मेरे बेटे प्रवीण का चेहरा पाकिस्तानी आतंकी आबिद केे फोटो से मिलता है- महेश देवी

July 16, 2016

2007 में पकड़े गए कथित पाकिस्तानी आतंकी आबिद को मेरठ के हिंदु परिवार ने 2006 से लापता अपना बेटा प्रवीण होने का किया संदेह

आबिद और महेश देवी का हो डीएनए टेस्ट- रिहाई मंच

लखनऊ 15 जुलाई 2016। 2007 में मीडिया की सुर्खियों में आए कांग्रेस नेता राहुल गांधी के तथाकथित अपहरण की साजिश रचने वाले पाकिस्तानी आतंकी बताकर 16 नवंबर को पकड़े गए तीन युवकों मोहम्मद आबिद, मिर्जा राशिद बेग, सैर्फुरहमान को लखनऊ के एक न्यायालय ने आजीवन कारावास की सजा दी है। लेकिन पवन कुमार पुत्र गंगा राम व पवन की मां महेश देवी निवासी 462/807 न्यू गोविंदपुरी, कंकरखेड़ा, मेरठ कैंट ने दावा किया है कि मोहम्मद आबिद कोड नेम फत्ते उर्फ सफदर उर्फ अय्यूब का चेहरा उनके भाई जो कि 5 मई 2006 से ही लापता है से मिलता है।

इस मसले पर यूपी प्रेस क्लब लखनऊ में आयोजित प्रेस कांफ्रेस में तीनों कथित पाकिस्तानी आतंकियों के अधिवक्ता रहे रिहाई मंच अध्यक्ष मोहम्मद शुऐब ने बताया कि एसटीएफ के अशोक कुमार राघव के नेतृत्व में आॅपरेशन क्लीन बताते हुए मोहम्मद आबिद कोड नेम फत्ते उर्फ सफदर उर्फ अय्यूब पुत्र मोहम्मद रफीक उम्र लगभग 27 वर्ष 16 नवंबर 2007 को निवासी मकान नंबर 23 गली नंबर 6 माजरा रोड लाहौर, मिर्जा राशिद बेग कोड राजा कज्जाकी रेजिडेंट आॅफ मिर्जा आरिफ बेग गुजरावाला पाकिस्तान व सैर्फुरहमान उर्फ यूसूफ उर्फ फैसल पुत्र खलील अहमद मुल्तान पाकिस्तान को एक पुलिस मुठभेड़ के दौरान लखनऊ स्थित टेढ़ी पुलिया के पास स्थित मौरंग मंडी के पास से गिरफ्तार करने का दावा पुलिस ने किया था। पुलिस ने इन सभी गिरफ्तारियों को केन्द्रीय खूफिया अभिसूचना ईकाईयों व राज्य खूफिया अभिसूचना ईकाईयों के इनपुट पर करने का दावा करते हुए इसे कंधार विमान अपहरण कांड जैसी साजिश बताया था।

प्रेस कांफ्रेस में मेरठ निवासी पवन कुमार ने कहा कि जिसे आबिद उर्फ फत्ते कहा जा रहा है उसका चेहरा उनके लापता भाई प्रवीण कुमार से मिलता है। उनके भाई प्रवीण जो की दिहाड़ी पर गाड़ी चलाते थे के बारे में उन्हें मालूम चला था कि दिल्ली के खजूरी खास के पास एक मुठभेड़ के दौरान जो 5 व्यक्ति मारे गए उस मुठभेड़ में उनके भाई के होने की संभावना या फिर फरार होने की संभवाना मीडिया में जताई गई थी। उसके बाद हम भाई को लगातार खोजते रहे, इलाहाबाद हाई कोर्ट में भी रिट दायर किया, मानवाधिकार आयोग से लेकर तमाम शासन-प्रशासन स्तर पर उसे खोजने के लिए कोशिश की पर निराशा ही हाथ लगी। 1 जुलाई 2016 को जब हमने अमर उजाला समाचार पत्र में जैश के तीन पाकिस्तानी आतंकियों को दोषी करार देने की सजा वाली खबर में फोटो देखी तो मुझे लगा की वह मेरे भाई प्रवीण की फोटो है। जिसे मैंने पूरे परिवार को दिखाया और उसी के सहारे उसे ढूंढ़ने के लिए लखनऊ चले आए। जिला जेल लखनऊ में जाकर मिलने का प्रयास किया लेकिन मुलाकात नहीं हो सकी। इसके बाद कुछ मीडिया के लोगों ने मुझे ऐसे मामलों के अधिवक्ता व रिहाई मंच के अध्यक्ष मुहम्मद शुऐब से मिलने की राय दी। उनको भी जब मैंने अपने भाई प्रवीण की पुरानी फोटो तथा समाचार पत्र की छाया प्रतियां दिर्खाइं तो उन्होंने कहा कि यह सभी फोटो एक ही व्यक्ति के लगते हैं। प्रयास किया जाएगा तो पता लग पाएगा कि वह आपका भाई है।

