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1. Rights groups cry foul  (1)

BHUBANESWAR: Human rights activists and anti-displacement leaders on Saturday demanded that the State government should dismiss senior officials who were responsible for ordering the three doctors to chop off palms of tribals killed in police firing in Kalinganagar area. Sympathising on doctors’ agitation to revoke dismissal proceedings against three doctors, three organisations, Lokshakti Abhijan, Samajwadi Jana Parishad and CPI (ML) New Democracy said that doctors were unnecessarily being made scapegoats. “ The government led by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is the main culprit in whole incident. Not a single government official barring doctors was suspended in the incident of police firing that led to death of 14 tribals,” said Prafulla Samantra of Lokshakti Abhijan. Pointing out that doctors came to the scene only after death of tribals, Mr. Samantra said, “former collector, Superintendent of Police and senior government officials of Jajpur district who were responsible for firing have let off. A judicial inquiry which was instituted to probe the case has also been weakened.” Similarly, Lingaraj from Samajwadi Jana Parishad said doctors were under pressure from senior administrators to do the chopping of palms. He ridiculed the approach of State government to deal with issues associated with the gory incident. Many tribals had become handicapped in the firing but instead of extending them a free treatment, State government had ignored the matter, Mr. Lingaraj said. The activists said this was an attempt of State government to divert attention of people from the main issue by picking up doctors. (The Hindu 9/11/08)

2. National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) team meet Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC) on attacks on places of worship (7)

Bangalore, Nov 11 : The members of investigation team formed by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), on the attacks on places of worship in Karnataka, met the representatives of the Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC) and took stock of the alleged violation of the code of conduct by the police officers. In a press release issued here today, Sajan K George, National president GCIC, said the Bangalore based NHRC investigation team was briefed by GCIC about the alleged violation of the code of conduct by some of the lower rank police officers and field officers against civilians during the recent attacks on places of worship in the state. He claimed that GCIC had unravelled the veil covering the systematic oppression of Christians in Karnataka and Orissa unleashed by the Hindu hardliner groups.  (New Kerala.com 11.11.08)

3. NHRC team begins probe into communal violence (1)

Bhubaneswar: A seven-member team of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Thursday started investigations into the Orissa communal violence that left 38 people dead and thousands homeless earlier this year. The team visited several riot affected areas, met victims and senior district police and administrative officials, said superintendent of police S. Praveen Kumar. The team during its stay in the state till Nov 18 will also tour other part of the state rocked by the communal riots following the murder of a Hindu leader and four of his aides in the Kandhamal district Aug 23. "The NHRC team toured several affected areas and met the victims there," Kumar said. There has been no violence in the district since over a month and peace has returned to all the areas after spate of religious stirs in August and September, the police officer said. Kandhamal district, some 200 km from the state capital Bhubaneswar, was the worst hit. Officials say at least 38 people were killed and over 23,000 Christians were forced to flee their homes after the murder of the Hindu leaders in Jalespata Ashram. While some have returned, more than 10,000 are still living in government-run relief camps in the district. Sajan K. George, president of the Global Council of Indian Christians alleges that the number of people killed in the violence could be more than a hundred. (Indiainfo.com 13.11.08)

4. Prosecute guilty policemen in Andhra: Human Rights Watch (1)

New York, Nov 18 : The Andhra Pradesh government should prosecute police officials responsible for the torture of 21 Muslims after a series of bombings in Hyderabad in May and August 2007, Human Rights Watch has said. After the blasts, the authorities detained approximately 100 Muslims for questioning. Of those later charged, 21 were released. On Nov 13, the Andhra Pradesh government admitted that these 21 had been tortured and announced financial compensation to all of them. The government also promised additional financial assistance through government loans. But it has not initiated criminal proceedings against any police officers who ordered or carried out the torture. "Acknowledging torture and providing compensation is a good first step," said Human Rights Watch Monday. "But the government has to prosecute those responsible so that those who use torture will not get away with it." On May 18, 2007, at least nine people were killed when a bomb exploded outside Hyderabad's Mecca Masjid, where thousands had gathered for Friday prayers. On Aug 25, 2007, nearly 50 people died and scores were injured in two separate blasts in Hyderabad. There were arrests after each bombing. The Hyderabad police initially suspected Islamist extremists of carrying out the attacks. Of those detained for questioning, most were released after a few days or weeks in custody.(New Kerala 18/11/08)

POLICE/TORTURE (Click here for Content page)

5. German mother does U-turn (1)

PANAJI: The German woman who had alleged that her minor daughter had been raped by education minister Atanasio Monserrate’s son Rohit and sexually abused by PWD minister Churchill Alemao’s nephew Warren handed over a letter to the Calangute police on Sunday afternoon stating she wanted to withdraw her complaint. The woman’s counsel Aires Rodrigues confirmed that she had given such a letter to the police. “She is really upset as the system is treating her and her daughter as the accused. They do not want another unnatural death as in the case of British teenager Scarlett Keeling. That is the reason why she wants to withdraw the complaint,” said Rodrigues. It, however, may not be easy to withdraw the complaint. Criminal lawyer Surendra Dessai said, “A complaint in terms of a cognizable offence can neither be withdrawn nor compounded. It depends on the court to decide whether the accused should be bailed out or sent to police or judicial custody.” German consul general Walter Stechel, who is currently in Goa, has expressed surprise over the development. “I am not aware of this. What is important for us is that a German kid has been affected and we have to help all German citizens in India. We had been informed about the FIR and the circumstances of the case,” said Stechel. Stechel met governor S S Sidhu on Sunday but refused to divulge any details about their discussions. He may also meet police representatives to discuss the case. Making it clear that the German consulate would not interfere with the police investigations, Stechel said, “We are closely following the case and are concerned about two things. First, that security is assured to the mother and the minor. And second that the police and judiciary take necessary action. We are confident that necessary steps have been taken.” Although police officials refused to come on record, sources confirmed that the woman has also written that since the case was registered, she was being harassed. It is learnt that she has said that Goa is not a nice place to live in anymore. Sources said the mother has refused to cooperate with the investigations and refused to hand over the computer hard disk in which Rohit’s messages are allegedly saved. “Despite police security given to them, they are not staying in their house in Saligao and not helping in the investigations,” added sources. Meanwhile, reacting to Sunday’s developments the education minister said, “This is a ploy to ensure that my son doesn’t get bail.” (Times of India 9/11/08)

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Panchkula gangrape: HC serves notice on Hry DGP (1)

CHANDIGARH: In the case regarding rape and torture of a minor schoolgirl of Panchkula, Punjab and Haryana High Court justice Pritam Pal on Monday issued notice to state of Haryana, its DGP, SP (Panchkula) and SHO of Sector 14 police station. This was done after the victim’s mother filed a writ petition on Friday. Now, the case would come up for hearing on December 16 when respondents will have to file their replies. In the petition filed under Section 482 of CrPC, the victim’s mother sought a probe by an independent agency like CIA or crime branch, saying Panchkula police had failed to make any headway in the case. Her petition stated that as the accused had political links, Panchkula cops were favouring them. It added that the cops’laxity had allowed the accused to get bail. Her petition also mentioned that the accused had raped the victim on seven occasions before the incident of September 16 when they also tortured her in a village in Punjab. The petition mentioned that her daughter was raped on July 15, 22, 26 and 28, August 5 and 26 and September 4 in the year 2007. She alleged that the local DSP and SHO had visited the victim’s house late one night and taken her daughter with them on the pretext of questioning. She added that after doing so, they had threatened the victim to enter a compromise with the accused and change her statements recorded before the police and magistrate under Section 164 of CrPC. The victim’s mother alleged that name of one of the accused, Aman, was not included in the FIR, though the victim had told the cops about his involvement in the crime. Later, her daughter named Aman in her statement recorded under Section 164. (Times of India 11/11/08)

