Comprising of Masihuddin Sanjari (coordinator, Rihai Manch, Azamgarh zone), Mohd Asim and Shadab Ahmad (AWMELA), the team has issued a report titled “Jaipur Central Jail: A tale of solitary confinement and brutal beating”. Text of the report:

Story of police: After the brutal beating on 30 March 2019 it was narrated to media by jail administration central jail Jaipur that the undertrials assaulted a jailor when he and his associates had gone to search high security ward No 10 with video camera. As a result he got fracture in one of his fingers. They resorted to light Lathi charge to overcome the undertrials. Meanwhile one of the undertrials wounded himself by hitting his head against the wall and the other ripped his hand with some pointed object to scare the jail administration. The administration has got a case registered against the undertrials for said offence, but the facts do not seem to verify the claims.

Series of incidents: Talks with undertrial victims, jail superintendent and members of human rights/social organizations and available documents reveal that the undertrials had gone on hunger strike against oppression in jail demanding installation of a complaint box and visit of a judge as incorporated in jail manual. Documents show that they had also written to special judge Jaipur blast cases about their demand. The facts that came to fore as a result of these talks as follows:-

After the killing of Pakistani convict Shukrullah on 20 February 2019 allegedly by don Raju Theth and his men the undertrial inmates of ward No 10 began to be kept completely locked in their cells in the unbearable heat of Rajasthan. The undertrials had objected to it, saying that they had nothing to do with that murder then why they were being tortured. The jail administration had taken action against Raju Theth and his men in the case of said murder.

The undertrials had gone on hunger strike against that kind of treatment in the last of this February but they rescinded the hunger strike on the assurance of the jail administration that the old situation would be restored. Before this, the undertrials were let out of their cells for six hours each in the morning and evening.

When after about 40 days no change was brought in their condition in restoring the previous condition, the undertrials went on hunger strike again demanding installation of complaint box and visit of a judge (so that they could easily complain of their grievances). As the hearing of Jaipur blast cases was going on daily basis, the undertrials Shahbaz Hussain, Mohd Saif, Mohd Sarvar, Mohd Salman and Saifurrehman gave an application regarding their demand to the special judge who was hearing the case.

When the said undertrials came back to jail after the hearing the Karyapal Kamlesh Sharma snatched the carbon copy of the complaint from their hands, abused them and told that it was their law that prevails in the jail. After that he went to high security ward No 10 and threatening to their life said if they dared complain against the jail authorities again they would not be able to go to court again. In the evening the night guard Ramesh Chandr Meena went to every single cell like his predecessor Kamlesh Sharma and threatening for life said to them if they kill two or three people they had to blacken only two or three papers.

On 30 March 2019 when the undertrials Shahbaz Hussain, Mohd Saif, Mohd Sarvar and Saifurrehman went for hearing in the court they gave a fresh application to learned judge apprising the him of the latest development and the judge, taking the cognizance, issued notice to the jail superintendent. Mohd. Salman had not gone to court that day because he had fallen sick.

At about 12:30 pm Karyapal Wilson Sharma, jailor Mahendra Pratap Vishnoi, Chief Karyapal Kailash Sharma, jailor Raj Mahendra Singh, Sunit Sharma, Awdhesh Sharma, Bhagwan, guard Ramesh Chandra Meena and inmate Gunna Sardar along with other jail personnel, home guards and few other inmates, about 50 in number, went to high security ward No 10 and dragged out the undertrials one by one from their cells and began to beat brutally with Lathis, iron rods and pipes.

As Salman was sick and he had not gone for hearing in the court that day but even he was not spared. When some convicts in the same ward overheard the cries of the victims they peeped out of their cells and asked the jail staff not to do that, they too, were misbehaved. Insult of religious books has also been reported during the beatings. Jailor Mahendra Pratap Vishnoi allegedly said that he was a man of mission and hurled communal abuses.

