Messages In This Digest (6 Messages)
- 1.
- 36garh Diary | 02 Oct | 2007 From: Praveen
- 2.
- UN Asked to Intervene on Chhattisgarh's Child Soldiers Case From: ffdaindia
- 3.
- A splendid message...something that all of us can share with our pee From: adarsh chandrakar
- 4a.
- Re: Lost in transit From: adarsh chandrakar
- 5.
- Elusive justice in the badlands of Andhra From: S.Choudhary
Messages
- 1.
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36garh Diary | 02 Oct | 2007
Posted by: "Praveen" [EMAIL PROTECTED] praveen_irm
Mon Oct 1, 2007 10:45 pm (PST)
Dear Friends,
Here is the News about Chhattisgarh in the media today...
ICSA India wins orders worth Rs 93cr
Business Standard India Sun, 30 Sep 2007 11:31 PM PDT
ICSA India, an embedded technology and electrical infrastructure
solutions provider for the power sector, has bagged orders worth Rs
93.47 crore from the Chhattisgarh State Electricity Board, Raipur for
implementation of Atal Jyoti Yojna under O&M division in Bhilai,
Bhatapura, Bernetra...
Nod for GSI to get new vessel
Hindu - Chennai,India
... Mission and to include Naya Raipur in the urban agglomeration of
Raipur in Chattisgarh for a comprehensive development of Chandigarh
and Raipur regions.
Not a guarantee
Business Standard - India
Another micro-survey in Chhattisgarh's Jashpur district discovered
that the state government had simply converted all public works into
NREGP programmes, ...
More news can be found with full coverage at...
http://www.cgnet.in/Med/diary/ cgdiary021007
Pls send your suggestions on how do you find CG Diary and how to make it
more useful for all of us.
If you see/know/experience something which you think should be shared with
people pls write to us at [EMAIL PROTECTED] com . If you want we can conceal
your identity.
Regards,
Praveen Manikpuri
for CGnet moderators team
- 2.
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UN Asked to Intervene on Chhattisgarh's Child Soldiers Case
Posted by: "ffdaindia" [EMAIL PROTECTED] ffdaindia
Mon Oct 1, 2007 10:47 pm (PST)
A written statement submitted by the Asian Legal Resource Centre to
the 6th session of the UN Human Rights Council
INDIA: Child soldiers being used as expendable pawns in armed
conflicts
In April 2007 the Chhattisgarh State Police ambushed a 12-member
strong brigade of armed Naxalites (a group similar to the Maoists in
Nepal) operating near Dhanora village. In the operation, the police
arrested two girls, respectively aged 14 and 15 years old, who were
wearing school uniforms and were armed with old 303 bore rifles.
When questioned, the girls confessed that they had been picked up
from school by the Naxalites, and given a few daysâ training on
armed combat, before being sent out in the company of older members
to fight against the State Police and the Salwa Judum, a State-
sponsored private militia.
Elsewhere, in Chhattisgarh Stateâs capital Raipur, five-year-old
Saurabh reports for duty every day at the local police station and
works as a boy police constable. Saurabh was employed by the State
Police after his father was killed in an ambush by the Naxalites.
Saurabh is not the only boy in the State Police. In nearby Korba
Police Station, Manish Khoonte, a ten-year-old boy is employed as a
police officer. Saurabh and Manish are paid US$ 57 per month by the
State Government.
Local human rights organisations, including the National Commission
for Women, have expressed concern about the employment of child
soldiers in Chhattisgarh by the State and the Naxalites. [ 1 ] The
Naxalite child soldiers wing is called the Bal Mandal (Child Forum).
[ 2 ] The members of Salwa Judum are known as âSpecial Police
Officersâ or SPOs.
India ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child on December
11, 1992. However, protection of the rights of children,
particularly for preventing them from being made to fight in armed
conflicts, is an area where the country has thus far failed.
Children are often forced to take up arms in India after losing a
close relative in the conflict.
