HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH'S – Weekly newspaper on web
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Editor :  NAGARAJ.M.R.………VOL.2….Issue.26……………09/09/2006

EDITORIAL : AN APPEAL TO ALL THOSE ON VIOLENT PATH

- O, JIHADIS, FREEDOM FIGHTERS, TERRORISTS & NAXALITES
INTROSPECT YOURSELF

AT THE OUTSET , HRW EXPRESSES IT'S DEEP CONDOLENCES TO ALL VICTIMS OF TERRORISM , VICTIMS OF SEPTEMBER 9 / 11 ATTACK & VICTIMS OF AMERICAN FORCES , US SPONSORED TERRORISM , ON THE EVE OF 5^TH ANNIVERSARY OF SEPTEMBER 9 / 11 ATTACK ON WTC IN USA.

In India, every human soul is weeping after witnessing
massive los of human lives In earth quake , heavy rains & floods.
Add to this various natural tragedies. When your fellow countrymen are
suffering, in Kashmir militants butchered innocents, in delhi also
they murdered innocents through serial bomb blasts.  Recently in maharashtra they made bomb blasts. Kashmiri
militants claim they are fighting for kashmiris, when the very same
kashmiris were suffering from loses due to earthquake why didn't the
so-called jihadis didn't make any relief efforts? Why didn't their
foreign master – Pakistan didn't make any relief efforts? Within the
pak occupied Kashmir ( pok) itself, Pakistan didn't make appropriate
relief efforts. It is government of India & international community
who provided proper & timely relief.
The foreign powers are not at all interested in your
well being. They are ready to spend millions of dollars for aiding
terrorism, but not ready to spend a few hundreds for your
education , health care or self employment schemes through NGOs. The
fact is they don't want your well being, they don't want you to
prosper, live peacefully. The ultimate objective of these foreign
powers is to take you on the path of self destruction, destruction
of your motherland & to finally usurp the power, to subjugate you
into slavery in turn looting the resources of your country.
Ofcourse, in India there is rampant corruption. Still
democracy is live & kicking in India, it is the best form of
governance. You have got real examples of countries in Africa, latin
America, wherein the countries have secured independence through
separatist / terrorist movements. The terrorist leaders themselves
have become prime minister / president of newly independent
countries. Now, they are more corrupt & barbaric than their
predecessors . even after getting independence, the lives of
commonfolk has become bad to worse. By independence , only leaders
have benefited. Will you lead another struggle ? this is endless, as
the selfishness , greed of leaders knows no bounds.
In the past, government of India aided tamil
separatists, Pakistan terrorists, etc, butchering innocents. The
government of U.S.A aided terrorists in Africa, afghanisthan, latin
America , murdering innocents. Various countries have aided
terrorism while preaching peace. These barbaric acts were motivated
by selfish, corrupt, ego-centric leaders. Now, in the bomeerang
effects of their actions, innocents are dying in bomb blasts, etc.
Violence breds violence. Peace & compassion results
in all round harmony, prosperity. Every human being must struggle
against injustices in a peaceful & legal manner. The struggle must
be against the corrupt system, for that peaceful struggle democracy
is the best forum. Don't be pawns in the hands of foreign powers,
politicians. They are not at all interested in your welfare, well
being. At the end, it is the leaders who become ministers & amass
wealth through corruption. The common folk like you will remain as
fiddlings, minions forever.
Just imagine yourselves in the place of victims of
delhi serial bomb blasts ( 29/10/2005). Your mother & wife are
crying, your children are dead , your father's hands & limbs are
ripped apart in the blast. How does it feel to be one ? no
religion, no god asks it's followers to cause destruction. All
religions, gods are full of eternal love & compassion. Let that god
shine his light, upon you all on the violent path.

Let us build ram rajya of mahatma's dream through non violent means
within the existing democratic framework .that ram rajya is aptly
described by poet shri. Ravindranath tagore as,

Where the mind is without fear & the head is held high
Where knowledge is free
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments
By narrow domestic walls
Where words come out from the depth of truth
Where tireless striving stretches it's arms towards perfection
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost it's way
Into the dreary desert sand of dead habit
Where the mind is led forward by thee
Into ever widening thought and action
Into that heaven of freedom , my father
Let my country awake.

Jai hind. Vande mataram.

Your's sincerely,

Nagaraj.m.r.