When Shahbaz, Mohd. Saif, Mohd. Sarvar and Saifurrehman returned from hearing, they also overheard cries coming from ward No 10. When they asked Karyapal Kamlesh Sharma about the same, he told them to go and see by themselves. As they moved swiftly forward they were attacked by the same people and wounded badly in the way to the high security ward No 10.

Human rights/social organizations’ jail visit: On 2 April 2019 a team of the members of human rights/social organizations of Jaipur i.e. PUCL, APCR, Samanvay Seva Sangh and eminent persons met director general jail Rajasthan NRK Reddy. He suggested the team to meet jail superintendent. Thereafter the team visited the jail and met the wounded undertrials in the presence of jail authorities.

A member of the delegation advocate Farooq Pekar told that the boys were badly wounded and blood was oozing from their wounds and there were two fractures in the hand of a boy from Seekar (Rajasthan). There was much possibility of two others having fracture in the hands and feet. The undertrials were so distressed that they had continued their hunger strike even in that condition. One of the members of the delegation Anil Goswami could not hold his tears when he saw their miserable condition.

Jail administration had first claimed of having video and CCTV footage of the incident in support of their claim but kept silent when the delegation repeatedly asked them to show footages. On the other hand, the account of the incident given by the violence victims corroborates the series of incidents that took place. The delegates persuaded them to rescind the hunger strike. Seeing the gravity of the matter advocate Farooq Pekar gave application in the court for a case to be registered from undertrials side and a medical checkup done. Only then the jail administration was compelled to get the medical checkup done.

Undeclared restriction on meetings: An undeclared restriction was imposed by jail authorities from meeting the guardians of the badly wounded undertrials. When Mohd Asim uncle of Mohd Sarvar went to Jaipur (about 850 kmts. from his native place), he was denied meeting. He had no idea of the happenings in the jail till then. He applied for the meeting and kept waiting for the whole day. At last the jail personnel at the gate asked him to go back as no meeting would take place. Later he came to know that guardians of the other undertrials had also to face similar response from the jail administration.

Meeting of the joint team with jail superintendent: The joint delegation (on visit to Jaipur) also met the jail superintendent with representatives of human rights/social organizations of Jaipur in his office. As we entered the jailor superintendent’s office we saw a board on the wall behind the jailor’s seat with “17.3.2019 ko Geeta Karyakram” (Geeta programme on 17.3.2019) written on it. He continued to assert that there were different kinds of people in jail administration. He did not have control over all of them. At times the arrogant behavior of inmates rouses instigation. It is the responsibility of the inmates to win their sentiments. He continuously skipped to talk on the demands of the undertrials and their brutal beating.

Questions arising on jail administration: Jail administration has got a case registered for assault on jailor against the violence affected undertrials wherein it is said that his finger was fractured. The jail administration has accepted of a mild Lathi charge to overcome the undertrials. It also said that one of the undertrials hit his head against the wall and another one ripped his hand with some pointed object.
But even then they did not get proper medical examination done. Place of incidents as told by violence affected are two and that told by jail administration is one. Among about 12 of the violence affected undertrials four had gone for hearing and the remaining were confined in their cells in high security zone. Allegation of assault (incitement) is over seven of them.

Then how did they attack the jailor together? Why did the jail administration not show any video or CCTV footages as they had claimed to have? Apparently, procedure of full-fledged treatment was not possible along with hunger strike. Why jail administration did not try to get the hunger strike rescinded or adopted the procedure of hospitalizing them. What was the motive of the jail administration in leaving them in that condition?
The hearing of the Jaipur blast case is in the final stages. Decision is expected soon. Only one witness remains. Elections are on and the witness happens to be a BJP’s leader. Perhaps, this is why he is not available for evidence.

Conclusion: The delegation concluded that the incident of beating in the jail was without any provocation, one-sided and pre-planned at the highest level. On the initiative of few officers the other jail personnel and inmates took active part in it. Gross negligence was done in the treatment of the wounded undertrials after the beating incident which could prove fatal. As written complaint has been filed from the side of undertrials, seeing the previous behavior of the jail administration, the chances of some happening unwanted incident are there in future.

