Global Warmiming and Endangered Human Rights
Palash Biswas
Contact: Palash C Biswas, C/O Mrs Arati Roy, Gosto Kanan, Sodepur, Kolkata- 700110, India. Phone: 91-033-25659551
Email: alashbiswaskl@gmail.com">palashbiswaskl@gmail.com
Water levels in Indian Kashmir's rivers and streams have decreased by two-thirds as a result of global warming which is melting most of the Himalayan region's glaciers, a voluntary group said on Monday.
According to an ActionAid report on the impact climate change is having in Kashmir, many small glaciers in the disputed state have completely disappeared over the last four decades.
"The study shows that the water level in almost all the streams and rivers in Kashmir has decreased by approximately two-thirds during the last 40 years," said the report titled "On the Brink?"
The report said the average temperature in the mountainous parts of the restive state had increased by 1.45 degrees Celsius (2.6 Fahrenheit) over the last two decades, while in the southern plains the temperature rise was 2.32 degrees Celsius (4.2 Fahrenheit).
Scientists warn that receding Himalayan glaciers could jeopardize water supplies for hundreds of millions of people and rising sea levels threaten Indian cities like Mumbai and Kolkata.
Floods and droughts could become more common, diseases more rampant and crop yields lower as temperatures rise, they add.
Kashmir is in the grip of a nearly 18-year-old insurgency that has killed 42,000 people. Human rights groups put the toll at about 60,000.
Bowing to public outcry, West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya Monday ordered a Criminal Investigation Department (CID) probe into last week's mysterious death of Muslim youth Rizwanur Rehman, whose life was thrown into turmoil after he married the daughter of a rich businessman. Main opposition Trinamool Congress hit the streets Monday demanding a federal probe into the episode while human rights organisations and Rehman's family, office colleagues and students clamoured for justice and punishment to some police officials, who allegedly intimidated Rehman to get out of his marriage to Priyanka Todi. The police, it was alleged, were exerting pressure on Rehman under the influence of the girl's powerful family. The chief minister made the announcement after his meeting with Kolkata Police Commissioner Prasun Mukherjee, who a day earlier called a press conference but walked out of it in a huff without answering queries on the 'evidence' of some top police officials' role in harassing Rehman and forcing Priyanka Todi to go back to her parents.
The CPI-M state secretary, Mr Biman Bose, today said police and their family members had no information whether Rizwan and Priyanka had got married legally under Special Marriage Act and in that case: “I can't say that police have intervened into their married life.''
However, the state secretary also said police and administration should investigate the real cause of Rizwan's death.
Commissioner of city police, Mr Prasun Mukherjee failed to justify the actions of two senior IPS officers who had allegedly harassed the couple, Rizwan Rehman and Priyanka Todi, and tried to separate them on the instructions of the bride's father, a city-based industrialist. Mr Mukherjee instead walked out of the press conference leaving behind some unanswered questions, increasing doubts against the police.
“The victim had apparently committed suicide,” he insisted.
The statesman reports:
`Rizwan Rehman and Priyanka Todi got married according to the Special Marriage Act on 18 August. On 31 August, Priyanka left her home to reside at her in-laws house with Rizwan. The same night she called up her father Mr Ashok Todi and informed him about the marriage.
Mr Todi went to meet his daughter and tried to persuade her to return home. Priyanka remained adamant. The next day Mr Todi lodged a complaint with the police that Priyanka was missing. The couple was brought to Lalbazar where IPS officers tried to persuade them to get separated. Thereafter, the couple was called up twice at Lalbazar where the officers tried to separate them.
Rizwan and Priyanka showed their marriage certificate to the officers with proof that they were adults. Despite all this Mr Todi lodged a complaint that his daughter had been abducted.
