[sacw] SACW | 14 Dec. 00

Harsh Kapoor aiindex@mnet.fr
Wed, 13 Dec 2000 22:13:21 +0100


SOUTH ASIA CITIZENS WIRE
14 December 2000
http://www.mnet.fr/aiindex)

#1. Pakistan: Seminar on Coverage of Human Rights in Media
#2. India: DISGRACE ABOUNDING Prime Minister Exonerates Babari Brutality?
#3. India: Gujarat situation reviewed by Secular fora and Human Right activ=
ists
#4. India: Fashion Show Protesters Beaten Up Badly
#5. India: National Conference on Human Rights, Social Mov.ts.,
Globalisation...

#1.

Seminar on Coverage of Human Rights in Media
ISLAMABAD, Dec 10: Human rights can be protected by highlighting them in
media and this can only happen if journalists are given a free access to
information and laws hampering human rights are replaced with those human
friendly, said speakers at a seminar held in connection with World Human
Rights.
The seminar on "Coverage of Human Rights in Media" was organised by
Journalists for Democracy and Human Rights (JDHR) in collaboration with
Journalist Resource Centre (JCR) and Colleges of Professional Studies. The
Bedari theatre team performed a stage play on human rights violations in
jails and how minors are maltreated alongwith other prisoners. The team
highlighted the role journalists should play to protect rights of
prisoners. This was an interactive play, which moved people on human rights
and their importance.
Speaking on the occasion, Shafqat Munir, president JDHR said human rights
violations should not be covered in media just as a routine crime story,
but these issues be covered in a more focused way. He called for an
interactive debate among journalists on coverage of human rights and press
ethics to ensure protection of people's right to know.
Media advisor to PPP chairperson, Farhatullah Babar, said unless there is a
free access to information and laws hampering flow of information are
scrapped, nobody can ensure freedom of press and respect for human rights.
He suggested that JDHR can work to strengthen role of media in securing
citizen's rights to information. Talking about the government's proposed
Freedom of Information Law, he said this law cannot ensure access to
information because it does not override the existing law which make
information unnecessarily classified or secret. He said any such law must
flow from the constitution so that citizen can have access to information.
Babar pointed out that there are certain laws, which violate human rights.
They are Official Secret Act, Law of Defamation, Hudood Ordinance and
Contempt Law. These laws not only violate people's rights but are used to
block information. He called upon media to identify areas where human
rights violations take place. He particularly mentioned violations.
President for Lawyers for Human Rights and Legal Aid (LHRLA) Zia Ahmad Awan
said human rights can only be protected if institutions are strengthened.
Though the print media seems to have larger extent of freedom, yet there is
a need to set up such institutions, which can promote professionalism and
ethics in media. He called for freedom of electronic media. He said
children are 15% of our population, but regrettably, they have no
television channel for them. We have to develop process of communication
for children through children participation. He said vernacular press must
avoid using offensive language. He suggested that media organizations
should review their role. They should not only work as trade unions but
also promote ethics.
Taking serious notice of Federal Law Minister, Shahida Jameel's statement
on Hudood ordinance, Zia Awan sought clarification from the government on
this issue. He said a number of ministers in this government had time and
again spoken against certain clauses in the Hudood ordinance, which
violates rights of women, children and minorities. He said there are many
flaws in this ordinance, which were incorporated by Martial Law regime. He
said hundreds of women and people from minorities are facing ordeal and 50%
women avoid reporting even rape cases because of this law.
ENDS...

_____

#2.

The Statesman
14 December 2000

DISGRACE ABOUNDING Prime Minister Exonerates Babari Brutality?

By HIREN MUKERJEE
AS the year of grace 2000 approaches its end, Prime Minister Atal Behari
Vajpayee, of all people, lends his voice in support of on-going designs of
fanatic zeal-otry to aggravate the crisis created by the almost
univer-sally detested demolition of the Babari Masjid in Ayodhya eight
years ago. Of all people, I repeat, Atal who never fails to choose his
words thought fit in Parliament, on the anniversary of that Black Day (6
December, 1992) to call the designedly and demonstratively dastardly
Babari demolition-Ram Jan-mabhoomi agitation as "a manifestation of
nat-ionalist feelings". This has been said without even an accompanying
word of regret-which India owes to herself and to the world-for an
infam-ous and in every sense impious act of disgrace in Ayodhya. That act
has sullied inefface-ably India's image as the land where even militant
all-conquer-ing Islam came to terms with our unique civilisational
eclecti-cism and a lovely cul-tural synthesis, now so much in peril, was
evolved on our soil. If this is how even Atal Behari Vajpayee reacts, what
of the cohorts of near-demented zea-lots, the obviously odious out-fits
like Bal Thackaray's Shiv Sena and other formations behind and around him?
It may be conceded that the Prime Minister, pressured by his entourage, has
a hell of a job to keep it in check. But there was no call for him,
especially on a day of solemn introspection, to speak in that way. If the
light that is in thee is darkness how great is that darkness!

