Monday, April 29, 2013

India: Attempted killing of human rights defender Dr Lenin Raghuvanshi


Dr Lenin RaghuvanshiDr Lenin Raghuvanshi
On 24 April 2013, at approximately 8pm, three unidentified assailants made an attempt on the life of human rights defender Dr Lenin Raghuvanshi. The attack took place at the human rights defender's home in the city of Varanasi of the Uttar Pradesh province in northern India.
Dr Lenin Raghuvanshi is a founding member of the People's Vigilance Committee on Human Rights (PVCHR), which works for marginalised sections of the Indian population. An Ayurvedic physician by profession, he has been working for the rights of bonded and child labourers and other marginalised people in Varanasi and the eastern part of Uttar Pradesh. He was the recipient of theGwangju Human Rights Award in 2007, the Association for Communal Harmony in Asia (ACHA) Star Peace Award in 2008, and the 2010 International Human Rights Prize of the city of Weimar.
The human rights defender was at home on the evening of 24 April 2013 when three unknown assailants knocked on his door and called him outside. When he came out, he was fired upon with a pistol. The bullet missed, but as it did, another of the assailants produced a knife and attacked him. All three assailants then fled down the lane outside Lenin Raghuvanshi's home. The human rights defender tried to chase them on his scooter, but there was a JCB construction machine blocking his way at the end of the lane. The driver of the JCB also tried to attack the human rights defender before fleeing himself.
The human rights defender called the police and they arrived within ten minutes from the Paharia police outpost. However, no First Information Report was filed, and no steps were taken to increase Lenin Raghuvanshi's personal security. This is despite the fact that the human rights defender has been the victim of death threats before, and there is a persistent threat to his life as a result of his peaceful and legitimate work in defence of human rights. Front Line Defenders has previously issued an urgent appeal on his behalf on 2 December 2011.

Sunday, April 28, 2013

Role of police in Varanasi of India for securing women rights: two faces



Yesterday (27 April, 2013), around 12 mid night Shruti Nagvanshi, managing trustee of PVCHR along with our activist Mr. Shiv Pratap Chaubey went to Sarnath police station regarding the abduction of 14 years old girl of Sarai Mohana under jurisdiction of Sarnath in Varanasi of India. Near the Sarnath crossing Shruti Nagvanashi received threat from Station House office, Sarnath.   He said that it is his area and he will see her.  Being as women, he also demoralized her by asking silly questions.

As on 15 April, 2013 14 years old Meena (name changed) she was abducted through marriage by Vikas with the support of Sheela (a neighbour of Meena). On 18 April, 2013 Meena family informed to the Sarnath police but no FIR was lodged. After getting no help the family moved and submitted application to Senior Superintendent of Police and inspector General of Police and on their direction FIR was lodged on 23 April, 2013. But S.O did not arrest the perpetrator or any action.



On 25 April, 2013 the hundred of people protested outside Sarai Mohana police out post under Sarnath police station. On the protest of local people police arrested Sheela on same day and yesterday night the girl was rescued and released from Bihar and the perpetrator Vikas in the custody of Sarnath police, but no statement before magistrate and medico-legal report.   

S.O Sarnath not only misbehaved with Shruti but also give threat Shiv Pratap Chaubey on his mobile on 27 April, 2013 at morning.

This is not only case of trafficking in Saraimohana but 5 years before Saraimohana was centre for the chat pat marriage but after PVCHR intervention it finished. Now again it started around 15 girls got chat pat marriage and they never come back to see their family again.

From Desk of Executive Director of Peoples’ Vigilance Committee on Human Rights (PVCHR)

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: PVCHR ED
Date: Sun, Apr 28, 2013 at 1:58 AM
Subject: re: threat to woman Human Rights defender Shruti Nagvanshi
To: "A.K. Parashar" , US-C

To,
Chairperson,
NHRC.

Sir,
Shruti and Shiv Pratap Pandey are fighting a case of a 14 years girl of Saraimohana village of Sarnath police station of Varanasi. Girl recovered from Bihar. After that In charge of police station-Sarnath openly threaten to Shruti in midnight of nearly on 12 at Sarnath crossing.