7. Andhra's 'healing touch' to 'innocent' Muslims (7)

Hyderabad, November 13 They were among 70 Muslim men picked up by the Hyderabad police in the wake of two terror attacks in the city last year. At least 15 of them, according to a report by a state government panel, were subjected to various forms of torture during custody that lasted six to nine months: stripping, physical abuse, electric shocks, some had their beards plucked out; in one case, a two-litre water bottle was said to have been hung from the victim’s penis. Now the Andhra Pradesh government admits they are innocent and, as a ‘healing touch,” is offering them a “rehabilitation package” of Rs 30,000 and Rs-80,000 loans to buy autorickshaws. Even this offer has come only after some of the men approached the Andhra Pradesh Minority Finance Commission for financial assistance saying they were unable to find employment after the “stigma” of the arrests — many lost their jobs and face ostracism by friends and family. These men were picked up by police investigating the Mecca Masjid blast on May 18 that killed nine people and the Lumbini Park and Gokul Chaat House blasts on August 26 last year that killed 42 people. As many as 22 of those picked up are free now, cleared of all charges; one is on bail in another case. After two haebas corpus petitions in the court following their arrests, the state government told the Andhra Pradesh Minorities Commission to look into allegations of police excesses. The commission appointed advocate Ravi Chandran and a forensics expert from a government medical college to study the cases. Their report, submitted to the government last October, (reported by The Indian Express, October 31, 2007) gave details of the alleged torture that the men were subjected to. The report draws from a medical examination conducted on 20 undertrials by Dr T Mahender Reddy, Professor of Forensic Medicine, government Kamineni Medical College, Hyderabad. Speaking to The Indian Express, Minister for Minorities Welfare Mohammed Shabbir Ali says: “These youths turned out to be innocent. Police picked up a number of people for interrogation. Those who were innocent were given a clean chit and were allowed to go. Based on their allegations that they were detained illegally and that their names have been tarnished for ever, we are planning to compensate them. There is a stigma attached to them and the government should help them in rehabilitation.” The Minister, however, says he doesn’t want to “blame the police at this juncture” in light of the torture report. “Police do their work based on information and sometimes the information can be wrong. Many youths were picked up but police filed cases against only 31. Instead of implicating the others in any other case, at least the police released them,” he says. Says Principal Secretary, Home, Ajoyendra Pyal: “I have come to know of the minister’s statement. The police have their own methods of working. I cannot comment on why or how these youths were picked up and who turned out to be innocent. The police have so far not admitted that they made a mistake. If the case of these youths comes to me I will surely examine it.” The police say they didn’t pick up these men directly in connection with the blasts at Mecca Masjid or Lumbini Park and Gokul Chaat. Says Hyderabad Police Commissioner B Prasada Rao: “The Mecca Masjid blast case still remains unsolved. (There is) not even a single worthwhile clue in that case. As for the Lumbini Park and Gokul Chaat case, we only know of the persons arrested by Mumbai police recently claiming that they were behind these blasts. Police arrested youths in Hyderabad during the course of blast investigations but they stumbled upon these youths for other reasons. A majority of the cases filed against them are conspiracy to spread communal hatred, forging of documents, obtaining SIM cards by providing false information and personal details and forging papers to acquire passports, and possible connections with SIMI. Of course, once they were detained, police also probed if they had anything to do with the blasts. These youths had nothing to do with the blasts but cases have been filed against them for the original reason they were picked up. Some youths have been acquitted but we are preparing to go an appeal.” ………(Express India 14/11/08)

8. Swami alleges torture by ATS (1)

NASHIK: Dayanand Pandey, alias Sudhakar Dwivedi alias Swami Amritanand Dev Teerth Maharaj, the self-styled seer arrested from Kanpur for his alleged role in the Malegaon blast, on Friday told a Nashik court that his life was in danger and that ATS officials were using third degree methods to torture him in custody. ‘‘I am in trouble since the police brought me to Mumbai on Thursday. I have been beaten up badly and the police used third degree torture on me,’’ Pandey told chief judicial magistrate H K Gantra. Pandey is the first accused in this case to complain about police torture in court. When the judge asked Pandey if he had any complaint or faced any problem in custody, Pandey replied in Hindi, ‘‘ Jab se mujhe pakda hai, mein problem mein houn. ’’ He further told the police that he had not eaten anything since his arrest. When the judge asked him if his injuries were visible, Pandey said nervously, ‘‘The police had used some method while torturing me. There is no visible injuries on my body. I pray, please don’t send me to ATS custody. You may send me to the custody of any other agency but please don’t send me to ATS custody.’’ Gantra then asked Pandey to come to his chamber to examine if he had any ‘‘visible injury mark’’ on his body. The judge returned after five minutes from his chamber and remanded Pandey to police custody till November 26. The public prosecutor, Ajay Misar, also submitted Mumbai’s KEM Hospital’s medical examination report along with an X-ray copy stating that Pandey was all right. Forty-year-old Pandey, the 10th accused to be arrested in the Malegaon blast case, is a resident of UP. He had first tried to establish himself in Kanpur. He then shifted to Varanasi and later to Jammu, where he floated the Sarvagyapeeth. The original Sarvagyapeeth is in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and investigators believe Pandey opened the peeth in Jammu on his own. Pandey claimed that he was unaware of the reasons for his arrest. ‘‘I am a dharma guru (religious leader) and preach Hinduism,’’ Pandey said softly. His face was covered with a black cloth and the cloth was not removed even before the judge.  (Times of India 15/11/08)

9. Witch-hunting of Muslims condemned (1)

Hyderabad: Speakers at a public meeting here strongly condemned the witch-hunting of Muslim community by the police. The recent findings of ATS amply proved who were the ‘masterminds’ behind the terror attacks at Malegaon and other places. They deplored the atmosphere of fear and suspicion created about minorities by blaming them for every act of terror. The public meeting was organised by the Jamaat-e-Islami Hind on the occasion of the arrival of its ‘Caravan of Peace and Justice’ here from Delhi. A large number of persons, including women, attended the meeting at the open air theatre at Public Gardens. Syed Jalaluddin Ansar Umari, president, JIH, wondered why BJP leader L.K. Advani had stopped talking of POTA after the role of Sangh Parivar in the terror attacks became clear. He deplored the foisting of false cases on innocent Muslim youth, particularly the educated ones, and their arrest and torture. Now it was clear who were behind these terror incidents, Mr. Umari said. He blamed the media for its failure to distinguish between an accused and a suspect and urged it to be impartial and unbiased in reporting incidents. Malik Motasim Khan, JIH president, A.P and Orissa zone, said the country was faced with two types of terrorism – overseas white terrorism and Sangh terrorism. He said the JIH would not call the acts of few persons as ‘Hindu terrorism’ and said prefixes like Lt., Major and Sadhvi were important and should not be linked to terrorists. While the Army would cleanse its ranks, it was time the Election Commission should cancel registration of parties involved in terror acts, he said. Justice Sardar Ali Khan, former chairman, National Minorities Commission, said if the country lacked anything it was justice. Muslims were the second biggest majority in the country and by alienating them the country could not progress. Abdul Raheem Qureshi, president, All India Tameer-e-Millat, said country could not progress without peace and for this to come justice was essential. He wanted more interfaith dialogues to be conducted to dispel misgivings. Kancha Ilaiah, writer, K.R. Chowdhry and R.M. Mandal, social activists also spoke. The meeting called for liberating law enforcing agencies and individuals from all kinds of prejudices and bigotry to ensure enduring peace. In a resolution it said the exposure of involvement of Sangh Parivar and military official in terrorist attacks had created a ‘dangerously convoluted’ situation in the country. The ‘reckless sensationalism’ of news by media had led to an unprecedented communal divide and mutual distrust. There was a growing sense of insecurity among the minorities, especially Muslims and Christians. In another resolution, the assemblage called for establishment of independent tribunal to investigate all incidents of terror, police atrocities and torture occurred during last decade. It wanted an effective mechanism to be put in place to ensure honest and unbiased reporting by media. The meeting demanded a ban on leakage of confidential reports and confessions extracted under duress. (The Hindu 17/11/08)

10. Prosecute guilty policemen in Andhra: Human Rights Watch (1)

New York, Nov 18 : The Andhra Pradesh government should prosecute police officials responsible for the torture of 21 Muslims after a series of bombings in Hyderabad in May and August 2007, Human Rights Watch has said. After the blasts, the authorities detained approximately 100 Muslims for questioning. Of those later charged, 21 were released. On Nov 13, the Andhra Pradesh government admitted that these 21 had been tortured and announced financial compensation to all of them. The government also promised additional financial assistance through government loans. But it has not initiated criminal proceedings against any police officers who ordered or carried out the torture. "Acknowledging torture and providing compensation is a good first step," said Human Rights Watch Monday. "But the government has to prosecute those responsible so that those who use torture will not get away with it." On May 18, 2007, at least nine people were killed when a bomb exploded outside Hyderabad's Mecca Masjid, where thousands had gathered for Friday prayers. On Aug 25, 2007, nearly 50 people died and scores were injured in two separate blasts in Hyderabad. There were arrests after each bombing. The Hyderabad police initially suspected Islamist extremists of carrying out the attacks. Of those detained for questioning, most were released after a few days or weeks in custody.(New Kerala 18/11/08)

