Obituary: Ram Narayan Kumar, a born human rights activist
Obituary: Ram Narayan Kumar, a born human rights activist
By Anjuman Ara Begum, TwoCircles.net
It was quite shocking when just like a bolt from the blue, the news of the sudden demise of Ram Narayan Kumar on June 29, 2009 reached me. For some time I could not think or talk. The world suddenly appeared to me very cruel. I knew Kumar for the last one and half year. He was a very active and vocal human rights activist, well known for his extensive work on secret killings and disappearances in Punjab. He was 56.
He passed away on June 28 in Kathmandu due to sudden illness. He is survived by his wife and daughter. Though based in Austria, he frequented India for researching, investigating and documenting cases of human rights violations. He was working as full time Director of the project Understanding Impunity: Rights to truth, justice and reparation (www.safhr.org/impunity). I was working for him as regional research associate for the same project.
Kumar was a born human rights activist. He had engaged himself with human rights activism since 1975 when he was jailed for 19 months for protesting against the imposition of emergency. Though he belonged to Andhra Pradesh, his conscience dragged him to protest against the wide spread human rights violations in Punjab. There he co-founded Committee for Coordination on Disappearances in Punjab (CCDP) and co-authored a voluminous edition called ‘Reduced To Ashes’, a compilation of about 600 cases of human rights violations in the state. This report prompted the National Human Rights Commission to take cognizance of the large scale custodial disappearances and deaths in Punjab during that decade. The case is still pending.
He was an eminent writer and a very good researcher. Several of his publications are well received and reflect his boldness, clarity of views and his non-partisan approach. Some of his other publications are: The Sikh Unrest and the Indian State: Politics, Personalities and Historical Retrospective (Ajanta Publications, New Delhi, 1997); The Sikh Struggle: Origin, Evolution and Present Phase (Chanakya Publications, Delhi, 1991); Confronting the Hindu Sphinx (Ajanta Publication, New Delhi, 1991); Four Years of the Ceasefire Agreement between the Government of India and the National Socialist Council of Nagalim: Promises and Pitfalls (Other Media Communications, New Delhi, 2002); "India's Constitutional Discourse: Some Unanswered Question" and "Rights Guarantees and Judicial Wrongs: Arguments for an Appraisal" in Recasting Indian Politics, ed. Paul Flather (Palgrave, London); Critical Readings in Human Rights and Peace (Shipra publications, New Delhi, 2006).
Former Reuters Foundation Fellow at the University of Oxford, Kumar had recently released his new book, Terror in Punjab: Narratives, Knowledge and Truth (Shipra Publications, Delhi, 2008).
Ram Narayan Kumar was a man of strong conviction, bold and gentle. As a person he was always helpful and had a big heart to reach out to the victims. He would travel to the remote of the remotest place and talk to victims to understand people’s sufferings. He was energetic and very studious. He believed ‘home work’ is important before one starts his or her work. He believed any study would remain incomplete without talking to the persons who have experienced violence. I remember, he was so popular that once in a city in Manipur, a visitor offered a huge water melon. Offering food is considered a highest honour in that place.
It has been about half a year Kumar started visiting north eastern states frequently for documenting human rights violations. He visited extensively in Assam, Manipur, Nagaland and Tripura. His next visit was scheduled on 19th of this month. His mission in bringing out the rights to truth and justice for the people of north eastern states and others remained unfinished. Kumar always lived for others. He will be alive through his works. For me, it will never be possible to wash away his ideology. It will be a legacy in me.
Kumar, may your soul rest in peace forever.
Obituary - Ram Narayan Kumar
‘The good die young’ couldn’t apply more appropriately. Mr. Ram Narayan Kumar came to personify the best in human spirit. He stood up when many ran for cover. He stood up for people – who were unable to take a stand for themselves. He spoke for the people – who were silenced by the powers of the state gone berserk.
It’s great that he had the wisdom and the courage to put his findings on paper. His words will continue to guide and inspire others who may, at times, feel helpless and lost.
Mr. Ram Narayan Kumar, may your soul rest in peace forever.
Re: Obituary: Ram Narayan Kumar, a born human rights activist
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Co-owners not Tenants
Thru media campaign and school text-books (plus banning hate-speech and hate-mongering in the garb of "freedom of speech"); the people of India must be made to understand that minorities of india., esp. muslims of India (who form 15-20 percent of india's population) are co-owners and not tenants ! A change in ATTITUDE is needed. RSS literature / 700,000 schools produce students contrary to that ideal. The govt. will have to blunt that cyanide-dipped hatred-spear., if india is to survive as a nation (physically, geographically and ideologically). The idea of India is under threat from safforn hate-canteens.