In Manipur State in the northeast of India, hundreds of children
have lost their relatives, including their parents, in the intense
armed conflict that has been waged over the past decade. [ 3 ] Many
children have witnessed atrocities committed against family-members
by the members of underground movements as well as by State-agents,
including rape, torture and dismemberment and mutilation of bodies.
The situation in Manipur and Chhattisgarh is not unique. Child
soldiers are used in several parts of the country, in the states of
Jammu and Kashmir, Assam, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Tripura, Sikkim,
Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. [ 4 ]
Children are often recruited from tribal communities, as these
communities are frequently caught up in armed conflicts. A common
strategy used by both sides to these conflicts is to recruit
children aged around 14, as their age can easily be covered up. The
extent to which children are exploited by State-sponsored militias
and anti-State militias does not differ much. However, in anti-State
militias, girls are reportedly used for the sexual gratification of
older cadres. The presence of girls in camps also assists in
camouflaging them as being ordinary villages.
Anti-State militias typically falsely claim that children volunteer
to justify their recruitment. State-sponsored units recruit children
by manipulating their personal and nationalist sentiments. Once
recruited, they are trained to use weapons and to manufacture
explosives. Those who are not good at using weapons are used for
espionage or for passing messages between groups. Children are also
used for gathering extortion money for the militia. This practice is
more prevalent in the northeastern States. [ 5 ]
State-sponsored militias usually recruit children based on the
promise of future jobs at the State police department. Forcibly
displaced tribal communities in conflict zones are another source of
recruits. As the State agencies move in to counter anti-State
militia activities, villagers are evacuated and relocated to
government schools, forcing the schools to cease functioning
normally. Such schools then become military targets for anti-state
groups, as these schools will normally be guarded by members of the
government-sponsored militias. During this period children,
particularly boys, are recruited on the basis of the need for them
to protect their parents and sisters from the anti-State groups.
The members of village defense forces are often trained by the
Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangh (RSS). The RSS is a militant support
group of Indiaâs Bahratiya Janatha Party (BJP). Indoctrination
through exploitation and manipulation of inflated nationalism,
peppered by the BJPâs and RSSâs interpretation of Hindu Rastra
(Hindu state) [ 6 ] is a major force in recruitment to the State-
sponsored militia.
Possession of arms in India is regulated by law. [ 7 ] While
restrictions are employed for possession of arms and ammunition in
India for ordinary persons, the members of State-sponsored private
militia groups are given more than one weapon, of which some are
provided for use by the child soldiers.
Whenever State-sponsored child soldiers are killed in encounters,
the governmentâs claims the child was a member of an anti-State
armed group, and the anti-State militia do the same and disown the
child. In several cases, child soldiersâ bodies have been mutilated
in order to hide the possibility of their age and identities being
found. Deaths of such children are frequently blamed on having
resulted from being caught in the crossfire of an armed encounter.
Child soldiersâ living conditions are invariably very poor,
regardless of which faction they belong to. They are often denied
adequate food. Food is often used as a reward for work. Children are
used as scouts and to test the land for anti-personnel mines and
other forms of explosives. [ 8 ] Using children for these purposes
makes troop movement easier for both sides. Even if a child dies or
is injured, the loss is considered to be minimal, as a child is
considered to be far more expendable than a trained cadre. [ 9 ]
Indiaâs Naxalite movement and the anti-state sentiments in the north-
eastern states are both spreading out, increasing the areas affected
by armed conflicts in the country. Child soldiers are considered as
being highly expendable pawns in these conflicts.
In Andhra Pradesh, the childrenâs faction of the Naxalite movement
is named the Bala Sangam (Childrenâs Group). There were reportedly
75 Bala Sangams groups in the state, including an estimated 800
children in their ranks in 2003. This number has likely increased by
2007, as the Naxalite movement in the State has steadily increased
since 2003.
