thanks On Friday, December 30, 2016 at 6:52:44 PM UTC+5:30, ram wrote: > > > -- > > > Dear all, > > A few friends from NAPM, Delhi met the Joint Registrar of the National > Human Rights Commission (NHRC) yesterday and delivered the enclosed letter > condemning the unlawful arrest and judicial remand of the 7 members of the > fact-finding team from Telangana, who were on their way to Bastar, > Chhatisgarh to investigate the gross human rights abuses there by the > security forces. > > The letter also condemns the other forms of constant repression on the > adivasis and activists in CG including the recent inhuman encounter of a > minor adivasi boy and the false allegations on Adv. Shalini Gera by the CG > police. The next date of hearing of the notorious IGP, Mr. SRP Kalluri > before NHRC is on 16th Jan (after he dodged the previous date on 'health > reasons').. > > It is hoped to follow up with the NHRC with another larger/joint > delegation meeting the Chairperson/members of NHRC soon on this and other > connected matters. > > Since the letter had to be finalized by yesterday morning, other names > that came later could not be added. Kindly understand.. > > *Please share this widely and also to your media contacts in Telangana , > Chattisgarh, Delhi and elsewhere.. * > > In solidarity, > Meera > > > ***NATIONAL ALLIANCE OF PEOPLE'S MOVEMENTS* > *National Office : 6/6 (Basement) Jangpura B, New Delhi – 110 014 . * > > *Phone : 011 2437 4535 | 9818905316* > *E-mail: [email protected] <javascript:> | Web :www.napm-india.org > <http://www.napm-india.org> * > > > *29th December, 2016* > > To, > > The Chairperson, > > National Human Rights Commission, > > Manav Adhikar Bhavan, Block-C, > > GPO Complex, INA, New Delhi. > > > > *Sub: Unlawful Arrest of 7 members of a Fact Finding Team of Lawyers, > Journalist, Human Rights Activists, Students of Telangana on 25th Dec, 2016 > and Continuing Repression of Adivasis, Activists, Lawyers, Human rights > workers in Chhattisgarh.* > > > > Hon’ble Sir, > > This Hon’ble Commission and the entire country is well-aware of the > serious constitutional, legal and human rights violations that have sadly > become a part of the everyday reality of the adivasis and human rights > activists in the villages and forests of South Chhattisgarh. In the name of > ‘combing’ and combating ‘Maosim’, the State, through its military, > para-military, security and police forces has unleashed an unprecedented > spree of threats, violence, false cases, arbitrary arrests, detentions, > dubious encounters, rapes, sexual assault etc. on the impoverished adivasis > and anyone who stands up for their rights. A very large number of fact > finding reports and the National ST Commission Report have brought forth > these realities very vividly. A testimony to this well-documented state of > affairs is the recent Order of this Hon’ble Commission dt. 17/12/2006 > summoning the Chief Secretary of Chhattisgarh and Mr. SRP Kalluri, IGP, > Bastar Range, who is widely believed to be responsible for a lot of > extra-constitutional actions and has also been indicted by the CBI in the > Tadmetla incident. > > In fact, in the said Order, this Commission categorically stated that the > series of repressive measures including the most recent incidents of > un-substantiated FIR against Prof. Nandini Sundar, burning of effigies of > activists and journalists was clearly police vendetta against the lawyers, > journalists and human rights defenders who have been investigating and > reporting on the numerous human rights violations. The said Order is a > matter of record and needs no reiteration.* [Annex-I] *However, citing > ‘health reasons’, barely a few days before he was to appear before this > Commission, the said IGP stayed away from the hearing and is now ‘back to > work’, with what seems yet another attempt to officially tarnish democratic > processes and harass human right activists. > > *It is in the above context that we would like to draw your immediate > attention to the recent arbitrary arrests of a fact-finding team of 7 > members from Telangana Democratic Front (TDF) comprising High Court > lawyers, human rights activists, students and a journalist by the Telangana > and Chhattisgarh Police, violating due process of law.