PUCL also watches with pain the fight between security forces and Maoists in some parts of Chattisgarh and elsewhere in the country. While it is a clear case of war against one’s own people by the state, Maoists too with adoption of violent means of struggle has undermined the liberal and democratic spirit of the Indian Constitution. While innocent civilian are losing lives, the ongoing mindless fight between the two parties is a clear case of impasse in which there is and will be no winner.

PUCL believes that the Indian state must address the root causes of the social and economic conditions that breed insurgency like situation where in a group of people is compelled to take arms against the state. Clearly this kind of insurgency breeds because of violation of basic human rights of the people. The mindless vested class centric development and consequent displacement and impoverishment of tribals must stop. The tribals must get adequate opportunities for means livelihood, education and health. On the other hand the Maoist must desist from using violent means of struggle that causes severe misery and deaths of the tribals on whose name they unleash the violence in turn harming the hapless innocent people. One must bear in mind that in a democratic country the ends achieved through the violence means are neither desirable nor lasting. The only way for a harmonious solution of the present deadlock is negotiations between the two parties. The Indian government must reverse its stand of crushing Maoist through military means and must engage them in a dialogue.

Now that Indian state has captured one of the senior ideologue of the insurgent groups, PUCL appeals to the government of India and insurgents that channels of negations between the two parties must be explored and an honourable solution to the ongoing violent struggle is sought to the mutual satisfaction of the both parties. Maoist must come forward and negotiate with the government for legitimate rights of the downtrodden people for whom they supposedly are fighting.

President of JHARKHAND PUCL, S.Bhattacharjee adds:
There is no complete authentic analysis. But whatever data available with us and covered by media, shows beyond doubt that much more innocent people have been so far killed, maimed, tortured and disapeared by the unnecessary, deliberate and cruel violent acts of the security forces in Jharkhand and in other disturbed areas in India. NHRC receives almost 1 lakh complaints every year. Why 50% of them are against police forces? They kill people in fake encounters with full impunity. In Jharkhand villagers look upon the police forces as their tomentor. Police has no capability and even moral to fight Maoists. It is again a big question why Maoists are growing ? It is no undeniable fact that there is certainly some mass support for them. And the support is coming from deprived and poorest section of people. They have suffered throughout their lives in generations. Maoists are capitalising their discontent as no other forces operating in this neglected areas here politically. No political party in Jharkand raise their voice when police kill people in fake encounters or bring reprssion on the villagers, particlarly tribals in large scale. Earlier their was one upmanship amongst the leaders of the political parties to rush to condemn the Maoist voilence after each and every heinous crime committed by the Maoists.Now look what is happening ? Has any leader of any political paty in Jharkhand condemned the brutal killing of Inspector Francis Indawar? NO. Because these leaders ( most of them are corrupt , having money power from the loot of Govt. fund) will unable to enter the villages for vote campaign. There are many areas in almost in every Districts of Jharkhand known in Maoist term as “Liberated Zones.”

In such situation PUCL and other responsible Human Rights organisations can only provide sensible voice and also can show the right path.

You have rightly pionted out that the Government and Maoists should have dailogue. Due to the sincere effort of Mr. Sankaran (Rtd. IAS) and our Mr Kannabiran, both side in Andhra Pradesh came in the negotiation table. That yielded some good result. Why not Govt.of Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh take such move to start dailogue. We can also think of extending our cooperation in this matter.

We want Rule of law to prevail. We appeal to the Government to stop state repression. We appeal to Maoists to stop violent activities. We want a pro people program to be implemented and there should be good Governace free from corruption.

“We the People of India have solemnly resolved to constitute a Sovereign, Socialist, Secular Democratice Republic and to secure to to all its citizens- Justice, Liberty, Equality and Fraternity.”

Denis Walter Pais had started his career as a turner at the local Commonwealth factory where he worked for about 23 years. Later he got an employment opportunity at Saudi Arabia. He came back to Mangalore in 1997-98 after spending one year at Bombay. In Mangalore he worked as a freelancer for about 8 years. He has stopped working since the past two years. He had two children, the girl Renita being the eldest and a boy Ritesh. Denis’s wife had been a teacher but died in 2003 due to cancer. Presently Renita is married and her husband is working abroad. She now resides at a place called Kulshekar.