When asked why police entertained a false complaint of abduction and intervened into the relationship of a married couple, Mr Mukherjee asked: “Who else would do this? The PWD? We have acted professionally.” He also said that on 8 August, Priyanka's uncle signed a bond in front of the DC-DD, Mr Ajoy Kumar, declaring he is taking Priyanka home and will send her back to her in-laws' house in seven days. The bond was also signed by Rizwan and Priyanka as it mentioned the couple would be allowed to speak to each other whenever they wanted and Priyanka would be allowed to return whenever she wants.
When asked if the police was doing anything to bring back Priyanka from her parents' house since the seven day period has lapsed, Mr Mukherjee changed his version of the bond and said “It was just an understanding between the two families.” The couple had also written to the DC-DD and the local police station saying they were being threatened by the officers and some other people for getting married.’
Rehman, a 30-year-old graphics designer, was found dead with head injury beside a railway track Friday. His family members and neighbours alleged that he started getting threat calls from some police officers after he tied the knot with Priyanka of Salt Lake in northeastern Kolkata. He also received summons from IPS officers of the Kolkata police who wanted him to send his wife back to her parents.
Rehman married the 26-year-old daughter of influential industrialist Ashok Todi, under the Special Marriage Act in August 2007.
Rehman's brother Rukbanur Monday met Left Front chairman Biman Bose at the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) state headquarters on Alimuddin Street, demanding a neutral judicial probe into his younger brother's death.
Forty-eight hours after Rizwanur Rehman's mutilated body was found near a railway track in Kolkata, there are more questions than answers. First the circumstances that led to the death were suspect and now the role of the police is raising eyebrows.
Last month, Rehman had married 23-year-old Priyanka, the daughter of Ashok Todi, a prominent businessman. Todi, who was opposed to the match is believed to be close to the ruling party.
So does that explain why the police called a press conference on Sunday to say that Rehman committed suicide, even though the post-mortem report is still awaited?
''One thing we had told the family that even though the girl is going you should not stop channels of communication. I had reasons to believe they had telephonic communications more than once so the girl was not out of her reach. Unfortunately the boy has committed suicide,'' said Prasun Mukherjee, Police Commissioner, Kolkata.
Soon after the wedding Todi lodged a missing person's complaint with the police. A week later a formal kidnapping case was registered.
Rehman's friends allege that the police began harassing the couple after they got wind of Priyanka's family background. She was even baited emotionally with the news of her father suffering a heart attack. She went to visit him but never returned.
Human rights violations at ITT Kanpur: 3 deaths in July, August
Kanpur: Prestigious institute of technical education, ITT Kanpur have denied medical care and failed to provide proper safety equipment to daily wage labourers working on campus.
Magsaysay award-winner Sandeep Pandey listed three deaths in July and August of this year. Mohammad Rustam, of Malda, West Bengal died on 26th July by poisoning after a snake or scorpion bite. On 26th of August, Udayvir Yadav died after being electrocuted by his welding machine. On 30th August 12 year old Rohit also died by snake bit poisoning.
Rohit was denied medical care by IIT Health Centre resulting in his death. Centre refused treatment because his is not an employee’s son.
Mohammad Rustam who died in July was shipped out of campus and buried in a graveyward near a masjid in Naramau. Mohammad Rustam who is survived by 3 sons and 3 daughters was working to construct Core Lab near Wind Tunnel.
Sandeep Pandey, who is the convenor, National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM) alleged that IIT administration and contractors employing these labourers are trying their best to suppress the news. In a statement released to the press Mr. Pandey revealed that “Some IIT professors also feel indignant that the stories of deaths have been revealed to the outside world. They are not so much concerned about the families of the dead or the poor working conditions of the workers who have made it possible for them to enjoy world class material facilities on the campus.”
Mr. Pandey strongly condemned “the insensitive and cold attitude of IIT community to the deaths of daily wage workers and shoddy manner in which they are dealt.” Demanding guilty at the Health Centre who are responsible for denying medical treatment to Rohit should be punished, Mr. Pandey also wanted dependent of deceased to be compensated immediately.
