tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38129049234892585122016-04-11T20:46:30.711-07:00Vigil India Movementvigilindiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04311506355828366254noreply@blogger.comBlogger108125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3812904923489258512.post-24162352196021961252016-02-02T20:14:00.000-08:002016-02-10T02:22:40.249-08:00Nomination open to M.A. Thomas National Human Rights Award 2016<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><b class="pmb2_s"></b> <br /><div class="blogcontent">Vigil India Movement a national level Human Rights Organisation, Bangalore invites Nominations to the M.A. Thomas National Human Rights Award 2016.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kSLm6jw7htQ/Vrm5rpUrvFI/AAAAAAAAAhE/f57GUSKd6Jk/s1600/Dr.%2BM%2BA%2BThomas.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="188" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kSLm6jw7htQ/Vrm5rpUrvFI/AAAAAAAAAhE/f57GUSKd6Jk/s200/Dr.%2BM%2BA%2BThomas.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>The Award honours individuals/organizations in India who have made significant contributions for the protection and promotion of human rights in India in the preceding years and continues to be working on issues directly relating to human rights. The Award instituted by the Vigil India Movement in 1993, in memory of its Founder President Rev. Dr. M.A. Thomas, carries a cash prize of Rupees One lakh and a citation.<br /><br />The nominations are placed before a three-member jury comprising of distinguished personalities. The jury selects the winner and the awardee is announced on June 25, the death anniversary of the Rev. Dr. M. A. Thomas. The award is presented on August 10, the birth anniversary of the Rev. Dr. M. A.Thomas.<br /><br />Nominations are to be submitted on the prescribed form available at the National Office and can also be downloaded.<br /><br /><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XD3HUry3abfcr_AsLN58Kq3IVfaWuOG6FA131kWvy74/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Application form for MAT Award 2016</a><br /><br /><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxrrwFz1-f_SRGlMMURaNjFsVWc/view" target="_blank">Get e-brochure</a><br /><br />The letter of nominations should clearly mention why the individual or the organization has been nominated for the award. The nomination should contain the nominee's contribution towards the protection and promotion of human rights in India, highlighting the activities, achievements and its impact on society and / or the state policy. A brief resume of the nominee should also be included. Wherever possible, supporting materials such as newspaper clippings, photographs, etc. may be submitted. <br /><br />Nomination form must be sent in a sealed envelope inscribed with the words Nomination for M.A. Thomas National Human Rights Award 2016 to Vigil India Movement, 61, Charles Campbell Road, Cox Town, Bangalore- 560 005, so as to reach us on or before April 30, 2016.<br /><br />For further details contact<br /><br />vigilindiamovement@gmail.com or visit <a href="http://www.vigilindia.info/">www.vigilindia.info</a><br /><br />John VM Juliana<br />Programme Manager<br /><br />Vigil India Movement,<br />61, Charles Campbell Road,<br />Cox Town,<br />Bangalore- 560 005<br />India<br /><br />Phone: +91-80-25486831, 25487114</div></div>vigilindiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04311506355828366254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3812904923489258512.post-89097309348613589392016-02-01T02:02:00.000-08:002016-02-09T02:02:48.295-08:00Consultation on Interstate Migration and Migrant Workers Situation in India<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K4WDQXIe8wM/Vrm3fOnppPI/AAAAAAAAAgk/Sw-I00EpxXk/s1600/m1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="138" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K4WDQXIe8wM/Vrm3fOnppPI/AAAAAAAAAgk/Sw-I00EpxXk/s200/m1.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div style="margin-right: 26.65pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Migration is part and parcel of life for every living being. There are several reasons for migration and the most prominent one is for survival and livelihood. Increasing poverty, disparity and growing industrialization and urbanization forces people to move from place to place. Migrants are inherently vulnerable and often loss their identity, statesmanship and loss their privileges and provisions of the government schemes and benefits. It is in this circumstances, Vigil India Movement (VIM) organized a Consultation on <b>“Interstate Migration and Migrant Workers Situation in India” </b>on Saturday the 30<sup>th</sup> January 2016 between 9.00AM and 4.00PM at the KROSS (Karnataka Regional Organization for Social Service), 58/6 second cross, De’casta Layout, Wheeler Road extension, Bangalore to address the issues concern to migrant workers in India. 27 participants consist of Social Activist, Human Rights Defenders and individuals from different sectors attended the consultation.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-right: 26.65pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JzBH0r-GALo/Vrm36EjSGGI/AAAAAAAAAgo/NObVkx9iqpA/s1600/m2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="108" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JzBH0r-GALo/Vrm36EjSGGI/AAAAAAAAAgo/NObVkx9iqpA/s200/m2.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div style="margin-right: 26.65pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Mr. John VM Juliana, welcomed the participants and resource team. Dr. Mathews George Chunakara, Hon. Director, VIM delivered a opening remarks for the consultation and briefed why VIM took initiatives in inviting people from various sector and whose interest are common in protecting and promoting the Rights of Migrants in India. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-right: 26.65pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-right: 26.65pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Fr. Martin Puthussery from Indian Social Institute, Bangalore took a session on ‘Socio, Economic, Political and Cultural Challenges faced by Migrant Workers in India’. Fr. Martin highlighted that a decreasing percentage in agricultural farming, extreme poverty is root cause for distress migration and migrant workers are paid less wages in several cases the owners withheld wages through which they are forcing migrants to work in their firm for long run and force them to work more than 14 to 18 hours a day. There is no proper shelter and protection for migrant workers as specified by Migrant Workers amendment in India. Accidents and deaths are very common in workplace and none of the companies generously provide compensation to family members until and unless the incident is brought to public. Migrants are losing their identity, voting rights and government provisions. Fr. Martin, who has extensively travelled from West Bengal to Kerala and done research on Migrant workers situation, gave a statistics on reported incidents of exploitation to migrant workers throughout the country. At the end of his session, Fr. Martin raised a doubt, whether Article 15 and 19 of Indian Constitution is properly understood or reached to the concerns employing Migrants in India. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-right: 26.65pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RGtCKJZCr1w/Vrm4gmjZLII/AAAAAAAAAgw/cPSYuOQXkRA/s1600/m5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="102" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RGtCKJZCr1w/Vrm4gmjZLII/AAAAAAAAAgw/cPSYuOQXkRA/s200/m5.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div style="margin-right: 26.65pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Mr. N.P. Samy and Mr. Walim Khan from Karnataka State Construction Workers Union, explained about the pathetic situation of Metro Rail Construction Workers in Bangalore. Metro Rail Corporation is one of the divisions of Indian government, which has all the regulation and guidelines to employ migrant workers and ensure to provide proper shelter, sanitation, security and proper compensation in case of accidents least bothered to follow the regulations. Most of the migrants are from UP, Bihar, West Bengal and Orissa and their literacy level is below 8<sup>th</sup> standard. Average age group of workers are between 17 and 35 in which 46% of the workers are getting less than Rs. 8000/- per month and 30% of the workers are getting 8000 to 9000 per month as salary. Mr. N.P. Samy further added that the appointed officers concerned to migrant workers welfare were not monitoring the standards prescribed by the government rather they are only interested only in receiving commissions from the contractors. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-right: 26.65pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mjZYh6oK7VA/Vrm4j0HgLXI/AAAAAAAAAg0/9ljVY7Zbdh8/s1600/m4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="118" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mjZYh6oK7VA/Vrm4j0HgLXI/AAAAAAAAAg0/9ljVY7Zbdh8/s200/m4.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div style="margin-right: 26.65pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Ms. Kathayini Chamaraj from CIVIC Bangalore took a session on Rights of Migrants Workers: UN Mechanisms and India’s Legal Provisions. She has very briefly outlined the International amendments to protect the Rights of Migrant Workers and Interstate Migrant workman Act. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-right: 26.65pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-right: 26.65pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">During the sharing session, Ms. Geeta Menan, Ms. Vinitha, Ms. Savitha and Mr. Hemant Kumar shared their NGO experience working with Migrants and their children in Bangalore. Dr. Madhumathi and Mr. Bhaskar moderated pre and post lunch sessions while sharing their experiences. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-right: 26.65pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-right: 26.65pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">At the concluding it was suggested to have a national level consultation by inviting several activists and NGO representatives to bring out a solid statement to appeal the government to monitor the migrant workers situation and help the migrants to strive for their rights. Mr. John VM Juliana coordinated the programme. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-right: 26.65pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br /></div></div>vigilindiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04311506355828366254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3812904923489258512.post-12447874317631369872014-12-05T21:46:00.000-08:002014-12-10T01:17:04.195-08:00Homage to Justice V R Krishna Iyer <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><b><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></b></div><div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><b><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><i>Justice V R Krishna Iyer, former judge Supreme Court of India and a prominent human rights activist, a long time associate of Vigil India Movement passes away at the age of 100 on 4 December 2014. <o:p></o:p></i></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><i>Justice V R Krishna Iyer was a close associate of Rev. Dr. M.A. Thomas, the founder of Vigil India Movement. He has been a guidance force to the VIM team to strive for the protection and promotion of human rights at different capacities in the 70s to 90s and a recipient of the prestigious M.A. Thomas National Human Rights Award in 1998.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><i>VIM expresses the heartfelt condolence to the demised soul and recalls the great memory in association with Justice V R Krishna Iyer by republishing his acceptance speech for M.A. Thomas National Human Rights award 1998. </i><o:p></o:p></span><br /><span lang="EN-US"><i><br /></i></span><span lang="EN-US"><i><br /></i></span><span lang="EN-US"><i><br /></i></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xbbS1FiA17Y/VIFVl8RdJRI/AAAAAAAAAdI/zS52g7gqABQ/s1600/53%2B-%2BCopy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xbbS1FiA17Y/VIFVl8RdJRI/AAAAAAAAAdI/zS52g7gqABQ/s1600/53%2B-%2BCopy.jpg" height="215" width="320" /></a></div><span lang="EN-US"><i><br /></i></span><span lang="EN-US"><i><br /></i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7ijpLjwHYOY/VIFVmnF68mI/AAAAAAAAAdQ/H_pdlh5zJgA/s1600/46%2B-%2BCopy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7ijpLjwHYOY/VIFVmnF68mI/AAAAAAAAAdQ/H_pdlh5zJgA/s1600/46%2B-%2BCopy.jpg" height="219" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9XyCUwQGe0E/VIFVqEfHlMI/AAAAAAAAAdc/m24PFh1SWIg/s1600/Image%2B(94).