Lenin Raghuvanshi, Founder and CEO of PVCHR in EUVP

Post by EU in India.

A step of justice against witch hunting

Case Details of File Number: 11772/24/69/2011-WC
Diary Number 47549
Name of the Complainant LENIN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR/SECRETARY GENERAL
Address PEOPLE'S VIGILANCE COMMITTEE ON HUMAN RIGHTS, S A4/2 A, DAULATPUR, VARANASI , UTTAR PRADESH
Name of the Victim MANBASIA W/O JODHILAL
Address R/O VILL. GHAGHARI TOLA SAHGORA, PS. BABHANI, SONEBHADRA , UTTAR PRADESH
Place of Incident GHAGHARI TOLA SONEBHADRA , UTTAR PRADESH
Date of Incident 7/17/2010
Direction issued by the Commission These proceedings shall be read in continuation of the earlier proceedings. The Commission received a complaint dated 18.03.2011 from Shri Lenin, which mentions that Jagesari Devi, aged 32, a tribal woman of Sonebhadra district, became a victim of witch hunting and her tongue was chopped off. Smt Manbasia, aged 45, was subjected to inhuman ordeal and on 17.07.2010 after the demise of a boy in the village, she was not only attacked with sharp weapons but also paraded naked in public. In another case, a woman Somari Devi, aged 40, wife of Dinesh Gond was branded as a witch and pushed into a fire, however, her husband saved her. In her testimony, she alleged that the police did not register her complaint and instead of punishing the culprit, the police let him off scot-free. Vide proceedings dated 14.01.2013, the Commission considered the report DIG, Vindychal Range, Mirzapur that regarding the alleged incident of atrocity on Jageshari Devi, a case Cr. No. 640/2010 u/s 326/504/120 B IPC was registered, the three accused have been sent to J/C and charge sheet has been filed. The District Magistrate, Sonebhadra was directed to submit a report in respect of the treatment and financial assistance provided to the victim Jageshari Devi along with details of further action taken against the culprits for practice of witch hunting for land grabbing, as alleged in the complaint. Vide proceedings dated 27.08.2013, the Commission considered the report from SP, district Sonebhadra which mentioned that the victim and her family members have no problem and the local police have been instructed to provide necessary protection. The District Collector, Sonebhadra vide communication dated 05.06.2013, has enclosed a report dated 06.04.2013, from SDM of the area that the information from the revenue department reveals that out of the three victims, two have BPL Card and one is having Antaodaya Card for getting ration from fair price shop and they are leading a normal life in the village. The Commission issued a Show Cause Notice to the Government of Uttar Pradesh through its Chief Secretary as to why monetary relief u/s 18 of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, be not recommended to be paid to the victims. Vide proceedings dated 21.01.2014, the Commission issued a final reminder to the Chief Secretary, Government of Uttar Pradesh calling for the requisite reply within four weeks failing which the Commission shall take it that the State has no views on the matter & shall proceed to pass appropriate orders. In response, the Commission has received an endorsed communication dated 28.02.2014 from the Under Secretary, Home (HR) Department-1, Women and Child Development Department, Uttar Pradesh regarding the submission of the requisite reply which is still awaited. The Commission has considered the material placed on record. The Commission vide proceedings dated 27.08.2013, observed that the assistance provided to the victims branded as a witch is totally inadequate. The State had failed to protect the dignity of women, protect them, curb the menace of witch hunting and to protect their human rights. The Commission therefore recommends to the Chief Secretary, Government of Uttar Pradesh to make payment of Rupees 3,00,000/- as monetary compensation to be paid to the victim Jagesari Devi, aged 32, a tribal woman of Sonebhadra district, who became a victim of witch hunting and her tongue was chopped off; Rupees 3,00,000/- to Smt Manbasia, aged 45, who was not only attacked with sharp weapons but also paraded naked in public and Rupees 3,00,000/- to Somari Devi, aged 40, wife of Dinesh Gond who was branded as a witch and pushed into a fire, however, her husband saved her. The proof of payment is to be submitted within 6 weeks.