The NAPM demanded that “the IIT administration must put in place a transparent and verifiable system for ensuring due rights of the daily wage workers under the law of the land. Health care for families of workers, education for their children and good quality housing (to prevent incidents like snake/scorpion bites) is the minimum basic responsibility of IIT if it is to live up to its reputation of a world class institution.”
Britain, India and Algeria will be among the first countries to face scrutiny by the U.N. Human Rights Council under new rules agreed Friday.The council, which was created more than a year ago to act as a global human rights watchdog, will examine the records of 16 countries at its first meeting in 2008.
The other countries to be reviewed at the spring session are Brazil, Morocco, South Africa, Tunisia, Bahrain, Indonesia, Philippines, Argentina, Ecuador, Netherlands, Finland, Poland and Czech Republic.Japan, Pakistan and Israel will be scrutinized late in the year, while Myanmar, Sudan and Zimbabwe have until 2011 before they face a review.Each year 48 countries will be subjected to the procedure, which requires governments to deliver a self-assessment of the human rights situation in their own country but also takes into account the views of independent experts and non-governmental groups.
If advertisers could have jumped into the ‘Bull Ring’ and joined in the celebrations following the nail-biting India win of the ICC World Twenty20, they would have cheered the loudest. Meanwhile,new milestones for benchmark stock indices are in sight after domestic stocks soared for the fifth straight session today on strong inflows by foreign investments. Expectations of a lower interest rate regime after HDFC and ICICI Bank cut interest rates on fresh loans propelled interest rate sensitive sectors such as banking and auto stocks.The Sensex touched 16,845.83 — just 154.17 points away from the 17,000-mark. The broader index Nifty advanced 94.65 points, or 1.96 per cent, to close at 4,932.20 — mere 67.8 points away from the 5,000-mark milestone.A day after the DMK protests took a dangerous violent turn; Tamil Nadu CM Karunanidhi seems to have called a truce with the BJP instructing his party men not to indulge in violence or hold any demonstration against the BJP.The broadcaster ESPN, which is currently surfing on a tide of high viewership, might not immediately reap the benefits. But others like Nimbus Communications, which owns the rights to cricket played in the country and will be telecasting the next home series, where India meets Pakistan and Australia, is upbeat. The Indian cricket team is set to pocket more than $490,000 as the winner’s cheque, plus a $2 million from BCCI (Rs 1 crore for Yuvraj) and can look forward to new endorsement contract. “As an Indian and as sponsor we are delighted with the response to Twenty20 and Indian victory is the icing on the cake. We feel proud and think that Twenty20 is here to stay,” said Mr Devinder Kishore, Director Marketing, Nokia India.Another advertiser and the official global partner of the tournament, who has got his money’s worth, Reliance Communications said, “We are delighted with India’s performance during Twenty20 World Cup 2007. We wish the Indian Team success for the forthcoming series against Australia and Pakistan.” UBS Global Real Estate, the real estate arm of global financial services powerhouse UBS Global Asset Management, plans to launch a $1-billion India specific real estate fund by the end of this year. The company has ...
Giving college students of the Capital a lesson or two about human rights, Amnesty International, India, has as a prelude to mark the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights next year started a unique campaign in the city called the “Kabuliwallah Express”.
“A celebration of this kind has been organised for the first time in the Capital where we are reaching out to the youth to tell them about human rights. It is in prelude to the International Week of Justice Festival being organised in January 2008 to mark the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The festival has as its main theme ‘voices of dignity’. The caravan activities are a curtain raiser to the festival. Through art, education and entertainment, the caravan and festival will take up issues of right to life with dignity,” said Sana Das of Amnesty International, India.
From September to December, the International Week of Justice Caravan will visit campuses and key public sites in Delhi carrying ‘Kahani Kabuliwalleh Ki’, that comprises theatre, exhibition, films, talks, signature campaigns, competitions on music, theatre, screenwriting, short film, photography, painting, posters and caricatures and an educational module on media and justice.