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9XyCUwQGe0E/VIFVqEfHlMI/AAAAAAAAAdc/m24PFh1SWIg/s1600/Image%2B(94).jpg" height="232" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wAvCSJAEx64/VIFVlKzJSOI/AAAAAAAAAdE/0MJPp46K61U/s1600/Image%2B(105).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wAvCSJAEx64/VIFVlKzJSOI/AAAAAAAAAdE/0MJPp46K61U/s1600/Image%2B(105).jpg" height="214" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-B6Sw-s4w7mY/VIFVqbPxNxI/AAAAAAAAAdk/719n9jajAHs/s1600/Image%2B(120).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-B6Sw-s4w7mY/VIFVqbPxNxI/AAAAAAAAAdk/719n9jajAHs/s1600/Image%2B(120).jpg" height="221" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nkfalLWXr18/VIFVpMmMGZI/AAAAAAAAAds/W4szWiY_ZPk/s1600/Image%2B(121).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nkfalLWXr18/VIFVpMmMGZI/AAAAAAAAAds/W4szWiY_ZPk/s1600/Image%2B(121).jpg" height="237" width="320" /></a></div><div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><b><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></b></div><div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><b><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></b></div><div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><b><span lang="EN-US">A SOULFUL RESPONSE TO VIGIL INDIA’S GENEROUS GESTURE<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">I am grateful to the “VIGIL INDIA MOVEMENT’ and the distinguished Judging Committee for linking my name with a great India, a noble human and global gentleman, Rev. M.A. Thomas, whose life, simple, selfless and sacrificing was a cast in the mould of Jesus and shaped by the Gandhian ethos. The passion of Christ on the Cross has been an inspiration for generous of humankind, a symbol of spiritual protest against imperial injustices and intolerant fanaticism. His implacable opposition to the suppression of human personality and gender justice was also a divine summons to human compassion in the place of than-attic theology and mono-manic marketisation! Rev. Thomas strode the world in the hallowed lift of Christ and every cell of his body and soul struggled for human rights and justice, geared to higher values and resistance to corruption and exploitation. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"> <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">His vision was cosmic, mission humanitarian and passion value-based liberation. Vigil India was his torch motivated for social transformation where sharing and caring and dynamic fraternity is the rule of law and life.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">I am too humble to deserve the distinction now conferred but so too am I too small to challenge the unanimous choice of the panel since I have profound respect for each member and his integrity, mellowed experience in society and wider perception of human rights culture. So I submit myself to his ceremonial function. I hate to be honoured for an awards and rewards, citation and cash appetizers. What special contribution to society have I made to deserve this magnificent need? My conviction, I confess, is compassion for all living creatures best expressed by Blake when he poetized:</span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><i><span lang="EN-US">“ A dog starve’d at his master’s gate<o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><i><span lang="EN-US">Predicts the ruin of the state<o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><i><span lang="EN-US">A horse misus’d upon the road<o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><i><span lang="EN-US">Calls to Heaven for human blood”.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">And did not burns weep in verse: “Man’s inhumanity to man make countless thousands mourns”. Universality of creation and unity of humanity keeps my being vibrant. Why? Because Donne’s diction dwells in me:</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><i><span lang="EN-US">“We man is an Island, entire of it self:<o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><i><span lang="EN-US">Every man is a piece of the Continent,<o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><i><span lang="EN-US">A part of the main, if a clod be washed away by the sea,<o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><i><span lang="EN-US">Europe is the less; as well as if a promontory were,<o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><i><span lang="EN-US">As well as if amanor of they friends or of thine<o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><i><span lang="EN-US">Own were, any man’s death diminished me, because<o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><i><span lang="EN-US">I am involved in Manking; <o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><i><span lang="EN-US">And therefore never send to know for whome the bell tolls; <o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><i><span lang="EN-US">It tolls for thee”.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">My fundamental philosophy and basic value set are derived from a strange confluence of Swami Vivekananda, Karl Marx and Comrade Jesus with a sprinkling of the finer humanism of Prophet Mohammed. In sum, I am at simplicity in life, search for happiness in a universal just order, detest servility to gain glory, doubt, with honest skepticism, every proposition but date to accept facts even if allergic to elite opinion and anathematic to bightrow bosses and above all I held, deep in my soul, that I am human and so anything that distress any living creature deeply disturbs me and commands me into curative action, even if in vain. I am aware of my weakness and feel painfully ineffectual when injustice is inflicted on fellow creatures. I am a home of lost causes, martyr of pursuits of noble futility, victims of unwitting misunderstandings and nidus of unpopular, maverick noises. Still I must and hopefully will battle for human justice in all its dimensions, even if denounced and defeated by more powerful authoritarians to dissent against evil is a duty. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">Permit me friends to do first things first. So, I bow, in profound reverence, before the cherished memory of that incomparable humanist Rev. M.A. Thomas. We need him every hour, every moment in our asuric system, to defend the moral order, spiritual culture and probity in public life. His diamond hard integrity, his rare commitment to truth, liberty and submission to the supremacy of eclectic values, sans which life losses its sublimity and the universe its divinity, made me gravitate towards him. Rev. Thomas was a one-man campaigner against the decline and all of Bharat’s rich heritage, happily composite, and morally Gandhian. What a piece of work was Thomas, gentle and compassionate, noble in bearing, a holy human in luminous locomotion, deep in concern for justice, truth, amity among communities and a heart tuned to the travails of the lowliest and the lost. He wrote to me few days before his death about his illness and possible terrestrial exit. His premonition proved true and plunged me and that large fraternity which looked to him for a lead like a lodestar in grief. Today, his magic memory still belights this dark world and gives us a heritage of hope. Dear brother Thomas, salutations to your radiant, tho’ invisible, presence on Indian earth where a pestilent congregation of foul vapours pollutes our biosphere and glorifies hedonist greed and chauvinist bombs while millions starve or suicide in this Barabbaque order devoid of purity and probity in private and public life! What a pity the nation is riddled with rouges, rascals and free booters a s well as criminalized politicians and political criminals.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">You, Dr. Thomas, were the founding father of ‘Vigil India’. Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty and my homage to you is blended with a tryst to battle against corruption, gender outrages, glitterati immorality and violation of human rights of vulnerable humans by those dressed in ‘a little brief authority’ but ‘strut and fret the hour’ robbing the resources of the nation and inviting MNCs to colonise our national economic space, even sensitive areas. Colonialism is the opium of the creamy layer who are mindless in signing away our Swaraj. We miss you Rev. M A Thomas but your spirit will stll lead kindly light amidst the encircling gloom.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">I am in a demoralized mood, a spirit of unworthiness, a feeling of aloofness to cash wards and flattery thro citations. My mind is elsewhere, my search is in a different sphere, my sunset age is shell-shocked by the scenario of megalomanic vanity, worldly adventurous and ambitious gold rush. They are ‘the hollow men’, …… the stuffed man……….. headpiece filled with straw’! Alas, how free I feel, having jettisoned these money-making, tuft-hunting crazes for continuance in power as different incarnations!</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">Currently, gross materialism, hostile ethnos and communal ethos, by a python-like process, crushed the humanist code of ethics. Therefore, a transformation, at once material, moral and spiritual, without inhibiting the infinite creative potential within everyone, the last pariah included – is the only answer to the challenges of violence, greet, sex and other bestial vices. Vigil India’s tasks are hard and heavy in the battle for human rights and against inhuman wrongs.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">Be that as it may, I plead my inability to be happy in the company of the cash and carry glitterati. While it is the wisdom of the ‘Vigil India Movement’ to present a hundred thousand rupees to me, but once presented, it becomes my option to use that sacred sum for human rights cause. Not a single rupee out of this noble amount will belong to me and the entire sum, I publicly declare, will go to the study of public law in the human rights domain. May be, an authentic institution capable of energizing human rights education and activities like the National Law School of India University, may accept the trust.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">I seek to place before you a mental page from my life autobiographical but authentic before I close.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">My holistic tryst with destiny is humbly to strive for a New World Order which makes the biosphere a hallowed home for all humans and other ecological species in an environment of harmony and compassion, thro a lovely synthesis of value, material and spiritual. Such a cosmic symbiosis where the distant stars and leaves of grass have a underlying unity is the lesion of Sri Satya Sai Baba, Sri Narayana Guru, Sri Aurobino, a host of leaders of sublime thought and a sages of the Upanishads. This dynamic transcendentalism, with its paradigm shift, replaces the currently fashionable but fragmented materialst ethics with a new noetic ethic, ecological vision and self-realisation process. Who am I? is a perennial interrogation which baffles my consciousness, with the iron curtain (or translucent veil) dividing life from Death. In flashes I perceive that God (or the Supreme Intelligence of Creative Power) ‘sleeps in the mineral, awakens in the vegetable, walks in the animal and thins in man’. If supra-mental faculties a re kindled, divinity meets and mates with humanity where consciousness becomes the blissful resource of the universe. This integral yoga, intuitive, subjective, yet scientific and spiritual is the profound idiom the deep fulfillment of TAT TVAM ASI (Thou art That).</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">The kingdom of God is within you, said Christ. In the seashore of world children play, says Gitanjali. These are the matrices and glimpses of my philosophy of life, shared in the long-ago days when my wife and I sat near the sea in my Tellicherry home and the very process was joy. Life is a verb, not a noun, a perennial process, not a final product.