* > > *In its press release dt. 26/12/2016, the district police of Sukma, > Chhattisgarh has gone so far as to brand all these 7 persons as > ‘naxalites’, without even caring to refer to any evidence, to level such an > allegation. [Annexure-II].* > > The seven members of the team who have been arrested are: > > *1. Balla Ravindranath,* Advocate, High Court, AP and Telangana and General > Secretary of the Committee for Release of Political Prisoners (CRPP), > > *2.Chikkudu Prabhaker,* Advocate, High Court, AP and Telangana and > Convenor, Telanagna Democratic Forum. > > *3. Durga Prasad*, Independent Journalist, Hyderabad > > *4.Duddu Prabhakar*, President, AP Kula Nirmulana Porata Samiti > (Committee for Caste Annihilation) > > *5.* *Rajendra Prasad,* Telangana Vidhyarthi Vedika (Telangana Students > Forum) > > *6. Nazeer,* Telangana Vidhyarthi Vedika (Telangana Students Forum) > > *7. Ramanala Laxmaiyya,* Secretary, Adivasi Tudem Dubba, Khammam. > > We would like this Hon’ble Commission to kindly note that, reportedly, all > the 7 members were picked up in the day on 25th December, 2016 at > Dummagudam village, Bhadrachalam District, Telangana, when they were > planning to visit Chhattisgarh to enquire into complaints of human rights > violations suffered by adivasis villagers at the hands of security forces. > Later in the evening, the Telangana police handed them over to the > Chhattisgarh police, where reportedly they have been charged of various > offences including possessing ‘banned’ literature and banned currency > notes, providing ‘assistance’ to Naxals, ‘instigating’ adivasis against > the state/police etc. An FIR was registered under the Chhattisgarh Public > Security Act (CSPA), 2005 by the Sukma police. > > On 26/12/2016, all the 7 accused persons were produced before the > remanding Court in Sukma and remanded to judicial custody under sections > 8(1), (2) and (3) of the CSPA. It has come to our notice that while the > arrest was actually made by the Telangana police within the territory of > Telangana, the Chhattisgarh police misinformed the magistrate that the 7 > persons were arrested in Chhattisgarh and have stated so in their official > press release referred to above. The said act of misleading the Court, is > an offence in itself and a blatant abuse of law since all the 7 persons who > were arrested by the Telangana police within the territory of Telangana had > to be produced before an appropriate Telanagana Court having jurisdiction > and not before the Chhattisgarh Court. This apart, there appears to be no > *prima > facie* reason for the arrest itself, even within Telanagana. > > This entire episode is undeniably yet another act of state vendetta and a > glaring example of gross abuse of public office, criminal defamation and > violation of the civil liberties and human rights of these independent > investigators. The arrest, we submit, is totally unlawful, unwarranted and > violative of the numerous orders issued by the Hon’ble Supreme Court in the > past and ‘arrest’ regulations by this Commission too. The members of the > fact-finding team are respectable, law-abiding citizens including lawyers > of the High Court, journalists and human rights activists. There was no > need for the arbitrary arrest or even denial of bail the ‘judicial > custody’, since there is no reason to believe that they would evade > judicial process or subvert the trial /prosecution. > > As has been stated by various civil rights groups, this is clearly a case > of both Telangana and Chhattisgarh police overstepping their mandate and > *“violating > the law and the **fundamental rights to free movement, freedom of speech > and expression and the fundamental duty to protect the fundamental rights > of adivasis and other local people in Bastar area who are victims of a > severely repressive state police”. *It is infact the duty of law > enforcement agencies to ensure