The boy Ritesh was a bright student as can be ascertained from his school marks cards. He had passed SSLC (10th) in 2007 with 77.28% marks and had obtained a first class in the PUC (12th) examination. He had completed the latter in March 2009 and was preparing to join a Jetking computer hardware course for which he had already paid a fee of Rs 47,000. It is obvious that this middle class family is quite upright and law-abiding which is also confirmed by their neighbours.

Denis had happened to meet one Shamin D’Souza, aged about 29, and his mother at a local garage at Anegundi some four months ago. The acquaintance turned gradually into friendship and Shamin became a regular visitor to the Denis’ home. During this period Denis had advanced Rs 50,000 to Shamin without interest which Shamin wanted for starting a driving school. Shamin is presently said to be working as an instructor in a driving school. His father has separated from his wife and lives elsewhere. Shamin is married but his wife works abroad. Mother and son live together. Reportedly the mother has a loose character and the son is a womanizer and is involved in the blue-film racket apparently with the blessings of the Urwa police. Lately Shamin tried to obtain sexual favours from Renita but she had spurned his advances. One day he had accosted her near the Besant Women’s College where she had gone for a job interview. On that occasion too she had squarely rebuffed his advances and told her father not to entertain him in their house.

According to the father, Ritesh was from the beginning opposed to Shamin getting close to their family and had told the father so. But the father persisted. When Ritesh came to know of the Besant incident he was enraged. He told his friend and classmate Sudip, living at Daddalakaadu about it. This Sudip asked a common friend to tell Shamin to stop harassing Renita.

Shamin went to the Urwa Police Station which is just across the road from his house, and persuaded (bribed heavily) the Sub-Inspector C. Kiran to book false cases against Ritesh. Immediately an FIR was registered against Ritesh under IPC sections 504, 506, 507, 511 and 384! Against a 19-year old bright student with absolutely no previous record of any criminal/ illegal activities! When all that he had done was to try to safeguard the honour of his married sister which surely cannot attract the various IPC sections quoted in the FIR!

Shamin had simultaneously complained to the priest of the local Ashoknagar Church too. On August 27, 2009 Denis and Shamin and his mother were called by the priest and some sort of settlement was arrived at. Mother and son duly apologized to Denis who thought everything would now be fine. They said that a police complaint has also been lodged against both father and son but that would now be withdrawn in view of the settlement. But he got the surprise of his life when within a few days they were called to the police station! Both Denis and Ritesh were arrested. They were lodged at the local sub-jail. The jailer Puttanna Gowda forgot his jail manual and behaved with them in an extremely rude and insulting manner. In the course of their stay in the jail they came to know that prisoners of the saffron brigade were controlling the jail and assaulting prisoners belonging to minority communities.

They managed to contact a lawyer and obtain conditional bail. Which meant they had to report to the Urwa PS regularly. September 8th was the ‘Monthi’ festival (Mother Mary’s birthday). On that day the father and son duo were detained at the station for the entire day. The SI Kiran, Head Constable Shivappa Gowda and Constable Devayya insulted them and used abusive language. SI Kiran had reportedly told Ritesh “We’ll see how you’ll be able to complete your studies or obtain your passport.” Though out on bail, still they were called criminals. The policemen reportedly had called Ritesh “son of a prostitute.” Ritesh was terribly upset at this and the way his aged father was ill-treated.

On subsequent days the police came to their house some five times and all the time they were shouting abuses clearly audible to all the neighbours. Ritesh, apparently so unused to such repeated filthy behaviour and abuses, was so much upset that he refused to go to the station on 12th. On that day Renita had accompanied her father to the station. In front of her the police trio once again used filthy language and ordered her father to get up from the chair to which she objected. Then they tried to threaten her with women constables advancing menacingly towards her. When father and daughter returned home in the evening they found the door to the hall locked. Despite several shouts Ritesh did not open the door. Then they contacted the Kadri PS. Kadri policemen arrived and forced the door open. Ritesh was found in his room dead by hanging. But he had written a suicide note which the Kadri police snatched and took away. Under pressure from the media they had to divulge its contents later. In his letter Ritesh is said to have begged forgiveness from his father and sister and squarely accused the three policemen – S.I. Kiran, Head Constable Shivappa Gowda and Constable Devayya - of having driven him to take this extreme step for the false case booked against him and their persistent harassment. It is pertinent to mention here that Ritesh has not blamed his father and sister as claimed by the SP.