11. UP police constable booked in rape case (1)

Muzaffarnagar: A constable of Uttar Pradesh police has been booked for allegedly raping a girl for a year on the pretext of marrying her at Brahampuri locality here. The girl, a fashion designer by profession, has alleged that constable Pramod Kumar, posted at Meerut police station, promised to marry her but later refused to do so when she was impregnated with his child, City SP Ashok Kumar Sharma told reporters here. A case has been registered against Kumar along with three others for being involved in the case, Sharma added. (The Hindu 19/11/08)

MEDIA/FREEDOM OF PRESS (Click here for Content page)

12. World press body condemns killing of Pakistan journalist (1)

Brussels, Nov 10 : The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) condemned Monday the killing of a journalist by security forces in the troubled Swat valley in Pakistan's North West Frontier Province. Qari Mohammad Shoaib, a reporter for daily newspapers Azadi and Khabar Kar, was shot dead in Mingora Sunday as he returned home from work, reportedly because he did not stop his vehicle when signalled to do so, the EuAsiaNews said. "Journalists in Pakistan's conflict zones are working under extreme pressures as they seek to report in the public interest from the country's zones of intensifying conflict, including the Swat valley," said the IFJ in a statement. Shoaib is the third journalist to be killed in Swat this year, it noted. Journalists around the country will rally Nov 12 to demand greater security for media personnel in Pakistan's conflict zones. The Brussels-based IFJ represents over 600,000 journalists in 120 countries worldwide. (New Kerala 11/11/08)

13. STF jawans make journalists `hostage'  (1)

Indore, Nov 15: The arrival of both the Indian and English cricket teams here on Friday was marred by controversy with the journalists of both the local as well national print and electronic media not being allowed entry inside Hotel Fortune Landmark to cover the arrival of players of both the teams. Media persons were denied permission to go inside the hotel lobby (where arrangements have been made for the stay of players and senior officials of both the teams) by the police personnel at the behest of the Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association, notwithstanding the fact that they had been sent official invitations by the organizers. Though camera persons as well as the photographers had been bared from the ban and allowed entry, the correspondents of various local, national dailies as well as the electronic media were debarred from going inside the hotel where the players upon their arrival were accorded traditional welcome. Repeated pledges with both the organizers as well as the police officials present there, fell on deaf ears and journalists were made to stand under the scorching Sun. Later on cameramen and photographs who were in the hotel lobby, also came out in support of their colleagues and boycotted the traditional welcome ceremony of the players. Finally all the media persons including cameramen and photographers sat on dharna outside the hotel gate raising slogans against the MPCA as well as the police administration. After sometime, the STF jawans sensing trouble, encircled the media persons and kept them `hostage' outside the hotel gate for about half-an-hour, till the buses carrying Indian and the English cricket teams made entry into the hotel premises from another gate. Taking serious note of the behaviour of the local MPCA officials as well as the police officials present there, media persons apprised of the matter to both the State DGP S K Raut as well as Indore range IG Anil Kumar. Though they assured them of sorting out the problems, no initiative was taken to allow entry to them. While all this drama was going on, no senior officials either from the district as well as the police administration visited the hotel venue to take stock of the situation. Though ASP M C Jain and the SDM Gautam Singh did arrive there, they too failed to reach a solution and allow entry to the media persons inside the hotel. Indore Press Club president, Pravin Khariwal taking regretting the incident, said the Indore Press Club on behalf of all the media persons, will lodge a complaint to this effect with the State DGP and the Chief Minister. Besides, they will also meet the MPCA president Jyotiraditya Scindia upon his arrival here on Sunday to apprise him of the wayward behaviour of the MPCA officials.(Central Chronicle 16/11/08)

14. Journalist shot dead in Manipur (1)

Imphal: A sub-editor of an English daily here was shot dead at Langol area in Imphal West district of Manipur triggering condemnation from journalists. Unidentified gunmen shot Konsam Rishikanta (22), working in the Imphal Free Press , from point blank range killing him on the spot last evening, official sources said here today. Imphal Free Press editor Pradip Phanjoubam said Rishikanta was a hard working, sincere and honest journalist and demanded that the killers declare reasons for the killing. All Manipur Working Journalists Union (AMWJU) too demanded that the culprits disclose the reasons for shooting down an upcoming journalist. It said in a statement that AMWJU had earlier appealed to various organisations including militant outfits to give journalists a chance to explain their point of view if their writing was not accepted by individual or organisation. The statement said AMWJU hold another emergency meeting to discuss future course of action. Rishikanta was not the first journalist who fell bullelts of unidentified gunmen. Editor of a Manipuri journal Kangla Lanpung R K Sanatomba was shot dead in 1993 while editor of a journal in tribal dialect H A Lalroha Hmar was gunned down in 1999. Th Brajamani, editor of the then popular English daily The Manipur News which has now ceased publication was shot dead in 2000 while a correspondent of Vision North East Electronic Media , Yambem Megha was gunned down in 2002. Sources in media houses said these journalists fell victims because their writings and works were not liked by their killers. (Indiainfo  18/11/08)

15. Media group slams attack on Russian journalist (1)

Moscow: Press freedom campaigners Reporters Without Borders today angrily condemned an attack on Russian opposition journalist Mikhail Beketov who is in a coma and has had a leg amputated. The editor of Khimkinskaya Pravda was attacked November 13 outside his home in Khimki in the Moscow suburbs. Beketov, who had written stories criticising local officials over construction, the destruction of a nearby forest and the removal of war graves, sustained internal head injuries, concussion, a broken shin and bruising to his body. Reporters s Without Borders said it was "shocked and angry" at the attack. "Beketov has lost a leg and is still in a coma, but that is not all - threatening calls were also made to the hospital where he was taken," a statement from Reporter with Borders said. "Violence against journalists continues to be very much in the news in Russia, what with the start today of the trial of four people accused of the 2006 murder of Novaya Gazeta reporter Anna Politkovskaya," the statement from the Paris-based organisation said. Previous attempts on Beketov s life have been made. His car was set on fire in May, 2007 after he published a highly critical article about the removal of a Soviet World War II monument containing the graves of Russian soldiers.  (Indiainfo 18/11/08)

16. ‘Media is targeting the affluent’ (1)

HUBLI: The former Editor of The Indian Express and Hindustan Times Ajit Bhattacharjee has said that the media is projecting what advertisers want their consumers to buy and targeting people with more purchasing power, leaving out socially and economically backward population. Delivering a special lecture on “Media and rural development” at the Department of Mass Communication and Journalism of the Karnatak University here on Monday, Mr. Bhattacharjee said the gap between development stories and “spicy” stories had been widening with the latter becoming more dominant. But, in spite of this there was space in every newspaper for relevant and development stories. Social worker S.R. Hiremath called upon students to contribute towards nation building. The chairman of the department welcomed the gathering. (The Hindu 19/11/08)

17. Solatium sought for scribe’s family (1)

IMPHAL: The All-Manipur Working Journalists’ Union and the Editors’ Forum, Manipur, on Tuesday demanded a solatium for the family of the journalist shot dead by unidentified persons near here on Monday night. At a general body meeting here the two bodies called for suspension of the publication of newspapers and broadcast of news by the local cable network from Wednesday till the killers were rounded up. The victim, Konsam Rishikanta (25), was a sub-editor with the English newspaper, Imphal Free Press.No one has claimed responsibility for the killing so far. An emergency meeting of the AMWJU was held on Monday night to condemn the killing. A sum of Rs. 10,000 reportedly carried by Rishikanta was also missing. Sagolshem Hemanta, president of the AMWJU, said that if any journalist was to be punished, the Union should first be apprised of the charges. He said the killers should come out and explain the reasons for the murder. Meanwhile, women staged a road roko against the killing. Information Minister T.N. Haokip also visited the spot and expressed his condolences to the women. He promised all possible assistance from the government. Three editors have been killed in the past. Some others, including reporters, have escaped attempts on their lives. (The Hindu 19/11/08)