the security of human rights defenders who > are assisting the State in ensuring rule of law. But what we are witnessing > in these parts of Bastar is a complete breakdown of rule of law and > sustained persecution of anyone and everyone who questions human rights > violations. > > *We would, at this point, like this Hon’ble Commission to note there is a > clear history of impunity enjoyed by the police in this region and the > overt and covert support that the state apparatus gives, at the highest > levels, has led to the situation we are in today, where police think they > are ‘above the law’ and ‘accountable to none’. While the general situation > inside Bastar is now widely known, there are a very large number of > specific instances of extra-judicial killings, disappearances, police > violence, sexual assault cases etc. that have still not come to the lime > light and even FIRs are not being registered. It is these specific > instances that the State is keen to suppress under the unacceptable alibi > that it would “weaken the morale of the forces”! The alleged torture and > encounter of a minor, Somaru Pottam from Metapal village in mid-December by > the security forces, in which the Bilaspur High Court has ordered a repeat > autopsy two days back is only one of many such likely incidents.* > > *There is also a continuous threat climate that is being created i.e. no > academics, lawyers, journalists, activists or the adivasis should dare > question anything that the police do in the name of fighting the Maoists. > Very recently rights advocates, activists associated with PUCL and JAGLAG > were intimidated for calling a meeting of the adivasis in Matenar village > of Dantewada and hearing their grievances (despite due police permissions > in advance). Yesterday, Adv. Shanili Gera and other legal activists were > harassed by the SP Bastar, Mr. RN Dash at Jagdalpur, despite the fact that > were there as per Orders of the High Court and arrangement of the Police > Commissioner, Bastar, for exhumation of the body of Somaru Pottam, alleged > to be encountered. Detailed complaints in this regard have already been > sent to the Commission. All these instances of human rights defenders is > totally unconstitutional and require immediate attention.* > > In the light of the above, we urge this Hon’ble Commission to immediately > take cognizance of this matter too, as it is integrally connected to > various other human rights violations in Chhattisgarh which this Commission > has been looking into and *direct the Govts. of Telangana and > Chhattisgarh to:* > > *1. Drop all charges against all the seven members of the Fact Finding > Team of TDF and ensure their right to freely move in the areas of Bastar > for conducting a fact-finding.* > > *2. Initiate criminal prosecution against the concerned police officers > for abuse of due process law, reportedly misleading the Sukma Court and > arbitrarily arresting the fact-finding team members.* > > *We also urge this Hon’ble Commission to immediately:* > > *1.Summon Mr. SRP Kalluri, IGP, Bastar Division and Mr. RN Dash, SP, > Bastar before the Commission in person to offer a detailed explanation of > all charges of human rights violations against them and thereupon initiate > appropriate action, as per law.* > > *2. Send a high-level team comprising some members of this Commission and > some independent activists, lawyers, academics and journalists to visit > various areas in the Bastar region and obtain first hand information of the > serious issues of gross human rights abuses, to enable quick and > appropriate action as per law.