CONCLUSION
This should have been a clear-cut case. There is a formal suicide note here which names certain policemen of having abetted in his suicide. Normally in all such cases the police routinely file an FIR and arrest the named persons with lightning speed. We suspect foul play by the police who will definitely try to destroy the suicide note and defend their colleagues. But in this case apparently efforts are on to protect the guilty policemen. Though District Superintendent of Police has announced an inquiry into the incident by the ASP, in our opinion this is nothing but eyewash. We demand that immediately FIRs must be registered against the three guilty policemen, Shamin and his mother who are the root cause of the entire episode. And arrest all these culprits. Avoiding taking action against the accused policemen under the pretext that the morale of the police force will be adversely affected is not only a wrong interpretation but it is a most dangerous step. As it would encourage the policemen to continue with their human rights violations such as atrocities, torture and other third-degree methods thus indulging in open violation of the Supreme Court’s directive on the right to life with dignity. Let the courts decide the matter.

In this connection we wish to state that the local police force is rotten to the core with majority sticking on for years in the same place and a large majority covertly and overtly siding with the Constitution-defying saffron brigade. We once again stress the importance of punishing the guilty policemen. This will most definitely send the right message to the people. And the criminals. And the fundamentalist groups like the saffron brigade.

Yours faithfully,

Sd./-
P.B. D’Sa
District President

Today Division Bench of Supreme Court comprising of Justice Katju and Justice Verma has granted the release of Dr Sen on bail on his personal Bond.
Released by – S. Bhattacharjee, Jharkhand PUCL
For further information & comment, please contact:
1. Justice Rajinder Sachar, Former President, PUCL – 09810009644
2. Rajinder Sail, President, Chhattisgarh PUCL- 09826804519

NewsWing Reports:
डा विनायक सेन रिहा, सुप्रीम …
मानवाधिकार पैरोकारों की पहल एक बार फिर रंग लायी। डा विनायक सेन रिहा कर दिये गये। सोमवार को सुप्रीम कोर्ट के एक फैसले के अनुसार छत्‍तीसगढ सरकार को उन्‍हें रिहा करना पडा। कोर्ट ने डा विनायक सेन को जमानत पर छोडने का हुक्‍म सुनाया था। ..more..

PUCL along with several human rights and social movements have been protesting against the Chhattisgarh Special Public Security Act 2005 and the UAPA (amended) 2004, demanding for their repeal, and release of all those detained under these draconian laws violating the Constitution of India in letter and spirit. Some 178 people have been detained under these draconian laws in Chhattisgarh, which include Traders/businessmen, Tailor, Journalists, Doctors, NGO workers, Media persons/Filmmakers, Farmers/Landless Agricultural Workers, Cultural Activists, etc. Ajay T G, Film Maker and a member of the State Executive Committee of CG PUCL has also been detained under the CSPSA 2005 on 5th May 2008, and later released on bail as the State failed to file a charge-sheet against him in stipulated 90 days. Even after completion of a year, the State has failed to bring charges against him in a competent court of law, although he is still required to record his attendance at the Police Station.

Dr. Sen raised his voice relentlessly against the war waged by the State of Chhattisgarh against the adivasis in Dantewara in the name of Salwa Judum, and exposed the crimes committed by the State against its own citizens.

It will be two years of life snatched from one of India’s finest public-spirited doctors, who has spent over three decades in the service of some of the poorest and neglected people in this country. In these two years Dr. Sen has indeed become a universal symbol for the struggle for the restoration of democratic rights in the country. He has been called a prisoner of conscience by the Amnesty International.

It will also be two years of shame for Indian democracy to have put someone like him in jail simply because the powers-that-be could not stand his criticism of their abject human rights record. For the Indian justice system too it will be a scandalous two years for repeatedly denying Dr Sen bail on specious grounds in a country where perpetrators of mass violence not just roam free but also contest elections and come to power.