पत्रकार वार्ता के दौरान महेश देवी ने कहा कि जो फोटो पेपर में छपी है वह निश्चित रुप से मेरे बेटे प्रवीण कुमार की लगती है। मैं और मेरा बेटा पवन कुमार तीन दिनों से लखनऊ में अपने बेटे प्रवीण कुमार से मिलने के लिए भटक रहे हैं। ऐसे में हम माननीय मुख्यमंत्री, जेलमंत्री, जिलाधिकारी लखनऊ व जिला जेल के वरिष्ठ अधीक्षक से मांग करते हैं कि वह कथित आतंकी मोहम्मद आबिद उर्फ फत्ते से हमें मिलवाकर सुनिश्चित करें कि वह प्रवीण कुमार ही तो नहीं है। इस मामले में उन्होंने डीएनए टेस्ट और उच्च स्तरीय जांच की मांग भी की। उन्होंने यह भी कहा कि उनके बेटे के दाएं हाथ में एक टैटू का निशान है और माथे पे चोट का भी निशान है। इसके बाद रिहाई मंच के अध्यक्ष मुहम्मद शुऐब ने अपने प्रयास से आतंक के आरोप से बरी कराए कुछ लोगों से उनके शरीर के इन चिन्हों की जानकारी भी की जिन्होंने कहा कि ऐसे निशान उनके शरीर पर हैं। जो महेश देवी के संदेह को और पुख्ता करते हैं, जिसकी जांच की जानी चाहिए।

प्रेस को सम्बोधित करते हुए रिहाई मंच महासचिव राजीव यादव ने कहा कि तत्कालीन डीजीपी विक्रम सिंह, तत्कालीन एडीजी कानून व्यवस्था व भाजपा नेता बृजलाल व तत्कालीन वरिष्ठ पुलिस अधीक्षक एसटीएफ अमिताभ यश, अतिरिक्त पुलिस अधीक्षक मनोज कुमार झा के नेतृत्व में जिस तरीके से यूपी में आतंकवादी घटनाओं व षडयंत्र के नाम पर की गई गिरफ्तारियों पर निमेष कमीशन भी सवाल उठा चुकी हैं और दर्जन भर से अधिक बेगुनाह बरी हो चुके हैं। ऐसे में जिस तरीके से आबिद उर्फ फत्ते को मेरठ निवासी पवन व उनकी मां महेश देवी ने दावा किया है कि वह उनका भाई-बेटा प्रवीण है, यह घटना साफ करती है कि सरकार व पुलिस न सिर्फ आतंकवाद के नाम पर मुसलमानों को बदनाम कर रही है बल्कि प्रवीण जैसे बेगुनाह हिंदू युवकों को पाकिस्तानी आतंकी व मुसलमान बताकर जेल में सड़ा रही है। उन्होंने कहा कि जिस तरीके से इस मामले में जिस एके 47, पिस्टल व भारी पैमाने पर कारतूस व आरडीएक्स बरामदगी का दावा किया गया था वह आखिर कहां से आया। पुलिस पर यह सवाल निमेष कमीशन द्वारा बेगुनाह बताए गए तारिक-खालिद केस में पहले भी उठ चुका है। उन्होंने मांग की कि अपने बेटे और भाई से मिलने के लिए दर-दर भटक रहीं महेश देवी और पवन को उनसे मिलवाया जाए और नवंबर 2007 के पूरे मामले की सीबीआई जांच कराई जाए कि कैसे खुफिया और सुरक्षा एजेंसियों ने इस फर्जी मुठभेड़ की कहानी रची। मंच के महासचिव ने खुफिया विभान पर यह भी आरोप लगाया कि अगर मई 2006 से गायब प्रवीण ही आबिद उर्फ फत्ते हैं तो खुफिया एजेंसियों ने आगे उसे गैर कानूनी हिरासत में रखकर प्रताड़ित कर मुस्लिम तौर तरीके सिखाकर फिर गिरफ्तार दिखाया जो कि एक समुदाय को बदनाम करने की घिनौनी साजिश है। यहां मिर्जा राशिद बेग व सैर्फुरहमान की पहचान पर भी सवाल उठ जा रहा है। यह घटना पूरे देश में इस तरह की गिरफ्तारियों में आईबी की भूमिका पर सवाल उठाती है जिनकी जांच की जानी चाहिए।

द्वारा जारी

शाहनवाज आलम

प्रवक्ता रिहाई मंच

(Issued by Rihai Manch : For Resistance Against Repression)

FIR Against Akhlaq’s Family Travesty of Justice, UP Govt Must Intervene

July 15, 2016

UPDATE: The Uttar Pradesh(UP) police was quick to file an FIR against the family of Mohammed Akhlaq following the order by the Noida Court, by the evening of July 15, even as advocate Yusuf Saifi, representing the family told Sabrangindia that this was a clearly diversionary tactic from those very persons accused of lynching to death Akhlaq last September. Finally, a charge sheet against them was recently filed by the same Gautam Budha Nagar police. Furthermore he was clear that the Akhlaq family would be completely exonerated in the probe since the alleged incident of September 25 2015 was not agitated for days after.