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">I am four score and three; but in the end is the beginning, a discovery of the manifesto of humanity an antyodaya sarvodayas project too deep for words. This vistarami vision in my dream, where secularism and socialism, diginity and fraternity are invested with a celestial significance. A micro-beginning of an sdyssey towards the infine! It is but a reverie, distant from the reality. And the recurrent lines of Tennyson haunt me, day after day:</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><i><span lang="EN-US">“ So runs my dream: but what am I?<o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><i><span lang="EN-US">An infant vrying in the night:<o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><i><span lang="EN-US">An infant crying for the light<o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><i><span lang="EN-US">And with no language but a cry”.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">Finally, I express my profound feelings to “Vigil India” for conferring a distinction I hardly deserve, except as a Camp follower of the Rev. Dr. M.A. Thomas Brigade.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div align="right" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: right;"><span lang="EN-US">Justice V R Krishna Iyer</span></div><div align="right" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: right;"><span lang="EN-US">10-8-1998</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><br /><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div>vigilindiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04311506355828366254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3812904923489258512.post-73704700053808149322014-10-11T01:54:00.000-07:002014-12-12T01:54:47.573-08:00Combating Human Trafficking and Protecting Human Dignity: Role of People’s Movements<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2ltF6TO0-eg/VIq6g-2TkDI/AAAAAAAAAf4/sEOCVXUMWco/s1600/DSC_1741.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2ltF6TO0-eg/VIq6g-2TkDI/AAAAAAAAAf4/sEOCVXUMWco/s1600/DSC_1741.JPG" height="265" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Vigil India Movement organized a National Seminar on “Combating Human Trafficking and Protecting Human Dignity: Role of People’s Movements” on Saturday the 20<sup>th</sup> September 2014 at the Osmania University Center for the International Programme, Hyderabad. The Seminar was organized in conjunction with the M.A. Thomas National Human Rights Award – 2014. The concept of the programme was to critically analyze human trafficking in India and its impact in human society. Around 72 participants from various backgrounds attended the programme in which 20 of them were victims of human trafficking. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Adv. K. Pratap Reddy, President, VIM delivered a presidential remarks at the beginning of the consultation. In his address, Adv. Pratap Reddy briefed about the Vigil India Movement and its role in protecting and promoting human rights at the grassroots level in India and also explained why the seminar was organized at Hyderabad. Dr. Malthews George Chunakara, Hon. Director, VIM took a session comprising of two topics i.e. Human Rights and Human Dignity-Contemporary Challenges and Human Trafficking: A Modern Slavery and Threat to Human Security. Dr. Mathews briefed that the Dignity of Human being is an essential concept in the society. </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Human beings should be able to lead a life in a society without any discrimination. The purpose of pursuing and establishing civil, political, economic and social rights is to preserve and promote human dignity, in all its aspects and dimensions. In the second part of his presentation, Dr. Mathews elaborated the Modern Slavery of Human Trafficking at the international level and how the migrants are forced and victimised to various forms of abuse, torture, exploitation and trafficking. As though the UN mechanism is working out to curb the situation, trafficking is yet to be vanished. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tH3Lp37vtHw/VIq7JfIMhfI/AAAAAAAAAgA/EaNA1_LOzpQ/s1600/DSCN0048.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tH3Lp37vtHw/VIq7JfIMhfI/AAAAAAAAAgA/EaNA1_LOzpQ/s1600/DSCN0048.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Mr. Jayasingh Thomas, Manager, Chaithanya Mahila Mandali explained about the Human Trafficking and Sexual exploitation in India particularly in Hyderabad. He also briefed how his NGO is working with the victims to promote human dignity among the commercial sex workers and also rehabilitating the victims. Mt. Umapathi, former IPS officer took a session on Combating Human Trafficking: Role of People’s Movements. He has explained various models working with NGOs to control human trafficking in Andhra Pradesh and also explained the government role in promoting human rights particularly taking stringent action against traffickers in Telengana and Andhra Pradesh. Further Justice Mr. B. Prakash Rao, Former acting Justice, High Court of India briefed about the Judicial Role in combating human trafficking.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Mrs. Bandari Jayamma and her collegues, who were victims of human trafficking, shared their stories how they were trapped to commercial sex work and how they were relieved and rehabilitated by the Chaithanya Mahila Mandali. While describing their stories, they most of them were very emotional and narrated the amount of torture and pain they have experienced in their life as commercial sex workers.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">At the conclusion, the participants resolved to create awareness among the society about trafficking and urged all the NGOs at national level and at grassroots level to support the victims of trafficking as human being and strive to promote and protect the rights of the every human being irrespective of caste, color, race and profession.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br /></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-line-height-alt: 14.65pt; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Dr. J.A. Oliver, Chancellor, SHIATS University played a significant role in organising the seminar at Hyderabad. With his assistance the Vigil India staff, Mr. John VM Juliana coordinated the programme at Hyderabad. </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div></div>vigilindiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04311506355828366254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3812904923489258512.post-53041424420731625622014-10-10T01:42:00.000-07:002014-12-12T01:44:01.454-08:00Smt. Bandari Jayamma received M A Thomas National Human Rights Award 2014<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-line-height-alt: 14.65pt; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i>The M A Thomas National Human Rights Award 2014, was given away to <b>Smt. Bandari Jayamma,</b> at the function held on 20 September 2014 at the Osmania University Center for International Programme, Hyderabad.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i>Dr. J.A. Oliver welcomed the Hon’ble Gusts and the delegates for the Award Function. Adv. Pratap Reddy, in his presidential remarks briefly explained about the genesis of the M A Thomas National Human Rights Award, the founder Dr. M.A. Thomas and his contribution to the society through Vigil India Movement and Dr. Mathews George Chunakara, Hon. Director, VIM explained about the selection process, jury’s recommendation and also read the citation that honours Bandari Jayamma.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i>Dr. A. Chakrapani, Hon’ble Chariman, Andhra Pradesh State Legislative Council, then presented the prestigious M A Thomas National Human Rights Award 2014. Dr. Chakrapani extended his greetings to Jayamma for her effortless service in protecting human trafficking and promoting the human dignity among the victims of trafficking and also called upon the people’s movement to join with Jayamma to uphold the dignity of the vulnerable community.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i>In the presence of Dr. A. Chakrapani, the VIM felicitated Adv. K. Pratap Reddy, National President, VIM for his contribution to the Vigil India Movement since its inception as one of the founding trustees and as a President since 1994. Justice K. Ramaswamy, former Justice, Supreme Court of India delivered a felicitation address. <o:p></o:p></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br /></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i>Bandari Jayamma expressed and extended her gratitude to Vigil India Movement for the prestigious Award in recognition of her service to the community in her acceptance speech. Dr. Cherian Thomas, Secretary and Trustee of VIM thanked the honourable guests and delegates at the function. </i></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoBodyText"><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shapetype id="_x0000_t75" coordsize="21600,21600" o:spt="75" o:preferrelative="t" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" filled="f" stroked="f"> <v:stroke joinstyle="miter"/> <v:formulas> <v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0"/> <v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0"/> <v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1"/> <v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2"/> <v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth"/> <v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight"/> <v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1"/> <v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2"/> <v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth"/> <v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0"/> <v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight"/> <v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0"/> </v:formulas> <v:path o:extrusionok="f" gradientshapeok="t" o:connecttype="rect"/> <o:lock v:ext="edit" aspectratio="t"/></v:shapetype><v:shape id="_x0000_s1026" type="#_x0000_t75" style='position:absolute; margin-left:17.25pt;margin-top:12.3pt;width:44.2pt;height:54.3pt;z-index:-3' wrapcoords="-372 0 -372 21300 21600 21300 21600 0 -372 0"> <v:imagedata src="file:///C:\Users\USER1\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image001.jpg" o:title="vigil_logo 4"/> <w:wrap type="tight"/></v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><b><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"> </span></i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w4qXtV8bcTE/VIq4RGx7QwI/AAAAAAAAAfs/pvf552QmfFU/s1600/DSC_1942.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w4qXtV8bcTE/VIq4RGx7QwI/AAAAAAAAAfs/pvf552QmfFU/s1600/DSC_1942.JPG" height="212" width="320" /></a></i></b></div><b><i> </i></b><br /><div class="MsoBodyText"><br /></div><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">M. A THOMAS NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS AWARD - 2014</span></b><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div align="center" class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;"><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Awarded to<o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Ms. BANDARI JAYAMMA</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Human trafficking is a serious crime and a grave violation of human rights. Every year, thousands of women, men and children become victims of trafficking in persons within a country or beyond the borders of a country. Almost every country in the world is affected by human trafficking, whether as a country of origin, transit or destination of victims. An alarming global phenomenon of trafficking in persons by means of coercion and deception for commercial sex exploitation plagues in many parts of India, especially where poverty, illiteracy, unemployment, and the suppression of women’s rights are rampant. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">It is in this context that the commitment of Ms. Bandari Jayamma, a barefoot soldier, who fights against this evil of human trafficking, is valued. A survivor of sex trafficking herself, Jayamma defends, supports and empowers women trafficked and coerced into commercial sex trade. In a society where sex trade flourishes at every nook and corner and though legally banned, Jayamma fights for the rights and dignity of those involved in the trade for survival. Based in Hyderabad, the city with over 25,000 commercial sex workers of whom 60 percent were forced into this practice, Jayamma initiated the founding of Chaitanya Mahila Mandali, an NGO that empowers sex workers and sex trafficking survivors to lead a dignified life. Jayamma started the organization in 2001 after surviving trafficking and coercion into sexual slavery as a young woman in her own life. Chaitanya Mahila Mandali is the first ever Indian non-profit organization that has been founded by a survivor who has lived the pain and trauma of human trafficking and sexual exploitation.