DALITS/SCHEDULED CASTES (Click here for Content page)

18.  ‘Real issues of Dalits, Adivasis yet to be exposed’  (2)

NILAMBUR: State Women’s Commission member P.K. Sainaba has said that providing financial assistance alone would not do justice to Dalits and Adivasis. Equal stress should be given to bring them to the mainstream, she said while delivering the keynote address at a seminar on ‘problems of Dalits, women and minorities with special reference to Malabar’ that began at M.E.S. Mampad College near here on Tuesday. Ms. Sainaba said that the real problems of Dalits and Adivasis were yet to be identified and exposed. She said women were still regarded inferior to men in the State. In domestic violence, she said, Kerala ranks number two in the country. “This should be a matter of grave concern for us,” she said. Ms. Sainaba bewailed that even educated women were refusing to take up employment. According to her, it is a major obstacle for achieving women empowerment. Inaugurating the seminar organized by the Department of History, former Education Minister E.T. Mohammed Basheer said that the woes of Dalits, women and minorities continued unabated even 60 years after Independence. He alleged that statutory reservation for the marginalized in jobs was not properly observed, and access to education continue to be denied to those sections. Mr. Basheer said that the problems of Dalits who traditionally depended on agriculture for a living worsened as the agriculture had taken a beating in the State. He suggested that a common platform be set up for the uplift of Dalits, women and minorities. O.P. Abdurahman, college principal, presided over the function. K.M. Aboobacker, head of the Department of History, welcomed the gathering. (The Hindu 13/11/08)

19. Dalit families finally get their due in Amreli (2)

Ahmedabad, November 14 : Win nine-year-long legal battle against the Kotdi Gram Panchayat in the Gujarat High Court; get possession of land to build houses It's harvest time for seven-odd Dalit families of Kotdi village of Rajula taluka in Amreli district. After winning a nine-year-long legal battle against the Kotdi Gram Panchayat in the Gujarat High Court, they have finally got the legal possession of the land, which was given to them by the State Government to build houses. Although the Government had officially given the two-acre land to the Dalit families, the physical possession of the same was never given to them. The official rigmarole in giving the land to the Dalits reached the Gujarat High Court, which recently passed an order that the Dalits be allowed to build houses on the land given to them by the State Government. Interestingly, the upper caste villagers had encroached upon the land by constructing a road and cultivating cotton crop on it. However, following the High Court's order, the District Collectorate machinery razed the encroachments on Friday. Dalit activist Valjibhai Patel, who guided the Dalits in their legal fight under the banner of Council for Social Justice, laid the foundation stone for the construction of houses. The complex will be called Adhikar Nagar. Dalit activist Raju Solanki said: "The movement of the Dalits of Kotdi village is significant because they fought for their rights and got them without shedding a single drop of blood. The atmosphere here was amazing as hundreds of Dalits from nearby villages gathered to celebrate the victory of their rights." Many retired Dalit bureaucrats like T D Soyantar and Bhupendra Kapadiya were also present at the foundation stone laying ceremony.(Indian Express 14/11/08)

20. Pasi Samaj, a Dalit sub-caste, demands more representation (2)

Lucknow, November 16 : Despite the state being led by a Dalit chief minister, a section of the dalits — Pasi Samaj — feel under-represented in the government. On Sunday, the samaj held its conference under the banner of Viranagna Udadevi Smarak Sansthan at the Sikandarbagh Archaeological premises. Following the meeting, the samaj demanded that Chief Minister Mayawati declare November 16 as a public holiday in the memory of Udadevi — who had sacrificed her life while fighting against the British in 1857. Most of the participants were unhappy with the way their members in the state administration were being treated. “The officers who belong to our caste are always shunted. We want our own identity among the dalits,” a leader of the samaj told The Indian Express. To shield the community, a Pasi Sena was also initiated in 2007. In this conference, while Ram Lakhan was elected as the chief of the Sena, Bhagawati Prasad was elected as the president of the samaj. Regarding the creation of Pasi Sena, Lakhan said every district of the state has 100 to 150 youths, who are supposed to stop the atrocities committed on the people of the samaj. As for rehabilitating the members of the samaj, who are mostly engaged in producing local liquor like Mahua and Tadi, Lakhan said, “This is tragic that the police still continues to suspect our members as criminals, particularly as thieves. This tendency must stop.”  To stop the menace, Lakhan has written several letters to the authorities concerned to stop the production of illicit liquor in Sarojini Nagar, Ashiyana, Mohanlalganj, Kakori and Mal areas, but to no avail. “Most of the women who belong to our society are also engaged in this trade. We have decided to motivate them to adopt other occupations like animal husbandry. We will also undertake efforts to make them aware about bank loans,” he added. (Indian Express 17/11/08)

21. Bihar restaurants to serve rat meat as delicacy (2)

Patna, November 18: : Do not get surprised if you find roasted rat or rat curry on the menu of restaurants across Bihar along with chicken and mutton delicacies. Very soon protein rich "patal bageri" (rat meat) would adorn the menu of hotels in the state as Bihar Government is actively considering a proposal for rat farming on the lines of chicken, goat and pig husbandry in order to popularise consumption of protein rich rat meat. Welfare and Scheduled Caste/ Scheduled Tribe Development Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi said that he had asked his department to popularise the consumption of rat meat as it would go a long way in improving status of the lot of Dalit community particularly the "Musharars" (a rat eating tribe) in Bihar and adjoining states of Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand. Manjhi said, "Consumption of rat meat is safe. I and my family members are consuming the rat meat since our childhood without contacting any fatal disease. I have been told by the doctors and dieticians that the rat meat is protein rich and do not cause any health hazards." He said, "If chicken, christened as 'ram ki pakshi', why not rat meats (patal bageri) could be served in restaurants that can help in economic emancipation of Dalit community. "The state Welfare department is actively considering a proposal to develop farms for rearing rats on a mass scale and if the rat meats appear on the menus of the restaurants the economic condition of Dalits will improve manifold," Manjhi said. Manjhi said once the rat meat was accepted as "hygienic" food material and people start consuming it on mass scale like chicken, goat or pig meat, it could be sold at Rs 100 a kg in open market as against current rate of Rs 10 per kg. The minister said the Welfare department would take a policy decision for imparting rat rearing training and hoped that many people who consume rat surreptitiously would come out in the open, thereby contributing their lot in improving the conditions of more than 23 lakh people of Mushahar community and other Dalits. "It will not be mandatory for the hoteliers to serve the new food item for the urbanites," Manjhi clarified, saying the hotel owners would be "requested and not forced" to popularise the consumption of rat meat by preparing food items like they do using other meats. A few months ago the department's proposal to popularise the art of catching rats particularly from...(Indian Express 18/11/08)

22. Dalit Christians move law panel for SC status (2)

New Delhi, November 19, 2008 : The National Council for Dalit Christians has approached the Law Commission seeking a recommendation to the government for extending scheduled caste status to Dalits belonging to the Christian and Muslim communities. In a representation to commission member Tahir Mahmood, council's coordinator Franklin Caesar Thomas demanded that Dalit Christians/Muslims should be extended benefits like reservation in government jobs and educational institutions as provided to their Hindu, Sikh and Buddhist counterparts. The representation referred to the recommendation of the National Commission for Religious and Linguistic Minorities (NCRLM) headed by Justice Ranganath Misra, which in May 2007 suggested delinking the scheduled caste status from religion. The representation has been forwarded to Law Commission chairman Justice A.R. Lakshmanan, Mahmood told HT. The Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950 issued under Article 341 of the Constitution originally said no non-Hindu could be a scheduled caste. However, the provision has been amended twice to extend reservation benefits to Dalit Sikhs and Buddhists. The NCRLM, of which Tahir Mahmood was a member, had recommended an amendment to the Constitution order, 1950 to include Dalit Christians/Muslims. NCRLM member secretary Asha Das had, however, dissented, saying there was no justification for inclusion of SC converts to Christianity or Islam as scheduled castes. The condition of ‘religion’ in the Constitution order, 1950 shouldn't be deleted. Hindu groups, too, are against the move. It would give a fillip to conversion, they have said. The National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) headed by Buta Singh had put forth three conditions for extending the reservation benefits. Favouring reservation for Dalit Christians/Muslims, it said the government shouldn't disturb the 15 per cent share of reservation meant for scheduled castes and determine the element of reservation for them keeping in view their population. Overall reservation shouldn't exceed 50 per cent as fixed by the Supreme Court, it said. (Hindustan Times 19/11/08)