The situation is not entirely dismal though for these two years have also seen an unprecedented surge of citizen activism both within and outside India calling for the release of Dr Sen and the end of undemocratic of ways of the Chhattisgarh Government. Nobel laureates, medical professionals, academics, journalists, human rights and health activists, students, workers, rural folk – the sheer range of people who have got involved in this epic struggle to challenge the injustice done to Dr Sen - and through him to all of us- has been truly phenomenal.

It is in keeping with this spirit of fighting to preserve our rights, liberty and freedom that we once again call upon everyone to join the various protests, vigils, public meetings and cultural events taking place around the world on 14 May 2009 to mark the second anniversary of Dr Sen’s imprisonment.

In Raipur, Chhattisgarh itself 14 May 2009 will be marked by a massive rally and courting of arrest as part of the Satyagraha program, now entering its eighth continuous week. We call upon all our State Units to organize protest demonstrations on this day in their own States and, if possible join the Satyagraha program at Raipur, Chhattisgarh which has already seen hundreds of activists taking part from all over India.

And on the evening of 13th May 2009 there will be a special event by singers, musicians, poets, theatre artists and others to both protest the victimisation of Dr Sen and also celebrate the determined public resistance to the decimation of democratic norms and values. Once again all those who can come for this event and also contribute to it through individual or group performances are welcome to join in. We take this opportunity to call all of you to come to Raipur on the 13th and 14th May,

2009 and show your solidarity in support of a cause that is core of our constitutional democracy.
For further information contact:
1. Rajendra K Sail, President, Chhattisgarh PUCL pucl.cg@gmal.com, 098268-04519
2. Kavita Srivastava, (PUCL, National Secretary): 09351562965, kavisriv@gamil.com
3. Sudha Bharadwaj, Member, EC, CG PUCL 09926603877,
advsudhacmm@yahoo.co.in
4. Gautam Bandyopadhyay, Convener, CG PUCL 098261-71304
gautamraipur@gmail.com
5. Vijendra, Joint-Secretary, CG PUCL : 09406049737 vijend@gmail.com
6. Sadiq Ali, Treasurer, CG PUCL : 094255-15411
For information on other programmes happening on 14th in the India and Internationally
Contact: www.binayaksen.net
In Solidarity,
Pushkar Raj
(PUCL, General Secretary)
May 4, 2009

An educationist by profession Dr. Chhibbar taught in DAV college Dehradun before joining Delhi university as economics teacher in late sixties. He was closely associated with civil liberties movement in the country for over three decades and diligently edited the monthly PUCL Bulletin till the very end of his life. He always maintained that if the organization has to have a credibility it should steer clear of any `isms ’ and be steadfast in being pro-human rights and civil liberties only.

Dr. Chhibbar ably advised and guided various State Units, created the archive of the People’s Union for Civil Liberties and organized successfully its Annual Lecture Series besides bringing out several civil liberties related publications. The Civil Liberties movement of India and Peoples Union for Civil Liberties has lost a committed leader and a campaigner of Human Rights.

A born rationalist Dr. Chhibbar in his brief will expressed desire that his body be donated to a medical institute for the research purposes. The same was done today in the presence of a small representatives of fraternity of the civil liberty organizations of the capital.
- K . G. Kannabiran, Pushkar Raj

 Workers Rights

PUCL intervened when Police attempted to terrorise the peaceful demonstrators at  Tisco, Jamshedpur.

Rural areas and Tribals.

Land alienation & Displacement main issue Rehabilitation.

Women

Physical torture & sexual exploitation.

Judiciary.

Corruption in lower courts.

Organise PIL at High Court.

Irregularities in court practices.

Communal conflicts.

Organised meetings

Taken up survey in the Educational Institute run by muslim minority communities. Appeal sent to President, Govt. of India on Kandhmal, Orissa.

Educational Institutes.

42 primary & middle Govt. Schools are occupied by the Police Forces. Students are deprived of studies. A PIL by Sri Sashibhusan Pathak is pending before High Court. Upto May 2008, Different Districts of Jharkhand PUCL have taken up 205 cases of Human Rights violation.

These are mainly concerning the following areas.

1)       The Police   -        top the list.

                                      Police torture, custodial death, killings by fake encounters.

2)                 Condition of Jail & Custody.

                             Jail Reform, corruption in Jail, Ill treatment, Death in Jail Custody. 