The Supreme Court has said the shocking act of villagers lynching suspected thieves in Bihar's Vaishali district was the result of the erosion of their faith in courts' capability to render speedy justice.Deciding a civil dispute that was first filed in 1947 — the year India got independence — a Bench comprising Justices A K Mathur and Markandey Katju observed that the massive delay in disposal of cases was fast eroding public faith in the courts and warned that unless the situation was addressed on a war footing, it would soon go totally out of control.
"We saw in the media news of lynching of suspected thieves in Bihar's Vaishali district, the gunning down of an undertrial prisoner outside Patna civil court and other incidents where people have taken the law into their own hands," the Bench said.
"This is obviously because many people have started thinking that justice will not be done in the courts due to delays in court proceedings. This is indeed an alarming state of affairs and we once again request the authorities concerned to do the needful in the matter urgently before the situation goes out of control," the Bench said.
The judges said this was not the first time they were coming across a case pending in courts for years, frustrating the litigants and causing them anguish.
"Recently, in a case decided on August 23, 2007 — Rajinder Singh (dead) through legal heirs vs Prem Mai and others — we had expressed our deep anguish about this situation and had observed that because of delay in disposal of cases, people in this country are fast losing their faith in the judiciary," it said.
In the facts of the case, a suit was filed in 1947 for a sum of Rs 7,000 and the trial court at Kanyakumari had passed an order for attachment of property of the defendant. Taking into account the long passage of time, the court with the consent of the litigating parties ordered that the attached property be equally divided between the contesting parties.
However, to decide which of the equal parts of the property would go to petitioner and the respondent, the apex court asked the district judge of Kanyakumari at Nagercoil to take up this exercise either upon himself or ask an additional district judge to perform the same. If any person had any grievance against the order passed by the district judge or the additional district judge, it would be open to him to approach the apex court, the Bench said.
Though the court decided a 60-year-old dispute with the consent of the parties, it still left a small door open for further litigation.
Internationl Convention on Kashmir has begun today at Geneva in which delegates from many parts of the world are partcipating.
The two-day International Kashmir Conference aims to find out ways and means to resolve the issue of Kashmir in the context of the ongoing peace process between India and Pakistan.
Being held under the aegis of International Human Rights Association of American Minorities (IHRAAM) and International Council for Human Rights (ICHR), the conference attended by representatives of many international NGOs, peace activists, scholars, writers, and the representatives of civil society across the world.
Many leaders hailing from the divided state of Jammu and Kashmir have also got invitations for the seminar that include Bilal Ahmed Lone, Nazir Ahmed Ronga, Bashir Sidduque, Prof Noor Mohammad Baba, Masroor Abbas Ansari, Dr ZU Khan , Prof Nazir Shawl, Sheikh Tajamul Islam, Tahir Masood, Yousuf Nasim, Ali Raza Syed, Farooq Siddiqui, Mumtaz Rathore and Salim Wani.
The convention was today inaugurated by Barrister Majid Tramboo at PALAIS DES NATIONS who welcomed the participants and urged that the Kashmir issue can be resolved through the peaceful means if India and Pakistan address the core issue in right direction. He said the huge military presence of Indian Army in Kashmir has made a common Kashmiri skeptical.
He said that dialogue and the relations between India and Pakistan is appreciable but this peace and harmony should show some impact on the situation of Kashmir by initiating some practical steps.
Ambassador Masood Khan Permanent Representative, Permanent Mission of Pakistan to the United Nations in his inaugural speech said that Human Rights issue is one of the core problems currently faced by Kashmiris.
Must be based on right of self determination and participation of Kashmiri leaders in the dialogue.
He said that right of self-determination is the key stone to solve this issue. He made it clear that right does not lapse if it doest not exercise.