CLEAN CHIT

Can it be that the compara-tively sensitive Atal Behari Vajpayee's
capitulation to his communalist enrages has gone so far that he had no
com-punction in gratuitously proce-eding to give a clean chit to his
colleagues, the charge-sheeted trio-LK Advani, Murli Mano-har Joshi and Uma
Bharti -who have yet to purge them-selves judicially. If things were normal
and even minimally moral in our public life they should not have been
permitted to gad about in Parliament and elsewhere as functioning
min-isters. The Prime minister must have known that both Advani and Joshi,
after much procrastination, are slated to appear later this month before
Mr Justice Lieberhan entrus-ted long ago with a judicial inquiry into the
December 1992 impasse, and alas, typically in our political predicament,
trap-ped into a characteristically contrived process of the law's delay,
perhaps in order that the inquiry is effectively scotched. In our feeble
and often ran-cously fatuous Parliament, voices have been raised from time
to time but in vain for the charge-sheeted trio to be out of the ministry.
That apart, the Prime Minister aggravates what appears almost to be his
malfeasance by a blatant at-tempt to shield his tainted colleagues. They
may be esti-mable otherwise and capable to boot, but they are awaiting the
verdict of the law of our land and how their alleged doings are to be
judged. It is a shame even to recollect how the judicial inquiry has been
almost jettisoned and turned nearly futile by man-oeuvres that have made
the unwilling Lieberhan play a sadly lingering innings. There has been
murder, in very sus-picious circumstances, of vital witnesses like Suraj
Bhan who was travelling to Delhi from Varanasi by train with im-portant
documentary evidence to be placed before the Lieber-han Commission but
was, in puzzling circumstances, done away with and the documents vanished.
There were other such "doings", but that is not the theme of this piece.
One might only add another mysti-fying murder, the killing, while he was
asleep in his own Ayod-hya home, of a priest Lal Das (1993) who had the
gumption of attacking the demolition of the mosque and was in possession
of vital evidence of the Com-mission. In Parliament, on the day after the
demolition, the then Congress Prime minister, PV Narasimha Rao with his
still somewhat unblemished appea-rance, posed as if he was over-powered
with grief over the "unintended" outrage and kept pouting away with
philosophic solemnity. One could almost reconstruct in imagination the
scene in Parliament and its precincts, even Advani appear-ing
uncharacteristically dis-traught and Vajpayee, the finished stage artist,
seemed too emotionally overwhelmed-stunned into stoic silence. The
chronically voluble and rumbustious Opposition, per-haps rejoicing over
the oppor-tunity, volleyed and thundered for a while, all their righteous
indignation ending in a whim-per, and nothing tangible was done to mollify,
to the extent possible, the effects of a craftily and cruelly contrived
exercise in Ayodhya.

