National Alliance of Peoples' Movements

Press Release, August 6, 2010

Wake Up, Listen to your Conscience Mr. Prime Minister and Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir

The grave situation in Kashmir valley with more and more people dying every day (49 dead after 55 days of street protest and 26 in the last 5 days) is at best a law and order problem for the Government, a statistic for the media and a blip in a far away land for most people in the country. The youthful State Chief Minister and the enlightened Union Home Minister seem to have an agreement on 'a bullet for every stone' policy. The CRPF under the Home Minister's leadership orders procurement of 'chest protectors', 'shoulder & elbow pads' for 'total body protection'. The Government could perhaps also procure some gear or devices to help them think more soberly of dialogue!

Every bit of injustice experienced by the Kashmiris gives them a feeling of further insecurity, as in the Shopian case. Perhaps a brilliant lawyer like Mr Chidambaram could appreciate the need for fast and fair justice better. The monumental mishandling by the State Government and subsequent bungling by the Union Government only plays into the hands of the certain elements who have had a vested interest in continuing the violence in the valley. We are almost tempted to think that both Governments and their arms have a vested interest in keeping Kashmir on a boil so that many other burning issues can be put on the back burner. It is a shame that feeling of long years of injustice, hurt sentiments and repeated heavy handedness is sought to be compensated by economic packages. We would like to reiterate our demand, as mentioned in July 8th statement, from the government of India to :

1. Immediately work out and announce a phased, time-bound demilitarisation plan to withdraw the Army from internal security duties, and use the political tools of dialogue and consultation with all concerned state and non-state actors to create an atmosphere for early return to normalcy.

2. Immediately institute independent and impartial inquiries into the killings, tortures, unlawful detentions, forced disappearances and other human rights violations perpetrated by security forces, by appointing retired judges of the Supreme Court and representatives of reputed human rights organisations. These inquiries should be time-bound, and Central and State governments should make public declarations to take transparent action to fix criminal liabilities and prosecute all those found guilty.

NAPM stands in solidarity with the struggling people of Kashmir and shares the grief of the families who have lost their dear ones in these protests. We also feel that the civil society organisations across the country need to realise that lack of sensitivity to the problems of Kashmir and North Eastern states is only at our own peril, and its time we started agitating for constitutional rights of the people there too and ending the state's impunity and violence.

Medha Patkar, Sandeep Pandey, Thomas Kocherry, Maj. Gen. (Retd.) S G Vombatkere, P S Ajay, Anand Mazgaonkar, Suniti S R, Rajendra Ravi, Mukta Srivastava, Vimal Bhai, Saraswati Kavula, Madhuresh Kumar, Krishnakant

 PRESS STATEMENT, JULY 8, 2010

End Politics of Control and Domination, Demilitarise Now !

The turbulence around the Shopian rape and murder case is yet to settle but Kashmir is on the boil again, caught in a vicious cycle of violence emanating from the killings by security forces of the stone-pelting dissenting teenagers who are refusing to live with the militarisation in the valley. While the number of deaths in the Valley has declined in the January-to-May period which has plunged from 1,183 in 2006 to 141 this year, the number still begs attention and explanation.

We are deeply, pained and anguished at these turns of events. We unequivocally condemn the extreme and heavy handed reactions of the paramilitary forces, namely CRPF, resulting in killing of nearly 18 people aged 17-22 years since June 12, 2010. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah himself has acknowledged that “the difficult thing is now to get the security forces to change their mindsets. They’re used to people coming at them with guns and therefore responding in kind. Now, people – at least a small section of youngsters – are coming at them with stones. And yet their mindset is still to respond with guns.” However, we feel the instances of violence, rape, encounters can't be just dismissed as a mindset, it's a culture - to kill with ease, without the need to explain, of impunity. It is time the central government realised that militarisation, there are approximately 5,00,000 security personnels in the valley, will never bring peace in the valley. It is shameful that such undemocratic incidents are occurring in independent India. We concerned citizens and social movements sincerely believe that the Government owes an explanation to the country and should come out with a white paper on the continued militarisation, consequent rights violations and associated financial burden that adversely affects society at large.

Like North East India, Jammu and Kashmir is under the Armed Forces (Jammu and Kashmir ) Special Powers Act, 1990. From July 7th Army has been called to enforce complete curfew and conduct flag marches to quell all protest and dissent. This has outraged the people of Kashmir and us as well. It is distressing that media people are also not allowed free movement as a result there were no local dailies on July 8th. The media blockade and the soft power of media control sidelines all peaceful protests by civilians, and civilian protests using sticks and stones were fired on by the police and paramilitary forces causing deaths and injuries.

Political dialogue to address the needs, concerns and aspirations of civil society is the basis of a democratic society, and security forces should only be used to ensure the safety of citizens by maintaining law and order, and not to suppress dissent and protest. We therefore urge the Central and the State Governments to :

1. Immediately work out and announce a phased, time-bound demilitarisation plan to withdraw the Army from internal security duties, and use the political tools of dialogue and consultation with all concerned state and non-state actors to create an atmosphere for early return to normalcy.