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23. Dowry: Family lands in lock-up on marriage day (8)

JAIPUR: As proud parents of the bridegroom, they were all set for a lavish treat. Instead, they found themselves in a police lock up. Reason: the bridegroom did not turn up for the marriage ceremony. The bride’s parents, smarting under humiliation, lodged a complaint of fraud alleging that the bridegroom’s side had been demanding excessive dowry. In this bizare story that unfolded in Bajaj Nagar on Monday, a marriage was called off at the last moment and the parents of the groom landed in police custody as bride’s family complained that the former, which had been given jewellery and Rs one lakh ahead of the wedding, were demanding another Rs five lakh as dowry. The bride’s father, Rajendra Arora, in his complaint said that the groom’s family — both the parents as also a brother and a sister —were involved in “criminal conspiracy” to defraud the bride’s family. Rajendra alleged that the groom’s family told them that the absconding groom will turn up for marriage only after the bride’s family pay up Rs five lakh. With the groom, Alok Sharma, remained untraceable, his parents, Suresh Chand Sharma and Bhagwati Devi, as also his sister Neha Sharma have been arrested. According to police, Rajendra, a resident of Bhilwara, had fixed his daughter Rakshy’s marriage with one Alok Sharma, a resident of Shakti Nagar in Jaipur. “The engagement ceremony was on Saturday and the marriage was to take place on Sunday. Alok’s father Suresh Chand Sharma had demanded that the marriage should take place not in Bhilwada, but in Jaipur and had taken Rs one lakh from Rajendra to make the arrangements. The marriage venue was fixed at a community center in Jawahar Nagar,” said police. “Rajendra paid the amount and he was assured that all the arrangements have been made at the community center for the marriage,” police added. Interestingly, Ashok and the bride knew each other for the last three years. “It was a love marriage. When the bride used to work with India Bulls three years back, Ashok was her colleague. The girl later joined a company in Bhilwada, but used to come to Jaipur to meet Ashok,” said police. The bride’s family came to a resort on Tonk Raod on Saturday for engagement ceremony. Ashok was present at that time and the ceremony was solemnised peacefully. All of a sudden, Ashok went to meet the bride at the resort on Sunday and said that he was not satistified with the arrangements. “On Sunday, when the family members of the groom went to Ashok’s house for solemnising some rituals before the marriage, they came to know that Ashok had disappeared. When Rajendra approached Suresh asking him about Ashok, he demanded Rs 5 lakh more. Even after that, the bridegroom’s family waited for Ashok at the marriage venue till midnight and when he did not turn up, they lodged an FIR at around 1.30 am on Monday,” the police said. “When Rajendra and other family members got impatient, Suresh said that he could bring Ashok back if Rajendra paid him Rs 5 lakh and jewellery. On this, groom’s family lodged an FIR,” the police said. (Times of India 11/11/08)

24. Woman’s body found hanging; dowry case against husband (8)

The body of a 30-year-old woman, a lecturer with an engineering college, was found hanging from the ceiling of her Sector 10-A apartment on Friday evening. The parents of the deceased have alleged that her husband’s family forced her to take the extreme step for dowry. The police registered a case of dowry death against the husband and the parents-in-law of the deceased Swati Tyagi. No arrests were made till Saturday evening. Swati was married to Dhirender Tyagi who is a lecturer with Daronacharhra Engineering College, Gurgaon, in 2002. Swati’s relatives accused that Dhirender and his family started demanding dowry after she gave birth to two girls. Ram Singh, Swati’s father, said he had paid Rs 1.5 lakh to Dhirender after the birth of their first daughter. (Hindustan Times 16/11/08)

25. Harassment claims woman’s life  (8)

HYDERABAD: A newly married woman, D. Lalitha, was found dead under suspicious circumstances at her house in old Safilguda on Sunday. While Lalitha’s family members maintained that her husband, Goverdhan, murdered her, the police said “it appeared to be a suicide as the body was found hanging from the ceiling.” Police said the 24-year-old Lalitha was married to Goverdhan three months ago. Her parents deposited Rs.8 lakh on her name in the bank and gave gold jewellery and other valuables towards dowry. However, Goverdhan allegedly started torturing her for the past few weeks for more dowry. The family members alleged that Goverdhan murdered Lalitha and hung the body from the ceiling to make it appear like a suicide. (The Hindu 18/11/08)

26. 'Harassed' husbands want ministry for men's welfare (8)

NEW DELHI: If you can have a ministry for animal welfare, why not one for the welfare of men -- this was the demand raised by a number of ‘harassed’  husbands at a meeting here on the occasion of International Men's Day. "Laws should be gender neutral. The domestic violence and harassment laws are lopsided against men," said Swarup Sarkar, co-ordinator, Save Family Foundation, an NGO espousing the men's cause. Their basic demand was the establishment of a Men's Welfare Ministry on lines of Women and Child Development Ministry to look into their problems. There are multiple organisations catering to the fairer sex who also get huge international funding but men get a raw deal in this respect, they said. "Statistics from the National Crime Records Bureau for the year 2005-2006 show that twice as many married men commit suicide then married woman. But while women deaths are looked into, men's case are wrapped up as suicide due to financial problems," said Sarkar. "We are not saying that ignore women but men's genuine problems should also be understood," he added. President of Gender Rights Society Sandeep Bhartia said programmes on "men's rights" are being held all over India in major cities like Kolkata, Bangalore, Pune, Nagpur and Delhi. The "International Men's Day" was first mooted by Mikhail Gorbachev in 1999. Though it is not recognised by the United Nations yet, it is celebrated on different days in various parts of the world. In India and Australia it is celebrated on November 19. (Times of India 19/11/08)

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27. Attacks meant to prove that Hindus aren’t weak: Purohit (12)

BANGALORE: Lt-Colonel Srikant Prasad Purohit, the first serving officer to be arrested as a terror suspect, is reported to have confessed during his  narco test in Bangalore that he planned the attack in Malegaon to ‘‘prove that Hindus are not weak”. According to Forensic Science laboratory and ATS sources here, Purohit is said to have broken down a number of times during the test. He is reported to have emphasised the fact that he was an honest officer and that it was not his fault. He said he came under the influence of a spiritual mentor of Abhinav Bharat. Purohit told interrogators that when he was posted in Malegaon, his duty was to collate information on terror suspects. During the course of his work, he had stumbled on a group owing allegiance to SIMI, which had assembled bombs in previous attacks. Sources quoting Purohit approached them for help. He wanted them to assemble bombs to target mosques. Realising his intentions, the SIMI terror cell declined. However, he is said to have managed to get some people to plant the bombs and replicate the SIMI modus operandi to hoodwink cops.  (The Hindu 16/11/08)

28. Maoists kill three in Bihar village for refusing to pay 'levy' (12)

MUNGER: Maoists on Saturday night descended on a prosperous Rajput-dominated village in Bihar's Jamui district, kidnapped three villagers to the nearby jungle and killed them. The incident took place at Kharik Maheshwari village under the Sono police station. Police said the 50-odd extremists, equipped with firearms, entered the houses of Madan Singh(32), Chhote Lal Singh (35) and Mahesh Singh (32), woke them up and took them away towards the forest area. Though the Maoists left, scared members of the three families and other villagers did not raise an alarm. "We remained indoors for the Naxalites had threatened us with dire consequences if we reported the matter to police before sunrise," one family member was quoted as having told police. Early Sunday morning, bodies of the three villagers were found from Charka Patthal Bazar, some 300 metres from Kharik Maheshwari. Their throats were slit. Handwritten leaflets found at the spot said others who do not comply with the demand of Reds would meet the same fate. The victims were contractors and worked for execution of different village development schemes of the government. The extremists had demanded "rangdari" from them three months ago, but the trio had refused to oblige them. As the village is dominated by well-off Rajputs, the villagers had decided to take on the extremists if they again made a demand for "rangdari", villagers recalled. The Maoists kept silent for months and the villagers became relaxed thinking the extremists had "accepted defeat". Munger range DIG Bhrigu Srinivasan said raids are on to nab the assailants. Jamui SP Vinay Kumar and DSP Vinod Kumar have rushed to the village with reinforcements  (TOI 17/11/08)

