Dal
Khalsa’ seminar to focus on “Whither Human Rights in India?”
WSN Bureau
 CHANDIGARH:
To highlight the human rights conditions of ethnic and religious
minorities in the country, the Dal Khalsa is organizing a seminar on
“Whither Human Rights in India? –An Ethnic Minorities Perspective”
on 8th December at Chandigarh.
Party general
secretary Kanwarpal Singh said that the proposed seminar was an
effort to reiterate and reinforce our commitment to the cause of
fundamental freedoms of all ethnic peoples and nations on the
occasion of World Human Rights Day. He said it would be first of its
kind where Naga, Kashmiri, Manipuri, Muslim and Sikh representatives
would address the meet airing their resentment on the violations of
rights of minorities in a single voice. Presently, minorities are at
the receiving end. All those who are on death row belong to minority
communities.
He said successive
Indian governments had miserably failed to protect the human rights
of minorities, in fact they had actively participated in violation
of basic human rights of those citizens who are deprived, uneducated
and don't have the resources to seek justice.
Dal Khalsa decried
that the state had awarded police officers with promotions and money
who have tortured, murdered and raped people whose rights they are
entrusted to protect.
Kanwarpal Singh
informed that Justice (retd) Ajit Singh Bains would preside over the
proceedings of the seminar and Senior Advocate and author of "When A
Tree Shook Delhi", S. Harvinder Singh Phoolka Advocate would be the
Guest of Honour.
Prof. S.A.R Geelani
of Delhi University would share his travails as a convict on the
death row and demonstrate the inadequacy of the criminal justice
system while dealing with minorities. Dr. Ghulam Rasool Dhar,
General Secretary of the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front will
elaborate on the Right to Self-determination of the Kashmiri people.
Top functionary of
the All Party Hurriyat Conference Haqeem Abdul Rasheed and its Human
Rights wing head Mohammed Ashraf Lone, Advocate will address the
gathering on the deteriorating human rights situation in Kashmir.
Mr. Onil
Kshetrimayum, Coordinator, Reachout will speak on the issue
of the rights of the Manipuri people. A movie on detained activist
Chanu Sharmila's opposition to the Armed Forces Special Powers Act
will be screened on the occasion.
Painting a grim
picture of human rights in the country, he said a 16-year-old school
girl was disrobed in the middle of the road and made to run on the
streets for a full 45 minutes in the heart of Gauwhati and Chanu
Sharmila – a frail but determined lady was on fast for the last six
years protesting the Armed Forces Special Forces Act in Manipur and
other parts of the northeast. "Wailing Kashmiri mothers mourn the
deeds of the Indian army almost every day and the images are seen in
the print media and in sections of the satellite television medium.
The leading prosecuting agency in the country, the Central Bureau of
Investigation colludes with high-ranking leaders and expresses
inability to trace key witnesses in the November 1984 anti-Sikh
carnage cases. Indian judicial system continues to discriminate
between one category of victims and criminals as compared to the
others.
5 December, 2007
|
Read Also
Human Rights & India: A Sad Saga