Human rights activists harassed, attacked in Bastar: Amnesty

Over the last six months, human rights activists in Bastar, Chhattisgarh have faced crackdown by the police and self-styled vigilante groups, Amnesty International India said on Tuesday

GN Bureau | April 19, 2016


#amnesty   #Chhattisgarh   #human rights   #Bastar  
Human rights activists harassed, attacked in Bastar: Amnesty
Human rights activists harassed, attacked in Bastar: Amnesty

The Amnesty International India report ‘Blackout in Bastar: Human Rights Defenders Under Threat’ describes how journalists, lawyers and activists have been harassed, attacked and locked up for investigating excesses by security forces and seeking justice for human rights abuses.

“Over and over again, Chhattisgarh authorities have stood by and watched as their critics are intimidated and attacked by groups which seem to enjoy police support,” said Aakar Patel, executive director, Amnesty International India.

“Even worse, the police have themselves arrested journalists on trumped-up charges. The ominous message the state government is sending to defenders is clear: shut up or face the consequences.”

Amnesty International India said that four journalists – Santosh Yadav, Somaru Nag, Prabhat Singh and Deepak Jaiswal – have been arrested on politically motivated charges since July 2015. Another journalist – Malini Subramaniam – was forced to leave her home in February 2016 following attacks on her home and police pressure on her landlord.

In February, Adivasi activist Soni Sori had a chemical substance thrown at her face by unknown assailants who warned her not to file a complaint against a high-ranking Bastar police official for an alleged extrajudicial execution.

Amnesty International India said that Bela Bhatia, an independent researcher, has faced intimidation and harassment from so-called vigilante groups called the Samajik Ekta Manch (Social Unity Forum) and Mahila Ekta Manch (Women’s Unity Forum), for helping Adivasi women file police complaints of large-scale sexual assault and other abuses allegedly committed by security force personnel.

Isha Khandelwal, a lawyer from Jagdalpur Legal Aid Group, said, “Chhattisgarh has become like a police state now. What the police can’t do legally they make these vigilante groups and what’s really worrying is that these vigilante groups openly and blatantly threaten and harass people.

Chhattisgarh has become a very dangerous place for those who question the government.”

“The state police continues to use abusive laws like the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act and the Chhattisgarh Special Public Security Act to stifle the right to freedom of expression,” Aakar Patel said and added: “The Chhattisgarh government’s open contempt for constitutionally guaranteed rights and freedoms needs to end now.”

To know more read Amnesty International India's report

ALSO READ: Why Bastar women are scared
 

Comments

 

Other News

India`s AI future hinges on high-quality, clean data

For nearly a decade, countries have been adopting artificial intelligence, machine learning and large language models on a large scale, showcasing their efficiency in managing complex tasks and significantly boosting productivity across corporate and government sectors. The Indian government is also positi

Urbanisation away from metros: An idea whose time has come

The news of deteriorating infrastructure in the metro cities of Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and Chennai is constantly in the newspapers. Even cities like Pune in their quest to become metros are facing issues like shortage of water supply, floods during the rains, massive traffic jams etc. due to poor and under

‘Open When…’ is truly a companion for life’s twists and turns

Open When… By Dr. Julie Smith PenguinRadomHouse, 402 pages, Rs 899 There are times

Understanding Bharat’s history from its own perspective

Eminent Distorians: Twists and Truths in Bharat`s History By Utpal Kumar BluOne Ink, 334 pages

‘MAGA’ + ‘MIGA’ = ‘MEGA’ partnership for prosperity: Modi

Prime minister Narendra Modi has linked the dream of a Viksit Bharat with US president Donald Trump’s slogan, ‘Make America Great Again’, or ‘MAGA’, saying that when these two democracies work together, i.e. ‘MAGA’ plus ‘Make India Great Again’ (‘

ONOE: Anti-federalism or pro-reform?

The government`s move to implement ‘One Nation, One Election’ (ONOE) has ignited widespread debate. On one hand, it offers tangible benefits, such as removing the possibility of a governance paralysis and reducing election costs. On the other hand, the opposition and sections of civil society s

Visionary Talk: Amitabh Gupta, Pune Police Commissioner with Kailashnath Adhikari, MD, Governance Now



Archives

Current Issue

Opinion

Facebook Twitter Google Plus Linkedin Subscribe Newsletter

Twitter