The CPI(M) has expressed strong reservations about a local Uttar Pradesh (UP) court’s order to file an FIR against the members of the Akhlaq family on charges of cow slaughter is a gross travesty of justice. Ironically, the order of the Magistrate, Vijay Kumar came on a petition filed by those accused and involved in the brutal murder and lynching of Akhlaq and who have been pressurizing the family to withdraw the case. Shockingly, the court gave the order without even hearing the lawyer of the family members.

The statement of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) also states that it is essential that the Uttar Pradesh government immediately intervene and take the necessary legal steps against this court order.

On July 14, the district court of Gautam Budh Nagar Thursday asked the police to file an FIR for alleged cow slaughter against Mohammad Akhlaq’ family, murdered over allegation of cow slaughter in Dadri.

In media reports, DSR Tripathi is quoted on the issue. “Judicial magistrate Vijay Kumar, acting on an application moved under 156(3) CrPC for registration of a case, has ordered investigation and lodging of an FIR on cow slaughter against Akhlaq’s family,” D.S.R. Tripathi, senior prosecution officer, said. The court ordered filing of the FIR under the UP Prevention of Cow Slaughter Act, 1955. The FIR is against the slain Akhlaq and six of his family members.

Akhlaq was lynched by a mob in September 2015 for allegedly consuming and storing beef. In the incident at Bisada village in Dadri, Akhlaq was killed on the spot while his son Danish was seriously injured. In June, a forensic report from a laboratory in Mathura declared that the meat found in the victim’s house was of a cow or a calf. A group of Bisada residents, led by Surajpal Singh, had then moved an application in court under Section 156(3) of CrPC with a request to direct the police to lodge an FIR.

Rajeev Tyagi, the lawyer of Surajpal Singh, said that he had named seven persons — Mohd Akhlaq, his wife Ikraman, mother Asghari, brother Jaan Mohammad, daughter Shaishta and son Danish in the complaint. Sona, wife of Akhlaq’s brother Jafaruddin, was also named in the complaint.

Yusuf Saifi, lawyer of Mohd Akhlaq’s family said that he would challenge the order in a higher court. “All the accused persons have admitted to their roles in Akhlaq’s murder. We will challenge the order in a higher court,” he told reporters.

Jaan Mohammad, Akhlaq’s brother, said the registration of the FIR was a setback. He said that the family was ready for a fair probe. He denied the allegation that the family had slaughtered a cow and questioned how the meat sample, which was earlier tested as goat meat, turned into cow meat after nine months.

“The accused have been mounting pressure on us to withdraw the case. We have faith in the judiciary and government. We hope justice will be delivered,” he said.

Sanjay Rana, the father of one of the accused, said, “The court has rightly ordered lodging of the FIR. The UP government was taking one-sided action. Now the court order has provided justice to the other side too.”

“If found guilty, the accused can get a maximum punishment of seven years imprisonment and be fined up to Rs 10,000,” said Thakur Shishpal Sisodiya, the counsel of another petitioner.

The Nice attack and the corrosive effects of anxiety

July 15, 2016

Apart from the many, densely packed strangers readily available for slaughter, there was the added symbolism of the day itself. EPA/Olivier Aringo

The sickening carnage in Nice has become all too familiar and seemingly impossible to counter. It is unclear exactly who carried out the attack or what their motives were at this stage.

Various government ministers in France have been lining up to declare “war” on the perpetrators. But given the seemingly endless supply of young men and occasionally even young women prepared to blow themselves up in the name of a cause, the chances of dealing effectively with the problem of homegrown radicals look increasingly implausible.

For me, having spent the last six months living in France it became evident that the lives of many young men in predominantly segregated migrant communities were blighted, in comparison with many other, longer-standing members of French society at least.

France has a long and often painful historical relationship with its former colonies and there are no doubt reasons that many Algerians, for example, might feel aggrieved about France’s impact on their country, society and place in the world. They might also feel unhappy about their relative status in their new homeland. But being able to migrate to France is still a pretty good option for those able to take it.

Or it was. The reality is that many of the things that made France such an attractive and iconic place are being steadily eroded. It is no coincidence that Bastille Day was chosen for this atrocity. Apart from the many, densely packed strangers readily available for slaughter, there was the added symbolism of the day itself.

France occupies a unique place in the history of Western civilisation in particular and “civilised” values more generally. There’s a lot to be said for secular states, as recent events remind us. Putting the priests and the mullahs in their place and throwing off the yoke of inherited ideology and ignorance has been one of the West’s great achievements.