Demand: The delegation demands the state government to make impartial inquiry into the incident and take action against the wrong doers as per law. The state govt. also needs to assure that incidents like this would not recur in the jail in future.

Courtesy: Counter View

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Image: Indian Express

Curfew has been extended in parts of the walled city of Jaipur for the third consecutive day on Monday following a clash between a section of Muslim residents from Ramgunj locality and the police over a traffic-triggered dispute late on Friday night.

A young Muslim, Mohammed Raees (24) also known as Aadil was allegedly killed in the police firing while four policemen were reportedly injured.

Following post-mortem, the body of the deceased was handed over to the relatives on Monday morning and only a limited number of curfew passes have been issued for the funeral procession and burial, according to Amar Ujala.

With no response yet to the demands raised by Aadil’s family, the situation in the Ramgunj area continues to be tense. The family had initially refused to let the body be taken for post-mortem.

Besides, they have demanded an FIR against the police, suspension of the entire Ramganj police station staff. Rs 1 crore as compensation and a government job for one family member.

The demands were raised when a delegation of community leaders, led by former minister Dadu Miyan met the commissioner and district collector on Sunday. There has been no statement yet from the state’s chief minister or home minister.

The BJP party has accused the Congress party of politicising the issue. The state BJP president Ashok Parnami said the party had been having talks with the Muslims but it appeared that no one was willing to take any decision. He added that the government will pay compensation to Aadil’s family as per its existing policy in such cases.

Muslim organizations propose to hold a dharna today on Jawaharlal Nehru Marg which is outside the curfew zone.
 
  

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Though a city court had ordered reopening of the Hotel Hayat Rabbani on April 29,  the civic body did not follow the order offering lame excuses. It moved the court seeking change or stay on the order, but the court on May 23 repeated the earlier order of April 29 and asked Nagar Nigam to open the hotel or face the contempt of court charge.

 The recent case of the Hotel Hayat Rabbani on Kanti Chandra Road, Jaipur City is a spectacle of the unnecessary havoc caused by the self-proclaimed cow vigilantes in the state of Rajasthan. On the unfortunate evening of March 19, 2017, Sadhvi Kamal Didi and her supporters, stormed the Hotel Hayat Rabbani and allegedly battered the staff in the lobby. The local police arrested two staff members of the hotel alleging that they were in possession of beef. An FIR was filed against the owner of the hotel Naeem Rabbani under S.295-A(act intended to outrage religious feelings) of the Indian Penal Code.

The Court of J. Amarjit Singh, Additional Civil Magistrate & Metropolitan Magistrate, Jaipur City Civil Court, heard the suit filed by the hotel owner, Naeem Rabbani and passed a temporary injunction order in his favour on April 29, 2017. The Court asked the Jaipur Municipal Corporation (JMC) to unseal the hotel within seven days of the order.As per the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) report submitted to the police, meat samples seized from the hotel were not beef. Instead they were of chicken as also earlier testified by Naeem Rabbani.

The order of the court delivered in Hindi may be read here.

Over a month had passed since the hotel had been sealed. On May 10, 2017, the hotel owner, Naeem Rabbani, served a notice to the civic body, asking it to unseal the hotel.An appeal was made by the JMC to the Additional District Judge, ADJ-10 and J.Bhupendra Singh disposed the appeal on May 23, 2017 by ruling in favour of the hotel and hotel owner. The JMC has been ordered to reopen the Hotel Hayat Rabbani at the earliest and not take any further action against the hotel. The Court is still deciding the damages to be awarded to the hotel.

A detailed reading of the Additional District Judge Court Order dated May 23, 2017 has brought to light certain pertinent facts about the case.

