Dear friends endorsements received so far
1. K Sachidanandan, Writer 2. T T Sreekumar, Asst Professor, National University of Singapore 3. J Devika, CSDS, Trivandrum 4. Mohammed Shihab , General Secretary, SIO, Kerala 5. P I Naushad, Secretary, Solidarity, Youth Movement, Kerala 6. K Sunilkumar, Convenor, Nava Janadipathya Prasthanam, Kerala 7. M B Manoj, Poet and Political Activist, Kottayam, Kerala 8. P Mujiburrahman, President, Solidarity Youth Movement, Kerala 9. Rekha Raj, Panchami, Dalit Feminist Network, Kerala 10. A Vasu, Activist, Kerala 11. Sunder Raj. Environment Activist, Malappuram, Kerala 12. Shamshad Hussain, Senior Lecturer, Kaladi University, Kerala 13. Babu Bharadwaj , Writer, Kerala 14. K M Salim Kumar, Dalit Intellectual Activist, Kerala 15. Adv. Shaji Joseph, Kerala 16. K P Salwa, Writer and Activist, Kerala 17. K P Sethunad, Journalist, Kerala 18. K V Shaji, Right to Information Collective, Malappuram, Kerala 19. K K Kochu, Dalit Intellectual Activist, Kerala 20. Sunny M Kappikad, Dalit Intellectual Activist, Kerala 21. Madhuresh, NAPM, Delhi 22. Saswati Swetlena, NCAS, Delhi 23. Joe Athially, Delhi Solidarity group 24. Karthik Navayan, Advocate, Hyderabad 25. Jyotiraj, REDS, Karnataka 26. Pradeep Esteves, Coordinator CERI – Karnataka 27. Edwin - OPEN SPACE Bangalore 28. Anita Cherian, OPEN SPACE Bangalore 29. Evangeline Anderson Rajkumar - Professor - UTC Bangalore 30. Vijayan M J, Delhi Forum, Delhi 31. Benny Kuruvilla, Focus on Global South, Delhi 32. Kavita Krishnan, All India Progressive Women's Association (AIPWA) 33. Bobby Kunju, Human Rights Activist, Delhi 34. Bijulal, ISI, Delhi 35. Pardeep Singh Attri, Insight Foundation, Bombay 36. Jenson Joseph, Research Scholar, University of Hyderabad 37. Reshma Bharadwaj: Research Scholar, Bergen University, Norway 38. C R Neelakandan, Writer 39. P Geetha., Writer 40. J Raghu, Writer, Kerala 41. Dileep Raj, Resident Editor Penguin India, Ernakulam 42. K P Selwa, Writer, Former President, Girls Islamic Organization, Kerala 43. Abdul Salim, Samvedana Vedi, Kerala 44. Thaha Madai, Writer 45. Ubaid Rehman , Studentdom webportal, Kerala 46. N P Ashley, Writer, Hyderabad 47. Philip Vinod Peacock, Lecturer, Bishop's College, Kolkata On Jan 25, 2:30 pm, jenny rowena <[email protected]> wrote: > sorry there was a change in the third demand which is now : forgot to > inform this forum > > Take stringent actions against the CITU workers and police officers > on duty under the SC/ST Atrocities act, for inflicting violence on > Chithralekha. > > On 1/25/10, Karthik Navayan <[email protected]> wrote: > > > I endorse, and demand to book the culprits under SC ST (POA), as the > > chithraleka's status as a Schedule Caste is the reason for the to torture on > > her > > > Karthik > > > On Mon, Jan 25, 2010 at 1:55 PM, Anil Tharayath Varghese < > > [email protected]> wrote: > > >> Madhuresh NAPM > >> Saswati Swetlena NCAS > > >> On Jan 25, 12:56 pm, geedha geedha <[email protected]> wrote: > >> > I endorse > >> > geedha > > >> > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > >> > From: Kavita Krishnan <[email protected]> > >> > Date: Mon, Jan 25, 2010 at 11:49 AM > >> > Subject: Re: [GreenYouth] Urgently Endorse : Petition for Chithralekha > >> > To: [email protected] > > >> > Cc: [email protected] > > >> > 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 20th January 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]> > >> <greenyouth%[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]> > >> <greenyouth%[email protected]<greenyouth%[email protected]> > > >> > . > >> > For more options, visit this group athttp:// > >> groups.google.com/group/greenyouth?hl=en-GB. > > >> > -- > >> > geedha > > >> -- > >> 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. > > > -- > > B.Karthik Navayan, > > Advocate, > > H.No. 21-7-761, > > Opp.High Court Post Office, > > Gansi Bazar, Hyderabad, > > PIN-500002, AP. > > Cell:09346677007,Email:[email protected] <email%[email protected]> > >http://sites.google.com/site/karthiknavayan/home > >http://www.orkut.co.in/Main#Profile.aspx?uid=10379805095932756525 > > > -- > > 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]. > > 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]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth?hl=en-GB.