Action Taken Relief granted [Compensation, Disciplinary & Prosecution] (Dated 10/29/2014 )
Status on 11/27/2014 Compliance of the Commission's recommendation by the concerned authority is awaited.

दैनिक समाचार पत्र में प्रकाशित खबर “ बेरहमों ने मासूम को पीटकर किया लहूलुहान ” के आधार पर मानवाधिकार जननिगरानी समिति के महासचिव डा. लेनिन रघुवंशी द्वारा की गयी शिकायत पर राष्ट्रीय मानव अधिकार आयोग नई दिल्ली द्वारा एक लाख रूपये मात्र का मुआवजा दिया

वाराणसी के लंका थाना में नट जाति (अनुसूचित जाति) के दस वर्षीय नाबालिग बालक को चेक चोरी के आरोप में पुलिस द्वारा अवैध रूप से हिरासत में रखने और पिटाई के मामले में राष्ट्रीय मानव अधिकार आयोग नई दिल्ली (NHRC) द्वारा एक लाख रूपये मात्र का मुआवजा एवं राज्य सरकार द्वारा संचालित कल्याणकारी योजनाओं से संतृप करने के निर्देश के साथ ही कानून का उलंघन करने वाले पुलिसकर्मीयों के विरुध उचित कार्यवाही किये जाने का निर्देश प्रमुख सचिव उत्तर प्रदेश देते हुए चार सप्ताह के अन्दर रिपोर्ट माँगा गया है | इस मामले की शिकायत एक दैनिक समाचार पत्र में प्रकाशित खबर “ बेरहमों ने मासूम को पीटकर किया लहूलुहान ” के आधार पर मानवाधिकार जननिगरानी समिति के महासचिव डा. लेनिन रघुवंशी द्वारा की गयी थी |

22 मई 2013 को वाराणसी के लंका थाना में एक महिला द्वारा यह शिकायत दर्ज कराई गयी जब वह किसी काम से बाजार जा रही थी तो एक भिखारी बालक उससे भीख मांगते - मांगते उसके साथ चला आ रहा था | महिला ने उससे पीछा छुड़ाने के लिए उसे दो रूपये दे दिए | अगले दिन इसी महिला ने लंका थाना में शिकायत दर्ज कराई कि उसके पर्स से बड़ी राशि का चेक गायब हो गया है उसे भीख मांगने वाले उसी बालक पर शक है | यह भीख मांगने वाला दस वर्षीय नाबालिग नट बालक इसी थाना अंतर्गत सुन्दरपुर नेवादा मुहल्ले में नट बस्ती में रहने वाले अनुसूचित जाति से था | चेक चोरी के आरोप में लंका थाना द्वारा इस दस वर्षीय नाबालिग नट बालक को पकड़ लिया गया | जिसकी पहचान शिकायतकर्ती महिला ने की | बालक को हिरासत में लेते समय ही महिला के परिजनों ने बालक कि पिटाई की, हिरासत में पुलिस द्वारा जबरी चोरी कबूलने के लिए न केवल बालक की बेरहमी से पिटाई की गयी बल्कि उसे बिजली के तार से करेंट लगाने की घमकी देकर डराया घमकाया गया | अगले दिन उसे थाने से छोड़ दिया गया जिसके बाद बच्चे को लगी चोटों का ईलाज करने के लिए महिला के परिजन द्वारा बच्चे की माँ को 600 रूपये भी दिए गये |