AGONY

If my memory serves me right, the then Speaker Shiv-raj Patil had suggested
a par-liamentary resolution to be broadcast to the world and especially
the Muslim coun-tries, conveying the country's profound agony over the
hide-ous act of vandalism which India's conscience condemned
unequivocally. This eminently reasonable suggestion was foil-ed because the
fractious par-ties, including the Opposition, could not agree on the text
of the resolution. I can never for-give the Left, especially the
Communists in Parliament (with whom my whole life has been linked) for
their failure at that historic moment, but no-body seems to share my
an-guish at such failure. A truly sensitive and sensible idea was just
cavalierly dropped. The en-tire Parliament, the Left par-ticularly
included, shares the responsibility for an unforgi-vable default. It was
inhuman-I should be permitted to say-and not just disgraceful that the
Babari Masjid, a stupendous pile that had stood for five hundred years
decorating the skyline of the sacred city of Ayodhya as places of worship
of different denominations do in our coun-try, was demonstratively
des-troyed by nearly dem-ented kar sevaks in the presence of and to the
then widely reported applause (which no later denial could wish away) of
not only the impetuous Uma Bharti but of stern, sedate, solemn political
perso-nages also. Who can erase the re-cord of the picturesque (and
perilous) Ram Rath yatra which Mr Advani, wise and wily as he always has
been, undertook and perfor-med with gusto as preparation for other things
to follow? I at least cannot push away from my memory press reports of the
scene when, be-fore December 1992, Bal Thac-keray in his Mumbai
head-quarters, gleefully affirmed that if he was India's Prime Minister he
would demolish the Babari Masjid in twentyfour hours, while his guests,
Vaj-payee and Advani, guffawed as if it was a typical Thackeray joke?

HURT

It is no use recalling the sordid story, but are even more sordid things to
happen now that our reportedly liberal-minded Prime Minister equ-ates
"national" aspiration with construction on Babari ruins of a new and
shining temple for which sculptured items have already started pouring in?
All this, without honestly to at-tempt assuaging the hurt not only to our
principal religious minority but to the very ethos of our ancient country;
the ethos of tolerance of diversity and universal compassion. Whatever
might be said in derision of India, this is the fundamental quality which
has made our land invincible in spite of all the agony inflicted on us for
ages past. How can this process of assuagement be so thoughtlessly
sabotaged by the Prime Minister himself fue-lling the flames perhaps only
to appease his fanatic fringe. At this point of time when Kash-mir, the
North-East, the bizar-reries of the South (LTTE, Jayalalitha et al) and
other per-ils persist, why aggravate com-munal issues that jeopardise not
only India's security and stability and developmental prospects but also
her histo-rically evolved integrity? I look around and wish I had not
lived to see such happen-ings. I have no illusions about my voice carrying
any weight in today's public life. Atal, for all the affection in which I
have held him, will have, I am certain, no time even to learn of my
distress! But even if it is the last time I have written for this paper
which has given me hospitality since around 1936, I let go of my agony and
hope for the best.

The author, an eminent parliamentarian, represented the Communist Party of
India.

_____

#3.

[Message Recieved from John Dayal Delhi]

Gujarat situation reviewed by Secular fora and Human Right activists/
agencies at Ahmedabad on 13 December