Dharna was organized in Dhanbad, Garhwa and Jamshedpur.

NHRC team visited on several occasion because of the effort of PUCL & intervention of NHRC, New Jails and New Blocks in Jails have started coming up.

DUMKA PUCL has taken up many cases of Human Rights violation in that Region Amongst many others two important cases are –

1)       PUCL Dumka organized protest and campaign against the touts who collect & sell the young Girls to Delhi & UP. These touts were sent to Jail and the girls were rescued.

2)                 An Afghan citizen Sabur Mohammed Khan was punished and remain in Dumka Jail and after his release he was put in the Police custody. After investigation, PUCL Dumka intervened in this matter. Due to the effort of PUCL, Afghan, Mr. Khan was arranged to sent to his country through the Government.

GARHWA PUCL has taken up many cases of Human Rights violations.

Garhwa always highlights the cases through Dharnas, Demonstration, meeting etc. Amongst many two cases are worth mentioning.

1)       Burning of Huts of Adibasis at Shivpur under Bhabnathpur Block.

2)       Killing of 4 innocent villagers in the Makhatu village on 13.03.08 under Ranka Police Station.

Palamu PUCL

Killing of so called area commandant of Peoples war Group Ajay Yadav by the O.C. Chainpur P.S. Palamu District in fake encounter after arresting him from his house at Night in presence of his family members and other villagers.

Case is pending in the Court.

Bokaro PUCL

Custodial Death. Manraj a young boy was taken to police custody on 22^nd December 2006 and was kept illegally in the custody upto 31^st December. He was brutally beaten and tortured. Manraj succumbed to injury on 1^st January, 2007. A procession in protest was taken out. Case was registered against police. Case is pending. PUCL took up the case alongwith other organizations.

Jamshedpur PUCL

1)       Sexual abuses and physical torture of minor girl Baby Kumari.

2)       Nilmoni Majhiyan, undertrial prisoners for 10 years. Arranged release and 2 lacs compensation.

3)       Tapkara police firing – killing of eight Tribals. Joint investigation with Ranchi.

4)       Forceably eviction of 42 minority families by VHP leader to grab prime land.

5)       Deprivation of Govt benefit to SC/St students & corruption by Graduate College of Women. PIL was filed. Received favourable judgement.

6)       Lynching of 13 persons alleged to be of PW Naxal group at Lango village of Dumuria Block, East Singhbhum.

7)       Surveyed each and every villages on implementation of Annapurna & Antodaya Scheme of Jamshedpur Block.

       Killing of four youths by police in fake encounter at Domohani, Jamshedpur. Case pending at Supreme Court.

9)       34 disabled persons with 7 women were put in Jail.

10)     Hunger death of Bhootnath Singh at Galudih.

11)     Custodial Rights and protest against indiscriminate arrest of villagers at Dumuria, Ghurabanda and Baghuria.

12)     Killing of 8 alleged Maoists at Bhitar Amola village. Police administration arranged an supported Nasus to obstruct the enquiry of PUCL team.

Ranchi PUCL.

1)       Investigated the large scale violence and rape by Goons & Criminals supported by political party and police at Masalia village, Dumka District.

2)       Investigated Morkocho firing. Met all injured persons at RIMS, Ranchi.

3)       Cases taken of pitiable condition of large numbers of Tribal girls deported to metropolis as domestic servants.

4)       PUCL team enquired the case of police custody torture of Bhagirath Mahato and forwarded the report to NHRC.

5)       Hazaribagh police killed Lalku Mahato at night at his house at Kole Block Halt. There was no pretention of fake encounter even. It was a cold blooded murder by police. PUCL Ranchi extensively investigated the case.

6)       Killing of prayag Yadav by Police. PUCL team extensively enquired the case. Examined total 29 persons/witnesses. Dead body was cremented in police Bandobast.

7)       Enquired the cases of gross misuse of Pota and published report.

      Case of Ramlochan Tiwary.

