South Asia Citizens Web

The preliminary report released on Human Rights Day by the Independent Women’s Initiative for Justice, titled ’Shopian: Manufacturing a Suitable Story’ has not only blasted the investigating agencies for a deliberate cover up, they have rather pointed out that this ’hushing up’ conspiracy is part of a larger political agenda to suit the interests of a so-called peace process in which people of Kashmir have largely remained excluded. The report argues, on basis of scientific logic, that any accidental death of the two women alleged to have been raped and murdered six months ago is impossible.

The Maoists say they are fighting for India’s poor, but their attacks on schools deprive these children of the education they desperately need. At the same time, long-term police occupation of schools puts these children right in the midst of danger and trauma, keeps them from their classrooms, and frightens them away.

While there were indications from the government as well as the Maoists some time back that they were prepared to consider the idea of a dialogue as proposed by the Citizens Initiative for Peace and other groups, the CIP notes with deep concern that operations by the security forces of the Central and State governments have already been launched in several States causing untold miseries to the tribal people in the affected regions.

From: KlimaForum09 - Peoples Climate Summit
Background:
The fear is that the official climate deal likely to come out the UN conference in Copenhagen will be focused on »technological fixes« and biased towards the interests of the corporate lobby and the rich and powerful nations.
During the fall of 2009 the Klimaforum09-declaration group invited civil society groups, grassroots, indigenous people, and local communities from all over the world to come forth with ideas and solutions (…)

We are deeply concerned that if an All India Fact-Finding Team of Women can be treated with such intimidation, violence, and indignity in the very presence of police force, what would be the kind of atrocities committed on tribal people in Narayanpatna who have been completely cordoned off by the police. The whole area seems to be under siege.