• Hotel Hayat Rabbani is a lodging hotel and has no restaurant facility
• The food cooked in its kitchen is only for its employees
• The hotel has paid the taxes due for the financial year 2017
• The hotel does not have a food licence, but has now applied for one
• The hotel has a green licence
• The cow vigilantes examined the garbage of the restaurant dumped at the Municipal dumping ground at 6 pm on 19 March, 2017
• The cleaner of the restaurant, Kasim was allegedly assaulted on the road by the supporters of Sadhvi Kamal
• The hotel guard was beaten up
• The hotel kitchen was sealed around midnight
• Guests staying in the 20 rooms of the hotel were immediately checked out
• The hotel was sealed with a lock by the supporters of Sadhvi Kamal
• No prior show cause notice was given to the hotel owner
• The hotel owner was not given any chance to speak, he was not heard
• The cow vigilantes are not allowed to conduct their activities at night yet they unlawfully did all this
• The local police were called by an onlooker much after all the damage was done
• The act of the cow vigilantes was unlawful in fact against natural law

Having recorded all these facts, the Court ordered the hotel be reopened.

As per statements made by the hotel owner Naeem Rabbani to the media, there were 5 or 6 people around 6 pm who beat up Kasim, all seemed to be strangers, outsiders. They kept chanting “Jai Gau Mata” all the way from the dump yard to the hotel. As the sky got darker, the number of people increased. Soon enough it became a mob of 80-100 people. They surrounded the hotel, sloganeering, violently protesting. There was no sign of the police, no sign of help. Just, vehement misuse of hegemonic power.
What else does an incident like this depict besides a Blitzkreig against a certain minority group.

In an India that speaks of liberty, equality and fraternity, how can such an act of physical assault and violence by one man on another be justified? How can a vicious and vehement mob be allowed to persist for so many hours (from 6 pm till midnight) without any intervention from the local police and authorities? Under the garb of protecting the mute animal are we hearing the reverberations of another jolt of communal violence? The Dadri lynching case, in September 2015 wasn’t the first of its kind, but India certainly hoped it would be the last. Sadly, even today, 2 years later, the torture continues. It’swell established that cows for certain communities in India are sacred, but the heinous acts of violence committed in the name of ‘Gauraksha’ are belittling their holiness. The executive seems to be doing nothing to stop these overt acts of injustice. Finally, the Jaipur City Court has provided some respite by ordering the JMC to reopen the hotel. The first step in the right direction has been taken but a lot more needs to be done. Bhakshaks such as Sadhvi Kamal Didi and the like should be punished for their criminal acts of violence, in the name of Raksha.

India needs to stand by its core constitutional mandate, be it from within unite the judiciary, the executive, the legislature all need to awaken to stop this alarming issue to ensure that India does not once again become witness to the carnage of majoritarian diktats and violence.
 

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Chilling Collusion Between State & Cow Vigilantes: The Case of Hotel Hyatt Rabbani

No Terrorism in the Name of Cow Protection: Call for Nationwide Protest on Lynchings& Violence

“Very disturbed” by lynching of Pehlu Khan: Former IAS officers letter to Rajasthan CM
 

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One Kamal Didi (she signs as Kamal Didi too) of the Rashtriya Mahila Gau Rakshak Sewa Mandal was trying to catch stray cows with the help of the Nagar Nigam to take them to the Gaushalas when Qasim, a cleaner boy from Rabbani Hotel, came to throw garbage in an empty plot near the dustbin on Kanti Chandra Road in Jaipur. All the hoteliers and other private residents throw garbage there. Some of the stray cows who were hanging out near the kachra (the stray cow population of the city is always hovering near dustbins, as they are very hungry), immediately went for the freshly thrown bags, which had food waste along with some chicken / mutton bones.

Kamal Didi immediately started thrashing Qasim accusing him of trying to pollute the cows with beef, dragged him and brought him to the hotel, with 15 other of her followers. In next to no time more than a hundred people joined them later, all wanting the hotel owner Rabbani to come out. The police was called and it was alleged that beef was being cooked and served in his hotel.

The police and the media arrived together. The Gau Rakshaks are always with the media. When they could not find Rabbani, they picked up Wasim the receptionist and the cleaner and booked them under section 151 CrPC and arrested them.

