I endorse the statement. KNPanikkar On Wed, Feb 23, 2011 at 10:38 AM, shoma sen <[email protected]> wrote:
> We endorse it from Committee Against Violence on Women (CAVOW) > Shoma Sen > > ------------------------------ > Date: Mon, 21 Feb 2011 12:24:59 +0530 > From: [email protected] > Subject: [humanrights-movement:3773] Please endorse the Appeal : Justice > for Survivors of Guj 2002 carnage > To: [email protected] > > Dear Friends, > This is an appeal we would like to submit to the authorities mentioned > here. After long struggle of nine years, the Gujarat 2002 carnage survivors > are likely to get some justice soon, But State machinery is trying its best > to vitiate the process. This is our attempt at supporting the survivors. We > appeal to all Women's Organizations, Human Rights Groups and networks to > endorse this appeal. > Please respond as soon as possible. > > Hon’ble Mr. Justice S.J. Mukhopadhaya > 21st February 2011 > Chief Justice, High Court of Gujarat > Phone : 079-27664601-15 > E-Mail : [email protected] > > Shri Manmohan Singh > Prime Minister > Fax: 011-23019334 > Ph: 011-23018939/1156 > Email: [email protected] > > Hon'ble Mr. Justice S.H. Kapadia > Chief Justice of India > Fax: 011-23381508/1584 > Ph: 011-23388922-24 > Email: [email protected] > > *Victimization of Teesta Setalvad CJP, Advocate M.M. Tirmizi & victims > survivors of 2002** * > > We the undersigned Citizens, Women’s Organizations, Human Rights > organizations are gravely concerned at the continued persecution of human > rights defender Teesta Setalvad, Secretary, Citizens for Justice and Peace > (CJP). Further, Advocate Sohail Tirmizi, and several other human rights > campaigners are also being harassed. These people have been in the forefront > of the struggle to secure justice for the victims of the 2002 Gujarat riots. > > Ms. Teesta Setalvad is a human rights activist and journalist, whose > unflagging struggle to secure justice for the victims of the mass violence > in Gujarat 2002 evokes our admiration and support. Instead of awarding her a > high place of honour in society, divisive elements are now attempting to > stifle her voice, by organizing a malicious campaign. > > Elements in the State of Gujarat are trying to intimidate and threaten her > through a series of *false cases and malafide prosecutions*. What is at > stake is the conviction of over 350 accused in the nine major trials > (Gulberg, Sardarpura, Odh, Naroda Patiya, Naroda Gaam) as also the inquiry > into the role of the chief minister Narendra Modi and cabinet ministers, > along with IAS and IPS officials who allowed the carnage to take place > unchecked. The Citizens for Justice and Peace is co-petitioner in the > petition that led the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate > criminal charges of conspiracy to commit mass murder, destruction of > evidence and subversion of the process of public justice. The attempts to > implicate Teesta Setalvad in some criminal offence or other is an attempt to > discredit the petitioners. > > Gujarat State's police is making false accusations of doctoring testimonies > (FIR lodged under the IT Act, February 10 2011) and affidavits, and also of > instigating victims to exhume the dead bodies of their loved ones (CR > 3/2006), against MS. Teesta and CJP, an organisation that has stood for nine > years supporting the legal battle of the survivors. > > There is no guarantee that more false cases will not also cooked up by the > police who are pressurised by a vindictive state government. After Tehelka's > exposure of the SIT report indicting Modi, "The Smoking Gun" (February 10, > 2011), IPS officer Rahul Sharma was served with a show cause notice for > placing crucial telephone records before the Nanavati Shah Commission and > the SIT. Clearly the Gujarat government, worried by indications that > offences could be registered against its chief functionaries for not just > aiding a massacre in 2002, but also of destroying evidence and subverting > the course of justice, is > doing all it can do intimidate the victim survivors and the human rights > groups who have stood by them. > > Earlier, in the Best bakery case which was shifted to Mumbai, a 'star > witeness' was induced to change her testimony and claim false affidavits > were filed, while all other witnesses stood by the case. Since September > 2010, Mr. Rais Khan, a former CJP employee, whose employment with CJP was > terminated for financial irregularities and suspicious conduct in January > 2008, is being made to collaborate with the State agencies to implicate > Teesta and others who are fighting legal battles along with the victims. > > We would like to respectfully point out that this sinister campaign has > been launched at a time when crucial trials are nearing completion. These > trials involve victims/survivors who have courageously testified against > powerful Gujarati perpetrators, at grave risk to their lives. The evidence > gathered against three hundred and fifty (350) perpetrators is extremely > strong, and is expected to result in the conviction of a large number of > accused. > > In the Best Bakery case mentioned above, the Honourable Court had ordered > an inquiry by the Registrar General of the Supreme Court which cleared Ms. > Setalvad of the malicious charges, and in fact punished the witness for > perjury. It can be seen therefore that from the outset the government of > Gujarat, through agent provocateurs, has subverted all efforts to punish the > perpetrators of the anti minority pogrom of 2002. The current campaign was > initially launched in May 2009, by the State of Gujarat’s counsel in the > Supreme Court, and is now being echoed by Mr. Rais Khan. > > This vindictive onslaught against Ms. Setalvad and her lawyers is a > determined bid to disrupt the trials, derail the course of justice, and to > influence the course of conviction - in short, to > derail the course of public justice. We respectfully and urgently request > your attention towards this matter and to ensure that injustice will not > prevail. > > FORUM AGAINST OPPRESSION OF WOMEN, MUMBAI > AWAAZ-E-NISWAAN, MUMBAI > > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "humanrights movement" group. > To post to this group, send 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/humanrights-movement?hl=en. > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "humanrights movement" group. > To post to this group, send 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/humanrights-movement?hl=en. > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "humanrights movement" group. 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