Many other cases of Human Rights violations have been taken up by different units of PUCL at Jharkhand

रांची में आयोजित प्रेस कॉन्‍फ्रेन्‍स में बोलते पीयूसीएल अध्‍यक्ष भट्टाचार्य व अन्‍य।

रांची के पु‍रूलिया रोड (फादर कामिल बुल्‍के रोड) स्थित एक्‍सआइएसएस परिसर में एक प्रेस कॉन्‍फ्रेन्‍स बुलाकर झारखंड पीयुसीएल के अध्‍यक्ष सुब्रत भट्टाचार्य ने आगे बताया कि राज्‍य पुलिस द्वारा दो दशकों से कई स्‍कूलों पर कब्‍जा जारी है। उसमें लडकियों के छात्रावास और एक नेत्रहीनों का विद्यालय भी शामिल है। प्रदेश महासचिव पाठक ने जनहित याचिका में मांग की थी कि अत्‍याशीघ्र उन स्‍कूलों को खाली करवा कर पठन-पाठन शुरू करवाया जाये और अबतक ग्रामीण बच्‍चों की पढाई बंद हुई है उसके एवज में सरकार मुआवजा दे। हाईकोर्ट ने भी मामले को संवेदनशीलता से लिया और स्‍कूलों को खाली करवानी के लिये राज्‍य सरकार को निर्देश दिया है। बहरहाल, अब सरकार की ओर से दायर उस काउंटर एफिडेविट के बाद आगे की सुनवाई का सबको इंतजार है। प्रेस कॉन्‍फ्रेन्‍स के अवसर पर पीयुसीएल के महा‍सचिव शशिभूषण, उपाध्‍यक्ष त्रिदीव घोष, रांची के महा‍सचिव आनंद सिंह सहित कई पदधारी मौजूद थे।

उग्रवादियों का हिमायती बताने वाले पुलिस के दावे का सच
पुलिस ने काउन्‍टर एफिडेविट में शशिभूषण पाठक को जिस कागजात के आधार पर उग्रवादियों (नक्‍सलियों) का हिमायती बताया है, दरअसल वह महिला आयोग को प्रेषित एक आवेदन है एक महिला बंदी के प्रति सहानुभूति बरतने की गुजारिश की गई थी। राजनीतिक बंदी रिहाई समिति द्वारा प्रेषित उस आवेदन पर अकेले पाठक का अनुरोध नहीं बल्कि देश के जानेमाने शिक्षाविद, कलाकारों और सामाजिक कार्यकर्ताओं के हस्‍ताक्षर भी हैं, जिनमें उल्‍लेखनीय नाम हैं- मल्लिका शाराभाई, असगर अली इजीनियर, डा बी डी शर्मा, जेएनयु के प्रो अरूण कुमार, दीपिका टंडन, हरीश धवन, प्रोजेक्ट चमनलाल, आदि।

झारखंड पीयुसीएल की नई प्रदेश कमिटी की पहली बैठक संपन्‍न

23 नवंबर को रांची के पुरूलिया रोड स्थित एक्‍सआइएसएस परिसर में प्रदेश पीयुसीएल की नई कमिटी के पदधारियों की बैठक भी हुई। इस बैठक में सांगठनिक ढांचे को सुदृढ करने और ज्‍यादा से ज्‍यादा आम लोगों तक पहुंचने की रणनीति पर चर्चा हुई। 10 दिसंबर को मानवाधिकार दिवस के आयोजन पर भी विस्‍तार से चर्चा की गई।

This year the “Winter Internship Programme (WIP) 2008” is scheduled from 17 December 2008 to 15 January 2009 (30 days). The essential qualifications are: -

 Students of the 4th and 5th year pursuing 5 Years Integrated Law course.
 Students of the 3rd year pursuing 3 years L.L.B. course.
 Students pursuing Post-Graduation in Human Rights, Political Science, Sociology, Criminology, Social Work, Anthropology, Economics, History and subjects covered under Social Science of final year.
 Students of Post-Graduate Diploma (regular course) in Human Rights of recognized University is also eligible.
 Girl candidates are encouraged to apply.

Download the Form & Prospectus Here (Registration Required)

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New Delhi August 22, 2008: The following important recommendations and suggestions emerged at the National Conference on Relief and Rehabilitation of Displaced Persons organized by the National Human Rights Commission on 24-25 March 2008 in New Delhi.