29. Terror laws diluted (12)

NEW DELHI, Nov. 17: While most of the countries have enacted tough laws to deal with terrorism, the provisions of the existing anti-terror laws in India have been diluted over a period of time, according to an official study.  The second Administrative Reforms Commission, appointed by the Centre, has found that when compared anti-terror laws in India have lost teeth and there is a serious threat to the security of the country from terrorists who are “highly organised, motivated and possessing links with international terrorist groups”. It said the existing penal laws in the country were not enacted to deal with this situation. “There is ample evidence to indicate that terrorists have been able to escape the law either by exploiting the loopholes or by intimidating witnesses to subvert justice,” this panel headed by Mr M Veeprappa Moily noted. Many western countries with strong traditions of democracy and civil liberty have enacted legislations to deal with the threat of terrorism, it said.  Among others they have provisions for special fast track courts which make securing bail extremely difficult for the accused and enhanced penalties to cut the source of funding for terror activities, the panel said. In said, in comparison to this while India’s Terrorism and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) had provisions for constitution of designated courts, Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) has provision for special courts. The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act has, however, have no provision for special courts. While TADA had a provision for imprisonment for five years extending to life term, there was no mention of minimum punishment in POTA and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. (Statesman 18/11/08)

30. Anti-terror laws lose teeth in India: Official study (12)

New Delhi, November 16: : In what could be music to BJP's ears, an official study of the provisions of existing anti-terror acts shows that they have been ‘diluted’ over a period of time. The fact that such laws have lost teeth comes to light when provisions of anti-terror laws in India are analysed and compared with similar laws in some other countries. The comparison, drawn by the second Administrative Reforms Commission appointed by the Centre, shows while most countries were adopting tough anti-terrorism measures, the provisions of similar laws "have been diluted in India over a period of time". Amdist a raging debate on the need for having tougher anti-terror laws, the main opposition BJP has been accusing the Congress-led UPA at the Centre of being soft on Terror and has declared that if it comes to power it would bring back POTA. Ads By GoogleThe saffron party is also making a political capital out of the "failure" of the Centre to give assent to Gujarat's GUJCOC anti-terror legislation which has similar provisions like that of MOCOCA in Congress-ruled Maharashtra. The refrain of the Centre has been that the current provisions in various Acts are adequate enough to deal with terrorism and that certain stringent provisions of POTA have been incorporated in the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. Noting that there was a serious threat to the security of the country from terrorists who are "highly organised, motivated and possessing links with international terrorist groups", the panel noted that the existing penal laws in the country were not enacted to deal with this situation. "There is ample evidence to indicate that terrorists have been able to escape the law either by exploiting the loopholes or by intimidating witnesses to subvert justice," it said. The panel, headed by M Veeprappa Moily, pointed out that many western countries with strong traditions of democracy and civil liberty have enacted legislations to deal with the threat of terrorism. Their laws contain provisions pertaining to constitution of special fast track courts, making release on bail extremely difficult for the accused, and enhanced penalties cutting the source of funding for terror activities, among others. It said a comparison on anti-terror laws in India shows Terrorism and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act had provisions for constitution of designated courts, while POTA provided for special courts. But the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act has no provision for special courts, it said. (Indian Express 18/11/08)

31. Politics helped Hindutva terrorists (12)

NEW DELHI: Authorities in Madhya Pradesh had evidence that members of Abhinav Bharat (not the charitable trust by the same name) — the Hindutva terror group responsible for a string of recent bombings targeting Muslims — were preparing for a nationwide bombing campaign as early as 2002. However, government sources told The Hindu, political pressures allowed members of the terror cell, including two suspects now being investigated by the Maharashtra Police’s Anti-Terrorism Squad, to walk free. In December 2002, police in Madhya Pradesh discovered an improvised explosive device at Bhopal’s railway station. A second IED was found exactly a year later in Bhopal’s Lamba Khera neighbourhood. Both devices were made with commercial TNT cased in a four-inch tube-well pipe, linked to a detonator controlled both by a cell phone and a quartz alarm clock. Investigators determined that both bombs were intended to attack delegates arriving in the city for the annual convention of the Tablighi Jamaat — an event that attracts about 5 lakh people. Arguably the world’s largest proselytising order, the Pakistan-headquartered Tablighi Jamaat is doctrinally hostile to politics and has been criticised by radical Islamists for its pietist posture. However, some numbers of jihadists are known to have been drawn to terrorism after spending time in Tablighi Jamaat-linked missionary cells. Madhya Pradesh police, the sources said, soon developed information linking the attempted bombings to local Hindutva activists, Ramnarayan Kalsangram and Sunil Joshi. Both men — now alleged by the Maharashtra Police ATS to have occupied command positions in Abhinav Bharat — were questioned, along with several other suspects linked to the Bajrang Dal’s activities. Later, then-Chief Minister Digvijay Singh announced that he had evidence of the involvement of Hindu nationalist groups such as the Bajrang Dal in terrorism. (The Hindu 20/11/08)

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32. Refugees observe fast (13)

CUDDALORE: About 100 families of Sri Lankan Tamils residing at the Kurinjipadi refugee camp near here went on a hunger-strike on Sunday. They spurned food for a day in protest against the “continued genocide on ethnic Tamils in Sri Lanka” and the delay in essential commodities and medicines reaching the people there. The protestors also urged the Central and the State governments to prevail upon the Rajapaksa government to immediately stop the war on the Tamil dominated areas. Town panchayat chairman Thaiyalnayagi inaugurated the fast. (The Hindu 10/11/08)

33. Stranded Lankan refugees rescued  (13)

RAMANATHAPURAM: A group of 15 Sri Lankan refugees, who were struggling for life without food and water for more than three days at an unmanned islet near International Maritime Boundary Line, were finally rescued on Tuesday. When a small vessel of Coast Guard reached the fourth islet, where they were dropped by a Sri Lankan boat on Saturday, three refugees including two children, were found in an unconscious state. Others looked very weak. Most of them vomited when they ate snacks and consumed drinks offered to them due to the poor health condition. The refugees including six women and three children spent three nights in the islet braving the extreme weather condition in the sea. The refugees said that they sought the help of a few fishermen. But the fishermen refused to retrieve them fearing police action. However, they promised them that they would inform their plight to the Navy and the Coast Guard. They appealed to the authorities concerned to take necessary steps to rescue the refugees immediately on information.  (Hindu 12/11/08)

34. Fresh batch of refugees at Dhanuskodi (13)

RAMANATHAPURAM: A fresh batch of 29 Sri Lankan refugees landed at Arichalmunai, near Dhanuskodi, on Friday night. According to police, the 29 refugees, including seven women and 11 children of Mannar and  Vavunya, disembarked from a boat and stayed at the Dhanuskodi shore till Saturday morning. The refugees said that they had paid Rs 15,000 per head to the boat crew to transport them from Sri Lanka to India.  On information, police took them to the police station and from there to Mandapam transit camp after conducting preliminary enquiry. This is the largest influx of refugees in the last few months, officials said, and added that the increase in the number of refugees proved that the fighting on the island’s north had intensified. The refugees said there was no drinking water or milk powder for children and alleged that an NGO that was offering food to the Lankan refugees at the camps here had stopped providing food and they were starving. They urged the State Government to arrange for food and water and monitor the activities of NGOs, which claimed to be providing food to the refugees, but were not. NGO officials, however, said they were doing their best for the refugees. Coast Guard sources said they had intensified patrolling to prevent infiltration of militants from Lanka. C-38, a new ship, had been deployed in the south sea for security. Patrolling had also been intensified to prevent fishermen from crossing the international maritime border. (New Indian Express 16/11/08)