 लंका थाना में नाबालिग बालक को अवैध रूप से हिरासत रखने और पिटाई की घटना में एक दैनिक समाचार पत्र में प्रकाशित खबर के आधार पर की गयी शिकायत को आयोग द्वारा अपने संज्ञान में लेकर केश पंजीकृत (केश संख्या 20381/24/72/2013/ UC) करते हुए वरिष्ठ पुलिस अधीक्षक वाराणसी को मई 2013 में नोटिस भेजकर घटना की जाँच कर रिपोर्ट मंगायी गयी | इस मामले में वरिष्ठ पुलिस अधीक्षक वाराणसी द्वारा भेजी गयी जाँच रिपोर्ट में पीड़ित पक्ष का कोई बयान ही नही लिया गया बल्कि घटना के कानून उलंघन पक्ष को अनदेखा करते हुए रिपोर्ट प्रेषित कर दिया गया था | पुनः आयोग द्वारा 8 अगस्त 2014 को पुलिस महानिदेशक उत्तर प्रदेश को निर्देश दिया गया कि आयोग को अन्य जिले के उच्च अधिकारी से जाँच कराकर रिपोर्ट भेजी जाय | पुलिस महानिदेशक ऊ० प्र० के निर्देश पर गाजीपुर अपर पुलिस अधीक्षक द्वारा इस मामले की जाँच की गयी | गाजीपुर अपर पुलिस अधीक्षक द्वारा जांच में जो रिपोर्ट आयोग को भेजा गया उसमे भी एक पक्षीय जांच किया गया इस जांच में भी पीड़ित पक्ष बालक एवं उसके पिता का कोई बयान नही लिया गया था | जिससे आयोग को स्पष्ट होने लगा कि पुलिस विभाग द्वारा इस मामले को कानून के अधीन गम्भीर तरीके से नही लिया जा रहा है | जबकि इस घटना में लंका थाना द्वारा अनुसूचित जाति जनजाति (अत्याचार निवारण) अधिनियम 1989 एवं किशोर न्याय अधिनियम का सीधा उलंघन किया गया | अत: राष्ट्रीय मानवाधिकार आयोग (NHRC) द्वारा उपलब्ध रिकार्ड और तथ्यों के आधार पर प्रमुख सचिव उत्तर प्रदेश को यह निर्देशित किया गया कि वे पीड़ित बालक एवं उसके परिवार को निम्न सेवाएँ देते हुए उनके मानव अधिकारों का संरक्षण करें और चार सप्ताह के अन्दर अनुपालन के सन्दर्भ में अपनी रिपोर्ट आयोग को देवें |

A . पीड़ित बालक के पिता श्री. संजय नट निवासी नेवादा सुन्दरपुर थाना लंका को मानव अधिकारों के संरक्षण की धारा 18, 1993 अधिनियम के अनुसार अंतरिम राहत के लिए एक लाख राशि मुआवजा के रूप में दिया जाय |

B . लंका थाना द्वारा नाबालिग बालक को अवैध रूप से थाने में रखने और बिजली का झटका दिए जाने की धमकी  देकर डराने और पिटाई किये जाने पर लंका पुलिस अधिकारियों के विरुध कानून के अनुसार उचित कार्यवाही की जाय |  

C . पीड़ित बालक और उसके परिवार को राज्य सरकार द्वारा सुरक्षित और स्वतन्त्रता के साथ जीवन जी सकें यह सुनिश्चित किया जाय |
D . पीड़ित बालक और उसके परिवार को राज्य द्वारा संचालित कल्याणकारी योजनाओं से जोड़ा जाय जिससे वे अमानवीय तरीके से भिखारियों के जीवन से मुक्त हो सकें |

श्रुति नागवंशी

मैनेजिंग ट्रष्टी

मानवाधिकार जननिगरानी समिति

+91-9935599330/1

Press Statement from Gwangju Laureates against Militarization and Harsh Security Acts in South Asia

22 November 2014, Kathmandu, Nepal

We, Gwangju Human Rights Laureates, desiring that SAARC embody the expression of peoples, aver the need for greater efforts for promoting the sovereignty of the people and violence-free South Asia through democratic values and structures and would like to request the governments of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) to recognize the non-violent movement of Irom Sharmila as a great tradition of the Gandhian movement in the region.

We also urge the governments of SAARC to stop militarization and to repeal security acts such as the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), which have been a cause of egregious human rights violations and vicious cycle of violence in the region. We appeal to promote peace and understanding of disputes, and efforts for settling any disputeamicably at the popular level.

Binayak Sen, India

Sushil Pyakurel, Nepal

Adilur Rahaman Khan, Bangladesh

Lenin Raghuvanshi, India

Open letter to all heads of state in SAARC

Open letter to all heads of state in SAARC

Dear Excellency,

Greetings from PVCHR, Varanasi, India.