> All India Democratic Women's Association
> 23 VBP House Rafi Marg, New Delhi-110 001
> Phone: 011- 3710476 / 3319596
>
> All India Christian Council
> 79/B, 1 & 2 Floor, 8 Street, Marredpally, Secunderabad-500 028
> Phone: 040-7868908
>
> Press Release
> Meeting Condemns atrocities against minorities, violation of
> Fundamental Rights.
>
> 13 December 2000
> Ahmedabad
>
> In a meeting initiated by the All India Democratic Women's Association
> (AIDWA) and the All India Christian Council (AICC), more than a dozen
> respected organizations of the state - secular, progressive and
> democratic- got together. They shared their concerns and exchanged views
> of the situation of escalating violence against minorities, the
> Constitution and the rule of law, and the communalisation of politics
> and the State in Gujarat. Taking place in the aftermath of the events
> in Chindia and the recent communal riots in Ahmedabad, the meeting
> agreed on the urgent need for joint and broad-based action, including
> the various minorities and all others, and condemned the situation of
> escalating violence and state inaction and even complicity. Home
> Minister's Haren Pandya's controversial remarks on Chindia came in for
> vehement condemnation.
> The communalisation of politics in Gujarat seems every day to scale new
> heights. Particularly since the BJP government took power in the state,
> violations of the Constitution, the rule of law and fundamental rights,
> specially of minority communities, by members of the Sangh Parivar, have
> accumulated with impunity. The concerted campaign of the Sangh Parivar
> against minorities is supported by the state in a way which seems
> designed to precisely worsen the communal situation. There are now
> instances where, instead of the Sangh Parivar perpetrators, the
> victimised members of minorities are jailed and prosecuted.
> Sangh Parivar organizations are not only the national, international,
> and well-known ones like the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Bajrang Dal,
> for example, but also include the huge undergrowth of local
> organizations which the Sangh Parivar has fostered. They are harder to
> monitor and their work is easily ignored or obscured in the national
> media and politics.
> The state is no longer merely paralysed - it is infiltrated by
> sympathisers of the Sangh Parivar. While the national outcry against
> Chief Minister Keshubhai's Patel's proposal that government officers be
> allowed to be members of the RSS prevented its realization, this has not
> prevented covert sympathy. Instances of the active collaboration of
> elements of the state apparatus with these unconstitutional and illegal
> activities are proliferating frighteningly.
> The BJP and Sangh Parivar organizations have become particularly
> desperate since the civic elections which they lost, and the recent
> outbreak of communal violence against Muslims in Ahmedabad is a sign of
> this. This portends an unimaginable worsening of the situation of
> minorities, fundamental rights and the constitution. The Christian
> community in particular apprehends an escalation of violence against
> them in the Christmas season, more so because no one of those guilty of
> the anti-Christian violence since 1998 has been brought to justice.
> The public in Gujarat deserves better than this. People, whether of
> majority or minority communities, need must be assured their freedoms
> and security. This is the view these undersigned organizations. We
> demand, as the beginning of the reversal of the process of
> communalisation and unconstitutional and lawless rule, the following:
>
> 1. Gujarat State re-establish the right of worship in the ECI Church
> Hall in Chindia with immediate effect in view of the upcoming Christmas
> season.
>
> 2. The persons guilty of sacrilege and violence there be identified and
> prosecuted. The fabricated cases ECI Bishop Ezra Sargunam be withdrawn
> forthwith.
>
> 3. The State administration take immediate steps to stem and reverse the
> process of its communalisation.
>
> 4. The Governor, as representative of the President of India ensure
> that the unlawful actions of the members of the Sangh Parivar are fully
> investigated and prosecuted, including those who participated in the
> intensified cycle of violence against minorities since the BJP took
> power.
>
> 5. The Governor ensure that the state government does not protect and
> endorse the activities of the Sangh Parivar.
>
>
> Radhika Desai
> All India Democratic Women's Association
>
> John Dayal
> All India Christian Council
> All India Catholic Union
>
> Sonal Mehta
> Movement for Secular Democracy
>
> Ushaben Rathore
> President, AIDWA, Ahmedabad
>
> Ushaben Makwana
> AIDWA
> Shahabuddin Shaikh
> Democratic Youth Federation of India, Ahmedabad
>
> Prasad Chako
> Behavioural Science Centre
>
> Jyotsna Macwan
> Resource Centre for Training and Development
>
> Sam Paul
> All India Christian Council
>
> Sheba George
> SAHRWARU
>
> Hanif Lakdawala
> Peoples' Union for Human Rights
>
> Sophia Khan
> Vikas Adhyayan Kendra
>
> Wilfred D'Souza
> Samvad
>
> Abraham Mathai
> Indian Christian Voice
> Maharashtra State Minorities Commission
>
> Samson Christian
> Executive Member, AICC
>
> Ashim Roy
> Trade Unionist

_____

#4.

From: abhiyan <abhiyan_jharkhand@u...>

For an Immediate action

Dear Friends,

Warm Greetings,

Few must be knowing that some sons of industrialists had organised a
fashion show on the 3rd of December 2000 at the capital of Jharkhand i.e.
Ranchi.
Many people's group, youth-groups, women's organisations and concerned
intellectuals raised their voice against the organising of the fashion sho=
w,
under the leadership of Jharkhand Mahila Mukti Sanghathan. Under this
banner, as a protest action, the groups sat on a dharna at Albert Ekka
Chowk, on 1st December. The reason of the dharna was to inform organisers
of the show and the administration to stop the event. The administration
ignored the protest.

Eventually on the 3rd of December all the social groups got together and
marched from the centre place of the town (i.e. Albert Ekka Chowk) to the
spot where the show was to be organised. About 150 people including men,
women, students, journalists and intellectuals participated in this
march/rally. The groups demanded the stopping of the fashion show and
demanded a discussion with the organisers and the hotel managers, outside
the gate of Hotel Ashoka, the venue of the fashion-show. The police force
did not allow the protestors to enter and kept guard on the main gate of
the hotel. As a result, some of the protesting students broke open the
gate and rushed. The convenor of the rally Ms. Dayamani Barla (also
President of INSAF) tried to stop the violent students, but by then the
protesting groups had already entered the hotel premises. So the other
protesters had to also accompany them into the premises. Just than the
D.S.P of Hatia police station U.C. Jha reached the spot and ordered the
police troops to surround the protestants and started beating them
mercilessly. Dayamani Barla also got seriously injured and fainted on the
spot. There were no women police. The protesters were dragged like
animals; Dayamani Barla who was unconscious was also dragged and dumped in
a police jeep. 20 protesters were taken into custody. The students who
were protesting were locked up in the police lockup. The women protesters
were made to sit in the corridor of the police station, under
police supervision.