It is not too fanciful to suggest that much of this is now in danger. The levels of surveillance and security will no doubt be increased, with no guarantee of any greater effect. If social profiling is not already happening, it’s fair to assume that it will and should. It seems difficult to argue that whatever can be done to stop such outrages and threats to social cohesion happening should be done.

But the day-to-day tedium of increased security pales into significance to the longer-term consequences of such acts. Governments flounder in the face of such events, or they do in liberal democracies, at least. Personal and political liberties are the very stuff of Western civilisation and it is precisely those that are under attack. Paradoxically, if they are to be preserved they may have to be suspended.

The very ideas of progress, emancipation and improvement are no longer part of the political discourse. It is hardly surprising. Insecurity and uncertainty are becoming endemic, even if the chances of actually being directly affected by such events remains vanishingly small.

But we are all becoming collateral damage. It is becoming an all-too-familiar, deeply depressing part of our collective lived experience. Yes, I know Paris and Nice still compare favourably with Tehran and Aleppo, but that’s not really the point. We need examples of places where politics and security actually work successfully. On the whole, France has been a pretty good example for many years.

If there is nowhere that life can be lived in a reasonably – yes – civilised manner with some degree of confidence about getting to the end of it without being blown up, then we shall all suffer from the corrosive effects of anxiety, no matter how misplaced it may be relative to actual threats.

It is possible to ignore the presence of troops on the streets, as I learned to do in Paris. But it’s not possible to ignore what their presence means or the fact that it seems to be ineffective. The sort of freedoms that are built on trust and confidence may not be sustainable.

The fact the Donald Trump has seized on the Nice attacks in an attempt to justify his policies is a telling indicator of just how bad things already are. They could become a lot worse if he becomes president.

Mark Beeson is Professor of International Politics, University of Western Australia

Courtesy: The Conversation

After Dalit Woman Performs Rituals, Temple Priest Performs ‘Purification’

July 15, 2016

In yet another incident that reflects the exclusions and indignities suffered by India’s Dalit populations, a temple priest in rural Kanpur’s Mangalpur temple, not only refused Munni Devi and her companions entry into the garba griha but performed the offensive ‘putification with Ganga Jal’ (water from the Ganges ritual after they left. The incident reportedly took place on July 11.

Reportedly, villagers said that Munni Devi and her companions had gone to the temple connection with some rituals related to her daughter’s wedding. When the priest could not stop the entry of the women despite his best efforts due to the interventions of other locals, he shut down the temple for over an hour to perform the ‘purification’ ritual. While the fact that Munni Devi is from the Valmiki Dalit caste is mentioned, there are no details of the identity of the priest. While the Navbharat Times reported that the Additional District Magistrate (ADM) has initiated an inquiry as the act consists of an offence under the Atrocities Act, ADM Shivshankar Gupta told Muniza Khan of Sabrangindia that “no such incident had happened and nor has any such enquiry been ordered.

The issue of Temple Entry for Dalits has been a contentious one, historically, ideologically and academically.

Sabrangindia had carried an exclusive report on how the Gujarat Government’s appointment of only Brahmin priests to government-temples in the state mocked Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar and Violated the Constitution. The matter had come to light when former Director General of Police (DGP) Gujarat, RB Sreekumar had written an Open Letter on the issue to the state’ chief minister, Anandiben Patel.

Besides, 83 years ago, at the historic meeting between Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar and Mahatma Gandhi at the Yeravda prison o February 4, 1933, when Gandhi had requested Ambedkar's support to the Dr. Subbarayan’s Temple entry Bill and that of Ranga Iyer, the latter had refused.

Ten days later, he issued a statement on February 14, 1933. He outlined the impracticability of the bill, crticised it for not making Untouchability illegal and outlined why he would not prefer just temple entry. Ambedkar in his own detailed arguments, had detailed why he did not support Gandhi on Temple Entry. Key to this was the spiritual argument. Ambedkar said, “As religiously minded people, do the Depressed Classes desire temple entry or do they not? That is the question. From the spiritual point of view, they are not indifferent to temple entry as they would be, if the material point of view alone were to prevail. But their final answer must depend upon the reply which Mahatma Gandhi and the Hindus give to the questions namely: What is the drive behind this offer of temple entry? Is temple entry to be the final goal of the advancement in the social status of the Depressed Classes in the Hindu fold? Or is it only the first step and if it is the first step, what is the ultimate goal? Temple entry as a final goal, the Depressed Classes can never support” …..”In the same way, if Mahatma Gandhi and the reformers were to proclaim what the goal which they have set before themselves is for the advancement of the social status of the Depressed Classes in the Hindu fold, it would be easier for the Depressed Classes to define their attitude towards Temple entry.”