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Jayamma’s leadership through Chaitainya Mahila Mandali in rescuing victims of human trafficking and those who are forced into sex trade, providing counseling, healthcare, skills training, and legal aid, income-generating activities for commercial sex workers is highly commendable. Chaitainya Mahila Mandali has so far prevented at least 25,000 girls and women from entering into sex work. While spearheading the campaign against human trafficking and sex trade, Jayamma has partnered with regional and national organizations to address this growing menace. Her active participation as a Member of the Core committee planning for National AIDS Control Programme Phase IV (2012-17) has significantly influenced and contributed to making community participation mandatory in the programme. Her tireless effort of lobbying has also helped many victims of sex trafficking to take part in high level policy decisions. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Jayamma’s commitment to be actively involved in rescuing and supporting girl children of sex workers who are at high risk of sexual exploitation, and her concern for the victims motivated her to open the Chaitanya Happy Home. Chaitanya is a halfway home that provides shelter, medical care and education to children of sex workers, who would have been abused and forced into sex trade, had they been left with their mothers. Jayamma provides them love, care, fear-free environment and education to live in dignity. As Akshaya, a sex worker turned a Peer Educator says, “I always looked at myself with self-loathing and helplessness because that is how the society looked at me. But since I met Jayamma, I have learned to look at myself as a human being who has equal rights like others and who can stand up for herself.”<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">In selecting Jayamma Bandari for the Rev. Dr. M.A. Thomas National Human Rights Award 2014, the members of the Jury and the Board of Trustees of Vigil India Movement recognize Jayamma Bandari’s tireless efforts and dedication towards defending the rights and dignity of the most defenseless and vulnerable women and children in society: the trafficked, the abused, the exploited and the abandoned. Her work is a shining example of reclaiming the human dignity, the birthright of every human being, especially the exploited women and children. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shape id="_x0000_s1028" type="#_x0000_t75" style='position:absolute;left:0;text-align:left; margin-left:362.05pt;margin-top:1.4pt;width:115.5pt;height:49.05pt;z-index:-1' wrapcoords="-155 0 -155 21234 21600 21234 21600 0 -155 0"> <v:imagedata src="file:///C:\Users\USER1\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image003.png" o:title=""/> <w:wrap type="tight"/></v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shape id="_x0000_s1027" type="#_x0000_t75" style='position:absolute;left:0; text-align:left;margin-left:.15pt;margin-top:1.4pt;width:109.35pt;height:45.9pt; z-index:2'> <v:imagedata src="file:///C:\Users\USER1\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image005.jpg" o:title="justicepp-sign-final"/> <w:wrap type="square"/></v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Justice P.P. Bopanna Advocate K. Pratap Reddy</span><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"> Managing Trustee, VIM President, VIM</span></i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;"><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><br /></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;"><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><br /></span></i></div></div>vigilindiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04311506355828366254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3812904923489258512.post-45181279934693878492014-06-25T20:17:00.000-07:002014-06-25T20:26:30.039-07:00Smt. Bandari Jayamma gets the M.A. Thomas National Human Rights Award – 2014<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mcufaFI9Nzc/U6uS0uIX44I/AAAAAAAAAb8/lJelvN9fXaE/s1600/bandari+jayamma.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mcufaFI9Nzc/U6uS0uIX44I/AAAAAAAAAb8/lJelvN9fXaE/s1600/bandari+jayamma.jpg" /></a></div><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Smt.<b> </b>Bandari Jayamma, a well known social activist and human rights defender working among the most vulnerable community in Hyderabad has been selected to</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">receive </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">the M.A. Thomas National Human Rights Award 201</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">4</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">of the Vigil India Movement, Bangalore.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A three member Jury - Hon</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">. Justice Shri. R. Jayasimha Babu, (former Senior Judge, Madras High Court) Mr. Akbar Mirza Khaleeli, (former Ambassador of India to different countries and Board of Trustee of VIM) and Dr. Cherian Thomas, (Director of Ecumenical Christian Centre and Secretary & Trustee of VIM)</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">unanimously selected </span><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Smt. Bandari Jayamma </span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">for the award from among the nominations received from various parts of the Country. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Smt. Bandari Jayamma, has contributed immensely in the field of anti-human trafficking and rescued and rehabilitated thousands of young girls, children and women who were being forced into commercial sex work and she has consistently promoted and protected the rights of commercial sex workers in Hyderabad. Ms. Jayamma herself was a victim of human trafficking and she was first sex worker got rescued and given a dignified job as Coordinator in one of the leading NGOs in Andhra Pradesh. As things progressed, she has rehabilitated number of commercial sex workers and established Chaithanya Mahila Mandali (CMM) in 2001. As a president of CMM, Mrs. Jayamma addresses the issues and concerns of neglected and suffering group of society – sex workers. Today, Mrs. Jayamma is known as Mother Jayamma in Hyderabad. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><br /><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Vigil India Movement instituted the M. A. Thomas National Human Rights Award in 1994 in memory of its Founder President Late Dr. M.A. Thomas. The Award with One Lakh of Rupees and a Citation will be presented to Mrs. Jayamma at an award ceremony to be held at Hyderabad preferably in August 2014 in line with the birth anniversary of the Founder (10 August).<o:p></o:p></span></div></div>vigilindiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04311506355828366254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3812904923489258512.post-88336928562317695222014-05-30T21:06:00.000-07:002014-08-27T21:13:40.936-07:00Human Rights Diary April 2014<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-align: justify; text-justify: newspaper; text-justify: newspaper; text-kashida-space: 50%; text-kashida-space: 50%;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yZqu1loWlYc/U_6sRNpZhrI/AAAAAAAAAcQ/aQjLs9ZsENY/s1600/death%2Bin%2Bdrains.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yZqu1loWlYc/U_6sRNpZhrI/AAAAAAAAAcQ/aQjLs9ZsENY/s1600/death%2Bin%2Bdrains.jpg" height="167" width="200" /></a></div><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "Poor Richard"; font-size: 18.0pt; font-weight: bold; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Poor Richard"; mso-bidi-language: he; mso-cyrillic-font-family: Garamond; mso-default-font-family: "Poor Richard"; mso-font-width: 92%; mso-greek-font-family: Garamond; mso-latin-font-family: "Poor Richard"; mso-latinext-font-family: Garamond;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BxrrwFz1-f_SaWJpWVQxVTkxU3c/edit" target="_blank">Deaths in the drains:</a><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-align: justify; text-justify: newspaper; text-justify: newspaper; text-kashida-space: 50%; text-kashida-space: 50%;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "Poor Richard"; font-size: 18.0pt; font-weight: bold; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Poor Richard"; mso-cyrillic-font-family: Garamond; mso-default-font-family: "Poor Richard"; mso-greek-font-family: Garamond; mso-latin-font-family: "Poor Richard"; mso-latinext-font-family: Garamond;"><br /></span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "Poor Richard"; font-size: 18.0pt; font-weight: bold; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Poor Richard"; mso-cyrillic-font-family: Garamond; mso-default-font-family: "Poor Richard"; mso-greek-font-family: Garamond; mso-latin-font-family: "Poor Richard"; mso-latinext-font-family: Garamond;">What is the point of laws, and judgments to back these laws, when </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "Poor Richard"; font-size: 18.0pt; font-weight: bold; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Poor Richard"; mso-cyrillic-font-family: Garamond; mso-default-font-family: "Poor Richard"; mso-font-width: 90%; mso-greek-font-family: Garamond; mso-latin-font-family: "Poor Richard"; mso-latinext-font-family: Garamond;">the</span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "Poor Richard"; font-size: 18.0pt; font-weight: bold; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Poor Richard"; mso-cyrillic-font-family: Garamond; mso-default-font-family: "Poor Richard"; mso-greek-font-family: Garamond; mso-latin-font-family: "Poor Richard"; mso-latinext-font-family: Garamond;"> ground has not changed? <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-align: justify; text-justify: newspaper; text-justify: newspaper; text-kashida-space: 50%; text-kashida-space: 50%;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-align: justify; text-justify: newspaper; text-justify: newspaper; text-kashida-space: 50%; text-kashida-space: 50%;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "Poor Richard"; font-size: 12.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Poor Richard"; mso-cyrillic-font-family: Garamond; mso-default-font-family: "Poor Richard"; mso-font-width: 109%; mso-greek-font-family: Garamond; mso-latin-font-family: "Poor Richard"; mso-latinext-font-family: Garamond;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-align: justify; text-justify: newspaper; text-justify: newspaper; text-kashida-space: 50%; text-kashida-space: 50%;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "Poor Richard"; font-size: 12.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Poor Richard"; mso-cyrillic-font-family: Garamond; mso-default-font-family: "Poor Richard"; mso-font-width: 109%; mso-greek-font-family: Garamond; mso-latin-font-family: "Poor Richard"; mso-latinext-font-family: Garamond;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-align: justify; text-justify: newspaper; text-justify: newspaper; text-kashida-space: 50%; text-kashida-space: 50%;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "Poor Richard"; font-size: 12.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Poor Richard"; mso-cyrillic-font-family: Garamond; mso-default-font-family: "Poor Richard"; mso-font-width: 109%; mso-greek-font-family: Garamond; mso-latin-font-family: "Poor Richard"; mso-latinext-font-family: Garamond;">'We </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "Poor Richard"; font-size: 12.0pt; font-style: italic; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Poor Richard"; mso-cyrillic-font-family: Garamond; mso-default-font-family: "Poor Richard"; mso-greek-font-family: Garamond; mso-latin-font-family: "Poor Richard"; mso-latinext-font-family: Garamond;">pervert reason when </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "Poor Richard"; font-size: 12.