 

APPEALS TO NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION , NEW DELHI , INDIA

 

Appeal no.1

 

Dear sir / madam ,

 

Names of victims: Student union activists belonging to the District Committee of the All Manipur Students' Union based in Jiribam, the local council of the Democratic Students' Alliance of Manipur based in Jiribam, the Jiri College Students' Union and the Jiribam Higher Secondary Students' Union

Name of the alleged perpetrator: Major Mr. Abhishek of the Indian Army posted at Jiriban district, Manipur

Date of incident: 15 July 2006

 

I am appalled to learn about the continuing human rights violations reported from Manipur, in this case perpetuated by an army officer who allegedly, under the guise of questioning passengers of a vehicle, in fact took the passengers into custody and threatened and intimidated them. It is also claimed that assault took place.

 

According to the information I have received, a group of representatives of the student movement in Manipur were traveling in a van on 15 July 2006 on their way to meet with the Chief Minister of the state who had requested a meeting with them following their demands for changes to the education system in the state. The students were carrying with them the official document from the Minister requesting their presence to discuss their demands and the on-going strike of student organisations in Jiribam in relation to this. 

 

As they drove to meet with the Chief Minister, the six student leaders led by the President of All Manipur Students' Union (AMSU) Jiribam District Committee were stopped by Major Mr. Abhishek of the Indian Army at the Numgba Army check post who took the students to his camp. The Major asked for the identities of the student leaders and the purpose of their journey. The students identified themselves and explained the purpose of the journey by showing the invitation letter they had received from the office of the Chief Minister. They also showed the officer the forwarding letter for the invitation from the office of the Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC), Jiribam. The army officer took photocopies of the documents and let them off.

 

However, before the students reached their vehicle, the Major called them back to his office and resumed the interrogation. The session lasted two hours. The officers took photographs of the students and abused them using foul language. The students also allege that they were punched in the chest and were threatened and intimidated. The officer also accused the students of being members of prohibited underground organisations. At about 12.30pm the students were finally released.

 

I am aware that there has been much public outcry at the treatment of the students and that a general strike has been conducted. I am also aware that the leaders of the AMSU and the Democratic Students' Alliance of Manipur (DESAM), Jiribam have decided not to hold talks with the Chief Minister until appropriate action has been taken against the Army officers.

 

However, a statement issued by Press Information Bureu (PIB) of the Defense Wing on 17 July 2006 denied any harassment of the student leaders by the army. Instead the army claimed to have treated the students well and claimed that the officers even offered refreshments to the students. Though the Chief Minister of Manipur issued a public statement on July 17 assuring that action would be taken against the officers if the allegations by the students were found to be true, as of today no action has been initiated against the officers.

 

I am well aware of the impunity that armed officers in India's north-east enjoy and that this incident is not an isolated one. Such impunity is, however, only leading to an increasing number of human rights violations in the region and the further collapse of rule of law there. If the authorities are serious about bringing law and order to India's north-east and if they respect and wish to uphold human rights principles, then it is imperative that cases such as this are investigated into and persons found to have violated a person's rights and neglected their duties, should be subjected to disciplinary and legal action. Until such action is taken by the authorities, then the ongoing deterioration of people's lives and rights will only continue to worsen.

 

Yours sincerely,

Nagaraj.M.R.

 

Appeal no.2

 

Dear Sir / madam ,

 

Names of victims:

1. Mintu Molla (17 years), son of the late Mahotab Sarkar Saheb Nagar Panchayet Raninagar Police Station, Murshidabad district, West Bengal, India

2. Jabbar Hussein Sarkar (22 years), son of Najrul Hussein Sarkar Saheb Nagar Panchayet Raninagar Police Station, Murshidabad District, West Bengal, India

Name of the alleged perpetrators: On duty officers of the Border Security Forces of Khayertala BOP No. 1 Point

Date of incident: 11 July 2006

 

I am appalled to learn of yet further extra-judicial killings allegedly orchestrated by officers of the Border Security Forces (BSF) in India. I am well aware of the many other recent cases involving such killings and am angered by the entirely inadequate response of the relevant authorities to try and stem this wave of violence.

 

The latest incident took place on 11 July 2006 at 8.55pm when the two victims, Mintu Molla and Jabbar Sarkar were returning home from the fields. Without warning BSF officers pounced on the two victims and started interrogating them. They then used their rifles to brutally beat both victims. After some time the BSF officers then shot both Mintu and Jabbar, resulting in their deaths. Thereafter the involved officers carried the dead bodies to Kharyertala BOP No. 1 Point where they remained for several hours. At 2.30am the following morning the officers took the bodies to the Jalangi police station by BSF Halla Gari (patrol van). Later that morning, at 11am, the bodies were transferred to the Baharampur Hospital for post mortem.