The filming of Rumi – Everybody’s darling

July 15, 2016

A Hollywood film project and a joint attempt by Iran and Turkey to register the principal works of the poet Rumi with the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list have recently caused political turmoil, above all, in Afghanistan. By Waslat Hasrat-Nazimi

What is currently on the minds of Afghans? Of all things, a 13^th century poet and Sufi mystic, albeit one of the most famous – Rumi. Even after 800 years, his poems are familiar to many in the Persian-speaking world, namely Afghanistan, Iran, Tajikistan and Azerbaijan.

The reason for the commotion, which, of course is mainly unfolding on the Internet, is two-fold. For one thing, Hollywood plans to film the life of the esteemed poet. And Leonardo DiCaprio is being considered for the main role, screenwriter David Fanzoni (Oscar winner for "Gladiator") disclosed to the media.

Apparently, there are many people who reject the portrayal of a Muslim mystic and poet by a Western non-Muslim actor. There is even a relevant hashtag, #RumiWasntWhite, where the Iranian artist Shahab Jafarnejad has published a caricature of DiCaprio as Rumi. It has already been viewed thousands of times.

"This is a new issue for us and we are still gathering information on the matter," says Haroon Hakimi, spokesman for the Afghan Ministry of Information and Culture. "As soon as we know more, we will notify the filmmakers of our position."

Turkish-Iranian effort
As chance would have it, another reason has led to Rumi currently being a topic of heated discussion in Afghanistan – and at an official level. What has happened? Apparently, both Turkey and Iran intend to register Rumi's major works with the UNESCO
Intangible Cultural Heritage list. This information was reported to the government in Kabul by the Afghan Embassy in Tehran.

Omidhq tweet: Can you imagine @LeoDiCaprio as #Rumi

Can you imagine @LeoDiCaprio as #Rumi? – The Iranian artist Shahab Jafarnejad published a caricature showing the actor Leonardo DiCaprio as Rumi, a tweet that has since been shared thousands of times

Afghanistan is incensed over this audacious coup by the two countries, which, without further ado, mean to claim Rumi's legacy and fame as their own under the guise of the World Cultural Heritage list. After all, Rumi was born in Balkh, a province of present-day Afghanistan and therefore should be regarded first and foremost as an Afghan poet!

Admittedly, Rumi lived most of his life in what is now Turkey and died in the city of Konya. His shrine is the second-most popular tourist attraction in Turkey. In turn, the fact that Rumi composed his work in Persian strengthens Iran's claim to the poet.
"As soon as we heard about this, we contacted the UNESCO representative and expressed our concern," said Hakim. "Jalal al-Din Muhammad Balkhi (as Rumi is referred to in Afghanistan) is a source of national pride and we will not allow any other country to steal this honour. The representative, McPhillips, promised to convey Kabul's misgivings to UNESCO headquarters. To date, however, UNESCO claims to have received no official application from any party.

Planned protests
In order to protest against the actions of Iran and Turkey, demonstrations have been planned in Afghanistan at the ruins of Rumi's birthplace in the northern province of Balkh. "Actually, Rumi has three homelands," says Sadeq Osyani, Professor of Literature at Balkh University. "The first is the whole world, another is language, but the third is his place of birth in Balkh, which lies in Afghanistan," explains Osyani.

Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi′s mausoleum and the Haci Bektas mosque in Konya (photo: picture-alliance/blickwinkel/imagesandstories)

Rumi′s mausoleum in the Turkish town of Konya: many of the ideas promulgated by the great mystics such as Jalal ad-Din Rumi, Omar Khayyam or Fariduddin Attar arrived in Europe through contact between the Islamic and the Christian worlds in the crusader states, Norman Sicily and the Iberian Peninsula, influencing many of the Occident′s great historical figures as a result

Of course, the topic has been trending on social media and some users have even vented their anger on UNESCO′s Facebook page. Journalist Frud Bezhan shared a photo of Rumi's birthplace.

Sayed Zafar Hashemi, deputy spokesman for the president of Afghanistan, appealed to "internationally known" Afghan authors to express their views on the situation.

Yet, there are also voices that have argued that Rumi belongs to no single country, but to the entire world.

Osyani shares this view. "Until now, there was no reason for Afghanistan to lay claim to Rumi. His art and influence belong to the world, but if you really want to be clear about the matter, you have to admit that Jalal al-Din Muhammad Balkhi belongs to Balkh."

Today, the 13^th century poet is regarded as one of the most famous figures in Islamic history and in Persian-language literature. His influence, however, reaches far beyond the Islamic world. Rumi is even cited as the most-read poet in the USA. On the occasion of Rumi's 800^th birthday, UNESCO proclaimed 2007 to be "international Rumi year."

