INDIA: AFSPA, yet another opportunity for the judiciary Contributors: *Ms. Anjuman Ara Begum Go back to search results August 7, 2013 More Sharing Services Share | Share on facebook Share on myspace Share on google Share on twitter The Commission of Inquiry, constituted by the Supreme Court of India, in Writ Petition (Criminal) 129 of 2012 [Extra Judicial Execution Victims Families' Association and Another (petitioners) Against Union of India and Others (respondents)] and Writ Petition (Civil) 445 of 2012 [Suresh Singh (petitioner) Against Union of India and Others (respondents)] filed its report to the Court on 30 March 2013. This investigation by the Commission was chaired by Justice N. Santhosh Hegde (retired Judge of the Supreme Court and former Solicitor General of India) along with Mr. J. M. Lyngdoh (former Chief Election Commissioner of India) and Dr. Ajai Kumar Singh (former Director General of Police, Karnataka state) as members. Clearly, thi...
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NDIA: Irrelevance of National Human Rights Commission in the North East Naga Peoples Movement for Human Rights (NPMHR) on the visit of the National Human Rights Commission in Manipur Go back to search results October 29, 2013 More Sharing Services Share | Share on facebook Share on myspace Share on google Share on twitter The Government of India, when it set up the national and the state Human Rights Commissions (NHRC and SHRC) in 1993, the mandate of these commissions excluded atrocities committed by the army and the paramilitary forces. When the Manipur State Human Rights Commission (MSHRC) was being constituted, the Naga Peoples Movement for Human Rights (NPMHR) was also asked to send a representative to the Commission. The NPMHR after deliberation decided not to participate on the principle, that human rights issues in Northeast India mostly emanated from violations perpetrated by the army and paramilitary forces, and whose acts were shielded by the infa...
INDIA: Disturbed or discriminated? Contributors: *Ms. Anjuman Ara Begum November 11, 2013 More Sharing Services Share | Share on facebook Share on myspace Share on google Share on twitter The extension of 'disturbed area' status for north eastern states since 1955, and thereby the activation and extension of emergency laws, has been but a routine administrative exercise for the union government. The legacy was upheld this year. The union has again extended the 'disturbed area' status of Assam for another six month period, with effect from 4 November 2013. Despite such back door declarations of emergency laws, India continues to claim internationally that there is no situation of armed conflict in the country. The latest extension means continued application of the draconian Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 (AFSPA) in Assam and in the 20 km area in bordering states of Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya. Reportedly, the decis...
I have special respect for people who struggle through unexpected odd events of life and fight for survival. Their work motivation during troubled times and turmoil of life are definitely encouraging for others. Story of a female vegetable vendor, sitting at road side in Sixmile, Guwahati is something worth inspiring. She is the lone woman vendor in that part of the market and belongs to Muslim community, carrying out her business with all male colleagues around. What brought you to this place?, I asked. She smiled. Probably felt shy to answer me. ‘My husband met a heavy loss in the business ten years back. I took over and running successfully till now’. She smiled again. A lone woman selling vegetables in the midst of all male market, is still unthinkable in this area. This woman changed the traditional gender roles and became bread winner for the family of three children. ‘My husband looks after the household things and I run the business. He has no complaint as I ...
Dignity and Labour
One short story touched my heart today. It’s a Bengali short story written by Banaphool titled, ‘Chotolok’. “Chotolok’ means the subaltern working class here in the story. The story is only pages long and talks about two men : one passerby and a manual rikshaw puller. Raghab is a enlightened man with knowledge of labour exploitation and subaltern studies, believes that manual rikshaw pulling is worst kind of discrimination and labour exploitation he ever witnessed. The rikshaw puller started following while he was walking briskly to cover a short distance in scorching sun. Raghab thought this worst kind of labour of rickshaw pulling must be the only livelihood option for this man. He negotiated his ideology for a short distance. He hired the rikshaw but didn’t sit on it and was walking side by side despite several requests from the rikshaw puller to be seated in the cart. How can Raghab sit? He has studied the great labour movements: division of labour, Bolshevism, factory...
WOMEN IN GOVERNANCE Feb 2, 2013 Press Release President urged not to Sign the Ordinance by Women's Organizations New Delhi, 2 Feb 2013: We, as representatives of women’s organizations, civil society groups, and activists committed to women’s rights, convey our strong opposition to the Government's decision to move an Ordinance on the criminal law amendments related to sexual violence. We call upon the President of India to not sign such an Ordinance. Information in the public domain, through media sources, reveals that an Ordinance on amendments to sexual assault law was cleared by the Cabinet yesterday, on February 1, 2013 - about 20 days before the next parliamentary session. We are alarmed at the complete lack of transparency displayed by the Government in proposing an Ordinance as an emergency measure. We wonder what objective and purpose will be served by such a hasty non-trans...
PRESS RELEASE “Stop shielding criminals in the army and security forces” Say Women’s Groups Consultation on State, Sexual Violence and Impunity: Facts from the Field Organized by WinG, WSS December 23, 2012 Guwahati Aggravated sexual violence in Guwahati in July 2012 and gang rape in Delhi this month have led to public outrage and anger, compelling the media and the government to take serious note of the rampant sexual violence against women. Even as the current attention on sexual violence on women raises several questions over laws, their enforcement and policing, there continues to be absolute silence and complete denial about sexual violence by the Army and the Central Armed Police Forces. It is high time to review and repeal laws and practices that promise complete impunity to the armed forces for sexual assault in counter insurgency conflict areas. Can a woman be gang-raped, tortured and even murdered...