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Poor Richard"; mso-cyrillic-font-family: Garamond; mso-default-font-family: "Poor Richard"; mso-greek-font-family: Garamond; mso-latin-font-family: "Poor Richard"; mso-latinext-font-family: Garamond;">we </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "Poor Richard"; font-size: 12.0pt; font-style: italic; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Poor Richard"; mso-cyrillic-font-family: Garamond; mso-default-font-family: "Poor Richard"; mso-greek-font-family: Garamond; mso-latin-font-family: "Poor Richard"; mso-latinext-font-family: Garamond;">humiliate life </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "Poor Richard"; font-size: 12.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Poor Richard"; mso-cyrillic-font-family: Garamond; mso-default-font-family: "Poor Richard"; mso-greek-font-family: Garamond; mso-latin-font-family: "Poor Richard"; mso-latinext-font-family: Garamond;">man</span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "Poor Richard"; font-size: 12.0pt; font-style: italic; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Poor Richard"; mso-cyrillic-font-family: Garamond; mso-default-font-family: "Poor Richard"; mso-greek-font-family: Garamond; mso-latin-font-family: "Poor Richard"; mso-latinext-font-family: Garamond;"> stopped respecting himself when he lost the respect due to his fellow-creatures." </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "Poor Richard"; font-size: 12.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Poor Richard"; mso-cyrillic-font-family: Garamond; mso-default-font-family: "Poor Richard"; mso-greek-font-family: Garamond; mso-latin-font-family: "Poor Richard"; mso-latinext-font-family: Garamond;">- </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "Poor Richard"; font-size: 12.0pt; font-style: italic; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Poor Richard"; mso-cyrillic-font-family: Garamond; mso-default-font-family: "Poor Richard"; mso-greek-font-family: Garamond; mso-latin-font-family: "Poor Richard"; mso-latinext-font-family: Garamond;">Jose Saramago <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-align: justify; text-justify: newspaper; text-justify: newspaper; text-kashida-space: 50%; text-kashida-space: 50%;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "Poor Richard"; font-size: 12.0pt; font-style: italic; language: en-US; 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float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "Poor Richard"; font-size: 12.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Poor Richard"; mso-cyrillic-font-family: Garamond; mso-default-font-family: "Poor Richard"; mso-greek-font-family: Garamond; mso-latin-font-family: "Poor Richard"; mso-latinext-font-family: Garamond;">Sewage travels across Delhi's 5,600- kilometer sewer lines at the speed of one meter per second. That is a rather leisurely pace of 3.6 km per hour - the time an obese person may take to complete one round of Lodi Gardens. Along this river of filth - the Ganga is just half this length - there are 1.5 lakh manholes servicing the effluents released by the capital's 15 million people. Much of this 'infrastructure' was designed more than 100 years ago. According to an estimate I made in 2007, at least 22,327 men and women die in India every year doing various kinds of sanitation work. Figures are hard to come by, since these concerns the deaths of a section of population that most of India refuses to see. Santosh Choudhary, then chairperson of the National Commission for Safai Karamcharis, had told me in 2007 that at least "two to three workers must be dying every day inside manholes across India." <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-align: justify; text-justify: newspaper; text-justify: newspaper; text-kashida-space: 50%; text-kashida-space: 50%;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "Poor Richard"; font-size: 12.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Poor Richard"; mso-cyrillic-font-family: Garamond; mso-default-font-family: "Poor Richard"; mso-greek-font-family: Garamond; mso-latin-font-family: "Poor Richard"; mso-latinext-font-family: Garamond;">On the morning of March 27, Bezwada Wilson of the Safai Karmachari Andolan (SKA) sent a message to his well-wishers about the impending ruling of the Supreme Court in a Public Interest Litigation that had dragged on for 12 years. All that SKA had been seeking was the enforcement of fundamental rights guaranteed in the Constitution under Articles 14 (Right to Equality), 17 (Abolition of untouchability ), 21 (protection of life and personal liberty) and 47 (Duty of the State to raise the level of nutrition and the standard of living and to. improve public health). <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-align: justify; text-justify: newspaper; text-justify: newspaper; text-kashida-space: 50%; text-kashida-space: 50%;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-align: justify; text-justify: newspaper; text-justify: newspaper; text-kashida-space: 50%; text-kashida-space: 50%;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "Poor Richard"; font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: bold; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Poor Richard"; mso-cyrillic-font-family: Garamond; mso-default-font-family: "Poor Richard"; mso-greek-font-family: Garamond; mso-latin-font-family: "Poor Richard"; mso-latinext-font-family: Garamond;">Judgment with a caveat <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-align: justify; text-justify: newspaper; text-justify: newspaper; text-kashida-space: 50%; text-kashida-space: 50%;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-align: justify; text-justify: newspaper; text-justify: newspaper; text-kashida-space: 50%; text-kashida-space: 50%;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "Poor Richard"; font-size: 12.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Poor Richard"; mso-cyrillic-font-family: Garamond; mso-default-font-family: "Poor Richard"; mso-greek-font-family: Garamond; mso-latin-font-family: "Poor Richard"; mso-latinext-font-family: Garamond;">Later in the day, the three-judge Supreme Court Bench headed by the Chief Justice, P. Sathasivam, issued directions to the state, the railways, and several organizations to implement the provisions of the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013 - itself a result of SKA's relentless efforts. While everyone congratulated Mr. Wilson and the SKA team, a part of me froze at the sight of a certain clause in the judgment. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-align: justify; text-justify: newspaper; text-justify: newspaper; text-kashida-space: 50%; text-kashida-space: 50%;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-align: justify; text-justify: newspaper; text-justify: newspaper; text-kashida-space: 50%; text-kashida-space: 50%;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "Poor Richard"; font-size: 12.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Poor Richard"; mso-cyrillic-font-family: Garamond; mso-default-font-family: "Poor Richard"; mso-greek-font-family: Garamond; mso-latin-font-family: "Poor Richard"; mso-latinext-font-family: Garamond;">After ruling that "entering sewer lines without safety gears should be made a crime even in emergency situations," the Bench added a caveat: "For each such death, compensation of Rs.l0 lakhs should be given to the family of the deceased." <o:p></o:p></span></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="en-US"><a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BxrrwFz1-f_SaWJpWVQxVTkxU3c/edit" target="_blank">.........read more............</a></span></div></div>vigilindiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04311506355828366254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3812904923489258512.post-56553879997445737862014-04-25T21:19:00.000-07:002014-08-27T21:20:11.172-07:00Human Rights Diary March 2014<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-align: justify; text-justify: newspaper; text-justify: newspaper; text-kashida-space: 50%; text-kashida-space: 50%;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "Poor Richard"; font-size: 20.0pt; font-weight: bold; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Poor Richard"; mso-default-font-family: "Poor Richard"; mso-latin-font-family: "Poor Richard";"><a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BxrrwFz1-f_SbF83WGExdlIzMmM/edit" target="_blank">Climate change disturbing deep ocean currents: Study</a><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-align: justify; text-justify: newspaper; text-justify: newspaper; text-kashida-space: 50%; text-kashida-space: 50%;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2aFuxrPSXp4/U_6txftgouI/AAAAAAAAAcc/tGD4TCSS6uM/s1600/climate%2Bchange.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2aFuxrPSXp4/U_6txftgouI/AAAAAAAAAcc/tGD4TCSS6uM/s1600/climate%2Bchange.jpg" height="125" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-align: justify; text-justify: newspaper; text-justify: newspaper; text-kashida-space: 50%; text-kashida-space: 50%;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "Poor Richard"; font-size: 12.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Poor Richard"; mso-bidi-language: he; mso-default-font-family: "Poor Richard"; mso-font-width: 84%; mso-latin-font-family: "Poor Richard";">NEW YORK, AGENCIES: The recent climate change may be acting to slow down deep ocean currents with potentially serious consequences for the planet's future, a study warns. Deep currents act as conveyer belts, channeling heat, carbon, oxygen and nutrients around the globe. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-align: justify; text-justify: newspaper; text-justify: newspaper; text-kashida-space: 50%; text-kashida-space: 50%;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-align: justify; text-justify: newspaper; text-justify: newspaper; text-kashida-space: 50%; text-kashida-space: 50%;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "Poor Richard"; font-size: 12.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Poor Richard"; mso-bidi-language: he; mso-default-font-family: "Poor Richard"; mso-font-width: 92%; mso-latin-font-family: "Poor Richard";">A new study by the University of Pennsylvania's Irina Marinov and Raffaele Bernardello and colleagues from McGill University has found that recent climate change may be acting to slow down one of these conveyer belts - with potentially serious consequences for the future of the planet's climate. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-align: justify; text-justify: newspaper; text-justify: newspaper; text-kashida-space: 50%; text-kashida-space: 50%;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-align: justify; text-justify: newspaper; text-justify: newspaper; text-kashida-space: 50%; text-kashida-space: 50%;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "Poor Richard"; font-size: 12.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Poor Richard"; mso-bidi-language: he; mso-default-font-family: "Poor Richard"; mso-font-width: 92%; mso-latin-font-family: "Poor Richard";">"Our observations are showing us that there is less formation of these deep waters near Antarctica," said Marinov, an assistant professor in the department of earth and environmental science. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-align: justify; text-justify: newspaper; text-justify: newspaper; text-kashida-space: 50%; text-kashida-space: 50%;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-align: justify; text-justify: newspaper; text-justify: newspaper; text-kashida-space: 50%; text-kashida-space: 50%;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "Poor Richard"; font-size: 12.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Poor Richard"; mso-bidi-language: he; mso-default-font-family: "Poor Richard"; mso-font-width: 92%; mso-latin-font-family: "Poor Richard";">"This is worrisome because, if this is the case, we're likely going to see less uptake of human produced, or anthropogenic, heat and carbon dioxide by the ocean, making this a positive feedback loop for climate change," she added. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-align: justify; text-justify: newspaper; text-justify: newspaper; text-kashida-space: 50%; text-kashida-space: 50%;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "Poor Richard"; font-size: 12.