Waslat Hasrat-Nazimi
© Deutsche Welle 2016
Translated from the German by John Bergero

Courtesy: qantara.de

Pushed Aside: Displaced for ‘Development’ in India

July 15, 2016

Of the 40.8 million people internally displaced by conflict and violence worldwide, by end 2015, a significant section is from India. During the year, conflict, violence and disasters caused 27.8 million new incidents of internal displacement in 127 countries. More than 19.2 million were triggered by rapid onset natural hazards in 113 countries and 8.6 million by conflict and violence in 28 countries. So called business ventures and development projects are also major causes.

These are the findings of a well researched report, Pushed Aside: Displaced for Development released yesterday, July 2016. The report has been brought out by the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) and Norwegian Refugee Council

The report examines nine cases of displacement caused by development in the states of Gujarat, Jharkhand, Kerala and the national capital territory of Delhi. They reveal failed regulation, inadequate enforcement and harm to communities that extend to other cases elsewhere in India. They show that land acquisitions have pushed people aside with no regard for their rights or needs for decades. They are the result of government indifference and a failure to monitor the human rights impacts of projects and establish accountability mechanisms to address them.

Key Findings
One. Government power over land and its severe approach to dissent are key factors in enabling and perpetuating displacement in the context of development projects. Land acquisitions are facilitated by the exploitation of “public interest” to justify project approval, the use of “special economic zones” to circumvent legal safeguards, inaccurate land categorisation, prejudice against the poor and working classes, and lack of transparency. With international evictions standards not adhered to, indigenous peoples’ rights are not respected, and those affected face a power imbalance when trying to assert their rights.

Two. The authorities’ indifference to – and neglect of – the adverse human and socio-economic impacts on the displaced and society at large lead to a fall in living standards and fractured social networks. IDPs’ access to livelihoods becomes more difficult after eviction and income levels, food security, health and education suffer as a result. Housing conditions deteriorate because compensation, resettlement assistance and rehabilitation support are insufficient or not provided. Women and indigenous peoples tend to suffer the adverse effects of displacement disproportionately.

Three Data on the patterns of IDPs’ movement and their progress towards durable solutions is inadequate, leading to underestimates of the scale and consequences of displacement. Patterns of movement are not documented because nationwide data on the number, location and needs of those displaced is not publicly available, whether they are resettled or not. In many cases however, displacement tends to become protracted and durable solutions are rare. The case studies for this report contribute to the global evidence base on displacement caused by development. The detrimental impacts of development projects in India highlight the need to address the issue in key policy agendas and discussions. Despite IDPs’ awareness of their rights and resistance to their eviction and displacement, they will not escape poverty without significant external support and systemic changes to social and economic policies. The findings of the case studies can help to inform the implementation of new and upcoming UN frameworks on sustainable development at the national and local level, such as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the New Urban Agenda. Both agendas commit to “leave no one behind” and explicitly include IDPs. They could also be used to inform the creation and revision of corporate and financial institutions’ policies on displacement and resettlement, and the work of UN mandate holders, treaty body committees and agencies. Global development agendas should ensure that while development projects may alleviate poverty for some, they should not at the same time create new poor or heighten the existing economic vulnerabilities of those evicted. Neglecting those evicted and displaced would undermine the achievement of global development goals. The timescale for planning and implementing projects provides ample opportunity to avoid or minimise displacement, and to put measures in place to ensure that those who are displaced achieve durable solutions.

By providing a first-hand account of development projects and business activities that have caused displacement across India, this report documents and analyses the scale, process and impacts of this phenomenon. It contributes to the existing body of evidence on this type of displacement and aims to raise awareness among policy-makers, business elites, academics, NGOs and operational decision-makers at the national and international level.

The report can be read here

This report was researched and written by Nadine Walicki and Marita Swain. Others involved in the process include Miloon Kothari (MIT DRAN), Shivani Chaudhry (HLRN), Balaji Pandey (ISED), Bhudev Bhakat (SBMS), Sejal Patel (CEPT), Indu K (CDS), S Irudaya Rajan (CDS), Persis Ginwalla, Madhuresh (NAPM) and Hari Mohan Mathur (CSD). Thanks to Jeremy Lennard for editorial assistance. Cover photo: Families still awaiting permanent resettlement since their eviction more than eight years ago from the Sabarmati Riverfront Development Project in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. The Ganeshnagar interim resettlement site has an estimated 7,500 residents living next to the city waste collection area and under high tension power lines. Credit: IDMC/Marita Swain, March 2016

2 The impacts on the lives of people driven from their homes or land by such ventures can be just as severe in terms of scope and duration as those experienced by people displaced by conflict, violence and disasters. These internally displaced people (IDPs) suffer a range of human rights violations, including their rights to adequate housing, land, food, water, health, education and freedom of movement. Displacement caused by development projects tends to affect the poorest and most marginalised groups, and – paradoxically – makes inequality worse rather than better.3 It also causes tensions that in some cases have fuelled violent conflict, and with it further displacement. In its efforts to paint a comprehensive global picture of the nature and scope of internal displacement, in 2015 IDMC institutionalised its work on that caused by development and business activities. The issue was introduced in IDMC’s 2016 Global Report on Internal Displacement as a trigger in need of specific attention. IDMC has gathered information on it since the organisation was founded in 1998, but this report represents IDMC’s first formal attempt to investigate, conceptualise and analyse the phenomenon. IDMC chose to focus on India for two reasons. First, the number of people reportedly displaced by development projects in the country is among the highest in the world. Such displacement has been taking place for decades in many parts of the country, in both urban and rural areas, and as a result of different types of projects, offering a range of cases to study.

