In Solidarity,

Afthab Ellath, Ministry of Health, Oman

Afthab Ellath


On Mon, Jan 25, 2010 at 1:42 PM, k.ashraf <[email protected]> wrote:

> In solidarity
> Firose k.c,Zakariya-Dept of MCJ-SIAS Vazhayur,Calicut University
>
>
> On 1/25/10, k.ashraf <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>> I endorse
>> k.ashraf,calicut
>>
>>
>>  On 1/25/10, 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
>>> >> >
>>> >> > > --
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>>> <greenyouth%[email protected]<greenyouth%[email protected]>
>>> >
>>> >> <greenyouth%[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.
>>> >> >
>>> >> >  --
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>>> >> <greenyouth%[email protected]<greenyouth%[email protected]>
>>> <greenyouth%[email protected]<greenyouth%[email protected]>
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>>> >> >
>>> >> > .
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>>> >> >
>>> >> > --
>>> >> > geedha
>>> >>
>>> >> --
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>>> >> .
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>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >
>>> >
>>> > --
>>> > 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]> <
>>> email%[email protected] <email%[email protected]>>
>>> > http://sites.google.com/site/karthiknavayan/home
>>> > http://www.orkut.co.in/Main#Profile.aspx?uid=10379805095932756525
>>> >
>>> > --
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>>> >
>>> >
>>>
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>>>
>>
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