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Poor Richard"; mso-bidi-language: he; mso-default-font-family: "Poor Richard"; mso-font-width: 92%; mso-latin-font-family: "Poor Richard";">Oceanographers have noticed that Antarctic Bottom Waters, a massive current of cold, salty and dense water that flows 2,000 metre under the ocean's surface from near the Antarctic coast toward the equator has been shrinking in recent decades. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-align: justify; text-justify: newspaper; text-justify: newspaper; text-kashida-space: 50%; text-kashida-space: 50%;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-align: justify; text-justify: newspaper; text-justify: newspaper; text-kashida-space: 50%; text-kashida-space: 50%;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "Poor Richard"; font-size: 12.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Poor Richard"; mso-bidi-language: he; mso-default-font-family: "Poor Richard"; mso-font-width: 92%; mso-latin-font-family: "Poor Richard";">This is cause for concern as the current is believed to "hide" heat and carbon from the atmosphere. The Southern Ocean takes up approximately 60 per cent of the anthropogenic heat produced on earth and 40 to 50 per cent of the anthropogenic carbon dioxide. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-align: justify; text-justify: newspaper; text-justify: newspaper; text-kashida-space: 50%; text-kashida-space: 50%;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-align: justify; text-justify: newspaper; text-justify: newspaper; text-kashida-space: 50%; text-kashida-space: 50%;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3812904923489258512" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "Poor Richard"; font-size: 12.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Poor Richard"; mso-bidi-language: he; mso-default-font-family: "Poor Richard"; mso-font-width: 92%; mso-latin-font-family: "Poor Richard";">"The Southern Ocean is emerging as being very, very important for regulating climate," Marinov said. Marinov and colleagues used models to discern whether the shrinking of the Antarctic Bottom Waters could be attributed to anthropogenic climate change. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-align: justify; text-justify: newspaper; text-justify: newspaper; text-kashida-space: 50%; text-kashida-space: 50%;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: right; text-align: right;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "Poor Richard"; font-size: 8.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Poor Richard"; mso-bidi-language: he; mso-default-font-family: "Poor Richard"; mso-font-width: 92%; mso-latin-font-family: "Poor Richard";">Deccan Herald, March 24, 2014<o:p></o:p></span></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="en-US"><a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BxrrwFz1-f_SbF83WGExdlIzMmM/edit" target="_blank">..........read more...........</a></span></div></div>vigilindiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04311506355828366254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3812904923489258512.post-29173719865164142522014-03-27T21:28:00.000-07:002014-08-27T21:29:11.178-07:00Human Rights Diary February 2014<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-align: justify; text-justify: newspaper; text-justify: newspaper; text-kashida-space: 50%; text-kashida-space: 50%;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 20pt; font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BxrrwFz1-f_SSnVFa2FkZkU0bkU/edit" target="_blank">Food safety regulations are draconian: traders </a><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-align: justify; text-justify: newspaper; text-justify: newspaper; text-kashida-space: 50%; text-kashida-space: 50%;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wxw8N8XiM6I/U_6vzSk15WI/AAAAAAAAAco/IkFqPetJGZ8/s1600/food%2Bsafty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wxw8N8XiM6I/U_6vzSk15WI/AAAAAAAAAco/IkFqPetJGZ8/s1600/food%2Bsafty.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-align: justify; text-justify: newspaper; text-justify: newspaper; text-kashida-space: 50%; text-kashida-space: 50%;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3812904923489258512" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 13pt;">BANGALORE: </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 13pt;">Traders dealing in food who require obtaining a license by February 4 in order to comply with the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 13pt;"><span dir="ltr"></span>2006 </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 13pt;">are up against the "draconian legislation," said Praveen Khandelwal, Secretary Gen</span><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 13pt;">eral, Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), the apex body representing the interests of retailers. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-align: justify; text-justify: newspaper; text-justify: newspaper; text-kashida-space: 50%; text-kashida-space: 50%;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-align: justify; text-justify: newspaper; text-justify: newspaper; text-kashida-space: 50%; text-kashida-space: 50%;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 13pt;">Speaking to </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 13pt; font-style: italic;">The Hindu </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 13pt;">be</span><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 13pt;">fore addressing traders gathered under the auspices of the Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FKCCI), Mr. Khandelwal said: "The deadline for mandatory licenses for those retailing food is likely to be extended by another year, just as it was in the last two years." <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-align: justify; text-justify: newspaper; text-justify: newspaper; text-kashida-space: 50%; text-kashida-space: 50%;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-align: justify; text-justify: newspaper; text-justify: newspaper; text-kashida-space: 50%; text-kashida-space: 50%;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 13pt;">Mr. Khandelwal said the CAIT leadership, during its recent meeting with the Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Ghulam Nabi Azad, had been assured them of a "favourable re</span><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 13pt;">sponse." <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-align: justify; text-justify: newspaper; text-justify: newspaper; text-kashida-space: 50%; text-kashida-space: 50%;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-align: justify; text-justify: newspaper; text-justify: newspaper; text-kashida-space: 50%; text-kashida-space: 50%;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 13pt;">He said Union Minister for Communications and IT Ka</span><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 13pt;">pil Sib</span><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 13pt;">al, </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 13pt;">whom he met on Friday, had assured them of a "favourable review" of the implementation of the legislation. "The legislation is not merely impractical but also sinister," Mr. Khandelwal said. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-align: justify; text-justify: newspaper; text-justify: newspaper; text-kashida-space: 50%; text-kashida-space: 50%;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-align: justify; text-justify: newspaper; text-justify: newspaper; text-kashida-space: 50%; text-kashida-space: 50%;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 13pt;">He alleged that the provisions are geared to "wipe out" Indian competition to multinationals operating in the food business. "We have urged the government to review the legislation and spend the next year consulting all stakeholders so that we are left with a people friendly legislation." <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-align: justify; text-justify: newspaper; text-justify: newspaper; text-kashida-space: 50%; text-kashida-space: 50%;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-align: justify; text-justify: newspaper; text-justify: newspaper; text-kashida-space: 50%; text-kashida-space: 50%;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 13pt;">Even nodal agencies under government control, such as the Food Corporation of India and the Central Warehousing Corporation, are not yet compliant with the legislation, he observed. "At this rate, even the Karnataka Chief Minister's pet scheme, the Anna Bhagya, runs the 'risk of getting derailed," he remarked<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-align: justify; text-justify: newspaper; text-justify: newspaper; text-kashida-space: 50%; text-kashida-space: 50%;"><br /></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="en-US"><a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BxrrwFz1-f_SSnVFa2FkZkU0bkU/edit" target="_blank"> ...........read more...........</a><o:p></o:p></span></div></div>vigilindiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04311506355828366254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3812904923489258512.post-62551617574701269982014-03-01T21:31:00.000-08:002014-08-27T21:35:29.551-07:00Human Rights Diary January 2014<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-align: justify; text-justify: newspaper; text-justify: newspaper; text-kashida-space: 50%; text-kashida-space: 50%;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: Century; font-size: 20pt; font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BxrrwFz1-f_SSUhWZTNPaWZvcW8/edit" target="_blank">Ban Death penalty </a><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-align: justify; text-justify: newspaper; text-justify: newspaper; text-kashida-space: 50%; text-kashida-space: 50%;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-94pFbfgEyGw/U_6xfww2utI/AAAAAAAAAc0/MhogZ9_zhBM/s1600/death%2Bpenalty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-94pFbfgEyGw/U_6xfww2utI/AAAAAAAAAc0/MhogZ9_zhBM/s1600/death%2Bpenalty.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-align: justify; text-justify: newspaper; text-justify: newspaper; text-kashida-space: 50%; text-kashida-space: 50%;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3812904923489258512" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: Century; font-size: 12pt;">Supreme Court's guidelines on implementation of the death penalty will go a long way in recognizing the rights of those who are on the death row. While the court's judgment might make executions rarer than in the past, it is high time India enacted a law completely abolishing capital punishment as any civilized society is expected to do. With the landmark judgment of Tuesday, delay in taking a decision on mercy petitions has become a valid ground for commuting death penalty to life imprisonment. Fifteen petitioners have got relief with the ruling but it will also apply to others who are in the same situation, including those who are convicted under the anti-terrorism law. The court has also made it clear that a death sentence cannot be carried out if the convict suffers from mental illness. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-align: justify; text-justify: newspaper; text-justify: newspaper; text-kashida-space: 50%; text-kashida-space: 50%;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-align: justify; text-justify: newspaper; text-justify: newspaper; text-kashida-space: 50%; text-kashida-space: 50%;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: Century; font-size: 12pt;">The courts have progressively disfavored the death penalty in the last many years. After the law was amended in 1973 mandating that judges should give special reasons for awarding a death sentence, the Supreme Court laid down the 'rarest of rare' doctrine in 1980. It also refused to award the extreme penalty in many recent cases and has now reduced the scope for implementation of the sentence in many cases. Still judicial thinking has not always been consistent. The same court which had last year commuted a death sentence on the ground of delay in disposing of the mercy petition, refused to do so in another petition a few weeks later. The same inconsistency has been seen in the handling of mercy petitions too. Subjective, political or other considerations have influenced such decisions. While former President Pratibha Patil commuted the death sentences of 35 persons in 2012 before demitting office, Pranab Mukherjee rejected the largest number of petitions in a few months after becoming the President.