* > > *3. Direct filing of FIRs in all cases of cognizable offences and human > rights violations as directed by **a 5-judge Constitution Bench of the > Hon’ble Supreme Court, headed by the CJI in Lalita Kumari vs. Govt. of U.P. > & Ors [(2014) 2 SCC 1] (wherein it was held that registration of FIR is > mandatory u/Sec 154 of IPC if information discloses commission of a > cognizable offence). * > > *We look forward to immediate action by this Hon’ble Commission in this > regard in the interests of rule of law, justice and fairness…* > > *Thanking You,* > > *Yours sincerely, * > > > > *Medha Patkar,* Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) and National Alliance of > People’s Movements (NAPM) > > *Aruna Roy, Nikhil Dey and Shankar Singh* – Mazdoor Kisan Shakti > Sangathan (MKSS) and National Campaign for People’s Right to Information > and NAPM > > *Prafulla Samantara, *- Lok Shakti Abhiyan & NAPM, Odisha; > > *Lingraj Azad* – Samajwadi Jan Parishad - Niyamgiri Suraksha Samiti, NAPM, > Odisha; > > *Binayak Sen and Kavita Srivastava,* People’s Union for Civil Liberties > (PUCL) > > *Sandeep Pandey, *Socialist Party and NAPM, Uttar Pradesh > > *Sudhir Vombatkere, *Senior Activist, NAPM, Karnataka > > * Gabriele Dietrich,* Penn Urimay Iyakkam, Madurai and NAPM, TN; > > *Geetha Ramakrishnan,* Unorganised Sector Workers Federation, NAPM, TN; > > *Arul Doss,* NAPM Tamil Nadu > > *Arundhati Dhuru, Nandlal Master, Manesh Gupta *- NAPM, UP; > > *Richa Singh, *Sangatin Kisan Mazdoor Sangathan, NAPM-UP > > *Vilayodi Venugopal, CR Neelakandan and Prof. Kusumam *NAPM, Kerala > > *Vimal Bhai* - Matu Jan Sangathan, NAPM-Uttarakhand & *Jabar Singh*, NAPM, > Uttarakhand; > > *Sister Celia* - Domestic Workers Union & NAPM, Karnataka; > > *Rukmini V P*, Garment Labour Union, NAPM, Karnataka; > > *Anand Mazgaonkar, Krishnakant -* Paryavaran Suraksh Samiti, NAPM Gujarat; > > > *Kamayani Swami, Ashish Ranjan *– Jan Jagran Shakti Sangathan & NAPM > Bihar; > > *Mahendra Yadav* – Kosi Navnirman Manch, NAPM Bihar; > > *Sister Dorothy, *NAPM Bihar > > *Dayamani Barla,* Aadivasi-Moolnivasi Astivtva Raksha Samiti, NAPM > Jharkhand > > *Dr. Sunilam and** Adv. Aradhna Bhargava* - Kisan Sangharsh Samiti NAPM > Madhya Pradesh > > *Bhupender Singh Rawat *– Jan Sangharsh Vahini, NAPM, Delhi > > *Rajendra Ravi, Nanu Prasad, Madhuresh Kumar, Amit Kumar, Himnshi Singh, > Uma Kapari, Zaved Mazumder, *NAPM, Delhi > > *Faisal Khan*, Khudai Khidmatgar, NAPM Haryana > > *J S Walia*, NAPM Haryana; > > *Kailash* *Meena*, NAPM Rajasthan; > > *Amitava Mitra* & *Avik Saha*, NAPM West Bengal; > > *P. Chennaiah, *Andhra Prdaesh Vyavasaya Vruttidarulua Union (APVVU) and > NAPM-AP > > *Ramakrishnam Raju, United Forum for RTI and NAPM, AP * > > *Suniti SR, Suhas Kolhekar, Prasad Bagwe *- NAPM, Maharashtra; > > *Gautam Bandopadhyay,* NAPM, Chhatisgarh > > *Anjali Bharadwaj, *National Campaign for People’s Right to Information > and NAPM > > *Kaladas Dahariya, *RELAA, Chhatisgarh > > *Bilal Khan,* Ghar Bachao Ghar Banao Andolan, Mumbai*,* > > *Meera Sanghamitra,* NAPM Telangana-AP, > > *Jeevan Kumar And Syed Bilal*, Human Rights Forum, Telangana-AP > > *Vyjayanthi Mogli and Rachana Mudraboyina*, Telangana Hijra Intersex > Transgender Samiti Sex, (THITS), Telangana, > > *P. Shankar,* Dalit Bahujana Front, Telanagna > > *Adv. MA Shakeel,* Centre for Study of Constitution and Society, > Hyderabad Telangana. > > *S.Q. Masood, *Centre for Peace Studies, Hyderabad Telangana. > > *Malini Subramaniam, *Independent Journalist, Hyderabad. > > *Vissa Kiran Kumar, *Rythu Swarajya Vedika, Telangana-AP > > *Vimala Morthala,* Independent Writer, Activist, Hyderaba > > *Thomas Pallithanam *- People's Action For Rural Awakening, Ravulapalem, > East Godavari, AP > *And many other people’s organizations, allies of NAPM and NAPM-Telangana > and AP.* > > > > -- > *____* > *S.Q. Masood* > > > *#: 19-2-21/23/39, Basharath Nagar, * > > *Macca Colony, Hyderabad - 053. Mobile: +091 9030557002, Email: > [email protected] <javascript:> * > *www.sqmasood.blogspot.com <http://www.sqmasood.blogspot.com> * > > > http://cityplusepaper.jagran.com/86222/Hyderabad-Ameerpet/Ameerpet-January-31-Februay-1-Vol-4-Issue-5#page/5/2 > > > P* Save Paper, Trees and Environment * > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Solidarity Movement" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected] > <javascript:>. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected] > <javascript:>. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > >
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