Interface and Meeting with Parliamentarians & Deferent Political Parties on Issues of Muslim Minority in Uttar Pradesh
The trend of rising torture
based on religion, caste and gender trigger a sense of alarm on the
“International Human Rights defenders’ Day” and eve of “World Human Rights Day”
People’s Vigilance Committee on Human Rights (PVCHR), Varanasi and Human Rights
Law Network (HRLN), New Delhi with the support from European Union and Dignity
Danish Institute Against Torture organized “Interface meeting with the
Parliamentarian, policy makers and political parties on the issue of Muslim
minority in Uttar Pradesh” on 9th December, 2013 in Speaker Hall, Constitution
Club, New Delhi.
The program started with the welcome and
key note Address “In ancient republics, torture was tied to citizenship.
Torture was inflicted exclusively on non- citizens like slaves, barbarians and
foreigners. As an instrument of demarcation, torture delineates the boundary
between slaves and free, between the touchable bodies of free citizens and
untouchable bodies of the slaves. It is unimaginable that modern democracies
like India are as weak as Athenian democracy and the prevalence of practice of
torture resemble the Athenian model. Today torture victim include not only
terrorists and criminals but street children, migrants, socially marginalized
groups and religiously discriminated communities. All of them now fall into the
class of quasi citizens. It is time to break conspiracy of silence.
The trend of rising torture based on
religion, caste and gender trigger a sense of alarm in the minds of all
civilized people of this country. The fight against impunity should be made the
cornerstone of a serious approach to the eradication of torture. In addition to
the criminalization of torture, it is therefore essential that India develops
mechanisms to guarantee the fairness and effectiveness of inquiries.
In the south Asia region, spate of
organised violence, police torture, discrimination, physical and psychological
attacks on religious minorities have emerged as a real threat for the pluralist
and secular democracies. Attacks on Hindu and Christian communities in Pakistan
and Bangladesh and targeting of Muslim and Christian communities in India are being
increasingly used as a political weapon by the communal and fascist forces Said
Lenin Raghuvanshi, General Secretary, PVCHR.
The documentary prepared on the basis of
interactions for almost three months at the grass root level with the members
of Muslim community in various Muslim dominated districts of Uttar Pradesh.
Documentary sparked the debate in interface.
Mr. Vijay Vineet, Deputy News Editor,
Jan Sandesh Times, Varanasi honoured with Jan Mitra Award for their
uncompromising commitment for the rights of minority in particular & human
rights violation in general in Uttar Pradesh.
The book “Repression, Despair and Hope”
Mapping of Police torture in four districts of Uttar Pradesh and Strengthening
Human Rights Institutions on 1500 cases of human rights violations after
comprehensive fact finding exercises in the last 3 years. These cases relate to
police torture and communal violence which have affected the minority Muslim
community most in Uttar Pradesh. These organisations have legally intervened in
these cases and have prepared an analytical report based on the facts and
ground experiences during the course of action. Respect Survivors & Abolish
Torture was also inaugurated without Anti – torture law and police reform no
real democratic & pluralistic democracy. PVCHR had heightened its advocacy
and had utilized the voices of the people in the pursuit of policy changes at
varying levels http://www.pvchr.net/2010/07/prevention-of-torture-bill-2010.html.
Such visibility of the organization had provided the leverage for its
positioning and proactive role in relation to the Torture Prevention of Bill
http://www.prsindia.org/uploads/media/Torture/prevention%20of%20torture%20bill%202010.pdf.
It is significant to note that dignity provided substantial inputs to the draft
bill that PVCHR had utilized in its policy and advocacy interventions.
Mechanisms should include in particular an effective witness and victim
protection system, an independent investigative body, a separate mechanism to
register the complaints of torture and mandatory sanctions of public officers
found of having obstructed the victim's access to justice. Acting decisively to
eradicate torture and bring the policing system under the effective framework
of the rule of law will be a test for the resilience of democracy of India. It
is by its ability to develop law as a shield against abuses of power that the
citizens of this country will judge the capacity of their state to respond to
their aspirations.
In the panel Mr. Subhedu Bhattacharya, General Manager, Child Right and You (CRY) talked about “Child Rights issue of Muslim minority children in India,” and Advocate Colin Gonsalves talked on the strengthening the functioning of human rights institutions in India.
The Guest of the presidium Dr. Syeda S. Hameed (Member of Planning Commission and Chancellor, Maulana Azad National Urdu University, Hyderabad)
The Guest of the presidium Mr. Bahadur Singh Yadav, Samajwadi Party
The Guest of the presidium Mr. Rashid Alvi, Indian National Congress Party
The Guest of the presidium Mr. Rashid Alvi, Indian National Congress Party
The Guest of the presidium Mr. Ali Anwar, Janata Dal (United)
The Guest of the presidium Mr. Mohammed Adeeb, Independent M.P
The Guest of the presidium Kamal Farooqui, Independent M.P
The Guest of the presidium Mr. Daddu Prasad, Bahujan Samaj Party
The Guest of the presidium Swami Agniwesh, Social Activist
The Guest of the presidium Mr. Shafiqur Rahman Barq, Bahujan Samaj Party
The Guest of the presidium Mr. Atul Anjan (CPI) addressed Human Rights defenders and survivors of Muslim community from various parts of Uttar Pradesh.
The Guest of the presidium Mr. Deepak Mishra, President (Chintan Sabha)
The program was moderated
by Mr. Utkarsh Sinha
The vote of Thanks giving by Dr. Mahendra Pratap Singh, Professor, Uday Pratap Collage
The program was attended by eminent personalities Pandit Vikash Maharaj (Sarod Mastro) and
Dr. Mahendra Pratap (Historian) Mr. Tathgat Sattpati Editor Dhatri daily newspaper etc.
Shri A.K Singh, prominent political activist and writer highlighted follows points:
- The Government of India must complete all the legislative procedure to implement the Prevention of Torture Act. It must in its definition consider addition of psychological aspect of torture.
- Protection of Minority Rights in India is important for India’s advocate for protection of rights of Hindus in other countries in South Asia
- Efforts must be made to educate bystanders about their duties and responsibilities to help the survivors while torture takes place.
- The follows resolution taken in interface:
- The role of judiciary in condoning police atrocities and in not allowing the state to withdraw false cases lodged by police against persons declared innocent by a judicial commission (Justice Nimesh Commission).
- Ratification of UNCAT and enactment of Prevention of Torture Bill
- Enactment of Communal Violence Bill immediately.
- Immediate established of rule of law and appropriate pro-survivors rehabilitation and relief to survivors of survivors pf communal riots in Muzzafarnagar, U.P
The best wishes received from President
of India, Vice President of India, General Secretary Council of Europe and
President of Federation of Islamic Organization in Europe.
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