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-align: justify; text-justify: newspaper; text-justify: newspaper; text-kashida-space: 50%; text-kashida-space: 50%;"><br /></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: Century; font-size: 12pt;">The court's guidelines will also put an end to solitary confinement and mandate periodical physical and mental health examinations and offer of legal aid to convicts. There should be a minimum 14 days between rejection of the petition and execution, and there should be communication with the family. In most cases, including in Afzal Guru's, many of these fair and just rights had not been respected.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: Century; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: Century; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BxrrwFz1-f_SSUhWZTNPaWZvcW8/edit" target="_blank">.....read more.......</a></span></div></div>vigilindiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04311506355828366254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3812904923489258512.post-69737255697185397482014-02-19T22:42:00.000-08:002014-02-19T22:42:06.593-08:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b>Dr. M.A. Thomas National Human Rights Award <o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2PwEiObs1pg/TpvLqam9h7I/AAAAAAAAAN0/Yaxd7pfZ8AQ/s1600/Dr.+M+A+Thomas.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2PwEiObs1pg/TpvLqam9h7I/AAAAAAAAAN0/Yaxd7pfZ8AQ/s320/Dr.+M+A+Thomas.JPG" height="302" width="320" /></a></div>Vigil India Movement invites Nominations to the M.A. Thomas National Human Rights Award 2014. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;">The Award honours individuals/organizations in <st1:country-region w:st="on">India</st1:country-region> who have made significant contributions for the protection and promotion of human rights in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region> in the preceding years and continues to be working on issues directly relating to human rights. The Award instituted by the Vigil India Movement in 1993, in memory of its Founder President Rev. Dr. M.A. Thomas, carries a cash prize of Rupees One lakh and a citation.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Nominations are to be submitted on the <a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BxrrwFz1-f_SNDhQd2hVaDZRY0k/edit" target="_blank">prescribed form</a> available with the National Office of the Vigil India Movement, You can also download the nomination form from our website <a href="http://www.vigilindia.info/">www.vigilindia.info</a>. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;">Nomination form must be sent in a sealed envelope inscribed with the words <b><u>Nomination for M.A. Thomas National Human Rights Award 2014</u></b> to Vigil India Movement, 61, Charles Campbell Road, Cox Town, Bangalore- 560 005<b>, </b>so as to reach us<b> <u>on or before April 30, 2014.</u> </b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;"><b><u>For further details download <a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BxrrwFz1-f_SdTBJbGp6dWplRU0/edit" target="_blank">MAT Award Brochure</a> or contact<o:p></o:p></u></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;"><b><u><a href="mailto:vigilindiamovement@gmail.com">vigilindiamovement@gmail.com</a> or visit <a href="http://www.vigilindia.info/">www.vigilindia.info</a> </u><o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">With kind regards</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">John VM Juliana</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Programme Manager</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Vigil India Movement</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div>vigilindiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04311506355828366254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3812904923489258512.post-78495873072693646112013-08-22T20:18:00.001-07:002013-08-22T20:18:59.282-07:00SPEECH BY ADVOCATE K.PRATAP REDDY, PRESIDENT OF VIGIL INDIA MOVEMENT ON THE OCCASION OF THE GOLDEN JUBILEE CELEBRATIONS OF ECC AND BIRTH CENTENARY CELEBRATIONS OF THE LATE REV. Dr. M.A.THOMAS, FOUNDER OF THE ECC AND VIM<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><u><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">SPEECH BY ADVOCATE K.PRATAP REDDY, PRESIDENT OF VIGIL <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">INDIA</st1:place></st1:country-region> MOVEMENT ON THE OCCASION OF THE GOLDEN JUBILEE CELEBRATIONS OF ECC AND BIRTH CENTENARY CELEBRATIONS OF THE LATE REV. Dr. M.A.THOMAS, FOUNDER OF THE ECC AND VI</span></u><u><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt;">M<o:p></o:p></span></u></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Rev.Dr. Isaac Mar Philoxenos, Chair Person of this function <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Hon’ble Shri M. Hamid Ansari, the Vice President of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">India</st1:country-region></st1:place>,<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Hon’ble Shri. H.R.Bharadwaj, Governor, Karnataka,<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Hon’ble Shri Siddha Ramayya, Hon’ble Chief Minister, Karnataka,<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">and other dignitaries on the Dias and Ladies and Gentlemen,<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7LkpUepC7FY/UhbUcyvr4_I/AAAAAAAAAbQ/4Xa_CgvHwqk/s1600/DSC_9697.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7LkpUepC7FY/UhbUcyvr4_I/AAAAAAAAAbQ/4Xa_CgvHwqk/s320/DSC_9697.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">I feel it as a great honour, to be invited to address this August gathering at these two very glorious celebrations; the Golden Jubilee of ECUMENICAL CHRISTIAN CENTRE and the Birth Centenary of a legendary figure the late Rev. Dr. M.A. Thomas, founder of both these Humanitarian Institutions, ECC and Vigil <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region>.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">I had the privilege of being closely associated with the late Rev. M.A.Thomas for two decades and also with these two historic institutions he founded. My association with the late Rev. Thomas started when he was traveling around in this country to mobilize and identify people in different parts of <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region> to fight against Emergency and the misrule that occasioned from it. Being a Socialist and Human Rights activist, I did not hesitate to be part of these two eminent Humanist organizations, Achan Thomas founded. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">I learned from Rev. M.A Thomas that the expressions of “Ecumenism” or “ecumenical” are not confined to Christian theology but have a much wider meaning pertaining to the unity of Humanity.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Rev.M.A. Thomas’s philosophy and motto about the work of ECC was: - “One Family Under Heaven”. He demonstrated the practical applications of this motto in all his actions through the ECC as well as through the work of the Vigil India Movement. This motto of Rev.M.A.Thomas was synonymous with the ancient Hindu concept of VASUDAIVA KUTUMBAKAM. He inculcated the spirit of inter-religious collaboration even from his student days. He was the secretary of the “Inter-Religious Student Fellowship” founded by late Dr.Sarvepally Radhakrishnan, Former President of <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region>. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">At the same time Rev.M.A.Thomas never kept himself aloof from the contemporary freedom movement. He was in close association with Mahatma Gadhi, Jawahar Lal Nehru and Jaya Prakash Narayan and was a regular visitor to SEVAGRAM. Rev.M.A.Thomas was a true Nationalist, Secularist and Humanist. Whenever the country was bleeding, either on account of communal riots or otherwise, any where in the country, Rev.M.A.Thomas raised his voice with concern which were echoing from both these institutions, ECC & Vigil India. At the height of the Babari Masjid controversy Rev.M.A.Thomas took very active part to solve the problem. In response to that Shri Ashok Singhal, the then president of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad visited Rev. M.A Thomas and promised to work on the lines suggested by Rev. M.A.Thomas.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">In his CRUSADE for protecting the Human Rights, late Rev.M.A.Thomas adopted, and never deviated from the Gandhian path of peace and Non-Violence. While being a puritan Christian in his personal life, late Rev.M.A.Thomas remained a true Gandhian, a true humanist, a true ecumenist in its real sense and spirit. It was, indeed, rare combination of following the personal faith and demonstrating the public commitment. This unique quality distinguishes the late Rev. M.A.Thomas from many other distinguished leaders of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">India</st1:country-region></st1:place>.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 36.0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">The most important factor in his crusade for protecting the fundamental human rights and values is that, throughout his life he was involving himself in empowering every single individual. Empowerment of the people was his life’s mission. He established a wide national network of grass root level human rights activists belonging to all religions and all sections of the society. He was very closely associated with “AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL” and was the President of its Indian Section.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Let me conclude with my humble personal Note.: While I am not boasting of knowing large number of people in my life, but I would say that among the men I met, and I worked with, I found late Rev. M.A.Thomas was the most loving and lovable person, and the best human being I ever met. Though Rev. Thomas departed from this world physically but he is still alive in our Hearts and Minds for the last two decades and shall continue to live as long as Human values are respected. I also pray that these institutions, ECC and Vigil India founded by him will continue to serve the people of our beloved country and the Humanity at large and For Ever. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;"><span lang="EN-US">K.PRATAP REDDY</span></div><br /><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;"><br /></div></div>vigilindiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04311506355828366254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3812904923489258512.post-30457685257688014492013-07-23T03:46:00.000-07:002013-07-23T03:46:31.036-07:002001: Dr. H. Sudharshan<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><h2><span lang="EN-US">2001: Dr. H. Sudharshan</span></h2><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">Soliga Tribals were living for centuries peacefully but in primitive conditions in the Biligiri Rangana Betta (hills) of Karnataka. Their even tenor of life, albeit in poverty and ignorance, was rudely shattered since India’s Independence when their forests were cleared for industry and modern agriculture and urban vandals started expropriating their lands for miscellaneous uses. After 1950, the Soligas’ living conditions slid down rapidly from poverty to exploitation to abysmal misery.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">Dr. Sudharshan came to B.R.Hills in 1979 as a medico trying to heal the Soligas of multifarious ailments inflicted on them by physical exploitation, malnutrition, primitive living conditions and promiscuous and unhygienic life styles. The Soligas with their bad experience with civilized human beings were afraid of him and ran away. But he stayed and installed confidence in them that he was there as a good Samaritan. He won their hearts and trust in no time when he saved a Soliga from a poisonous snake-bite.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">From a healer to a Messiah was a tortuous process. Dr.Sudharshan filled with idealism inspired by the vision of Albert Schweitzer and emboldened by his four year stint at the Ramakrishna Mission, decided that he would spend the rest of his life with the Soligas. He set up schools for them to educate both children and adults, trained health workers to do minimum medical care for the people, built up a small hospital and launched the Vivekananda Girijana Kalyana Kendra.