i endorse. Jenson Joseph University of Hyderabad
On Mon, Jan 25, 2010 at 12:03 PM, jenny rowena <[email protected]>wrote: > thanks sree rekha > > changing third demand to : > > *Take stringent actions against the CITU workers and police officers on > duty under the SC/ST Atrocities act, for inflicting violence on > Chithralekha. * > > On Mon, Jan 25, 2010 at 11:53 AM, jenny rowena <[email protected]>wrote: > >> Manohar Elavarthi - SANGAMA - Bangalore >> Pradeep Esteves - Coordinator CERI - Karnataka >> Edwin - OPEN SPACE Bangalore >> Anita Cherian – OPEN SPACE Bangalore >> Jyotiraj - REDS - Karnataka >> Evangeline Anderson Rajkumar - Professor - UTC Bangalore >> >> >> On Mon, Jan 25, 2010 at 11:49 AM, Kavita Krishnan < >> [email protected]> wrote: >> >>> I endorse. Kavita Krishnan, All India Progressive Women's Association >>> (AIPWA) >>> >>> 2010/1/25 jenny rowena <[email protected]> >>> >>>> We a group of concerned academicians and activists belonging to the >>>> Kerala Feminist Network have come to know that Chithralekha, a Dalit woman >>>> who is making a living as an auto driver, has been harassed by the >>>> CITU and the police in Payyanur, Kannur District, Kerala, on 20thJanuary >>>> 2010. It is also extremely disconcerting to note that while the >>>> general apathy of the police continue, the trade unions of the CPI (M) has >>>> resorted to other ways of demoralizing the struggle of a woman for just and >>>> equal, civil, political and human rights. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> *BACKGROUND* >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> Chithralekha, a Dalit woman, from Payyanur in Kannur, Kerala, was one of >>>> the first woman auto drivers to enter a workplace dominated by men from >>>> higher castes. Right from the beginning there was a strong resistance to >>>> her >>>> and there was a three month delay in giving her a membership of the union. >>>> Later, when she went on to become an efficient and extremely popular auto >>>> rickshaw driver, the resistance against her took a violent turn. Soon she >>>> was subject to many acts of workplace harassment by her fellow auto >>>> drivers. >>>> On one occasion, the hood of her auto was torn off, she was called >>>> derogatory caste names, and a fellow driver even tried to run her over with >>>> his vehicle. Chithralekha protested against this, lodging complaints with >>>> the police and even managing to get one of the workers arrested with the >>>> help of a local Dalit activist. In the course of her protest, she also >>>> brought to light the fact that her district and locality still practiced >>>> untouchability, albeit in modern forms. Once the issue went outside the >>>> purview of the local auto stand, the CITU and the local CPI (M) goons >>>> adopted a new tactic and started tarnishing her image with wide spread >>>> poster campaigns. Through these posters, Chithralekha was branded as a >>>> sexually loose woman, a woman who drinks, whose mother was a sex worker, >>>> who >>>> talks like a man, who does not listen and who does not know how to behave. >>>> With such a campaign, Chithralekha lost all support in the locality. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> On December 30th, 2005, they burned down her auto, depriving her of her >>>> only source of livelihood. However, Chithralekha continued with her >>>> struggle >>>> and managed to procure a new auto through her association with various >>>> Dalit, Feminists and Citizen’s initiatives in June 2008. Chithralekha had >>>> been slowly trying to get on with her life, though she and her husband were >>>> often being attacked in various ways by the local CITU. It was at this >>>> point >>>> that the current incident occurred. >>>> >>>> * * >>>> >>>> *THE CURRENT INCIDENT* >>>> >>>> >>>> On the morning of 20th January 2010, Chithralekha (along with her >>>> husband Shreeshanth) who was about to park her auto rickshaw in front of a >>>> medical shop, was asked to move her vehicle from the parking spot by one Mr >>>> Ramachandran who is an office bearer of the CITU auto rickshaw Union in >>>> Payyanur. When Chithralekha protested, an altercation followed between them >>>> and the CITU workers started beating her up. Soon, a police jeep arrived >>>> and >>>> bundled the couple into the vehicle. They were taken to the police station >>>> and severely beaten up. Later she was allowed to go without even >>>> registering >>>> a case!! She has visible wounds all over her body and has had to go to the >>>> hospital twice after the incident. Moreover, she is unable to move out of >>>> her house or drive her auto as she is afraid of further violence. >>>> Shockingly >>>> there is very little media coverage of this issue and no local support >>>> available to her in defending against the attack. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> In this context, we strongly demand the State Government to: >>>> >>>> * * >>>> >>>> Ø *Take immediate steps to ensure the fundamental rights of >>>> Chithralekha to be able to work and live in her own native place, free of >>>> mental and physical torture. * >>>> >>>> * * >>>> >>>> Ø *Implement the provisions of the Vishakha Guidelines on Sexual >>>> Harassment at the Workplace for Chithralekha, an auto rickshaw driver.* >>>> >>>> * * >>>> >>>> * * >>>> >>>> Ø *Take stringent actions against the CITU workers and police >>>> officers on duty who inflicted violence on Chithralekha during the >>>> incident. >>>> * >>>> >>>> * * >>>> >>>> Ø *Constitute an Independent Judicial Commission to conduct >>>> thorough investigation into the whole issue* >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> Chithralekha Solidarity, >>>> >>>> Kerala Feminist Network >>>> >>>> -- >>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>>> Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. >>>> To post to this group, send an email to [email protected]. >>>> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >>>> [email protected]<greenyouth%[email protected]> >>>> . >>>> For more options, visit this group at >>>> http://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth?hl=en-GB. >>>> >>> >>> -- >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >>> "Green Youth Movement" group. >>> To post to this group, send an email to [email protected]. >>> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >>> [email protected]<greenyouth%[email protected]> >>> . >>> For more options, visit this group at >>> http://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth?hl=en-GB. >>> >> >> > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Green Youth Movement" group. > To post to this group, send an email to [email protected]. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected]<greenyouth%[email protected]> > . > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth?hl=en-GB. > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. 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