forces are responsible for extrajudicial killings, arbitrary detentions, due >> process violations, and ill-treatment in custody. It criticises laws such as >> the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act which, it says, sanctions impunity. >> >> "Violence continues in secessionist conflicts in northern Jammu and >> Kashmir and in Manipur, low-intensity insurgencies in other parts of the >> northeast, and the Maoist conflict in several states of central India… Armed >> groups are responsible for human rights abuses against civilians, including >> the use of explosive devices and landmines, forced recruitment, including of >> children, threats, extortion, and killings," the report adds. >> >> Maoist armed groups, also called Naxalites, continue to carry out >> bombings, abductions, beatings, and killings in several Indian states >> including Chhattisgarh. Security forces have responded with arbitrary >> detention, torture, and extrajudicial killings of suspected Naxalites or >> their alleged supporters. >> >> "In Chhattisgarh, government security forces and state-government-backed >> vigilantes called the Salwa Judum are responsible for attacking, killing, >> and forcibly displacing tens of thousands of people in armed operations >> against Maoist rebels. The Naxalite rebels retaliate in a brutal manner, >> abducting, assaulting, and killing civilians perceived to be Salwa Judum >> supporters." >> >> All parties to the Chhattisgarh conflict have used children in armed >> operations. The Naxalites admit that it is standard practice to recruit >> children aged 16 and above in their forces; children as young as 12 have >> been used in some armed operations. Likewise, the Salwa Judum has included >> children in its violent attacks on villages as part of its anti-Naxal >> campaign. >> >> Another case highlighted is that of Dr Binayak Sen, physician and human >> rights activist with the People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) who was >> detained in May 2007 under the Chhattisgarh Special Public Security Act. The >> trial of Sen, accused of having links with Naxalites, began in May 2008 but >> he continues to be behind bars without sufficient evidence. >> >> In May 2008, the police arrested filmmaker and PUCL member Ajay TG under >> the same Act for alleged links with unlawful Maoist organisations. He was >> granted bail in August after the government failed to file charges within >> the mandatory 90 days stipulated in the Act. >> >> Source: http://www.hrw.org, January 2009 >> http://news.bbc.co.uk, January 2009 >> http://www.zeenews.com, January 2009 >> >> >> >> > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth?hl=en-GB -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