A journalist of Jansatta, Ms. Vasavi who was covering the demonstration
was also humiliated by the police. D.S.P of Hatia police station U.C. Jha
not only told Vasavi that he would teach her a lesson later but also
arrested her for 10 minutes at the hotel premises. After the pleading by
other journalists present there, Vasavi was left.

Among the arrested protesters, 13 of them were women. When the news of
their arrest was given to the chief minister, he did not show interest in
it. The protesters put the issue before the cabinet minister of Jharkhand
Ramchandra Keshri, who was present there in the hotel gate. He immediately
contacted the Chief Minister Babulal Marandi, he was asked to contact the
D.G.P. in this regard. To this, the D.G.P. responded by saying that the
fashion show will definitely take place.

The response of the Chief Minister shows that he was interested in the
fashion show, or else he would not have passed over the issue to the D.G.P
when was informed by the Cabinet Minister. Probably it was on the orders
of the orders of the chief Minister the D.G.P. of Hatia police station
said that the
fashion show would take place inspite of all protest. Thus we appeal you
all to inform everyone about the shameful event, including the Chief
Minister, Governor and Human Rights Commission, at your earliest possible.

The names of students who were injured in the event are as follows:
Ajay Roy Praveen KumarGorge SorenAdisa BaraDevnish Prem KujurPratap
SorenArun AnandKumar Chand
In Solidarity,

Mardi Ghanshyam
(Jharkhand Ulgulan Manch)
Convenor, Abhiyan

_____

#5.

NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON HUMAN RIGHTS, SOCIAL MOVEMENTS,
GLOBALISATION AND THE LAW

26 Dec 2000 - 1 Jan 2001
Panchgani, Maharashtra, India

INDIA CENTRE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS AND LAW
4th Floor, CVOD Jain School, 84 Samuel Street, Dongri, Mumbai 400 009
Tel: 375 9657 / 371 6690 Fax: 379 0699
Email: huright@g...

Globalise Human Rights - Don't Globalise Misery

India stands on the brink of a precipice.

Never before in the history of this nation have so many people been
denuded of their fundamental rights - they stand impoverished and broken.
Never before has the state been so brutal against its own people. Never
have starvation, illiteracy, ill health, homelessness and unemployment so
stalked this land.

The constitution lays down as fundamental in the governance of India, the
establishment of a social order for the promotion of the welfare of the
people where inequalities are minimized, adequate means of livelihood
secured, control of resources distributed to subserve the common good,
concentration of wealth eliminated, the right to work and education
provided for and so too public assistance in case of old age, sickness,
disablement and want; and where the State raises the level of nutrition
and standard of living of the people and improves public health.

In the name of 'globalisation' all this is being undone; leaving in its
wake concentration of economic wealth on the one hand and utter
destitution of the people on the other.

One of the most oppressive statutes - the Land Acquisition Act - has
enabled the removal of millions from their lands and livelihoods for
projects of dubious public purpose, breeding corruption.

Despite the Right to Housing being incorporated in Article 21 - the Right
to Life - by the Supreme Court, and India agreeing to the UN Resolution
Against Forced Evictions, the most brutal demolitions of slums are taking
place.

The protective umbrella of labour laws is now sought to be dismantled
allowing closures and the employment of contract labour in perennial work
positions, and permitting the encroachment by the state into union rights.

Child Abuse is rampant, and no law exists. Despite the Child Labour
(Regulation and Prohibition) Act, millions of children join the ranks of
the working class every year as the education budget shrinks and the state
schools are closed.

Despite the Equality Clause, violence against women is extreme,
discrimination routine, legal redressal illusory and equality a distant
dream. If the legal system has failed the people it is no more obvious
than in the area of legal aid for women.