Child soldiers are also used in the mainly Hindu versus Muslim
religious conflicts throughout India. Both factions have created
their own self-styled armed brigades. The Hindu âself-defenceâ
groups operate under various banners, such as the RSS, the Bajranj
Dal and the Shiv Sena. Similar Muslim factions are known to be
operating under the banner of the Jamaat-i-Islami-Hind and the
Islamist Sevak Sangh. [ 10 ] All these groups have child soldier
units. For example the Viswa Hindu Parisad (VHP) is also reportedly
recruiting girls to a group called the Durga Vahini. [ 11 ]
Once a child soldier is taken into custody by the State agencies,
they are often falsely identified as being adults. Their ages are
exaggerated in official records, so that they can be tried in
regular courts, instead of juvenile courts. This is possible because
in such cases, charges are typically framed without producing the
accused in court. Once the charge has been framed, the child will
have to wait in custody for a minimum of three to four years for the
case to come to trial, by which time the child have often become
adults.
Prolonged detention also reduces the prospects of the future
rehabilitation of the child, if acquitted. Owing to the non-
functioning of the public legal aid service, most cases will be
decided without a proper legal defence being provided to the accused
resulting in an unfair trial.
There are no existing mechanisms in India to prevent such rights
violations from being committed against children, even if the child
is fortunate enough to survive a battle and to be produced before a
court. Those who dare to complain are targeted by the State police
and administration. The case of Dr. Binayak Sen, who is currently
being detained in Raipur Central prison on charges of association
with the Naxalite movement in the State, is a typical example.
Such attacks on the integrity, personal freedoms of human rights
activists and their ability to work, have a direct impact not only
upon the children themselves, but also upon the communities that are
caught up in such armed conflicts. Another concern is the absence of
proper medical care in these conflict areas. The forced closure of
Medecins Sans Frontiers in August 2007 in Chhattisgarh has
compounded this problem here.
There are currently at least 118 of Indiaâs 604 districts facing
armed anti-state activities. [ 12 ] In all of these conflict zones,
children are employed by both parties to the conflict. The UN
Committee on the Rights of the Child, in its report dated February
26, 2004, urged the Indian government to ensure that thorough and
impartial investigations are conducted into allegations of the use
of child soldiers in India. [ 13 ] However, the reference to child
soldiers in the report was limited to the State of Jammu and Kashmir
and Indiaâs north-eastern states; however the problem of the use of
child soldiers is far more widespread than this in the country.
The Asian Legal Resource Centre therefore requests the Human Rights
Council to:
1. Request the Government of India to immediately disband all State-
sponsored and other militia groups in the country, such as
Chhattisgarhâs Salwa Judum;
2. Urge the government of India to remove all obstacles and promote
the activities of human rights groups in the countryâs regions
involved in armed conflicts, so that human rights activists can work
to prevent children being used in armed conflicts either as soldiers
or as sympathizers of anti-State movements;
3. Improve the functioning of the criminal justice mechanism in
India, so that it is adequately able to address the issue of child
soldiers;
4. Prohibit arms training of both children and adults by political
organisations;
5. Urge all non-State actors operating in India to respect
international human rights and humanitarian laws concerning children
in armed conflict;
6. Urge all relevant United Nations bodies and mechanisms, such as
the Committee on Rights of Child, to look into the issue of child
soldiers in India, without limiting their attention to regions in
the countryâs north-east and Jammu and Kashmir State;
7. Urge the government of India to report regularly regarding the
actions it has taken to prevent the employment of child soldiers,
including in the upcoming review that will be conducted under the
Councilâs Universal Periodic Review mechanism
References
[ 1 ] Minors turning combatants in Salwa Judum Camps: National
Commission for Women â¦quot; Report 2006
[ 2 ] Ibid
[ 3 ] thnic conflict and orphans in South Asia: P Sahadevan, John B
Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies: The University of
Notre Dame
[ 4 ] Child Soldiers: CRC Country Briefs - 2003
[ 5 ] Militancy in Indiaâs Northeast: Power and Interest News
Report, May 16, 2006
[ 6 ] Please visit www.rss.org
[ 7 ] Please see the Arms Act, 1959
[ 8 ] Land Mine Monitor Report 2006
[ 9 ] CSUS, Asia Report:2006
[ 10 ] Sanjay, Jah K., âAndra Pradesh : A False please and more
violenceâ, South Asia Intelligence Review No. 1.3, 2002
[ 11 ] Id 2 above
[ 12 ] The Naxalite Challenge: Ramakrishnan, Venkitesh
[ 13 ] Committee on the Rights of the Child : Thirty-fifth Session,
CRC/C/15 Add.228, 26 February 2004
# # #
About ALRC: The Asian Legal Resource Centre is an independent
regional non-governmental organisation holding general consultative
status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations.