2. Immediately institute independent and impartial inquiries into the killings, tortures, unlawful detentions, forced disappearances and other human rights violations perpetrated by security forces, by appointing retired judges of the Supreme Court and representatives of reputed human rights organisations. These inquiries should be time-bound, and Central and State governments should make public declarations to take transparent action to fix criminal liabilities and prosecute all those found guilty.

We are equally disappointed and condemn the complete lack of public outrage over such incidents in Kashmir. It is time the rest of India started seriously engaging with the Jammu and Kashmir and North East regions rather than leaving it to the State and Central governments to continue their rule with police-military force in the name of strategic interest. A struggle has to be waged to replace the politics of control and domination with that of self-determination and respect for the individual and community rights of the people as enshrined in the Constitution.

Medha Patkar, Sandeep Pandey, Maj. Gen. (Retd.) S G Vombatkere, P Chennaiah, Akhil Gogoi, Anand Mazgaonkar, Suniti S R, Rajendra Ravi, Mukta Srivastava, Vimal Bhai, Saraswati Kavula, Madhuresh Kumar

PRESS STATEMENT                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 JULY 3, 2010

Celebrating diversity and inclusiveness in the age of consent

One year ago, on July 2nd 2009, a Delhi High Court division bench of Chief Justice A. P Shah and Justice S. Muralidhar said “We declare that Section 377 IPC, insofar it criminalizes consensual sexual acts of adults in private, is violative of Articles 21, 14 and 15 of the Constitution.” It upheld one of the primary principles of natural justice, 'right to consent' and restored the dignity and rights of millions of those whose existence in the society was not even acknowledged. Needless to say that while it was a result of a long struggle by a lot of people that a judgement of this kind came in, and that is not a mean achievement, however, implementation of this is important. Just having a law is not enough.

In this one year we have seen many changes in the society and do hope this will go a long way in ending the life-long harassment and discrimination in schools, colleges, workspaces, homes, the streets and everywhere. The fight against the discrimination in the name of caste, class, patriarchy and religion has to be led at this front too and everybody will have to come to the fore of it. After all in this age of consent, the cardinal principles of liberty, equality, and fraternity has to be upheld not only by states but also by the civil society.

We need to note that inspite of having a law to prevent the atrocities and discrimination against the dalits and tribals still they are being subject to all kinds of discrimination and face violence in everyday life. What is needed is a political will for enforcing the law and people recognising the value of dignity and a societal acceptance of these values. With dignity, the right to life and dignified livelihood of everyone has to be respected and that is why it becomes important that queer community joins hands with dalits, adivasis, farmers, workers, fisher folks, forest dwellers and others in their struggle for a better life. These struggles are not of one community alone but are linked and is a struggle of everyone. This would make the true rainbow alliance and ensure diversity and plurality within the movement.

Justice shah and Muralidhar cited Dr. Ambedkar’s notion of “constitutional morality” and Pt. Nehru’s idea of equality, and recognized that: “If there is one constitutional tenet that can be said to be underlying theme of the Indian Constitution, it is that of 'inclusiveness'.” And further that, “It cannot be forgotten that discrimination is antithesis of equality and that it is the recognition of equality which will foster the dignity of every individual”.

NAPM joins hands with the queer movement in celebrating a year since this judgement and urges the movement to also come forward in tune with the struggle of millions for a dignified livelihood and to end continuing violence unleashed by the neo-liberal policies of the government on the people. The challenges are many and we have to spread far and wide and lend our shoulders with struggling people everywhere and take the movement to hitherto unreachable places in villages and smaller towns as well. As a movement let us make sure that round the year we are on the streets fighting the injustice everywhere not only when our individual freedom and rights are at stake. As a movement we have to stand with everyone and everywhere against discrimination, oppression and injustice.

Celebrating diversity, plurality and for a rainbow of resistances against injustice and violence ...

Medha Patkar, Sandeep Pandey, Gabriele Dietrich, Maj Gen S.G.Vombatkere (Retd), Anand Mazgaonkar, Mukta Srivastava, Rajendra Ravi, Ramakrishna Raju, Vimal Bhai, Srikanth, Madhuresh Kumar

Every act of armed violence by CPI (Maoist) cadres or State forces leads to death or mutilation of fellow citizens and raises the levels of violence. NAPM unequivocally condemns this. The alleged sabotage of the Mumbai-bound Gyaneshwari Express in Jhargram by CPI (Maoist) resulting in death of more than 148 people and causing grievous injuries to many unconnected with the conflict cannot be justified. The politics of blame and counter blame post attack is extremely unfortunate and shows the bankruptcy and opportunism of the political actors concerned.

May 13 2010

To,

Shri Murlidhar Chandrakant Bhandare

The Governor,

State of Orissa

Sub : Police firing on tribals in Chandia Village, Jajpur Dsitrict

Dear Sri Bhandare,

Greetings !

For Immediate Release 5th May, 2010

Supreme Court accepts right to land-based rehabilitation and compensation at today’s market-value for Narmada canal-affected. MoEF and R&R Sub Group acknowledge that GoMP has
no final plans and data on the canals