And in the jails the prisoners rot. `Encounter` deaths a euphemism for
state killings have become as routine as an execution a day in states like
Andhra Pradesh. Abductions, torture and rape by the police and the armed
forces particularly in the North East, Kashmir, Punjab and Bihar occur
with hardly any judicial notice. The state now proposes to introduce the
Prevention of Terrorism Bill, which is even more heinous than the
Terrorism and Disruptive Activities Act.

Despite the advances in common law in Australia, Canada, the United
States, New Zealand and Britain and their recognition of customary rights
of indigenous people; in India millions of adivasis have been treated as
rank encroachers and ruthlessly displaced.

The virus of communalism spreads rapidly through the administration and
the police. Despite provisions enabling the prosecution of those engaging
in communal activities, legal proceedings from the anti-sikh riots to the
Bombay riots have proved futile.
And the practice of untouchability continues unabated to this day with
hardly a prosecution anywhere.

Though rapid advances were made in environmental law by the introduction
of the 'polluter pays' and 'precautionary' principles and the Public Trust
doctrine, the environment law movement suffered the intervention of
powerful industrial lobbies masquerading as environment groups and
campaigning actively for the demolition of slums, the closure of factories
and the eviction of tribals from national parks.

Despite the enactment of the Disability Act 1995, lawyers, judges and
officials remained oblivious of its provisions. Despite the rapidly
increasing numbers of HIV Positive people, the lack of medical care and
the offensive discrimination routinely practiced, no law exists to protect
their fundamental rights. And no thought is given to lesbian and gay
rights while 377 IPC is used to persecute them.

All this has taken India to the brink of ruin. The banks are unsteady. The
state exchequers are made dry and are being funded by selling the assets
of the state and by dipping into the pension funds. And communal forces
have rend asunder the secular fabric of Indian society.

These changes were not accidental. They were part of a move worldwide to
draw the upper classes into a web of exploitation and corruption, bringing
them unimaginable returns while pushing the rest into servitude. The three
principal felons - the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the
World Trade Organisation have successfully lobbied for the legal opening
of this country to global exploitation and for the denationlisation of
economic decision making. All poverty alleviation programmes will now be
systematically dismantled. Changes in the law under the TRIPS regime will
adversely affect the poor particularly in the field of seeds and drugs.
The conditionalities of structural adjustments saw changes in statutes
covering power, banking and insurance fraught with adverse repercussions
for consumers. This was all the more frightening as the legal changes were
brought about without legislators understanding what they were doing.
Synchronised policy changes diverted funds to allocated for the poor in
education, health, transportation, employment and food. To make matters
worse, manic militarisation ate further into these funds.

By any barometer India should be on the brink of a revolution.

Judicial reponses were mixed. Rapid strides were made in environmental law
with some progress in administrative law and the law relating to women.
The judiciary stepped in to correct some excesses committed by the state.
But it was ineffective in many ways. Repressive statutes such as the
Armed Forces (Special Provisions) Act were upheld. Torture by the police
is so widespread that it appears beyond judicial review. Personal laws
were held to be immune from constitutional challenge. The huts of the poor
were bulldozed and the remnants burnt without any court intervening.
Corruption spread like a cancer throughout the arms of the state and
remained unchecked. Land acquisition and the displacement of millions
were held legal and justified. With the backlog in the appointment of
judges growing, arrears mounted leaving litigants frustrated. The
administration of justice is woefully out of tune with the unprecedented
crisis of modern India.

The judiciary now faces its greatest challenge. It must 'pierce the veil'
of this globalisation when it parades itself in legal attire, and test it
against the fundamental rights and directive principles - the heart of the
Indian Constitution - and strike it down.

Fighting courageously, often without resources, are human rights groups in
India and throughout the world. For us it is perhaps a good time to take
stock. To take a collective look at how the law can be used to defend and
strengthen the peoples movements. To exchange notes. To discuss strategy.
To share failures and successes. To strengthen the national campaigns. In
particular to mobilise our forces to push for policies and laws that we
want. To cooperate with those sections of the judiciary still open to the
enforcement and expansion of basic rights. To build solidarity in
struggle. To combine forces in this our second national movement for a
radical new society without weapons or want and at peace.

