[Urbanstudy] Re: Urbanstudygroup Digest, Vol 25, Issue 10

[Bijulal M.V.]

dear friends

this is to inform you of an upcoming national consultation on Experience
sharing on RTI Right to Information Act, to be held at ISI 27-28 march 2006

We are looking for participants with considerrable experience in working
with RTI in different states in India. The Medium of consultation is English



The objective is to prepare a long standing national alliance for effective
implementation of RTI. Senior level office bearers are expected as
participants

For details please send your querries to
*b*ijulaal at gmail.com<bijulaal at gmail.com>
ph 24622379- ext 749, 750



On 3/12/06, urbanstudygroup-request at sarai.net <
urbanstudygroup-request at sarai.net> wrote:
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> Today's Topics:
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>   1. One more candle for Manipur (sebastian Rodrigues)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Sat, 11 Mar 2006 22:26:18 +0530
> From: "sebastian Rodrigues" <sebydesiolim at hotmail.com>
> Subject: [Urbanstudy] One more candle for Manipur
> To: urbanstudygroup at sarai.net
> Message-ID: <BAY116-F71FB8F162125BBE4F4569DEE20 at phx.gbl>
> Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed
>
> March 11 2006
>
> Hello and Greetings of Solidarity!
>
> Today afternoon I shared some moments at protest demonstration in Delhi
> condemning arrest and torture of Miss Naobi in Manipur. It was one more
> torture among the thousands tortured and done to death by State terror in
> North East.  I join the protesters with my lighted candle with the hope
> that
> it may dispel horror and darkness.  May this candle be the doyen of hope
> and
> courage to all those who stand up and fight in defence of Human Rights,
> Dignity and moreover another world that is breathing beneath our chests.
> Let
> this candle show us the way to the doors and windows and ultimately open
> them up for sunlight to usher in and bring the gory reality in daring day
> light for each on to see and each one to heal. gather up your strength,
> pick
> up your candle and pass on the light to everyone in your family, in your
> village, in your State and in your country. For no longer can we afford
> loss
> and torture of any more life of People in North East India. For no longer
> can we afford to loose any more lives of the soldiers. India has already
> lost too may soldiers for past half a decade and it is not at all a matter
> of pride but of deep concern.  For no longer can we afford hatred and
> brutality. We need understanding, trust, affection and love instead. With
> these thoughts in my heart I pass on my candle to you. The leaflet
> reproduced below I received at the demonstration today. It is my candle.
> Pass it on...
>
> Sebastian Rodrigues
> CACIM, New Delhi.
>
>
>
> STOP STATE TERRORISM IN MANIPUR
>
>
> It has been hardly two years since women of Manipur staged a historic
> protest by shedding their clothes off against the rape and murder of Th.
> Manoram by the 17th Assam Rifles.  the world showed its solidarity to them
> and demanded repealing of the armed Forces Special Powers Act, 1958. Among
> the most painful incidents of military excesses in Manipur, the recent
> detention and torture of Miss Naobi has once more captured the focus of
> the
> democratic struggle against human rights violations in the State.
>
> Miss Naobi, a private school teacher , was picked up on 21st February
> evening, when she came to attend the last rite of Vikas, who was killed in
> an encounter with the Manipur police commandos on 20th February. In a
> Press
> conference on 2nd March in Imphal, she presented her tortured body to
> narrate the encounter with the savagery of the Manipur police for the 9
> days
> in their custody. Her narratives bear testimony to the enormity of
> injustice
> done to the custodial victims.
>
> She sobbed, "...The police commandos got themselves gratified with
> everything they want from my body. But, I am grateful to them for giving
> me
> the chance to narrate my agony by sparing my life at least..."
>
> After the ritual, she was in a room with two other girls. Though she was
> aware of the presence of Manipur police commandos, she was not
> apprehensive
> of the presence as she thought she was innocent and they had nothing to do
> with her.  However, to her surprise, the commandoes ordered that she,
> along
> with the other two girls, should come out. As soon as she went out alone
> the
> commandos pulled her by hair. She was pounded and later dumped into the
> police van.  they left the place at around 3 pm.  Somewhere between
> nowhere,
> seemingly  at a roadside, the police van stopped. She did not know where
> the
> van stopped as she was blindfolded.
>
> She said: "They forced me to undress, I resisted but their threatening
> presence made my resistance gave in.  I did as they wished. They were
> laughing to see my body.  they said, I looked like an AIDS infested.  They
> measured my body parts.  They teased me telling I go a bad odor".
>
> She was again thrown into the police van. Inside the van, her body faced
> with the savagery of the police commandos.  they touched her private parts
> and played with them.  She cried for help when she heard some vehicles
> moving around. She was gagged. And the commandos were enjoying with the
> body.
>
> The torture continued till they reached the custody by 7 pm. In the
> custody,
> she was asked to change dress in front of the male gaze.  She did it.
> During
> her detention for nine days, she encountered heavy tortures, humiliations,
> insults and lacerations.  On 23rd February she was taken to the Chief
> Judicial Magistrate's office. She pleaded her innocence and told the CJM
> about the tortures she got from the police personnel.  The Magistrate,
> instead of recording her statement, reprimanded her for another seven
> days.
> Later, she was taken to another police station.
>
> A widespread movement voiced for Naobi's safe release. She was released
> from
> the custody 'without any condition' on  2 March with a brutally tortured
> body, deeply wounded psyche and painfully dislodged dignity. What is her
> fault? Why do the State forces institutionalize violation of human rights?
> Why has woman's body been always targeted to exercise 'armed  authority'
> of
> the State?  These are the queries that the democratic struggle poses
> against
> the rampant violation of human rights in the State.
>
> Let's resist the savagery of the State forces;
>
> let's fight for the HUMAN RIGHTS and DIGNITY.
>
>
> Published by the Manipur Students' Association, Delhi, Dated 11th March
> 2006
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
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> End of Urbanstudygroup Digest, Vol 25, Issue 10
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