With regards,
Lenin

Saturday, April 27, 2013

The viscous cycle of exploitation and injustice with women



  Increasingly, states are seen as responsible for protecting the rights of women even in connection with offenses committed within homes. The challenge is to end impunity for the perpetrators as one means of preventing future abuse.
We are living in such a society today in India where women are not in a position to oppose any act of violence, and misbehaviour with her. She might be educated or may be living in a village the situation is the same. India’s traditional patriarchal system puts women at the lowest ebb of the community, whatever be the society but the dalit, minority and poor women are further pushed to the wall under the caste system and poverty.

Dalit, minority and poor women are subjected to discrepancies on the basis of the religion, caste, poverty by the patriarchal and caste based society. Women being subjected to violence, rape and inhuman behaviour are a matter of shame for any society however progressive the society might be. But in India such attitude towards the dalit, minority and poor women is not only common and is at extreme.

Even today the age old myth of a women becoming Dyan (witch) is followed and women are killed under this belief. The law is unable to act in such cases and, even does not lodge reports, forget action. If women raise a voice against such practice not only the women but her entire family and her advocates have to bear the brunt and is ostracized by the entire society/village.

Atrocity upon women and children continues without even thinking what circumstances they face and what mental torture they have to bear or what kind of security they need. The society instead of helping the victim of such violence keeps mum and thereby extends a quiet support to the offenders. Similarly the ones who work for victim women, the human rights defenders are also attacked so that they may retract their support. By all means the women are forced to step back if she is resisting the violence and torture.

Women who manage to reach police station to lodge complaint and not behaved with properly and they are made to sit for hours together with the family before anyone listens to them. And later on the women is pressurized to take back her complaint. There have been many cases of custodial rape with women and girls child who went to lodge report and for protection with police. Women are blamed for any act of violence with them. The worst is those women victims are made to sit with her offender inside police station, which is another way of psychological torturing her. Presence of the offender beside gives shocks to mind and thoughts of that act often give pain to the victim, which is difficult to even understand.

The women and her family are made to feel down but the offender is not even once made to realize what offence he has done. Investigation in cases are started late hence the criminals get enough time to remove evidences and thereby the case becomes weak. Even the women officers are no less than their male counterparts and behave the same way with women victims as the male officers do. The support to women victim depends upon how much she can pay as bribe to the investigating officer.

Usually justice comes delayed as ‘justice delay is justice denied’ under the present judicial system. The judiciary itself has less number of women judges. But the court’s utmost delayed process in cases of atrocity with women is point to be noted. When justice is delayed often women victim are forced to make out of the court settlement on the conditions proposed by the offender itself. Delay in judgement given the entire benefit to the criminals. In many cases it has been seen that the lawyer appointed to fight the case for victim join hands with offender and delays the perusal of the case.

In the courtrooms the attitude of the lawyers towards cases of women rights is traditional based on patriarchy and they are themselves unaware about the rules that protect a woman from violence and make the case complicated.

Not even the national and state women commissions are taking steps that can help women positively. Women commission itself is governed with patriarchal mind set. The selection of women commission office bearers is totally political and only those women who are close to the ruling party are appointed here, which in unscientific and irrational. These appointed members lack even the basic of women rights which is reflected in the decisions they take. Of the cases brought before the women commission very less are taken up by the commission.

As far as social security and development is concerned dalit, tribal and minority women have little access and are subjected to dual atrocity thereby. Those bodies that are responsible for women’s’ health services are engaged in money making from these women only and ignore their needs. At times women have lost their lives due to such an attitude.

So, in India, an ideal woman is supposed to be silent that nourishes the system of patriarchy; men in the society take decisions and women silently follow them. Society asks its women to be silent and obedient, following all its norms and keeping up the same values as before.[i]

The global development projects initially made women invisible; being heavily male biased, women’s productive role, often not directly linked to the market or the formal economy, was ignored. Instead, their role as reproductive individuals was made ultra-visible. Programmes to control population growth, seen as a primary cause of poverty, began to spring up, with women as targets. The socio-economic status of women declined following their exclusion from agricultural development schemes. Development not only ignored women but also had extremely detrimental effects on women’s economic position. Women’s productivity began to exist only in relation to its market value and how it could better be exploited.

Indian women have been endowed with several responsibilities concerned with the household and family circle. Nonetheless, now with the drift in development and political policies, the onus of decision-making is also laid on women. To provide enhanced representation to rural women in a political world, specific provisions were incorporated in the Constitution of India through the 73rd Amendment Act in 1992. A significant provision of this Act is the reservation of one-third seats for women in all positions in the local self-governance. The 73rd amendment[ii] was a landmark for women’s empowerment.