 

To bring justice to this case and to help ensure the prevention of this type of crime, the authorities in India, particularly the the Minister of State of the Government of West Bengal must intervene at once. The BSF officers concerned must be immediately suspended from their duty and an inquiry needs to be conducted into this incident by a neutral agency such as the C.I.D. The inquiry must include a post mortem conducted by an expert autopsy surgeon. If the allegations are proven correct, the guilty BSF officers should be tried in accordance with the law. Adequate compensation should be provided to the families of the victims.

 

I ask that action be taken into this matter before any further killings occur.

 

Yours sincerely,

Nagaraj.M.R.

 

Appeal no.3

 

Dear sir / madam ,

 

Name of victim: Mr. Saifuddin Sk., aged about 32 years, formerly residing at Sarandajpur village, Katalamari post, within the jurisdiction of Raninagar police station, Murshidabad district, West Bengal.

Name of the alleged perpetrators: Mr. Sukhen Kumar Mondal and four other Border Security Force officers from Border Security Force out-post number 3 and 4 of Kaharpara camp, serving with 136- battalion, stationed at the Indo-Bangladesh border in Murshidabad district, West Bengal

Date of incident: 1 June 2006

 

I am appalled to learn of yet further extra-judicial killings allegedly orchestrated by officers of the Border Security Forces (BSF) in India. I am well aware of the many other recent cases involving such killings and am angered by the entirely inadequate response of the relevant authorities to try and stem this wave of violence.

 

The latest incident took place on 1 June 2006 at 8pm when the victim, Saifuddin was going to his paddy fields. It is alleged that Saifuddin protested against the BSF helping cross-border smugglers engage in the illegal trade of cattle and other articles across the Indo-Bangladesh border. Saifuddin was raising his voice against the officers for the cattle destroying his crops. Hearing Saifuddin Mr. Sukhen Kumar Mondal, an officer with the BSF took Saifuddin into custody, beat him and later shot him at close range with a light machine gun. It is alleged that four other officers from the BSF also helped Sukhen in the act.

 

Thereafter the involved officers carried the dead body to Raninagar police station and produced it along with some cattle and other articles and lodged a false complaint against Saifuddin at the police station. I am also informed that the local police which registered a case against Saifuddin on the compliant filed by the BSF officers have refused to register a case of murder against the BSF officers, in spite of the fact that Saifuddin's wife filed a complaint at the police station regarding the incident and against the BSF officers. The Raninagar police have only registered a case of unnatural death for Saifuddin's murder. I am also informed that Saifuddin's body was examined at Lalbagh Sub-Divisional Hospital where a post-mortem examination was conducted upon Saifuddin's body and the body later released to the family for cremation.

 

To bring justice to this case and to help ensure the prevention of this type of crime, the authorities in India, particularly the Minister of State of the Government of West Bengal must intervene at once. The BSF officers concerned must be immediately suspended from their duty and an inquiry needs to be conducted into this incident by a neutral agency. If the allegations are proven correct, the guilty BSF officers should be tried in accordance with the law. Adequate compensation should be provided to the families of the victims.

 

I ask that action be taken into this matter before any further killings occur.

 

Yours sincerely,

Nagaraj.M.R.

 

Appeal no.4

 

Dear sir / madam ,

 

INDIA: Two BSF constables simply dismissed without facing legal action for the killing 

 

Names of victims:

1. Mintu Molla, aged 16, son of the late Mahotab Molla, resided in Lallkup village, Bamnabad post office, Jalangi police station, Murshidabad district, West Bengal, India

2. Jabbar Mondal (alias Jabbarul Mondal), son of Nazrul Mondal, aged 26, resided in Lallkup village, Bamnabad post office, Jalangi police station, Murshidabad district, West Bengal, India

Name of the alleged perpetrators:

1. Mr. Upendra Roy (Rifle No. 08002553)

2, Mr. Anil Mishra (Rifle No. 90173022)

Both men were attached to [F] Company under 62 Battalion of BSF, posted at Khayertala B.O.P. camp.

Date and place of the incident: Bathanbari, Shibnagar Mouza, Jalangi police station, Murshidabad, West Bengal at about 8:00pm on 11 July 2006

 

I write this letter to you regarding the killing of one young man and one teenager mentioned above by the Border Security Forces (BSF) of Khayertala BOP No. 1 Point, Murshidabad District, West Bengal, India on 11 July 2006. The two victims were allegedly killed at point blank range while in custody of on duty officers of the said BSF at around 8:00pm on July 11. They were caught and killed by BSF personnel while returning home from their family's land property after feeding cattle in there.