National Conference on
Human Rights, Social Movements, Globalisation and the Law
December 2000 (Tentative Programme)

India Centre for Human Rights and Law and Human Rights Law Network are
co-organising the National Conference on Human Rights, Social Movements,
Globalisation and the Law with :-

Anumukti Awaaz-e-Niswan All India Co-ordinating Forum for Adivasi and
Indigenous Peoples AHSAAS Ashoka Innovators for Public Butterflies
Childline CEHAT Centre for the Study of Society and Secularism Centre
for Housing Rights Drishti Greenpeace Gujarat Federation of Trade
Unions HAZARDS Institute for Socio-Economic Development Jan Sangharsh
Manch Kashtakari Sanghatana Ekta FACSE Lawyers' Initiative-Human
Rights and Law Majlis Magic Lantern Foundation Moral Re-armament Centre
Naz Foundation National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled
People National Campaign for Housing Rights National Confederation of
Public Officers' Association of Central Public Sector Undertaking Peace
People's Watch Sangini Sangram Toxics Link and others

WORKSHOPS

Theme 1 Globalisation and its Impact
Workshop 1 Globalisation and its institutions
Workshop 2 Health
Workshop 3 Labour
Workshop 4 Environment and Human Rights
Workshop 5 Housing
Workshop 6 Displacement

Theme 2 State And Democracy
Workshop 7 Prisoners / State repression
Workshop 8 People's participation, civil society and
governance
Workshop 9 Human Rights and Media
Workshop 10 Communalism

Theme 3 Marginalised Communities
Workshop 11 Indigenous people
Workshop 12 Dalits
Workshop 13 Disabled
Workshop 14 Children
Workshop 15 Sexual minorities
Workshop 16 HIV / AIDS
Workshop 17 Women / Sex workers

While the dates for the conference are fixed the programme for different
workshops may be subject to change.
Plenary

December 26 December 27 December 28 December 29
December 30 December 31 January 1
Registration
Film Festival
Plenary Plenary Plenary Plenary Plenary Plenary
Human Rights and Culture Justice Krisnha Iyer
Justice Sacchar
Housing & UN Mechanisms
K.N. Panikkar
Communalism and the role of non-state agencies Nandita Huksar
International Trade and Human Rights Anil Agarwal
Right to Clean Environment
Indian People's Tribunal on Environ-ment and Human Rights
Justice Suresh -

Inaugural Address Right to Food V.P. Singh
Right to Housing
Sucheta Dalal
Corporate Sector Corruption
Ashok Rao
The Role of the State in Privatised India

Thomas Kocherry
K.G. Kannabiran
Rustam Barucha
Culture and Human Rights Justice Bains
State Repression Medha Patkar
Displacement
Women and Property Ram Dayal Munda
Meera Shiva
Reproductive Rights Indira Jaisingh
Personal Law Tested in Relation to the Constitution
Mahasweta Devi Struggle Organisations and People's Participation in Civil
Society

Achin Vinaik
Nuclear Weaponisati-on Dalit Rights Labour and Globalisation
Vandana Shiva Law and Reform

Workshops

December 26 December 27 December 28 December 29
December 30 December 31 January 1
Workshops Workshops Workshops Workshops
Workshops
WTO/ World Bank/ IMF (2 days) Housing
(1 day) Communalism
(2 days) Environ
-ment
(2 days)

State Repression & Prisoner's Rights
(2 days) Displace-ment
(2 days) Indigenous People
(2 days) Dalits
(1 day) Disability
(1 day)

Women
(2 days) Gay & Lesbian Rights (1 day) Children
(1 day) Labour
(2 days) Health
(1 day)

People's participation, Civil Society & Governance
(1 day) Ashoka Fdn Fellows for Human Rights HIV/ Aids (1 day)
Human Rights & Media
(1 day) Ashoka Fdn Fellows for Human Rights

Evening Sessions Evening Sessions Evening Sessions
Evening Sessions Evening Sessions
Judicial Reform UN Mechanisms
Monitoring Training
PIL Training IPT Consolidation

December 26, 2000

Inauguration of the Human Rights Film and Cultural Festival which will run
parallel to workshops through seven days. The festival will comprise of
films, exhibition of paintings and photographs, performances by theatre
troupes and poetry reading.

Theme: Social Movements, Human Rights, Revolution, Struggle And Social
Change.