Why America needs a truth commission

July 15, 2016

In the United States, gun deaths over the last three decades far exceed those reported in truth commissions and civil wars around the world in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s.

Image: startribune.com

In 1961, President John F. Kennedy established The Presidential Commission on the Status of Women, a formal body that collected evidence and made recommendations on many of the challenges facing women in the modern American economy, polity and society. No such body has ever been established for the status of African Americans.

It is now time to do so, but its remit should be much wider.

Last week, we witnessed the high profile killings of two young black men: Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge Louisiana and Philando Castille in St. Paul Minnesota. Both killings were captured on video and widely shared on social media, raising significant questions about the use of force by the police and the role that race has to play in such encounters.

Shortly after these two incidents, Micah Xavier Johnson killed five police officers and wounded six others in Dallas, causing mass panic during an otherwise peaceful protest led by the Black Lives Matter social movement. The events in Dallas once again underlined the challenges surrounding race, rights and the ready availability of high-powered weaponry, with all sides of the debate advancing different political agendas.

A Black Lives Matter protest, July 10, 2016, in Cincinnati, USA.

Since the 1961 Presidential Commission, so-called “truth commissions” have proliferated across the world. These commissions have mandates to provide thorough accounts of “past wrongs” that have taken place during prolonged periods of conflict (e.g., El Salvador, Peru, Guatemala, Sierra Leone), foreign occupation (e.g., East Timor), and authoritarian rule (e.g., Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and South Africa). In the United States, the total number of deaths from gun violence over the last three decades far exceeds the totals reported in these truth commissions and other civil wars around the world in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s.

Based on the Military Tribunal in Nuremburg after World War II, truth commissions typically collect different kinds of evidence using different kinds of methods—such as case studies, public hearings and survey data—and then issue reports on their findings. The South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission is probably the most well known, as it documented more than 21,000 reported killings during the period of Apartheid. The Peruvian Truth and Reconciliation Commission, using more advanced statistical techniques, estimated that between 61,007 and 77,552 people were killed between 1980 and 2000. These and other statistical findings raise awareness about the true nature and extent of violence, the kinds of people who become victims, and findings on the perpetrators of the killings.

There is much debate about the structure, design, outcomes, and impact of truth commissions. They are time consuming and expensive, and they are often better at revealing truth than providing justice. In addition, their findings can be controversial as they illuminate inconvenient truths or new evidence that challenge long-held beliefs and dominant narratives. They do have value, however, in providing a public acknowledgment of past wrongs and a national reckoning, which seeks to be inclusive of all stakeholders, victims, survivors, and their families and friends. Participants and observers have learned many lessons through these commissions. Different countries have adopted different models, while debates in countries such as Spain and the UK (i.e., Northern Ireland) continue as to whether such a body would be appropriate. Indeed, it was only in the past few years that Brazil decided to establish its own truth commission to address the period of military rule between 1964 and 1985.

In the United States there is also a precedent for using this model. The Greensboro Truth and Reconciliation Commission sought to understand and explain violence that took place in November 1979 as a result of conflict between The Communist Workers Party and the Ku Klux Klan. The independent commission sought truth and healing for a city that had been left divided and weakened.

An American Truth Commission

What would an American Truth Commission look like? Like Greensboro, it would need to be independent and have either appointed or democratically elected commissioners, ranging from lawyers, academics, prominent religious leaders, leading media representatives, and members of the general public. It could be established by executive decree (as Kennedy did with the Commission on the Status of Women) and hosted by the US Institute for Peace (USIP), which was established by Congress and has carried out analysis and support for truth commissions around the world. The International Centre for Transitional Justice, a leading non-governmental organisation that has also supported truth commissions worldwide, could assist this process.

It would provide a moment of pause for America to listen to itself. The American Truth Commission should examine the period from the promulgation of the War on Drugs in 1971 to the present day. Its focus should be on the social, economic, legal, and political status of all groups in America. It should be inclusive of all main political factions and bear witness to all groups affected by the cycle of violence, poverty, and division in American society. It should carry out rigorous and systematic epidemiological analysis of gun violence, focusing on the true nature and extent of the violence. It should hear testimony from the gun lobby, gun control lobby, health professionals, the police and other law enforcement officials, as well as civil liberties groups and other parties with a view on violence in America.