I. General Recommendations

1. Pre-displacement, displacement, relief and rehabilitation should be viewed from a rights based perspective rather than as an administrative/governance issue that focuses on needs of beneficiaries. For instance, the lexicon of welfare/charity (”gratuitous relief” “beneficiary”) should be jettisoned for language that respects human rights of the displaced or to-be-displaced people. In all instances of displacement, there should be minimum non-negotiable human rights standards that should be adhered to for all and especially for vulnerable and marginalized groups such as women, children, elderly and disabled.

2. As part of relief and rehabilitation, authorities provide food, potable water, clothing, shelter, basic health care, education etc. It is important to note that access to these basic minimum services is not a matter of welfare or charity but is a human right. Basic minimum standards for such facilities /services should be defined.

3. There is a need for Central and State Governments to re-examine and amend laws, policies, plans, regulations and practices to mainstream and integrate human rights concerns on issues related to pre-displacement, displacement, relief and rehabilitation. For instance, human rights principles should inform the relief manuals of various states.

4. Authorities concerned with pre-displacement, displacement and post-displacement activities should be sensitized about human rights through capacity building.

5. All affected and displaced persons have the right to be treated with dignity. In particular, no arbitrary decision, without reasoning should be taken in the matters that affect their source of food, shelter and livelihood. Furthermore, before any such decision is taken, they should have right to be heard/consulted. They should also have the right to appeal against such decisions in appropriate forums.

6. All affected and displaced persons have the right to be treated without any discrimination in matters relating to rescue, relief and rehabilitation. In respect of vulnerable groups among them such as women, disabled, elderly persons and children, the appropriate authority shall take special measures to protect their rights. Displaced persons who have returned to their homes or places of habitual residence or who have resettled in another part of the country shall not be discriminated against as a result of their having been displaced. They shall have the right to participate fully and equally in public affairs at all levels and have equal access to public services.

7. All affected persons and displaced persons have the right to information regarding all aspects related to immediate humanitarian assistance, relief and rehabilitation. This includes, but is not limited to the following:
a. Adequate measures to guarantee to those to be displaced full information on the reasons and procedures for their displacement and, where applicable, on compensation and relocation;
b. Proper publicity by the State Government so as to enable the affected people to become aware of their entitlements in the form of relief and compensation;

8. All displaced persons, in particular displaced children, have the right to receive education, which shall be free and compulsory at the primary level. Education should respect their cultural identity, language and religion. Education facilities should be made available as soon as conditions permit. Special efforts should be made to ensure the full and equal participation of women and girls in educational programmes.

9. All displaced persons have the right to an adequate standard of living. At the minimum, regardless of the circumstances, and without discrimination, competent authorities shall provide displaced persons with and ensure access to:
a. Essential food and potable water;
b. Basic shelter and housing;
c. Appropriate clothing; and
d. Essential medical services and sanitation.
(Explanation:- The term “adequate” means that these services are (i) available, (ii) accessible, (iii) acceptable, and (iv) adaptable: (i) Availability means that these goods and services are made available to the affected population in sufficient quantity and quality; (ii) Accessibility requires that these goods and services (a) are granted without discrimination to all in need, (b) are within safe reach and can be physically accessed by everyone, including vulnerable and marginalized groups, and (c) are known to the beneficiaries; (iii) Acceptability refers to the need to provide goods and services that are culturally appropriate and sensitive to gender and age; (iv) Adaptability requires that these goods and services be provided in ways flexible enough to adapt to the change of needs in the different phases of emergency relief, reconstruction. During the immediate emergency phase, food, water and sanitation, shelter, clothing, and health services are considered adequate if they ensure survival to all in need of them.

विस्‍तृत जानकारी देते हुए झारखंड पीयुसीएल के अध्‍यक्ष सुब्रतो भट्टाचार्यी और महासचिव शशिभूषण पाठक ने बताया कि पीयूसीएल राज्‍य परिषद का यह सम्‍मेलन जमशेदपुर के सुंदरनगर (पटेल बगान) स्थित समेकित जन विकास केंद्र में आयोजित किया जा रहा है। गोष्‍ठी में कई अन्‍य वक्‍ताओं के अलावा बिहार और छत्‍तीसगढ पीयूसीएल के अध्‍यक्ष, क्रमश: विनय कुमार कंठ और राजेंद्र शैल भी बोलेंगे।