 

I am very disturbed to learn that two constables of the said BSF of Khayertala BOP No. 1 Point were simply dismissed without facing any legal action for the alleged killing. They are Mr. Upendra Roy (Rifle No. 08002553) and Mr. Anil Mishra (Rifle No. 90173022), who were attached to [F] Company under 62 Battalion of BSF, posted at Khayertala B.O.P. camp. I simply do not understand such inaction by the Indian government although the said BSF constables are responsible for serious crime such as murder. Such inaction will give leeway to the BSF personnel and other law enforcement officers to commit further serious abuses against people without fear of punishment. The abuse by the police and the military personnel will not be able to be eliminated without strict discipline and punishment measures by the Indian government. 

 

I am also very concerned by the fact that the family of the victims has been completely denied their rights to seek justice. According to the information I have received, when Mr. Bajlur Rahaman Mondal (Jabbar's elder brother) and Mr. Mainul Molla (Mintu's family member) went to Jalangi police station to lodge a case against the BSF personnel on the following day of the incident (July 12), Officer-in-Charge (OIC) Mr. Somnath Banerjee allegedly refused to register their complaints and even threatened them saying that they would be implicated into fictitious cases where they would be imprisoned for years if they lodged complaints against the BSF personnel. The two men therefore had to return their homes without lodging complaints. Despite their complaints to the Superintendent of Police (SP) of the Murshidabad district regarding the incident, no action has yet been taken by him to investigate the incident until now. Now the families of the victims are in helpless situation as they have nowhere to go to seek justice.

 

I therefore strongly urge you again to ensure that prompt and thorough investigation is conducted into this case and the BSF officers concerned are arrested immediately. The inquiry must include a post mortem conducted by an expert autopsy surgeon. If the allegations are proven correct, the guilty BSF should be prosecuted with murder charges and punished in accordance with the law. I also urge you to ensrue that an inquiry are held into the allegation of threats and refusal of registering the complaints of the victims' families by the OIC of the Jalangi police station and if the allegation is found true, he should be punished accordingly. The said OIC should be suspended from his service and protection should be provided to the families of the victims for the security of the victims while the investigation is going on. I want to remind you that in many cases in India, the perpetrators working as public officials attempt to intimidate the victims by using their power illegally to hush up the crimes. I further urge you to ensure that adequate compensation should be provided to the families of the victims.

 

I ask your urgent intervention into this matter.

 

Yours sincerely,

Nagaraj.m.r.

 

Appeal no.5

 

Dear sir / madam ,

Re: INDIA: Police officers of Bantra police station, Howrah, West Bengal paid to violate the law

Case 1:

Name of the victims: Mrs. Aparna Chatterjee alias Rama Chakroborty, aged 21 years, daughter of Kanai Chakroborty, formerly residing at Balitikuri, Naskarpara, Number 1 Bharatmata Colony, Howrah district, West Bengal

Alleged perpetrators:

(1) Mr. Biswajit Chatterjee, alias Rama Chakroborty, son of Mr. Netai Chatterjee
(2) Mr. Netai Chatterjee, alias Rama Chakroborty
(3) Mrs. Sabitri Chatterjee, alias Rama Chakroborty
(4) Mr. Mintu Chatterjee
(5) Mr. Padu Chatterjee alias Rama Chakroborty
(6) Ms. Khuki Chatterjee
(7) Mr. Maniklal Chakroborty
(8) Moni Chakroborty
[1 to 8 above are residing at Number 24 Chatterjee para Lane, Kadamtala, Howrah district, West Bengal]

(9) Mr. Ajit Kumar Nag, the Officer-in-Charge, Bantra police station Howrah, West Bengal

Date of the incident: 24 July 2006 at about 8:05pm

Place of Incident: Number 24 Chatterjee para Lane, Kadamtala, Howrah district, West Bengal

Case 2:

Names of the victims:

(1) Ms. Sushama Sarkar, wife of Probhat Sarkar, Room no 2, ground floor
(2) Ms. Mayarani Dey, wife of late Ratan Kumar Dey, Room no. 4, 1st floor
(3) Ms. Jharna Das w/o Swarna Kanti Das, Room no 6, 2nd floor
(4) Ms. Sushama Sarkar w/o Probhat Sarkar, student of Rabindra Bharati University, West Bengal
(5) Ms. Pampa Das wife of Mr. Dilip Das
[1 to 5 above are residents of HRBC Housing Estate, Ichapur, Kadamtolla, Howrah district, West Bengal]

Alleged perpetrators:

(1) Mr. Nur Islam, Chief Executive Officer, Howrah Improvement Trust (Housing Complex), West Bengal
(2) Mr. Rabin Das, Inspector-in-Charge of Bantra police station, Howrah, West Bengal

Date of the incident: 2 September 2006

Place of incident: HRBC Housing Estate, Ichapur, Kadamtolla, Howrah district, West Bengal

I am writing to you to express my concern about the repeated incidents of violence committed or abetted by the officers from Bantra police station Howrah, West Bengal. It appears that these officers are paid by the State Government either to perpetrate violence or to abet violence. In either case the officers seems to be enjoying impunity for what they do.