At the hotel they found brochures on the activities of the SIO (the student wing of the Jamaat-e-Islami, Hind, JIE), writings of Maulana Wahauddin and the communal harmony campaign literature of Jamaat. So the police reached the JIE’s office asking for Naeem Rabbani. When they learnt that he was not there, they went to his house. Not finding him there either, in line with filmstar Ajeet's his famous dialogue ‘Uski ma, behen ko utha lao’ (Get hold of his mother and sister), they picked up the brother-in-law Abdul Rehamn, who had nothing to do with the hotel.

That is when people got in touch with me.

 I rushed to the Sindhi camp police station. The police let the brother-in-law go. It was only on our way out that we learnt that they had picked up two others of the hotel. After dropping Abdul Rehman safely to his relatives, we went back to the police station to meet the other two and get them out. But the police told us that they had been booked and arrested. They would be produced in front of a magistrate and restrained.

What is interesting is that the protest over the hoax cry that beef was being cooked, resulted in police taking the meat samples and also the Jaipur municipal corporation sealing the hotel. They got all the guests out and sealed it.

What is sad is that Hyatt Rabbani has been getting awards regularly from the hoteliers association for good service among other things. Now the hotel is closed. Rabbani is being asked to show up in the morning (of March 20) and will also be restrained under sec 151 of CrPC.

The Muslim community leadership in the city is in a state of shock over how the police could act under pressure and book Rabbani his staff over a mere a allegation, without basis, of beef being cooked and served. They are very upset. The electronic media has virtually declared that the meat samples were of suspicious nature, did not look like mutton or chicken.

So even before Yogi Adityanath takes over as UP CM, the rest of their lot are so emboldened that they take no time in declaring a Muslim who runs a hotel as committing a heinous crime. Some were also sure that this was done by the next door hotelier who was threatened by their booming business. The ward councillor Nirmala Sharma was also there directing the corporation staff to seal the hotel. While this was being done, the crowds were shouting Jai Shri Ram! In fact, Jai Shri Ram and other slogans were constantly being raised in the drama which lasted for four-and-a-half hours. From 6 pm to 10.30 pm.

Qasim and Wasim are spending the night in the police station. Hopefully they should be released tomorrow. Rabbani not knowing what has hit him, was just working hard in his business is now preparing to face the police. His friends and other members of the Muslim community kept saying that all over Jaipur people are throwing garbage as there are not even garbage bins. Why take action against us only? When I told this to a senior police official he said the police only act when somebody complains.

This is not the first beef related case in Rajasthan. On May 30, 2015 in village Birloka, Khimsar tehsil, Nagaur district, 60-year-old Abdul Ghaffar Qureshi was lynched by a mob simply because a rumour was spread that Muslims had killed more than 200 cows for a feast and pictures of the carcasses started circulating on social media.

Young men in thousands gathered in the fields of Kumhari village where the carcasses were lying as the municipality contractor had rented the field to dispose of cattle carcass, as a routine municipal exercise. Hate speeches and protests took off all over and before one knew Abdul Ghaffar Quereshi who had nothing to do with the incident was beaten with iron rods and killed in the market place, despite some of his Hindu neighbours trying to help him. The hate speech had provoked the neighbourhood to just kill the man as they wanted him out of the village.

The PUCL condemns this attack by the police and Kamal Didi who have maligned the name of Naeem Rabbani and appeals to the police commissioner Jaipur, Sanjay Agarwal to stop this attack on the hotelier and his business. The DCP west and the local police need to be charge-sheeted for acting against Rabbani under pressure of the Gau Rakshaks and the ward councilor. The JMC should also be held accountable for sealing the hotel for no reason, acting under pressure from the ward councillor.