It is the sister organisation of the Asian Human Rights Commission.
The Hong Kong-based group seeks to strengthen and encourage positive
action on legal and human rights issues at local and national levels
throughout Asia.
- 3.
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A splendid message...something that all of us can share with our pee
Posted by: "adarsh chandrakar" [EMAIL PROTECTED] adarshch
Mon Oct 1, 2007 10:52 pm (PST)
A splendid message...something that all of us can share with our peers...
Eight Children were standing on the track to participate in the running event.
Ready! Steady! Bang !!!
With the sound of the Toy pistol, all eight girls started running.
Hardly had they covered ten to fifteen steps, when one of the smaller girls slipped and fell down, and she started crying.
When the other seven girls heard this sound, they stopped running, stood for awhile and turned back, they all ran back to the spot where the girl had fallenl down.
One among them bent, picked and kissed the girl gently and said - `Now the pain must have reduced' . All seven girls lifted the fallen girl, pacified her, two of them held the girl firmly and all seven joined hands and walked together to the winning post.
Officials were shocked . Applause of thousands of spectators filled the stadium.Many eyes were filled with tears!
YES. This happened in Hyderabad [INDIA], recently!
The meet was conducted by National Institute of Mental Health. All these special girls had come to participate in this event and they are spastic children.
Yes, they were supposed to be mentally Challenged.
What did they teach this world?
Teamwork??
Humanity??
Equality among all ??
Most of all - LOVE and COMPASSION
Successful people help others who are slow in learning so that they are not left far behind. This is really a great message...spread it!
We can't do this ever because we are not mentally challenged and claim to teach and help the mentally so called challenged.!
HAVE YOU NOTICED HOW BLIND PEOPLE SMILE ALL THE TIME?
STOP ANY SORT OF MARGINALISATION IN SOCIETY.
Love and Compassion FOR ALL !!!
- 4a.
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Re: Lost in transit
Posted by: "adarsh chandrakar" [EMAIL PROTECTED] adarshch
Mon Oct 1, 2007 10:56 pm (PST)
I am happy to see that people have started thinking rationally on this group. They have really provided very rational approach of calculating the poverty on the basis of the basic needs. In addition to multiple articles I would like to mention the basic needs for the human society as follows:
1. Food
2. Clothes
3. Shelter
4. Education
5. Medication
As per my perspective present govt anywhere in the world is not capable enough to guarantee this basic needs to the human society. The sole reason behind the political democratic structure in the society which is completely dependent on Capitalism. Capitalism targets only the individual progress, so it can't be the philosophy for the social progress. There is no benevolent approach in the capitalism but their is the approach of exploitation in the maximazation of wealth accumulation of an individual or group. Moreover Capitalism focusses only on the physical development where as the need for the progress of society is physical, psychic and spiritual. So only the philosophical revolution which brings the economic democracy can give a right direction towards the development of society.
in HIM
Adarsh
( Moderator's Note : We have edited the part of mail where Adarsh Ji describes about Prout philosophy which he has done quite a few times in his mails in this forum. If anyone is interested to know more about prout we request them to pls write to Adarsh Ji direct at [EMAIL PROTECTED]com )
- 5.
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Elusive justice in the badlands of Andhra
Posted by: "S.Choudhary" [EMAIL PROTECTED] shu36garh
Tue Oct 2, 2007 2:12 am (PST)
Elusive justice in the badlands of Andhra
>From R Akhileshwari, DH News Service, Visakhapatnam: Nothing has been
done to arrest the culprits who raped 11 tribal women of Vakapalli village
in Andhra Pradesh though forty days have gone past. The women were were
allegedly raped by policemen of the elite anti-Naxal Greyhounds.
