In Solidarity, Sarath Cheloor, UAE
On 1/26/10, chandra kumar <[email protected]> wrote: > > i endorse > -chandrakumar, > trivandrum > > > On Tue, Jan 26, 2010 at 7:36 AM, Anivar Aravind <[email protected] > > wrote: > >> I endorse >> >> Anivar Aravind >> Moving Republic >> >> On Tue, Jan 26, 2010 at 7:23 AM, Ajay <[email protected]> wrote: >> > i endorse >> > Ajay >> > RIGHTS >> > >> > Abdulkareem U K wrote: >> > >> > I endorse >> > >> > Kareem >> > Oman >> > >> > >> > >> > On Mon, Jan 25, 2010 at 7:58 PM, bharadwaj reshma <[email protected]> >> wrote: >> >> >> >> I endorse >> >> Reshma Bharadwaj >> >> Dept of Social Work >> >> sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit >> >> >> >> ________________________________ >> >> From: jenny rowena <[email protected]> >> >> To: [email protected]; [email protected] >> >> Sent: Mon, 25 January, 2010 11:14:24 AM >> >> Subject: [GreenYouth] Urgently Endorse : Petition for Chithralekha >> >> >> >> 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]> >> . >> >> For more options, visit this group at >> >> http://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth?hl=en-GB. >> >> >> >> ________________________________ >> >> Your Mail works best with the New Yahoo Optimized IE8. Get it NOW!. >> >> -- >> >> 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. >> > >> >> >> >> >> -- >> "[It is not] possible to distinguish between 'numerical' and >> 'nonnumerical' algorithms, as if numbers were somehow different from >> other kinds of precise information." - Donald Knuth >> >> -- >> 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. > -- With Best Regards -------------------------------------------------------- Sarath Cheloor Administrative Asst. Universal Concrete Products.Ltd. Co (UNIMIX) L.L.C, Dubai http://www.unimix-uae.com/ Mob:0557163443 Fax: 043387735 -------------------------------------------------------- http://chelooronline.googlepages.com/ -------------------------------------------------------- Please Consider the environment. Please don't print this e-mail unless you really need to. -- 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.