Such a commission would take time and would produce a significant number of volumes, like the truth commissions mentioned above and much like the Chilcot Inquiry into the Iraq War published last week in the United Kingdom. It would provide a moment of pause for America to listen to itself. To its own voices. To its own people. To its own pain. The outcomes and impact for any such commission would vary according to the initial mandate. Systematic and rigorous analysis, complemented with real human stories, can alter collective consciousness about root problems in society across a wide range of issues and can lead to new legislation on key policy areas. Indeed, in The Justice Cascade, Kathryn Sikkink demonstrated through a cross-national analysis of countries in Latin America that the presence of some form of transitional justice mechanism (of which truth commissions are one example) has a positive impact on the status of human rights in the years that follow.

The alternative to having such a commission is further division and a cycle of violence that will only result in more citizen deaths. Many commentators worry that America is now at a significant tipping point, where unresolved differences, a highly contested and fraught electoral campaign, and the continued access to guns provides the foundations for a failed state and a downward spiral into civil war, or at least a chilling echo of the societal unrest that characterised America in 1968.

Only by stepping back, coming together, sharing stories, and once again connecting in ways that recognise our common human dignity, can we find the much-needed foundation for peace, reconciliation, and a secure future for our children.

Todd Landman is the Pro Vice Chancellor at the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Nottingham.

Courtesy: Open Democracy

Nice attack: how vulnerable are we to ‘low-tech terror’?

July 15, 2016

Image: abc.net.au

France has again been the scene of a lethal terrorist attack. At least one attacker drove through and then opened fire on crowds of French and foreign citizens enjoying Bastille Day celebrations in Nice, killing at least 80 people and injuring scores more.

Though there is as yet little solid information on who conducted this attack and whether any particular terrorist group can claim responsibility, it has shown what dreadful impact can be caused by the use of an innocuous and familiar part of modern life – a motor vehicle.

A long history

Though this attack included the use of firearms and hand grenades, it would seem the great mass of casualties was caused by the deliberate driving of the vehicle at high speed into clusters of people.

Though eventually shot dead, the attacker managed to exact a dreadful toll primarily through use of a vehicle.

The use of vehicles to deliver catastrophic destruction has a long history. Timothy McVeigh’s truck-borne bombing in April 1995 killed 168 people in Oklahoma City in the US. And just a few weeks ago, a truck packed with explosives killed more than 200 and injured hundreds more Iraqi people innocently undertaking their Eid shopping in Baghdad.

All manner of transportation methods have been used as a means of destruction. Vehicles from the motor car to trucks, motorbikes, bicycles and before that even horse-drawn carriages have been used to conduct terrorist attacks against governments and civilians alike in countries as diverse as Sri Lanka and the United Kingdom.

How can people be protected?

What’s concerning about the Nice attack is that a low-technology pervasive tool of modern society was used as the primary weapon with such dreadful success.

If this attack has been inspired by Islamic State’s exhortations to attack the West with whatever implement is at hand, there are new implications for the security of social spaces.

In 2014, a radicalised individual deliberately drove over two Canadian soldiers. One soldier died. So, do we now have to fear a new “low-tech terrorism”?

We are already aware in modern societies of the risks of irresponsibly driven vehicles. The accidental and deliberate use of vehicles to kill and maim has also been a factor in trying to create secure spaces for pedestrians in malls and kerbside dining venues. In 1983, Douglas Crabbe deliberately drove his 20-tonne truck into a crowded bar in the Northern Territory in Australia, killing five and seriously injuring 16.

In this regard we are all familiar with the installation of bollards and other large immovable devices at the entrances to malls, government buildings and even adjacent al-fresco dining places.

As is the case with any high-tech threats, what’s key is whether those individuals who plot such activities have come to the notice of government security and policing agencies. While such agencies can monitor the plots of those extremists it has knowledge of, it is regrettably entirely possible there are individuals whom the government is not aware of.

The motor vehicle is such an everyday part of our society. And it is possible there are individuals who may be motivated to copy this attack.

Similarly, it is possible there could simply be other individuals who have become thoroughly radicalised who now see this as a low-tech option to plot in their home countries. The Nice attack will have consequences for how those spaces where people enjoy recreation and events are planned.

Courtesy: The Conversation

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मेरे बेटे प्रवीण का चेहरा पाकिस्तानी आतंकी आबिद केे फोटो से मिलता है- महेश देवी

FIR Against Akhlaq’s Family Travesty of Justice, UP Govt Must Intervene

The Nice attack and the corrosive effects of anxiety

After Dalit Woman Performs Rituals, Temple Priest Performs ‘Purification’

The filming of Rumi – Everybody’s darling

Pushed Aside: Displaced for ‘Development’ in India

Why America needs a truth commission

In the United States, gun deaths over the last three decades far exceed those reported in truth commissions and civil wars around the world in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s.

An American Truth Commission

Nice attack: how vulnerable are we to ‘low-tech terror’?

A long history

How can people be protected?

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