I am informed that in case 1 above Mrs. Aparna is a victim of violence committed against her by her in-laws against which she had lodged complaints at Bantra police station. However, since the police officers failed to intervene she was later allegedly murdered by her in-laws. This case is however now registered as crime number 1418 of 2006 at Bantra police station. I am also informed that the officers have refused to provide copies of the Magisterial Inquest Report and the postmortem report to the father of the victim, who is also the Defacto complainant in this crime. It is also alleged that the police officers are suspected to be conniving with the other possible accused in the case and failing to arrest them with an intention to weaken the criminal case.

Case number 2 mentioned above is yet another incident where the officers from the same police station has assisted the officers from the Howrah Improvement trust to illegally and forcefully evict the residents of HRBC Housing Estate, Ichapur, Kadamtolla, Howrah district. It is alleged that during the arrest the persons named above were arrested, their valuables illegally seized and taken to an unknown destination, molested and detained in custody over night at the police station. Even though the victims were later released on bail by the local Magistrate, it is alleged that they have lost property in the incident and inhumanly treated by the police.

I am informed that this is not the first case the officers from the Bantra police station are involved in direct breach of law of the country. I am quite surprised that why any actions are not initiated against the officers and an independent inquiry conducted against these officers and they punished if found guilty of breach of law.

I therefore urge you to immediately intervene into the situation and take appropriate measures in both cases so that the grievances of the victim are met with. I also urge you to immediately pay required attention to the cases where complaints are filed against police officers from various other stations in India so that prompt and appropriate actions could be initiated against erring police officers.

Sincerely

Nagaraj.m.r.

Appeal no.6

Dear madam / sir ,

INDIA: Yet another innocent person killed by the armed forces in Imphal, Manipur state

Name of the victim:   Mr. Longjam Surjit, aged 18 years, resident of Samurou Makha Leikai, under the jurisdiction of Wangoi police station, Imphal West district, Imphal, Manipur state

Alleged perpetrators: Unidentified officers from the 22 Maratha Light Infantry posted at Mayang Imphal, Manipur

Date of the incident: 31 August 2006

Place of Incident: Meijrao Village along the banks of river Nambul, under the jurisdiction of Wangoi police station, Imphal West, Manipur

I am writing to you to express my concern about the repeated incidents of extra judicial executions and custodial killings reported from Manipur. I am informed that in the latest incident Mr. Longjam Surjit a resident of Samurou Makha Leikai, under the jurisdiction of Wangoi police station, Imphal West district was shot dead by the officers from the 22 Maratha Light Infantry posted at Mayang on 31 August 2006. I am informed that the victim was out at night along with his friend looking for his missing horse when he was shot dead by the army.

I am informed that the army has claimed responsibility for the killing, though it is alleged by the army that the victim was killed in an encounter and that they had recovered arms and ammunition from his possession. However, I am also informed that encounter killing is a regular excuse posed by the armed forces to justify killings of innocent persons in Manipur. I am also aware that this is not the first case where a person was killed by the armed forces in Manipur and that the local public is protesting against the murder of the victim calling for an impartial inquiry into the incident and for the repeal of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958.

I am also informed that the family of the victim has decided not to claim the body of the victim from the mortuary where the body is currently kept unless the officers responsible for the murder is punished and the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act is withdrawn from Manipur.

I therefore urge you to take immediate measures to:

(1) Order an impartial inquiry into the killing of Mr. Longjam Surjit by the officers from the 22 Light Infantry posted at Mayang, Imphal West district, Manipur
(2) Prosecute the officers responsible for the killing if they are found guilty of murder
(3) Pay adequate compensation to the relatives of the victim
(4) To repeal the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958
(5) To urge the National Human Rights Commission of India to take necessary action to urge the government of India to take immediate steps to stop further extra judicial killings and other forms of violence perpetrated by the paramilitary forces stationed in Manipur

Sincerely yours,

Nagaraj.m.r.

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