PVCHR wrote to all Government of SAARC and National Human Rights Commission for establishment of South Asian Human Rights Mechanism Links as follows:

http://www.forum-asia.org/?p=5376

http://www.pvchr.net/2011/07/open-letter-to-national-human-rights.html

http://www.pvchr.net/2010/03/open-letter-on-possibility-for-saarc.html

http://www.pvchr.net/2011/07/potential-human-right-defenders.html

PVCHR (India), INSEC (Nepal), LOKOJ (Bangladesh), Human Rights Commission of Pakistan and Wiros (Srilanka) jointly organized first Peoples’SAARC at Varanasi India on 17 January 2005. Nearly 200 organization and five thousand people participated from India, Nepal,Bangladesh, Afganistan,Pakistan and Srilanka and resolved follows declration:

South Asian people's Declaration

The People's Vision

We, the South Asian People's Forum, desiring that SAARC embody the aspirations of the People, aver the need for greater efforts for promoting the sovereignty of the People and violence free South Asia through democratic values and structures.

We envision a SAARC that encompasses all people living in South Asia and promote greater understanding and equal respect of all people to eliminate discriminations based on gender, creed, caste, ethnicity and color.

We also insist on declaring South Asia as nuclear free zone.

Our Mission

We promote peace and understanding of disputes, and efforts for settling them amicably at the popular level.

We firmly demand urgent and complete de-nuclearization of South Asia.

We uphold social democracy, secular values, and economic equity and envision sustainable development.

We advocate greater efforts to prevent environmental degradation, and optimum and equitable utilization of resources for the benefit of the people, providing them adequate space to influence and participate in decisions on resource use and management.

We endorse the inalienable right of the People of South Asia to basic needs including food, clothing, shelter, health, education, social security and productive work.

We advocate people to people communication facilities and an end to travel restrictions.

Major concerns

Democracy

We cherish and uphold the Rule of Law, sovereignty of the people, a system of governance that ensures devolution of power, People's right to self-rule and control over resources.

We advocate full independence of the judiciary, adhering to internationally recognized values and principles. Pro-people lawmaking has to be participatory, representative and fully transparent.

We believe that People have sovereign rights to take decisions on matters concerning their lives, and urge periodic review of all international commitments and national laws to enable people to exercise sovereignty.

We maintain that governance improvements have to begin and end with the People and that empowerment can result only when power is devolved through effective structural changes.

We also maintain that existing social, economic and political imbalances hinder nation building and that the legislature, executive and the judiciary must be fully inclusive and accountable to the People.

We believe People are the real owners of resources and support mechanisms to make them rightful owners of resources through systems that ensure collective ownership and responsibility.

We uphold the People's right to information through participation in decision-making and governance.

We believe that internal and external displacement is caused by political, social and developmental factors and any attempt to end displacement should begin with addressing the root causes.

We assert that refugees are sovereign people with sovereign identities and they need to be provided guarantees of protection, dignity and access to basic services until final resolution and/ or repatriation.

We are concerned by the increase in human trafficking (including children, women and marginalized communities) in the region and call for receiving countries to take on responsibility for repatriation and compensation of the victims.

Discrimination

We affirm that discrimination based on gender, caste, creed, and ethnicity and differently able is a major obstacle to meaningful participation of People.

We endorse patriarchy-free South Asia, and support the individual's right to self-determination and development and uphold their duty to national integration.

We resolve for an immediate and effective end to untouchability, the worst form of discrimination and demand interventions as follows:

• Programs for the uplift of the Dalits and mechanisms to empower them for their rights.
• Reservations, in public as well as the private sector, to ensure participation of all at all levels starting from primary schooling and across all spheres of life.
• Reservations to enable at least 33% representation of women (including Dalits) in all spheres of private and public life and an end to all forms of discrimination against women.
• Discrimination to be considered a real life problem.
• Review of existing laws and modifications to incorporate the implementation of international instruments.
• Equal respect for religious, ethnic and cultural minorities.

We appreciate the changes being discussed for the uplift of women by Islamic groups and will provide support to encourage and facilitate further changes.

We ask for inclusion of rights and security concerns of migrant workers in the SAARC Social Charter.