35. UN in talks on Afghan returnees  (13)

The UN refugee agency is to hold talks in Afghanistan aimed at mobilising support for the sustained return and reintegration of Afghan refugees. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) will co-chair a conference with Afghanistan's foreign minister. An estimated five million Afghans have returned home since the fall of the Taleban in 2001, under the UNHCR's biggest repatriation operation. But some three million Afghan refugees still remain in Pakistan and Iran. Since the fall of the Taleban, Afghan refugees have been under increasing pressure from host countries to return home. Five million have done so, swelling their homeland's population by an estimated 20%.   We thought things would be better, there would be medical assistance and things but we have not seen anything like that so far - we are living on the hard ground and we have no food UNHCR chief Antonio Guterres said: "Some of them were not able to go back to their areas of origin due to insecurity. They have to live in areas where there is nothing... They have no jobs. So it's a very challenging situation." Shah Bibi's family returned to Afghanistan five months ago. They are living a hand-to-mouth existence in a tent, with winter coming on. "We thought things would be better, there would be medical assistance and things. But we have not seen anything like that so far. We are living on the hard ground and we have no food," she said. The UNHCR says more than 30,000 recent returnees are living in tents. They are competing for jobs and resources with many internally displaced Afghans - people who have left their homes because of poverty, crop failure, or insecurity. Some internally displaced people live in a camp in the western province of Herat. One man told the BBC: "Poverty has brought us dark times. There was fighting, there was suffering, displacement, the cold. "If you don't have anything, you have to leave. My seven-month-old son died. I myself am still critically ill." Mr Guterres says the challenge is how to create conditions to allow these Afghans to live a normal life in their homeland. If that does not happen, he says, there is a risk of massive migration out of Afghanistan. (bbc 19/11/08)

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36. Orissa High Court dismisses plea for change of judge (19)

BHUBANESWAR: Orissa High Court on Monday rejected a plea by a Christian body for change of the judge heading the judicial commission appointed by  the government to probe communal violence in the state, a lawyer said. The division bench of Orissa High court comprising chief Justice Balbir Singh Chauhan and justice BN Mohapatra dismissed the petition filed by the Utkal Christian Council Nov 7, the council's lawyer Prasanna Kumar Nanda said. Orissa government appointed SC Mohapatra, a retired judge of the Orissa High Court September 2 to the one-man judicial commission that will probe the killing of a Hindu leader Aug 23 and the communal violence that followed. The council, represented through its secretary Jyotsna Rani Patro, filed a writ application in the Orissa High court describing the appointment of Mohapatra as illegal. The council in its petition had said that 'Mohapatra, a former Lok Pal (vigilance body member), cannot be appointed to head the commission because he is not eligible as per law. 'As per section 5 of the Lokpal Act, on ceasing to hold office the Lokpal or Lokayukta shall be ineligible for further employment under the state government,' the council had said. "The court dismissed the plea. The court said that the commission of inquiry is not a government service so as to come within the purview of the word 'employment' and upheld the appointment," Nanda said. Kandhamal district, some 200 km from here, had seen large-scale communal violence, mostly attacks on Christians and their places of worship, after the Aug 23 killing of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Swami Laxmanananda and four of his aides. Though Maoist rebels claimed responsibility for the killings, some Hindus held Christians responsible for the crime, despite repeated denials by Christian organisations. The communal violence that ensued claimed at least 38 lives and thousands of Christians had to flee to the jungles to escape rampaging mobs. While some have returned to their homes, more than 10,000 are still living in government-run relief camps in Kandhamal.  (TOI 17/11/08)

37. SC gives new meaning to right to life (19)

Post-1980, the Supreme Court has virtually been on an overdrive to maintain the sanctity of right to life guaranteed to all — citizens and  foreigners — under Article 21 of the Constitution. If in 1978, in Maneka Gandhi case, it ruled that the expression ‘‘life’’ did not mean mere animal existence but with dignity, it added another legal leaf in 2008 in Deepak Bajaj case, when it said right to life encompassed a person’s reputation as well. The ground reality in India is somewhat worrisome, despite the thunderous applause the apex court received from eminent jurists for breathing new meaning into Article 21, which simply read: ‘‘No person shall be deprived of his life and personal liberty except according to procedure established by law.’’ The situation must have been indeed grave to warrant the Supreme Court, from time to time, to breathe new life into these lifeless words. For, it is the same Supreme Court, which in A K Gopalan case in 1950, had taken a very conservative view to rule that right to life extended to only as much as allowed by Parliament. Confining this archaic interpretation of ‘right to life’ to the judicial museum, the apex court has marched forward infusing hope among victims of excesses to demand a better deal from the government and law enforcing agencies. More than 28 years after the A K Gopalan case, the Supreme Court gave a whole new expansive meaning to ‘right to life’ in the Maneka Gandhi case. It had then said: ‘‘The expression ‘life’ in Article 21 does not connote merely a physical or animal existence. Right to life includes right to life with human dignity.’’ This new meaning of Article 21 helped the court in subsequent years to give relief to prisoners. It asked the government to clean up Ganga and Yamuna as it read right to clean drinking water a part of right to life. It banned child labour, for it found that this stunted right to life. It ordered closure of polluting industries as it saw the noxious fumes stifling citizen’s right to clean air and environment, which again was included within the ambit of right to life. Constitutional expert K K Venugopal aptly summarized this in one of his articles: ‘‘A whole new catena of rights was read into Article 21, which embodies the right to life and liberty. These, in various decisions, have been held to include the right to legal aid, right to go abroad, right to reputation, right to shelter, right to privacy, right against sexual harassment of women, right to education and right to clean and healthy environment.’’ The recent decision by Justices Altamas Kabir and Markandey Katju, in Deepak Bajaj vs State of Maharashtra, saw a reiteration of the earlier ruling of the apex court that reputation of a person was part and parcel of his right to life. This reiteration was necessary in the present scenario where suspicion has become the driving force for the police to pick up and detain individuals in utter violation of their right to life, dignity, and reputation included. Justice Katju, writing the judgment for the bench, aptly quotes celebrated British Judge Lord Denning’s 1970 statement in a famous judgment: ‘‘A man’s liberty is regarded highly by the law of England that it is not to be hindered or prevented except on the surest grounds.’’  The message from the quote — be sure about the involvement of a person in a crime before arresting him — is basically for the police, which is facing a tough time given the spate of bomb blasts coupled with the demand from citizens for instant results in its investigations.  (TOI 17/11/08)

38. Court concerned over spurt in writ petitions filed by panchayat chiefs (19)

MADURAI: The Madras High Court has expressed concern over the increasing number of writ petitions being filed by panchayat presidents seeking its intervention even for solving petty problems faced by them while administering local bodies. Disposing of one such writ petition filed before the Madurai Bench, Justice G. Rajasuria on Monday asked the Government Advocate to convey the court’s anxiety to the Municipal Administration Secretary and the District Collectors concerned. The Judge suggested that the Secretary call for a meeting of panchayat presidents and instruct them to solve local problems with the assistance of officials such as Block Development Officers and Tahsildars before moving the High Court. “The people have to come to panchayat presidents seeking redress of their grievances. In that way, they are a court unto themselves. How can one court move another court, that, too, complaining of very basic problems,” he asked the petitioner’s counsel. Turning to Government Advocate Mr. Justice Rajasuria said: “I am at a loss to understand where we are heading. I have seen at least 10 writ petitions of this nature. See to it that these kinds of cases don’t come to the court.” In the present petition, S. Arivukkodi, president of Peruvalappur panchayat in Lalgudi taluk of Tiruchi district, had alleged that a few villagers had damaged the fence put up by the local body around a government land spread over 0.36 hectare. A criminal complaint was lodged against the perpetrators but the Siruganur police did not initiate any action, she said, seeking a direction to government officials to initiate appropriate action to protect the public property. Taking cognisance of the issue, the Judge directed the Tiruchi Collector to interfere in the matter and resolve the problem by issuing necessary directions to his subordinates. He made it clear (The Hindu 19/11/08)

39. Regressive politics threat to statute: CJI (19)

NEW DELHI: Chief Justice of India K G Balakrishnan on Tuesday said the recent spate of violence caused by caste, religion, gender, class and  regional differences was possibly a strategy to polarise the electorate. Terming this strategy as "regressive brand of political action", the CJI said it threatened the very foundations of the country's constitutional order, that is respect for 'rule of law', 'equal treatment before the law' and 'due process of law'. Speaking at a conference for restoration of national values, Justice Balakrishnan was unusually frank in airing his views on the streak of violence that has crept into society with political patronage. Referring to the violence in several parts of the country in the last few months, the CJI said, "In many instances, such extreme measures are clearly a strategy to polarise the electorate. Agitations are resorted to on the flimsiest of reasons and public order is threatened even in circumstances where an inclusive dialogue is the best solution. Such a regressive brand of political action is threatening to undo the very foundation on which our constitutional order has been built." On corruption, he was of the view that something more was required to be done over and above the statutory provisions under Prevention of Corruption Act. But, he was pained to explain his position at a time when there had been several instances of corruption in the judiciary. "In recent months, there has been considerable anxiety on account of allegations of corruption in the higher judiciary. The judiciary is the watchdog of the rights of citizens and these instances have once again raised the question 'who will watch the watchdogs'," he said.  (Times of India 19/11/08)