Bilal Ahmed Lone Chairman of Jammu and Kashmir People’s Conference and a Leader of All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC-M) said the Kashmir and Kashmiris should be considered as the main party to the dispute.
Hon'ble Chairman
I want your urgent intervention into the matter (attached).
Hope you will do something so taht the life and liberty of one hapless boy (ragpicker & Scheduled Caste) is preserved. If the boy is an accused in any criminal offence that also to be look into but according to law.
We also urge you to take necessary steps against erring police officials.
Looking forward to hear from you.
Please treat this letter as urgent
With regards
Kirity Roy
State Director, NPPTI
&
President
Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM)
26 Guitendal Lane
Howrah 711101
West Bengal INDIA
Mobile: 9903099699
Fax : +91-33-2640 4118
Phone: +91-33-2640 4520
e. mail : kirityroy@gmail.com
Web: www.masum.org.in
To 20 September 2007
The Chairman
National Human Rights Commission
Faridkot House
Copernicus Marg
New Delhi - 1
Hon'ble Sir
I am referring you an incident which can be only adjudicated with atrocious practices of humane subjugation, mindless torture and insane attitude to poor of this society. The culprits are from your rank and file. In this case of torture your subordinates proves that they were keeping a false notion that they are beyond the set practices, prescribed laws of arrest, Criminal Proceeding Code and even the Constitutional guarantee of the people of this country. In this case one minor boy of 17 years named as Mithun Majhi @ Barkha, residing at 28/H/4 Canal East Road under Narkeldanga Police Station illegally detained him at the said PS from 11.09.2007 night to till yesterday night that was 19.11.2007, without production before any Magistrate.
They flouted every aspect of lawful arrest and detention in course of arresting a poor minor. In one hand they flouted DK Basu guidelines prescribed for arrest and our constitutional mandate for production of an arrestee before a magistrate.
As the perpetrators belong to the agency meant for keeping law and order in place, with an extra 'burden' of establishing rule of law in the society. By violating all set and prescribed norms they only exposed the actual scenario of policing of this country.
We demand immediate production of the person in front of a Magistrate, criminal proceeding against the said perpetrator/s, due compensation to the victim, immediate medical treatment to the victim and guarantee of lives and properties of the victim and his companions. Knowingly I have not mentioned the names of his companions for safety and security of their lives.
Hope you will treat this letter as urgent and take steps to uphold our constitutional rights and immediately book the culprits in uniform.
The case detail will unfurl the magnitude of violation of procedures and rules by the said Police Station and its personnel.
Thanking you
Kirity Roy
State Director
NPPTI, West Bengal
&
President, MASUM
Name of the victim: Mithun Majhi @ Barkha, 17 years of age, male, son of Late Goplal Majhi, residing at 28/H/4, Canal East Road, Narkeldanga Police Station, District - Kolkata, Pin code - 700011
Name of the perpetrator/s -
1. Mr. Lopsang Tshering Bhutia, Sub- Inspector of Narkeldanga Police Station
2. Mr. Bikram Chakraborty, Officer-in-Charge of Narkeldanga Police Station
3. and other officials of that police station
4. Samvu Babu of Raja Bazar (factory owner)
Place of incident: Narkeldanga Police Station; inside the Lock up and other vicinity of that police station
Date & time of torture - 11.09.2007 onward
Case detail:
Mithun is one of the thousands minors who have to arrange their two square meals by engaging themselves in various menial and hazardous jobs. Mithun lost his father in a young age. After his father died, his mother left him and one of his brother; Amar for some other destination.
Mithun and his brother started living with their grandmother, but after her death the brothers started living at canal side of Manicktola and started meeting their ends by rag picking at the adjoining areas of their living. One sister of their grandma living at Narkeldanga North Road, she used to cook for them.
On 11.09.2007 at about 4.00 a.m, Mithun with two of his companions left their home for rag picking. They picked some iron scraps from that area. His two other companions asked him to look after those scraps and left the place with other collected scraps with a rickshaw van and said they would look for some more.