Kannadasan P- if Co-owners behave like one
Kannadasan P- if Muslims are Co-owners and NOT tenants they must behave like one. Substantial people of Muslim community does NOT have any respect for the elders in the home- the HINDUS. More importantly, anyone whose tries to weaken the foundation of the house they live in by "persistently insisting that their religion and GOD is the only GOD, while the GODs others are praying to does NOT exist(that is what they shout five times a day) can never be CO-OWNERS.
Instead of integrating with everyone by discarding differences MUSLIMs insist on highlighting their differences- dress differently, even while wearing a DHOTHI- which could never have been a dress in ARABIA, wearing cap, keep beard and shave mustache etc etc etc.
how does it affect you ?
If someone is wearing a white dhoti (tied with the help of 2 other individuals), with/without underwear [which is such a repulsive sight to human sensibilities, hygeine., etc]; and someone else wears a check-dhoti tied in a different style., how does it affect / hurt you or your sensibilities ? That means., your eye is not trained to diverse images. You want a straight-jacket. All people wearing safforn dhotis. all mean styling their hair in a certain way (with chotis). Human beings are not robots. Understand human desire., emotions., quest for diversity., creativity will die if you think the world is an assembly-plant. How childish is your mindset., and how deplorable. Chh`eee...
Ram Narayan Kumar
I believe Ram Narayan Kumar was the tallest human rights activist and historian of India. He was dedicated, he felt pain, he could document meticulousely and he was fearless. He did so much for Punjab. He was the only man in Punjab who realised the importance of documenting the violations lest people forget and debate whether such a thing as disappearance of twenty thousands young men ever disappeared from Punjab. He documented close to three thousand cases and prepared detailed case histories and wrote three books on Punjab. He was there where ever there was a need for a voice and courage. He was in Bhopal, he was active in 1984 riots, in 2002 riots in Gujrat and right now in Nepal. Doing what he loved, to be amidst suffering and consoling and challenging the perpetrators of violence and oppression.
Remembering Ram Narayan Kumar
Remembering Ram Narayan Kumar
A crusader Punjab will remain indebted to
A Born Human Rights Activist
By Balbir Singh Sooch, Advocate, Ludhiana
It is really painful and sad to know that Ram Narayan Kumar passed away on June 28, 2009 at his house in Kathmandu. He should really be considered as one of the finest human rights researchers, activists and campaigners in South Asia. A crusader Sikh will remain indebted to Ram Narayan Kumar, but I don’t think so.
I personally met him in Ludhiana and Chandigarh when he was allowed to expose freely the Sikh affairs and Sikhs under the garb of acting as the human rights activist when the Sikhs were feeling threatened from the security forces and the Indian agencies.
He was not interested to get justice for the Sikhs in the court of law on the basis of reports prepared by him and his team and thus was not ready to prepare the reports accordingly of that standard as I noticed from his activities and the behaviour.
I did watch him investigating the case of death of former Jathedar of Sri Akal Takhat Sahib, Gurdev Singh Kaunke and pointed him out that you are distorting or adding the facts and manipulations in a planned manner, which may not stand the test of law. On this, he felt agitated.
The material was being collected by him and his associates, only for writing a book, which they did, without intending to expose the misdeeds of violation of human rights by the government of India, in the court of law.
I may be wrong to say so. That’s what the government of India wanted from him and his associates, now, settled abroad, so far, I have information about some of them!
July 3, 2009
www.sikhvicharmanch.com
Ram Narayan kumar
I got to know Kumar when I started working with CIIP and CCDP in 2004 and he became a friend instantly. I still can not believe that he is no more with us. I had an email conversation with him just last week and its still hard to think that I will never be able to talk to him again. He was my mentor and guide too. His dedication and passion towards his work has inspired so many people. I knew him for almost four and a half years but I never saw him relaxing or catching breath. Every single person who knew him or even met him once was influenced by him. He had no connection with Punjab or the Northeast India but he was fighting for the justice so hard as if it was his personal battle. He always gave priority to his work. I don’t think anybody can ever replace him. He will be missed by all of us. May god bless his soul.