Thursday 29 December 2011

Odisha HR Bulletin-1


Koraput villagers 'harassed' by BSF men

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhubaneswar/Koraput-villagers-harassed-by-BSF-men/articleshow/11275070.cms

KORAPUT: People from several villages in Koraput's Boipariguda block have accused Border Security Force (BSF) personnel of unnecessarily harassing them.
At a meeting held in Mantriambo village recently, the villagers expressed their anger with the personnel posted in the area for anti-Naxalite operations. "While I was going to my paddy field, BSF personnel obstructed me on my way and abused me on false charges of putting up Maoist posters although I have no links with the Red rebels," said Laxman Halwa of Dumuriguda village.
Another villager, Rajendra Pujari, said, "We are being unnecessarily harassed by the BSF personnel. They assault us on suspicion of being Maoists supporters. If the securitymen do not refrain from harassing villagers, we will intensify our agitation." The tribals, who had to go deep in the forest for collecting minor forest produce like firewood and for agricultural works, are being subjected to harassment by the security men on suspicion of being Maoist supporters, they alleged.
Koraput SP Anup Kumar Sahoo said, "I have not received any complaint against the security personnel deployed in Boipariguda block. If I do, I shall inquire into the allegations." tnn

Koraput court acquits CMAS advisor

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhubaneswar/Koraput-court-acquits-CMAS-advisor/articleshow/11287738.cms

BHUBANESWAR: A Koraput court has acquitted CPI(ML) leader Gananath Patra, who faced charges of being involved in cattle theft.
The magistrate court at Laxmipur on Tuesday cleared Patra of the charges after the prosecution failed to substantiate the allegations. "The police had slapped Section 147 (unlawful assembly), 148 (rioting), 379 (theft), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 149 (common object) of IPC against him, but could not prove the charges," advocate Nihar Patnaik said over phone from Koraput.
Sources, however, said the 73-year old Patra is unlikely to be released from Koraput jail soon as he has five other cases pending against him. Patra was arrested in Bhubaneswar in January 2010 in the backdrop of the November 20, 2009, violence at Narayanpatna police station where two functionaries of the Chasi Mulia Adivasi Sangh (CMAS) were shot dead. He is known as the advisor of CMAS. Patra, who taught chemistry in different colleges, had quit his job before joining Baliapal movement and left political activities.
Police said he was also been implicated in a murder case involving the violent clash between two groups of CMAS activists in which one person was killed. The incident had occurred in January when the Bandhugaon unit of the CMAS clashed with the Narayanpatna unit. The complaint said one Piniti Suresh while fleeing from the spot fell down when his rivals attacked him and killed. The mob was led by CMAS leader Nachika Linga and Gananath Patra, the complaint stated. Besides, Patra has four other cases in which he has already obtained bail from higher court. Nachika Linga, whom police describe as a Maoist activist, has since gone underground.
The police circulated posters and announced rewards seeking clue about his whereabouts. Police had arrested nearly 200 people after the Narayanpatna violence, but most of them have since been acquitted. The large-scale acquittals have put the police in a spot, strengthening public suspicion on the so-called anti-Maoist operations by the government.

30,000 birds and animals sacrificed despite ban

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhubaneswar/30000-birds-and-animals-sacrificed-despite-ban/articleshow/11274929.cms

SAMBALPUR: Despite the prohibition of the district administration, more than 30,000 animals and birds were sacrificed during Sulia Yatra at Nuakhala in Kumuria village under Balangir's Tusura police station limits on Tuesday. Devotees and supporters of the tribal community sacrificed the animals, citing the practice to be part of their long-standing tradition.
Large number of police personnel and administrative officials were present at the spot but could not prevent the gory ritual, remaining mute spectators as buffalos, hens and goats in large numbers were butchered in Badkhala and Sankhala near Khairguda village, in violation of the prohibition order of the district administration.
The ritual struck an incongruous note in an otherwise picturesque setting of the Sulia hillock, surrounded by lush, serene forests, about 30 km from Balangir headquarter. The remote villages of Khairguda and Kumuria, located just bellow the hillock, have attracted media spotlight over the past few years due to the large number of animals sacrificed every year, in gross violation of the order of Odisha high court.
"We have proclaimed 144 Cr PC at Badkhala, Sanakhala and Nuakhala and noticed 22 priests u/s 107 Cr PC to prevent animal sacrifice. But we could not stop animal sacrifice this year," a senior officer of Balangir district administration said. However, he assured to take stringent action against those who indulged in the activities violating the court direction.
The tribal people in the region have been protesting the court order, claiming the practice of animal sacrifice to be a 500-year-old tradition of the Kandha people, who believe animal sacrifice is associated with their religious faith. They appease their presiding deity by offering blood of the animals and birds on the second Tuesday of 'Pousa' month every year. "You cannot stop this by using force on us. We have special customs and tradition. Violation of religious tradition by using force is totally unconstitutional," said general secretary of Western Odisha Tribal Welfare Association Nirajan Bishi.
Orissa high court had directed the district administration to prevent animal sacrifice during Sulia Yatra three years ago. The high court passed the interim order, acting on the petition of Sulia Samskar Manch, a Balangir-based NGO, protesting the practice of animal sacrifice.