December 27, 2000

Globalisation and its Institutions
4 The World Bank and the IMF: Structural Adjustment Programmes (SAP) as
instruments of global governance.
4 The WTO: TRIPS and its effect on Agriculture, Pharma.
4 Responsibilities abdicated: The minimized role of the State in a
Privatised India: e.g. Electricity Act, Insurance Act, Patent Act. How the
poor (don't) fit into this system.
4 The East Asian Crisis and the Road Ahead: Precedents to consider from
Thailand, Indonesia. Future Struggles, Direct actions and alternatives
building.

Women / Sex Workers
4 Property Rights
4 Sexual Harassment
4 Violence Against Women
4 Personal Law

Sex Workers and Unionisation
4 Legalisation
4 Charter of Rights
4 Amendment to PETA

People's Participation, Civil Society and Governance
4 Panchayati Raj
4 Local Self Governance
4 Right to Information Bill
4 Electoral Rights
4 Extension of Democracy at the grassroot level (73 and 74 Amendment)
4 Right to Information Bill

December 28, 2000

Housing
4 Demolitions
4 Right to Housing
4 UN Instruments and Domestic Applicability
4 The Urban Land Ceiling Act

Displacement
4 Land Acquisition Act and other similar statutes - displacement of
millions
4 Proposed amendments to the Act
4 National Campaign for the repeal of the Act
4 People and Mines

Gay and Lesbian Rights
4 Campaign against section 377 - (decriminalisation)
4 Anti Discrimination Laws
4 Partnership
4 Violence against sexual minorities
4 Class and sexuality
December 29, 2000

Communalism
4 Indian Constitution and Secularism- Summing up of the judgements on
secularism
4 Electoral Laws and Secularism
4 Communal Propaganda and the Indian Penal Code
4 Commissions of Enquiry
4 TADA and its misuse
4 Communal riots and legal intervention
4 Textbooks, communalism and legal interventions
4 Police, communal violence and legal strategies
4 Muslim Women and communalism

Indigenous People
4 Biodiversity Convention
4 Adivasis and National Parks - Displacement and legal strategies

Children
4 Child Abuse and the Law
4 Child Labour and the Law
4 Children in institutions
4 Right to Education

HIV/ AIDS
4 Discrimination in the Law
4 Right to Marry
4 Provisions of Health Services

December 30, 2000

Environment and Human Rights
4 The change in the role of the State as a Regulator
4 Corporate Crime
4 How to deal with defamation and SLAPP suits
4 Water Rights
4 CRZ Violations and its effects on coastal communities
4 Traffic Pollution and Pedestrian Rights urban transport and traffic
4 Basel Convention and toxic waste dumping
4 Solid Waste disposal and scavengers rights
4 Tourism

Dalits
4 Violence and discrimination against Dalits (legal initiatives)
4 Atrocities Act
4 Reservation Law
4 Untouchability

Labour
4 Industrial Labour
4 Closures
4 Privatisation - Banks, Insurance, Power Sector
4 Contract Labour
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
4 Agricultural Labour
4 Minimum Wages
4 Bondage
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
4 Sexual Harassment Guidelines

Human Rights and Media
4 Censorship
4 Broadcast Bill
4 Internet Laws
4 Need for Alternative Media - (People's Radio Station)
4 Using media to further people's struggle
4 The politics of representation
December 31, 2000

Prisoners / State Repression
4 Torture in Police Custody
4 Encounters
4 The National Prison Reform Campaigns
4 Prevention of Terrorism Bill
4 The Armed Forces Special Powers Act (Special Powers)
4 Repression in Kashmir, North East, Punjab, Bihar & Andhra Pradesh
4 Monitoring Human Rights Violations
4 UN Mechanisms and their Domestic Applicability.

Disability & The Law
4 Non-Implementation of Act
4 The Mentally ill in institutions
4 The Right to work and education

Health
4 Right to Health
4 Access to Health
4 The Role of Forensic Experts and Human Rights
4 Violence & the Role of Health Care Professionals
4 Medical ethics and human rights

______________________________________________
SACW is an informal, independent & non-profit
citizens wire service run by South Asia Citizens Web
(http://www.mnet.fr/aiindex) since 1996.
Dispatch archive from 1998 can be accessed
at http://www.egroups.com/messages/act/
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Disclaimer: opinions expressed in materials carried in the posts do not
necessarily correspond to views of SACW compilers.