Some of the local youth saw him at the place in the wee hours. After waiting for quite long Mithun came back to his place and with his brother went for an adjoining place called Hatibagan for some personal reasons. After Mithun left the place, police party of Narkeldanga Police Station came to the place and arrested one Nur Hasan Khan @ Kallu who was also tortured during his detention by applying electric shocks and produced before the Magistrate on 12.09.2007 and set free on bail on 15.09.2007. At the time of Nur Hasan's arrest the local people made allegation of Mithun's involvement in the said theft case of iron rods from a factory adjacent to the locality, owned by one Sambhu Babu.
At 8.00 p.m on 11.09.2007 after taking his dinner at his grandma's place, Mithun came to Rajabajar to search his younger brother, at that time some locales nabbed Mithun and took him to factory of said Sambhu Babu from whose factory the complaint of theft allegedly lodged.
Sambhu Babu bashed Mithun to last extent and informed the police. Police of the said PS came to Sambhu Babu's factory and took Mithun into their custody.
Mithun was beaten with a rule in front of other alleged accused Kallu inside the police station after bringing him outside the lock up, then he shoved to another room inside the PS and was beaten black and blue. Kallu witnessed Mithun was limping while entering the lock up on that night.
On 12.09.2007, a police personal attached with Bagmari kiosk informed the grandma; Ms. Satyani Das that on same day morning police forced Mithun to walk in front of the said PS after bringing him outside the lock up, to gauge his injuries, as previous night he was limping.
On same day at 7.30 p.m. Satyani Das met the said enquiry officer of the case, Mr. L.T. Bhutia. Bhutia took her thumb impression on a blank paper and her detail address and threatened her if she took up the issue appropriately then he will implicate Mithun in false case of Narcotic Substances Act. He also said if she wants to release her grandson from the police station, she has to return Rs. 40, 000 to him, which amount was allegedly lost from the factory. Satyami while returning from the police station saw Mithun was lying on the floor of the lock up of the said PS.
Satyani Devi again visited the police station on next day, 13.09.2007, afternoon and by making gesticulation tried to know from Mithun, who was at that time inside the lock up, if he has taken any food and sent to court or not? By similar gesture Mithun informed his grandma that he had some food but not produced before the court.
On 17.09.2007, Satyani again visited the said PS to enquire about her grandson, during her meeting with the said enquiry officer, Mr. Bhutia told her that till other two companion of Mithun would not be nabbed by us, we can not release him from our custody and even can not produce him before the court.
Satyani narrated her sordid tale to other police officials but all made lame excuse that law is not permitting them to help her.
Our fact finding team met one of the court clerk of Sealdah Court, Mr. Mehmud, who is attached with the Magistrate, under whose jurisdiction the Narkeldanga PS falls, clearly said that till day no such person with such name has been produced before the Magistrate.
Celebrating Human Rights Day, West Bengal Way
On the Human Rights Day, the WB Govt evicted about 25000
bustee-dwellers living on the sides of Beliaghata Canal in East Calcutta to implement an ADB sponsored project by force. There were massive protests and the police made several lathicharges. Bull dozers and pay-loaders were used to remove the shanties and at one staze police along with ruling party hoodlums set fire to the shanties resulting in a huge fire.
Sujato Bhadra, Dilip Das, Sachin Mitra and other APDR leaders Saktiman Ghosh,Hawkers Union leader were among many arrested from the place, for organising protests against the forceful eviction, without making any alternative arrangements. They were however released in the late evening, after APDR took
out a procession protesting the eviction and arrests. On that day APDR submitted a memorandum to the speaker of the West Bengal Assembly. ( See Annexure I.)