Sunday 11 December 2011

Human Rights Defenders Day Observed



On the occasion of International Human Rights Defenders Day (December 9) and on the eve of Int. Human Rights Day [December 10] a meeting of Human Rights Defenders of Odisha was held at Red Cross Bhawan, Bhubaneswar by Human Rights Front (HRF), a state level platform for human rights defenders in Odisha.
Mr. Manoj Jena, Convenor of HRF advocated for proper security to human rights activists and said the state and democratic forces should come forward for their protection and establish rule of law. He said that December 9, which is the day when the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders was adopted by United Nations in 1998.  The day is to acknowledge and pledge continued support to the HRDs who are working for the promotion and protection of human rights.
Addressing the meeting, the speakers expressed concern on the increasing threats to Human Rights defenders.  Many human rights defenders have been the victims of killings as a direct response to their work. Especially Right to information workers are targeted in India. In some regions, death threats are used widely as a means of threatening and intimidating human rights defenders into stopping their work.  Human rights defenders are sometimes kidnapped, for short or long periods and beaten during their captivity. Human rights defenders can be particularly vulnerable to beatings, ill-treatment and torture while in detention.
United Nations Declaration on human rights provides specific protections to human rights defenders including the rights to seek protection and realization at the national and international levels. The states have a responsibility to implement and respect all the provisions of the declaration. The declaration emphasizes that everyone has duties towards and within the community and encourages us all to be human rights defenders.       
During the day long discussion, there was a consensus among the participants that there should be a sustained campaign to protect the interest of the marginalized. Also, adequate steps should be taken to stop any forms of exploitation of these sections. They have suggested to undertake following actions in the future.
·        Organize  regular human rights training  programme for the human rights defenders. This will help to provide an opportunity to network with other human rights organizations and build a sense of solidarity in each other’s work. The programme will also help in motivating many to be committed to human rights.
·        Regular interaction on Human Rights Education with university students.
·        Conduct training programme on skills in fact-finding and monitoring and exercise, conducting and reporting of fact-finding on human rights violations.
·        Publication of quarterly magazine on the situation of human rights in Odisha.
·        Publication of status paper of Human rights in Odisha. The status paper include the range of human rights issues include children, women, prisoners, differently-able persons, sexual minorities etc. 
·        Deliberate efforts to interact with officers for developing sensitivity and change of attitudes the rights of marginalized sections.
·        Prepare the district wise contact address of human rights defenders in Odisha and carry out a sustain relationship for effective functioning.
·        Organize Independent People’s Tribunal (IPT) on the performance of State Human Rights Commission, Odisha for respecting and protecting the rights of the people.
·        Deliberate effort to make Human Rights institutions like NHRC, SHRC Independent and accessible to the victims. In many cases, the perpetrator of human rights violation is given charge to investigate the case. Hence the questions raised by the HRDS on the objectivity of that enquiry report.  Hence pressure need to be built upon the NHRC to make independent fact-finding teams for any investigation of human rights violence case. Likewise selection procedure of human rights authorities needs to be transparent. This will bring transparency, accountability and above all develop the credibility of the Human rights institutions. 

Eminent Defenders Shared their views :-
§        Dhirendra Panda- Coordinator, National Solidarity Forum
§        Pradip Pradhan-Convenor, Odisha Soochana Adhikar Abhiyan
§        Mrs Rumita Kundu- Member-Committee for Release of Political Prisioner
§        Saiprasana, Convenor, Janata Vikash Manch
§        Chandranath Dani- Associate Director, Peoples Watch
§        Md Ziauddin – Convenor,Odisha Muslim Development Forum
§        Gobinda Chandra Dalei, Director, Youth Development Foundation
§        Gopal Chandra Das, Pratishta, Nuapada
§        Gopinath Dutta, Director,PACT, Mayurbhanj
§        Sandeep Kumar Pattnaik, Coordinator, NCAS
§        Somnath Pattnaik, HRD, Jagatsinghpur
§        Ms Suchisilpa Bhoi, Ama Odisha
§        Bikram Swain, convenor, Jana Samukshya
§        Ananda ch. Swain, Convenor, Basti Surakshya Manch
§        Pravakar Jayasingh, Reporter, Suryaprava
§        Abhaya Kumar Mallik, Dalit Rights Activist
§        Ashok Kumar Das, Convenor, Samata Mancha
§        Panchanan Mishra, PAHAD,Kandhamal
§        Mayadhar Parida, SAKHA[ sexually minority forum]
§        Fr Sudhakar Senapati, Coordnator, HRLN
§        Abhisek Joshi, India Agaist Corruption, Cuttack
§        Ms Deepali Sharma, Reporter, Samaj
§        Ashok Majhi, Advocate
§        Sandeep Mohanty, Convenor, YUVA