Food sovereignty

We believe the right to food is a fundamental right and must be assured through guarantees to equality in work, justice and uniform minimum wages, and land entitlement.

We recommend that relief and aid should be culturally sensitive and value adding, and uphold that hunger and starvation are unacceptable.

Globalization and International Finance and Trade

We believe the existing policies of multilateral aid and trade organizations are anti-people and perpetuate unemployment, poverty and inequalities.

We advocate that all aid and trade agreements and instruments be subject to public scrutiny to ensure transparency and accountability.

We uphold the need for collective SAARC representation and uniform standards for negotiations on aid and trade instruments and the formulation of a common social responsibility standard to govern FDI.

We oppose privatization, particularly that of social infrastructure.

We oppose Foreign Direct Investment without effective social controls and strongly endorse the promotion of small and medium enterprises through people's markets.

We believe the World Trade Organization is not ratified by the people and advocates only freedom of capital, and ask SAARC to work towards the democratization of the WTO through inclusion of civil society organizations in negotiations.

We ask SAARC to move towards the creation of an economic community to suit the people's interest and step back from free trade envisaged under the SAFTA, which is an extension of the WTO model.

We believe that the existing ownership of intellectual property and laws governing violations are flawed and advocate stiff penalties for those infringing into the traditional knowledge and services belonging to developing countries.

Child rights

We uphold the Right of the Child as defined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child and believe the child is an integral part of society, has the potential to be agents of social change and all children have the right to participate in issues concerning them and be heard.

We believe a child's right to survival and health is of paramount importance to the progress of the country, and maintain that the child's right to development be upheld through free and compulsory education, including vocational training, and recreation without discrimination for all and in a child-friendly environment.

We demand that a child's right to protection be upheld through the abolition of child labor, abusive forms of punishment and all forms of discrimination with special focus on differently-abled children.

We demand that the juvenile justice system be child friendly and be strictly implemented in the region.

We demand immediate resolution of existing social, cultural, economic and political factors that promote the trafficking of children.

We advocate areas where children frequent be declared zones of peace to enable them to grow in peaceful and secure environments.

We oppose involvement of children in all forms of violent conflicts.

Varanasi, 17 Jan. 2005

It is disgraceful that Governments of SAARC did not fulfill above aspiration of People of South Asia.

I appeal as citizen of South Asia that it is high time and right time for fulfill above demands of People of South Asia.

With regards,

Subodh Raj Pyakurel

Chairperon,INSEC

Lenin Raghuvanshi

2007 Gwangju Human Rights Awardee

2010 Weimer Human Rights Awardee

    

Six Muslim Minority girls awarded with scholarship with support of Sir Dorabji Tata Trust [PVCHR Office] November 19, 2014

Awarded Girls: 1. Sana Parveen 2. Gulashan Jabi 3. Tabsum Bano 4. Fareen Khan 5. Rukhsar Parveen     6. Firoz Jhan

Paradigm shift of elimination of malnutrition in villages

PVCHR got happy after reading the news published in daily Hindi newspaper that Shri Pranjal Yadav District Magistrate of Varanasi adopted Ayer village  from Harhuwa block and Baikunthapur village from Pindra and CDO Vishakha ji adopted Nehiya from Pindra  block and Baithauli from Harhuwa block under the Uttar Pradesh State Government program “State Nutrition Mission”. (Reference of the news published in Amar Ujala on 16^th November, 2014)

The most marginalized ghetto (Basti) of the above selected three villages (Ayer, Bhaithauli and Nehiya) are also being adopted by PVCHR  for creating it as Child Friendly Model Village in 2006 (Ayer and Bhaithauli) and Torture free model village (Nehiya) in 2010.

Organization believes that Education will break the cycle of poverty, improve equity, empower women, and create health awareness and moreover improved democracy and accountability.  So, in 2006 with the support of Sir Dorabji Tata Trust runs Pre-Primary Center in Ayer and Bhaithauli for the first learners. In 2007 Ms. Helma Ritscher, Chairperson, Indo- German Society of Remscheid visited Ayer village and together with the community and PVCHR core group and core – team decided to build room in musahar ghetto with economic assistance from Inwent, Germany through DIG. Understanding the importance of education Mr. Sijjan and Somaru Musahar donated the land to build the pre- primary centre with the kitchen. On 6th September, 2007 Ms. Veena, District Magistrate of Varanasi and Mr. Kim, Director-Trustee of May 18 Foundation and participants of 4th May 18 Academy of South Korea inaugurate this Eklavya Centre.

