I endorse. P R Praveen Journalist,Doha-Qatar On Mon, Jan 25, 2010 at 11:25 AM, 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. > > -- P R Praveen I Copy Editor-News at 2pm - I Jaihind TV-Qatar I MEDIA ZONE P O BOX 22108 I Doha-Qatar I Mobile +974 6637907,7980108 I Tele/fax : +974 4320786 I http://praveenvjd.page.tl I http://youtube.com/praveenvjd I http://youtube.com/jaihindqatar P R Praveen I Gen. Secretary I Indian Media Forum -Qatar I http://imfqatar.ning.com To get JAIHIND TV: Insat 2E /APR1 I Downlink:4050.5 MHz I Pol :Vertical I Symbol Rate: 5084 Msps I FEC 7/8 -- 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.