Kavita Srivastava is Secretary, People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL)
 

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इसी मनु की प्रतिमा को लेकर राज्य में 28 साल बाद एक बार फिर से बवाल शुरु हो गया है। राज्य के महिला और दलित संगठनों ने मनु की प्रतिमा को हाईकोर्ट से हटाने के लिए राज्यभर में आंदोलन का ऐलान कर दिया है। इस बीच राजस्थान सरकार ने हाईकोर्ट में मनु की प्रतिमा के बाहर भारी फोर्स तैनात कर दी है। सुरक्षा में दो सौ से ज्यादा पुलिसकर्मी तैनात किए गए हैं।

राज्य के 20 से ज्यादा दलित और महिला संगठनों ने ऐलान किया है कि राजस्थान हाईकोर्ट के अंदर लगे इस मनु की प्रतिमा को हटाने के लिए राज्यभर में आंदोलन शुरू किया जाएगा। इनका कहना है कि जिस मनु ने महिला और जाति व्यवस्था के बारे में आपत्तिजनक बातें कही हैं उसकी प्रतिमा की छाया में हाईकोर्ट निष्पक्ष फैसले कैसे दे सकता है।
 
आपको बता दें कि मनु की इस प्रतिमा को हटाने को लेकर पिछले 28 सालों से राजस्थान हाईकोर्ट में मामला चल रहा है लेकिन अभी तक कोई भी सुनवाई ठीक से नहीं हो पा रही है। इसलिए सभी महिला और दलित संगठनों ने राजस्थान के चीफ जस्टिस से मिलने का भी समय मांगा है। सामाजिक कार्यकर्ता कविता श्रीवास्तव का कहना है इस मामले को 28 साल से जानबूझकर कोर्ट में टाला जा रहा है। हम मांग करते हैं कि जो फैसला लेना है कोर्ट उसे जल्दी ले ताकि या तो मनु की प्रतिमा हटे या फिर हम सुप्रीम कोर्ट जाएं।
 

दरअसल, 1989 में न्यायिक सेवा संगठन के अध्यक्ष पदम कुमार जैन ने राजस्थान हाईकोर्ट के कार्यवाहक चीफ जस्टिस एमएम कासलीवाल की इजाजत से मनु की इस बड़ी प्रतिमा को लगवाया था। तब राज्यभर में हंगामा मचा और राजस्थान हाईकोर्ट के संपूर्ण प्रशासनिक पीठ ने इसे हटाने के लिए रजिस्ट्रार के माध्यम से न्यायिक सेवा संगठन को कहा। लेकिन तभी हिंदू महासभा की तरफ से आचार्य धर्मेंद्र ने मनु की प्रतिमा हटाने के खिलाफ हाईकोर्ट में स्टे की याचिका लगा दी कि एक बार स्थापित मूर्ति हटाई नहीं जा सकती। तब से लेकर आज तक केवल दो बार मामले की सुनवाई हुई है। जब भी सुनवाई होती है कोर्ट परिसर में टकराव का वातावरण बन जाता है और मामला बंद कर दिया जाता है।
 
वहीं हिंदू संगठन मनु की प्रतिमा को हटाने का विरोध कर रहे हैं। याचिकाकर्ता आचार्य धर्मेंद्र का कहना है कि प्रतिमा किसी भी तरह से हटाना अनुचित है। मनु को भगवान का दर्जा धर्मग्रंथों में दिया गया है। इस मामले में कोर्ट ने गृह विभाग के सचिव के जरिये नोटिस भेजकर भारत सरकार को भी पक्षकार बनाने को कहा था लेकिन मामले की संवेदनशीलता को देखते हुए सरकार खुद को इस विवाद से दूर रखे हुए है। महिला और दलित संगठनों के इस मनुवाद हटाओ आंदोलन के बाद सरकार ने प्रतिमा और राजस्थान हाईकोर्ट की सुरक्षा बढ़ा दी है।

Courtesy: National Dastak
 

The post दलित और महिला संगठनों ने राजस्थान हाईकोर्ट से मनु की प्रतिमा हटाने के लिए भरी हुंकार appeared first on SabrangIndia.

