South Asia Citizens Web

PEOPLE’S MEMORANDUM TO THE GOVERNMENT OF INDIA ON THE COCHABAMBA CLIMATE CONFERENCE ORGANISED BY THE PLURINATIONAL GOVERNMENT OF BOLIVIA & SR. EVO MORALES AYMA, THE INDIGENOUS PRESIDENT OF THE PLURINATIONAL STATE OF BOLIVIA
10th April 2010
Dear Dr. Manmohan Singh, We, the undersigned people’s organisations, social movements, trade unions, and concerned citizens of India, submit this Memorandum to you as the head of the Government of India to draw your attention to the Call and (…)

It is clear that the country has been witnessing gross violation of the rights of the poor, particularly tribal rights, which have reached unprecedented levels since the new economic policies of the 90’s. The 5th Schedule rights of the tribals, in particular the Panchayat Extension to Scheduled Areas (PESA) Act and the Forest Rights Act have been grossly violated. These violations have now gone to the extent where fully tribal villages have been declared to be non-tribal. The entire executive and judicial administration appear to have been totally apathetic to their plight.

A fascinating book by Vazira Fazila-Yacoobali Zamindar, who teaches history at Brown University in the United States, fleshes out so many characters as if they belong to the lawyer’s court cases that her work may be seen as a tribute to those who worked selflessly in those difficult days to ease the trauma of millions who turned refugees overnight amid new and arbitrary boundaries and newer arbitrary histories that continue to define their sudden, improbable new identities.

The Independent People’s Tribunal on Land Acquisition, Resource Grab and Operation Green Hunt, organized by Citizen’s against Forced Displacement and War on People, kicked-off today to a packed hall, consisting of students, academics, activists and the media. The Independent People’s Tribunal is being held in New Delhi, Constitution Club.

Summary: The High Court today directed the Ministry of Education to take immediate steps to implement the Guidelines on Sexual Harassment declared earlier in BNWLA v Bangladesh, and to ensure that no woman working in any educational institution, public or private is forced to wear a veil or cover her head, and may exercise her personal choice whether or not to do so. 1 The Court also observed that Section 27A of the Government Servants Discipline and Conduct Rules 1979, must be read alongside these Guidelines, to ensure that public officials are held to account for any acts of sexual harassment.