Through this amendment, participation of women from all caste was encouraged at the village level. Education is an imperative factor for the empowerment of human beings. But education is given little or no importance in rural villages. The situation of women is even worse as least interest is shown towards their education. After all, education develops insight and helps the representative carry out the day to-day activities and making political decisions. Lack of or low literacy level hinders women’s active participation in panchayat (Local self-governance) activities.

It also makes women more dependent on men for paper work. In fact, most women sarpanchs (village heads) are not allowed to work freely. They are either forced to sign on papers prepared by influential lobbies or become part of their husbands’ politics.

They are victims of politics by influential persons or the ploys of panchayat secretaries, corrupt administration system and the tactics of powerful locals in the villages. They are removed from office through forced no-confidence motions. They have been threatened and humiliated. At the village level, officials, whether junior or senior, are often found to be anti-women even though it has been proven that these women sarpanchs can make a difference if they are allowed to perform.

Lack of preparation on the part of rural women for political affairs is also a factor for their low enthusiasm. The rural population, especially women, is less equipped with the information on the rural governance system. Lack of awareness about the systems and procedures regarding functioning of governance are main cause for subdued leadership in panchayats. Information helps elected representatives understand their roles and responsibilities with regard to Panchayati Raj (local self-governance). Women elected representatives who are more active and aware perform brilliantly in their political offices whereas women who are less aware do not perform that well and end up becoming dummy elected candidates.

Increasingly, however, states are seen as responsible for protecting the rights of women even in connection with offences committed within home. The challenge is to end impunity for the perpetrators as one means of preventing future abuse.

(Material for this article was taken from my book 'Justice Liberty and Equality: Dalits in Independent India' and an article in Competition Master)

Monday, April 22, 2013

Submission To The UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women by PVCHR


Violation against women is a serious problem in India and it is putting a huge strain on a nation’s social and legal services and leads to heavy loss of productivity. It is an epidemic that losing self-confidence be afraid/angry, and blame/feel guilty. 

Thanks and best wishes to Shruti Nagvanshi and Shirin Shabana Khan from PVCHR

Friday, April 19, 2013

Long Live four freedom struggle

Long live the struggle for four freedom struggle by all people in world by the means of non-violence.President Franklin Delano Roosevelt gave his speech to the US Congress on 6 January 1941 stated that if democracy is to survive and flourish, people everywhere in the world are entitled to four human rights: freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear.

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Caste,Rape and patriarchy: Analysis by Lenin Raghuvanshi

Monday, April 15, 2013

Please engage yourself to be critical and responsible to bring peoples uprising in Asia.


I felt insulated and feeling attack on my dignity.Elites and power game players want to control the world by hook and crook.Are Indian media free? There is no support of Sapana and other cases of woman atrocity,marital rape,rape and forced marriage after all our cry,but in few cases 24 hours media campaign.

Another fact that there is cold war between China and USA. We need independent force of peoples power based on non violence,pluralism,democracy and justice for human dignity to save the world. 
Please engage yourself to be critical and responsible to bring peoples uprising in Asia.

Saturday, April 13, 2013

Tribute to Baba Saheb DrBhim Rao Ambedkar


India is open book.But, It is important to read carefully and understand more objectively. I support more strong collaboration between India and Germany for establishment of pluralistic democracy against patriarchy, caste system and fascism,which is only foundation of prosperous India and Germany.We need more people to people contact.It is a great tribute to Baba Saheb DrBhim Rao Ambedkar on his birthday.

Friday, April 12, 2013

Identify real enemies inside our own group


Conspiracy and cheating are basic character of "mind of caste"to maintain profit making on the basic of birth and caste,not by hard work. Now undemocratic and unaccountable profit making forces of world are playing hidden game plan with forces of Mind in Caste in India to sustain the unholy business of profit making game for few. It is my scientific knowledge in two years of my work and international lobbying.We need to find out a way to fight back for establishment of Human Dignity.Most important learning to identify real enemies inside our own group. Please undertstand Neo Dalit movement:

Sunday, April 7, 2013

collective interest for common good

Our feudal attitude of libertarian value is biggest problem for team spirit. In place of 'collective decision based on pluralistic democracy and individual accountability',mostly people are using selfishness based on by hook and crook. Please respect the human dignity of individual and learn the making collectivism of common from all individual interest as collective interest for common goods.