• I have to pay interest on the loan taken at the rate of 5 rupees on Rs. 100 every month. I get change of Rs 1,800 only against a Rs 2,000 note. My landlord threw me out of room as I failed to pay rent, I have now been living on the street since the last 10 days. My wife is unwell, and I have no money to take her to hospital. We even cancelled my sister’s marriage. (Vijay, 55 years old). 
• My mom died, she was ill and we did not have money for her treatment, even we eat bread with salt – (Jamilanyaju, 50 years old). 

• We slept hungry for ten days. The landlord threw us out of home. Surviving on credit. Now even credit is being denied. (Babulal, 30 years old).

 The above are harrowing personal accounts of three casual workers from among tens of thousands who flock to the 50-odd labour markets (chowktis) scattered across the city of Jaipur in Rajasthan every day in search of daily bread for their families.
 
In the course of a survey of 737 daily wage earners conducted over four days in December by the Rajasthan state unit of PUCL (People’s Union for Civil Liberties), with the help of 64 students studying law in 13 different law colleges, the volunteers recorded numerous such tales of misery and deprivation as a direct consequence of the Modi government’s notebandi.
An overwhelming majority of those interviewed damned demonetisation primarily because of its devastating impact on their work, income and different aspects of lives on one hand and zero gains on the other.

While wages pre-demonetisation were around Rs. 450 per day, post-demonetisation they are down to around Rs. 300 or less, a steep drop of 50% and more each day owing to contraction of the labour market.
Compounding the situation, many reported that the payments were made in old notes whose value had depreciated in the market and thus they could exchange these old notes at a reduced value of up to 25 to 30 percent. Most of the workers reported that an old Rs 500 note fetched Rs 350 to 400 and Rs 1,000 note only about Rs 700. Even payment in new Rs 2,000 note fetched only Rs 1,800 in smaller denomination notes due to paucity of change.
 
Third, the incomes also eroded because of rise in staple food items like wheat flour. Responses indicated that the price of wheat flour which hovered around Rs 20 a kilogram had shot up to Rs 25 or more a kilo post-demonetisation. Fourth, it is not only the current income which has been knocked off considerably; there is also a strain on future incomes both directly and indirectly.
 
Due to lack of jobs and incomes, many workers with lower incomes have been forced to take small survival loans from moneylenders at a high rate of five percent per month for bare survival. This high interest is going to make a considerable cut in the future earnings as well.
 
Almost two-thirds of the workers interviewed reported that they were facing numerous problems related to payment of wages. One problem already stated is related to payment being made in old notes. The payment in old notes and high denomination new notes was a real problem. In several instances only part payment had been made and in others the payment had been deferred. There is uncertainty over whether the arrears will be paid up in future.
 
About 90 percent of all responses indicate that there has been negative impact on food intake. For about 20 percent the impact has been huge. People reported having slept hungry for days; having starved; surviving on bread and tea and biscuits; eating at akshaypatra; having just one meal a day and so on. 
 
Notebandi has had a negative impact in many respects in the daily life of the casual workers. These include, inability to pay school fees resulting in children not being allowed to sit for examinations, rent to landlord leading to eviction in many cases, postponement of marriages, starvation.
 
The full report may be accessed here. 
 
Click here for the PUCL’s press  release in Hindi.

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जयपुर.