The Eklavya center was development as a model center which provides holistic development to the child i.e. education, food and playing material. The food, playing items, educational materials were provided with the support of Ms. Parul Sharma an NRI based in Sweden, which break the culture of silence and children enrolled in school for primary education Working for providing education to the most marginalized communities was not easy for the organization. A dedicated worker Mr. Brijesh Pandey faced threat and discrimination from BSA (Basic Siksha Adhikari) on bringing the corporal punishment of Suresh Mushar due to caste based discrimination.

In 2011 PVCHR with the support from Child Right and You (CRY) implemented many Multi-dimensional activities implemented in four ways to ensure Right to Participation, Right to survival, Right to Development, and Right to Protection of children through (1) Direct activity with children (2) Action with community (3) Direct action with local self – governance (4) Networking and policy advocacy, which is creating child right grid model. (5) Facilitate effective implementation of other legislations for child protection in the Model village.   

Now children are discussing and advocating for their rights through children parliament Sant. Ravidas Bal Panchayat.

After malnutrition mapping and intervention 76 families received emergency assistance of 1000 Rupees as per the directive issued byUttar Pradesh government on 24 December, 2004 signed by the chief secretary. This directive requires every Village Council in the state to form a committee for hunger and malnutrition.

In 2009 during the mass protest of the Voice of People (VOP) a state level network for the working on child rights issues. The marginalized communities of Nehaiya village join in the movement and came in the contact of PVCHR.  In 2010 PVCHR adopted this village for creating as torture free model village.
After the intervention on the folk school, situational analysis and campaign these village developed infrastructure and major marginalized communities are benefited with the Government schemes.

On this moment PVCHR heartily thanks to Ms. Shruti Nagvanshi, its team, Dalit team, Helma ji and Indo- German society of Remschied, Germany, Ms. Parul Sharma, Raj Dulari Foundation, Dignity: Danish Institute Against Torture, Voice of People, Child Right and You and Sir Dorabji Tata Trust for support.

for more information please visit this link: 

http://jmntrust.blogspot.in/2014/04/peoples-friendly-village-for-child.html

http://pvchr-folkschool.blogspot.in/2008/11/inaguration-of-ekalavya-jan-mitra.html

http://www.pvchr.net/2007/08/school-and-community-center-in-dalit.html

https://www.saddahaq.com/humaninterest/pvchr/resilience-and-coping-in-model-process-against-torture

http://pvchrimages.blogspot.in/2014/03/09-2013.html

Education for marginalized

Education for marginalized

So we all have been celebrating 'Children's Day' but has anyone of us actually made an effort to bring a smile on the face an under-privileged child. If not, then here is your chance to educate children who are deprived of the basic educational amenities.

Step up to this occasion of funding the education of marginalized children! Because real ‪#‎SwachBharatAbhiyan‬ would be to eradicate illiteracy from ‪#‎INDIA‬.

We may spend 1000s of rupees over a weekend while watching a movie or a dinner can we not contribute a little for the brighter future of our motherland. Remember "Padhega India, tabhi toh badhega India"

Please contribute for this noble cause by clicking on the link below:

http://www.ketto.org/lenin#.VGZA_smnU57

A day with Aamir Khan

https://www.saddahaq.com/humaninterest/aamirkhan/reconciliation-against-masculinity

Lenin Raghuvanshi in Satyamev Jayate:When Masculinity Harms Men

Post by PVCHR .

मानवाधिकार जननिगरानी समिति के पैरवी से 10 मई, 2014 को मोहल्ला तीरगरान गुदड़ी बाज़ार मेरठ में हुई हिंसा के दौरान दोनों समुदाय के मृतकों एवं घायलों को 21 लाख रुपये मुआवजा मिला