i endorse, in solidarity, shinaj. p. s. hyderabad
2010/1/25 PR Praveen <[email protected]> > 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]<greenyouth%[email protected]> > . > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth?hl=en-GB. > -- Shinaj.P.S Hyderabad Mob:9440477143 -- 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.