Image Courtesy: Catchnews

पंचायत समिति राजसमन्द तथा जिला प्रशासन द्वारा आयोजित कुंवारिया पशु मेले (ग्राम पंचायत कुंवारिया, पंचायत समिति राजसमन्द में लगाया जाने वाला मेला) से रात्रि को (भारतीय समयनुसार मध्य रात्रि के बाद सुबह के लगभग 1 बजे 3 अक्टूबर 2016 ) 6 बैल बंजारा समुदाय के लोग खरीदकर अपने गाँव ला रहे थे जब यह गाडी गरासिया बंजारों का खेडा (भामखेडा) ग्राम पंचायत पीपली डोडियान पंचायत समिति रेलमगरा जिला राजसमन्द में पहुंची तो बजरंग दल और शिवसेना के गौरक्षा के नाम पर गुंडागर्दी करने वालों ने बैलों से भरी हुई गाडो को रोका और बंजारा समुदाय के लोगों से 5 हजार रुपये की मांग की. जब इन लोगों ने पैसा देने से इंकार कर दिया कि ‘पैसे किस बात के’ तब इन फर्जी गौ रक्षकों ने सबसे पहले तो जिस गाडी में ये बैल लाये गए थे उसके सभी कांच तोड़ दिए और आगे की हेड लाइट फोड़ दी. उसके बाद में इन समाजकंटकों ने बैल खरीदकर लाये सभी बंजारों को पीटना शुरू किया जिनमें गोरु बंजारा, रायसिंह को इतना पीटा कि उसका तो हाथ ही टूट गया जिसकी हड्डी टूटी है और जगदीश को उन्होंने एक धारदार हथियार जिसे कुंथ कहते से मारा उसके भी चोटें आईं हैं. ये गुंडे इतने पर ही नहीं रुके गोरु बंजारा को गर्दन पर कुंथ रखकर कहा कि कुछ भी बोला तो गर्दन काट डालेंगे और मोटर साइकिल पर पटककर ले गए जिसे रास्ते में आये गाँव भामाखेडा के लोगों ने छुड़वाया. ये सभी लूटपाट व मारपीट बजरंग दल के इकाई अध्यक्ष फुकिया निवासी जगदीश एवं  रतनलाल अहीर व 15 अन्य गुंडों ने की.

राजसमंद जिले के रेलमगरा पंचायत समिति के गरासिया बंजारों के खेडा में फर्जी गौरक्षकों द्वारा की गई यह एकमात्र घटना नहीं है राजस्थान के विभिन्न कोनों में इस तरह के घटनाएँ हो रही है और गौरक्षा के नाम पर बहुत लोग कहीं चौथवसूली कर रहे हैं कहीं पर लोगों की पिटाई कर रहे हैं और कहीं पर तो इस स्थिति तक लोगों को मारा गया है कि उनकी जान पर बन आई है.

इसलिए राजस्थान के सभी जन संगठन यह मांग करते हैं कि:-

1.      इस मामले में दोषी सभी 15 जो फरार हैं सहित सभी 17 गुंडों को गिरफ्तार किया जाये.

2.      ये सभी अपराधी बजरंग दल और शिवसेना जैसे संगठनों से जुड़े हुए हैं इसलिए इनके खिलाफ शिकायत दर्ज करवाने के कारण बंजारों के गाँव और शिकायत दर्ज कराने वालों पर ये कभी कभी हमला कर सकते हैं इसलिए गरासिया बंजारों के खेडा को सुरक्षा मुहैया कराई जाये.

3.      बंजारा समुदाय परंपरागत रूप से बैलों व अन्य पशुओं का व्यापार करता आ रहा है और  बजरंग दल और अन्य संगठनों के लोग इनसे चौथवसूली, लूटपाट व मारपीट करके समय-समय पर प्रताड़ित करते रहते हैं. बंजारा समुदाय घुमंतू समुदाय है जो आर्थिक रूप से पिछड़ा है. एक तरफ सरकार पशु मेले आयोजित करती है और दूसरी तरफ ये गुंडे पशु खरीदने वालों को इस प्रकार प्रताड़ित करते हैं इसलिए इस प्रकार के लोगों के खिलाफ सख्त कार्रवाई की जाये.

4.      राज्य सरकार पुलिस को इस बारे में विशेष हिदायत दे कि जहाँ पर इस प्रकार के लोगों के द्वारा लूटपाट और चौथवसूली की जाये उनके खिलाफ सख्त कार्रवाई हो जिससे ये गाय के नाम पर आतंक नहीं फैला सकें.

कविता श्रीवास्तव, निखिल डे, शंकर सिंह, भंवर मेघवंशी, पारस बंजारा, मुकेश निर्वासित, कमल टांक एवं अन्य सभी साथी

( राजस्थान के जन संगठनों की ओर से )

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