Forty days have gone past since 11 tribal women of Vakapalli village in
Andhra Pradesh were allegedly raped by policemen of the elite anti-Naxal
Greyhounds.
Yet nothing has been done to bring the culprits to book. The government has
turned a deaf ear to their cries for justice; the political parties have
ignored their plight after initial pronouncements of outrage. For the media,
it is no longer a story, while the women's and other civil society
organizations have been lukewarm in their follow up.
This collective apathy of society to the trauma of the 11 women, all married
and having children, has forced them to go on an indefinite strike from
September 22 at Paderu, the mandal headquarters, about 100 kms from here.
This after 17 days of relay hunger strike organised by the Adivasi United
Struggle Committee, from September 3 evoked no response from the government.
Protest
A total bundh was observed in the agency areas of Visakhapatnam district
followed by dharnas, rasta rokos and public meetings organised in several
towns of the Andhra region.
The 11 haggard and starving women and two men, Korra Someshwara Rao,
secretary of the Primitive Tribal Groups Network and S V Ramana, President
of the G Madugula Mandal under which Vakapalli comes, are waiting in hope
that their protest would yield some result.
Ten days have gone by. With their infant children by their side, the women
wait for the wheels of justice to turn. To no avail. As yet. Not a single
political party has responded to the hunger strike. Not a single minister,
not the Collector nor the Superintendent of Police of the district has
visited the hunger strike camp.
"This government is for criminals, not victims. What kind of government is
this?" asked Lake Raja Rao, the tribal MLA of Paderu. He is the lone BSP MLA
in the entire South India.
Mr Raja Rao told Deccan Herald at the hunger strike camp that the 11 women's
travails seemed to arouse neither anger nor concern of the society at large.
Nor have any of the commissions like the national and state women's
commissions, human rights commissions, SC and ST commissions responded in a
concrete manner to the atrocity committed on the Vakapalli women.
"The rape of a woman in a Mumbai train becomes a national issue but what
about us? If we were not tribals certainly the entire system including the
media would have camped here," Mr Raja Rao said.
"The only way out is for all of us to take up weapons and join the Maoists.
What else can we do when our self esteem is destroyed?" he asked. A woman
activist responded to him with a solution.
There was only one way of making the government sit up and listen to them.
"We should take on the state, set buses on fire, go to jail and die if
necessary." Is this message loud enough to reach the government?
http://www.deccanherald.com/ Content/Oct22007 /national2007100 128276.asp
--
--------------------- --------- --------- --------- --------- -
Shubhranshu Choudhary Freelance Journalist
Ph : + 91 98110 66749 e mail : [EMAIL PROTECTED]com
http://36garh.notlong.com http://www.cgnet.in
- 6.
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Young journalists can apply for Human Rights Watch fellowship
Posted by: "CGNet" [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Tue Oct 2, 2007 2:17 am (PST)
Young journalists can apply for Human Rights Watch fellowship
Region :Worldwide
Country :None
Topic :Fellowships and Awards, Young Journalists
Recent journalism graduates worldwide have the chance to apply for an
international fellowship with Human Rights Watch. Deadline: October 5.
The Alan R. and Barbara D. Finberg Fellowship is open to any eligible
candidate, regardless of nationality. Fellows work full-time for one
year with Human Rights Watch in New York, Washington, D.C., or London.
Tasks include monitoring human rights developments in various
countries, conducting on-site investigations, and drafting reports on
human rights conditions.
The fellowship is also open to recent graduates from law,
international relations or area studies, and those with comparable
relevant work experience. The next round of fellowships start in
September 2008 and are open to graduates with relevant degrees
received after January 2005 and before August 2008.
For more information, telephone +1 212 290 4700, ext. 312, or visit
http://www.hrw.org/about/ info/fellows. html.
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