Annexure I
The Hon’ble Speaker and Legislators,
West Bengal Legislative Assembly,
Kolkata
Re: Concern over arrest, torture and repression of political activists, common citizens and APDR activists and gross human rights violations in West Bengal
Sir,
With deep concern, we come here today, the World Human Rights Day and place this memorandum before you to draw the attention of the members of, the West Bengal Legislative Assembly and seek their intervention.
Perhaps you are aware of the fact that a large number of
activists, reportedly belonging to various political organisations, have been languishing in the jails of West Bengal.
APDR has case details of 402 radical activists arrested over the
last two years and there are indications that there are at least 300 more. Besides, 1,000 Kamtapuris and 47 alleged SIMI activists were held merely on suspicion. Even 22 activists of the Akhil Bharatiya Nepali Ekta Samaj, who support the demand for end of monarchy and establishment of democracy in Nepal, have been slapped with a case of conspiracy against the state in Siliguri.
Of late, because of public opinion and media coverage, the
government had to declare its no-objection in respect of bail petitions of some of them including Prof. Kaushik Ganguly, Sm. Mithu Roy and Sm Sampa Dasgupta. Though some of the detained political workers, whose names were highlighted in the media because of their social status and who could afford
the expenses of stringent bail conditions, could come out on bail, a large number of political workers and many common citizens, mainly poor villagers, are rotting in jails, we are constrained to say, because of the blatantly discriminatory policy pursued by the government. Many of the villagers were arrested on mere suspicion that they were providing food and shelter to the
workers of various political groups, whose ideology and activities are not liked by the party in power. We have also learnt that the government has decided not to release quite a good number of them on the purported ground that they are ‘hard-core’.Though there is no legally sustainable allegation against most of them, they are being implicated in one false case after another to keep them behind bars. Further, we do not know what are the
criteria to identify a political activist as hard-core and this policy is
leading to the use of government power in a most arbitrary and discriminatory manner to deprive citizens of their constitutionally guaranteed right to carry on political activities and to excercise freedom of expression and of association.
We demand:
A. All police atrocities on political opposition must stop forthwith.
B. All persons arrested for political activities be released immediately and
unconditionally.
C. All false cases registered against political activists be withdrawn
immediately.
2. Though legislation of the West Bengal Prevention of Organised
Crime Act (POCA) is shelved for the time being, the respite is only temporary as it was declared that the Act would be promulgated at an opportune moment. Instead of encouraging an open debate and examining public opinion on the proposed Act, the government was trying to enact the legislation surreptitiously. The attempt was foiled as APDR could procure a copy of the
proposed Act and could organise a strong public information campaign on the attempt and many eminent social personalities and some of Left Front constituents voiced their opposition. The public debate, though not thorough,could establish quite emphatically that the proposed Act was nothing but a successor and version of black laws such as the British Rowlatt Act,
Rajiv Gandhi’s TADA and Vajpayee-Advani’s POTA.
We demand:
D. All attempts to enact POCA or any similar laws infringing on human rights and civil liberties be scrapped forthwith.
E. WB Electricity Bill, which subverts normal legal process and provides for arbitrary punishment without trial, and the court fees ordinance which seek to take away the little opportunity of knocking at the doors of justice poor people have by unduly hiking all sorts of court fees, be withdrawn immediately.
F. The practice of promulgating ordinances bypassing the legislature must be stopped forthwith.
3. APDR has learnt that the detained political activists are not
being recognised as political prisoners. We hold that this is in clear violation of clauses 24(vi), Chapter BII of the West Bengal Correctional Services Bill, 1992, which provides for classification of political prisoners. The Left Front government came to power 25 years ago riding at the crest of a civil liberties movement, one of the main demands of which was appropriate status for political prisoners. Needless to say, this demand was also raised
throughout the national struggle and during the post-1947 Congress regime. Even the British rulers and Congress governments of the 1950s had to concede this demand partially. It is deplorable that in spite of clear legal provisions, the present government chose to deprive political opposition workers of their rights even when in detention.
We demand:
F. All persons detained for their political activities must be awarded the status of po