40. Money has no meaning in custody battles: SC (19)

NEW DELHI: A husband's riches cannot be cited as logical reason to get custody of a child by contrasting it with the humble economic condition of  the estranged wife, SC said on Wednesday while entrusting a teacher mother the task of bringing up a minor son. The husband — Gaurav Nagpal — allegedly snatched his son almost a decade ago and since then played hide-and-seek with his wife and the courts to deny her custodial rights. This weighed heavily with a Bench comprising Justices Arijit Pasayat and G S Singhvi in asking the husband to restore the child to the wife, Sumedha Nagpal. A husband may be taking best care of the child, but could still end up losing the custody battle once the ‘welfare of the child’ scale judicially tilts towards the mother, the court ruled. "In determining the question as to who should be given custody of a minor child, the paramount consideration is the ‘welfare of the child’ and not rights of the parents under a statute," said Justice Pasayat, writing the judgment for the Bench. "Simply because the father loves his children and is not shown to be otherwise undesirable does not necessarily lead to a conclusion that the welfare of the children would be better promoted by granting their custody to him," the Bench said, adding, "Children are not mere chattels nor are they toys for their parents." The guardian court, in case of a dispute between the mother and father, was expected to strike a just and proper balance between the requirements of welfare of the minor children and the rights of their respective parents over them, it said. Contrasting his financial affluence to the humble conditions of his estranged wife, the husband had pleaded for custody saying that he was spending a good amount of money to provide the child with excellent education. Agreeing with the husband that child's education was of paramount interest, SC said the father would do well to continue providing the educational expenses while the child remained in custody of the mother.  (Times of India 20/11/08)

POVERTY/FOOD SECURITY (Click here for Content page)

41. India-Africa Summit on Food Security on Nov 10 (21)

New Delhi, Nov 6 : The three-day international conference on 'India-Africa Cooperation for Sustainable Food Security' will be held here from November 10 to take forward the declarations adopted on food security at June's Rome and earlier India-Africa April summits in the wake of emerging threats to food sovereignty of nations adding to the number of hungry people world-over. Apart from some heads of states and agrciultural ministers from around 28 African countries, a sizeable number farmers and private sector representatives are likely to take part in the conference, according to former Union Minister and MP Suresh Prabhu. Giving details about the conference here today, Mr Prabhu, who is also Chairman of the Steering Committee for the event, said it would provide a forum for dialogue between Indian and African leaders, development partners, farmers and private sector to prepare an Action Plan and a roadmap for its implementation while addressing food insecurity and poverty reduction issues. It is an endeavour at emphasising agriculture's role for deployment towards attaining enhanced , sustained and inclusive growth and food security, he added. The Conference which follows the earlier such interaction-India-SAARC meet-in last March, is being jointly organised by the Indian government, IFFCO, ICAR and IFFCO Foundation. It will be followed next year by such conference between India and Latin American countries in New Delhi. More than 100 experts on food and agriculture will be participating in the six technical sessions on alleviation of hunger, Inputs Management, R and D, Agrocforestry, genomics for livelihood security and management for natural resources and climate change. Prof R B Singh, member secretary for the Conference' committee the policy makers and ministers attending the meet are likley to identify specific activities for cooperation in the area such as soil testing, soil health, watershed management, water conservation and post-harvest handling. A Mozambique diplomat in India who is agriculrural dean of African countries was also present at the occasion. There are about 950 million hungry people in the world and half of them reside in India and African countries put together. Agriculture employs 50 to 70 per cent of the workforce in Africa and India which houses 2 billion, one-third of the world population. Contribution of agriculrural GDP has dropped to 13 per cent in China, 16 per cent in India and still high, around 30 per cent in Africa. Percentage of hungry people in India is 21 per cent while this figure is higher in African countries. But, the rising food prices, diverting of cultivable land to commercial and biofuel crops have threatened the food security world over pushing poor and vulnerable people towards hunger and malnutrition. (New Kerala 6/11/08)

42. State admits PDS lapses  (21)

Ranchi, Nov. 10: The state government today conceded before Jharkhand High Court that its public distribution system had failed to serve the poor as ration shops ended up benefiting those above the poverty line. In an affidavit filed in the court in connection with a contempt petition relating to a PIL on a hunger death in Hazaribagh, chief secretary A.K. Basu also said that a survey of over 20,000 PDS outlets had been conducted and necessary action taken against those found to be wanting in their operations. He said owners of 3,293 PDS outlets had been showcaused for not supplying foodgrains to the poor. Around 900 licences for PDS shops had been suspended, while FIRs had been registered against 197 shop owners for misappropriation of foodgrains. By reviewing the public distribution system and taking strict action against unscrupulous operators, Basu assured the court the government was geared up to meet its responsibilities to ensure there were no more starvation deaths in the state. He also informed the court about various welfare schemes being run by the government. In 2007-08, about 9,637 tonne of foodgrains had been distributed among 5.15 lakh BPL families. According to the 2001 census, the state has 29.06 lakh BPL families while the relief sanctioned by the Centre was only for 23.95 lakh BPL families, he said. Basu told the court that BPL families had been divided into three categories for relief distribution. The Antyoday Anna scheme launched in September 2007 provided 35 kg cereal to the poor. While wheat was available at Rs 4.62, rice was pegged at Rs 6.15 under the scheme. In another category, wheat and rice were made available at Rs 2 and Rs 3 respectively. All senior citizens above 65 years were also provided 10 kg of foodgrains at subsidised rates. The bench was hearing a contempt application filed by Arun Kumar in 2007 citing the starvation death of Antu Munda in Hazaribagh to highlight the plight of the people. And the government’s apathy towards the poor who couldn’t afford a single square meal a day. The high court had expressed its anguish on the working of the state government and the failure of the public distribution system. It had directed the chief secretary to take prompt action and inform the court about the measures taken to prevent future starvation deaths. (Telegraph 11/11/08)

43. 50% US children went hungry in 2007 (21)

WASHINGTON: Some 691,000 children went hungry in the US sometime in 2007, while close to one in eight Americans struggled to feed themselves adequately even before this year's sharp economic downturn, the Agriculture Department reported on Monday. The department's annual report on food security showed that during 2007 the number of children who suffered a substantial disruption in the amount of food they typically eat was more than 50% above the 430,000 in 2006 and the largest figure since 716,000 in 1998. Overall, the 36.2m adults and children who struggled with hunger during the year was up slightly from 35.5m in 2006. That was 12.2% of Americans who did not have the money or assistance to get enough food to maintain active, healthy lives. Almost a third of those, 11.9m adults and children, went hungry at some point. That figure has grown by more than 40% since 2000. The government says these people suffered a substantial disruption in their food supply at some point and classifies them as having "very low food security." Until the government rewrote its definitions two years ago, this group was described as having "food insecurity with hunger." The findings should increase pressure to meet President-elect Barack Obama's campaign pledge to expand food aid and end childhood hunger by 2015, said James Weill, president of the Food Research and Action Center, an anti-hunger group. He predicted the 2008 numbers will show even more hunger because of the sharp economic downturn this year. "There's every reason to think the increases in the number of hungry people will be very, very large based on the increased demand we're seeing this year at food stamp agencies, emergency kitchens, Women, Infants and Children clinics, really across the entire social service support structure," said James Weill, president of the Food Research and Action Center, an anti-hunger group. Weill said the figures show that economic growth during the first seven years of the Bush administration didn't reach the poorest and hungriest people. "The people in the deepest poverty are suffering the most," Weill said. The number of adults and children with "low food security," those who avoided substantial food disruptions but still struggled to eat, fell slightly since 2000, from 24.7m to 24.3m. The government said these people have several ways of coping, eating less varied diets, obtaining food from emergency kitchens or community food charities, or participating in federal aid programs like food stamps, the school lunch program or the Women, Infants and Children program.  (Times of India 18/11/08)