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">What the Soligas got from Dr. Sudharshan’s guidance and endeavour was meaningful education that included knowledge of how to live with nature, understand the use of trees, plants and animals without destroying them. The basics of empowerment achieved, Dr. Sudharshan moved on to fighting for justice when urban land grabbers used powerful vested interests to get him arrested. Thousands of Soliga men, women and children surrounded the police station as their `messiah’ went on a fast and the police was forced to release Dr.Sudharshan within two days.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">Dr. Sudharshan was rightly awarded the `Right to Livelihood Award, also known as the `Alternate Noble Prize’ for his inspiring message to humanity that “the so called civilized society has a lot to learn from the tribals”.</span></div></div>vigilindiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04311506355828366254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3812904923489258512.post-16871770801035607452013-07-23T03:44:00.001-07:002013-07-23T03:44:33.385-07:002000: Justice V.M. Tarkunde<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><h2><span lang="EN-US">2000: Justice V.M. Tarkunde </span></h2><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-78HSNUIH0K4/Ue5efOOZb-I/AAAAAAAAAbA/1CSzfvjd2kQ/s1600/Justice+V.M.+Tarkunte,+Founder+President+PUCL+receives+M+A+Thomas+National+Human+Rights+Award+2000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="205" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-78HSNUIH0K4/Ue5efOOZb-I/AAAAAAAAAbA/1CSzfvjd2kQ/s320/Justice+V.M.+Tarkunte,+Founder+President+PUCL+receives+M+A+Thomas+National+Human+Rights+Award+2000.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">Vittal Mahadev Tarkunde was born on July 1909 at Saswad in Pune district, Maharashtra, in an orthodox Brahmin family. His father Mahadev Rajaram Tarkunde, a lawyer, led a Movement against the vice of untouchability and in consequence, the family was ostracized by the orthodox Brahmins.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">Starting with a brilliant academic career (a first class first in matriculation), Tarkunde obtained the degree of Bar-At-Law and started his legal practice at Pune but devoted 15 days in a month for working among the poor peasants in rural areas. Later on, Tarkunde came under the influence of the legendary figure, M.N.Roy and associated himself with the Indian Radical Humanist Association and the International Humanist Organization. He is one of the founder trustees of Indian Renaissance Movement.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">Mr.Tarakunde was elevated to the Bench of Bombay High Court in 1957 and after an illustrious and distinguished career of 12 years as a Judge, retired in 1969. The termination of his source as a Judge was the beginning of a fresh span of life devoted relentlessly to win for mankind, the right to be free as true human beings.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><br /><div class="MsoBodyText"><span lang="EN-US">The emergency imposed on the country by Indira Gandhi on the night of June 25 and 26,1975 had fully galvanized the capacities of Justice.Tarakunde in organizing and educating the people to fight for their freedom. He bravely took up the challenge and was arrested along with Lok Nayak Jaya Prakash Narayan under MISA. He is the founder of the two premier organizations, viz., People’s Union for Civil Liberties and Citizens for Democracy, along with Lok Nayak Jaya Prakash Narayan. He is the recipient of several national and international awards including “Padma Bhushana” from the President of India in 1998.</span></div></div>vigilindiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04311506355828366254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3812904923489258512.post-70934532133989490482013-07-23T03:42:00.000-07:002013-07-23T03:42:36.936-07:001999: Ms. Medha Padkar<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><h2><span lang="EN-US">1999: Ms. Medha Padkar</span></h2><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DtmCIc0epxQ/Ue5eDlOfDxI/AAAAAAAAAa4/mmv3D9nzwCs/s1600/Ms.+Medha+Patkar,+Narmada+Bachao+Andolan,+Mumbai+receives+M+A+Thomas+National+Human+Rights+Award+-+1999.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="230" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DtmCIc0epxQ/Ue5eDlOfDxI/AAAAAAAAAa4/mmv3D9nzwCs/s320/Ms.+Medha+Patkar,+Narmada+Bachao+Andolan,+Mumbai+receives+M+A+Thomas+National+Human+Rights+Award+-+1999.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">Ms.Medha Padkar came into contact with the tribal people facing displacement under the Narmada Valley Project when visited their remote families as a researcher. Some well-meaning groups were already working among them. She noticed that the history of every major river valley project contained one dark chapter that few cared to read it told a tale of broken promises of relief and rehabilitation. She realized that the tribal population under threat of eviction in the Narmada Project area would not get justice under the proposed resettlement scheme. She questioned the very rationale of mega projects that destroyed the physical and social environment of the people in their vicinity.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">Ms.Medha Padkar put her heart and soul into a campaign to help the poor. Illiterate tribal people stand up and fight - not for doles but for the right to live. It was a campaign to save the people, the land and the river. It changed the very temples of the environmental movement in the country from a mere wild life and forest conservation movement, to a matured tough human rights, social justice and resource management effort. Her vigorous championship of the cause of the project victims prompted international funding agencies to rethink on social costs of development.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">Human rights campaign calls for strong conviction, extreme deviation and deep sense of commitment. Ms.Medha Padkar has displayed these qualities in measure in successive campaign organized under the banner of the Narmada Bachao Andolan.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">In recognition of her sterling contribution to the cause of protection and promotion of human rights, the Board of Vigil India Movement conferred on Ms. Medha Patkar the M.A.Thomas National Human Rights Award 1999.</span></div></div>vigilindiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04311506355828366254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3812904923489258512.post-66437025683751506432013-07-23T03:40:00.001-07:002013-07-23T03:40:54.638-07:001998: Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><h2><span lang="EN-US">1998: Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer</span></h2><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xBZpYpqAtUs/Ue5doxeiDhI/AAAAAAAAAaw/Nn7_ZFwpjL0/s1600/M+A+Thomas+National+Human+Rights+Award+1998+-+awarded+to+Justice+V+R+Krishna+Iyer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="215" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xBZpYpqAtUs/Ue5doxeiDhI/AAAAAAAAAaw/Nn7_ZFwpjL0/s320/M+A+Thomas+National+Human+Rights+Award+1998+-+awarded+to+Justice+V+R+Krishna+Iyer.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">In every age and land, there arises voices that give expression to the concern and yearnings of the mute masses. They echo the agonies of the underprivileged condemned to a life of deprivation for the faults of others. They reflect the hopes of the suffering people for better days to come. In this age and in this land, the voice that rings out loudest and clearest on behalf of the helpless millions is that of Mr. Justice V.R.Krishna Iyer.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">Vaidhyanathapuram Rama Ayyar Krishna Iyer had the rare opportunity to serve his compatriots from all three limbs of the State. The Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary. The forum changed, the functions changed but his goal remained the same at all times. Service to fellow beings, especially the poorest of the poor prompted him to help them so that they may enjoy the same rights as the rest and the human rights ideals may thus be realized fully and universally.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">He began the crusade as a young lawyer in a small town in Kerala at a time when human rights advocacy was not a popular cause and was indeed fraught with danger. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">Later, as a Member of the Assembly he first got into the hallowed precincts of the legislature. When a communist led government was voted to power in Kerala in an epoch making election, he was called upon to shoulder the responsibilities of Law Minister and Home Minister. He used the opportunity to let the wind of change blow through the musty corridors of power. He gave primacy to prison reforms during the brief period he held the ministerial office.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">After a short spell as a Judge of the Kerala High Court, Mr. Krishna Iyer was elevated to the Supreme Court Bench. As the Apex Court acted to rebuild the democratic structure that had been battered by the emergency, he played a leading art in fortifying the protective mechanisms to enable it to withstand future assaults on civil and political rights. He also strove conscientiously to secure social, economic and cultural rights for all.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">Having retired from the service of the State, he continued in the service of the people’s spectrum of NGO’s in the country and abroad. He became a tireless campaigner for protection and promotion of human rights. Traveling far and wide he makes common cause with every victim of human rights violation be he a child worker, a bonded labourer, a dispossessed Adivasi or a shelterless old man.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">As Supreme Court Judge, he played a significant role in evolving the concept of public interest litigation, which is unique and effective instrument for the protection of Human</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">Rights.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">In recognisation of his meritorious services in the cause of human rights, Vigil India Movement accorded the M.A.Thomas National Human Rights Award 1998 to Mr.V.R.Krishna Iyer.</span></div></div>vigilindiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04311506355828366254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3812904923489258512.post-63880226326868125742013-07-23T03:38:00.003-07:002013-07-23T03:38:52.887-07:001997: Mr. Ravi Nair<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><h2><span lang="EN-US">1997: Mr. Ravi Nair</span></h2><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">Born in 1954 in the Indian Ocean island of Madgascar, Mr.Ravi Nair began his life as a journalist and political activist in New Delhi. In 1994, he became a founding member of the association for the protection of Democratic Rights. Later on, he worked under the banner of the People’s Union for Civil Liberties.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">In 1986, he moved to a wider arena, working with Amnesty International in London first and as regional liaison officer for South Pacific region and then as one of its four global campaign coordinators.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">Returning to India three years later, he set up the South Asia Human Rights Documentation Centre, New Delhi, a pioneer in its field. Associated with various international rights groups, he is the South Asia representative of Bangkok based Asia Pacific Human Rights NGO’s follow up committee.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">In recognition of the services rendered to the cause of protection and promotion of human rights, Vigil India Movement gave away the M.A.Thomas National Human Rights Award 1997 to Mr.Ravi Nair.</span></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div>vigilindiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04311506355828366254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3812904923489258512.post-86852658448349003412013-07-23T03:38:00.000-07:002013-07-23T03:38:02.400-07:001996: Ms. Malladi Subbamma<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><h2><span lang="EN-US">1996: Ms. Malladi Subbamma</span></h2><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1AEE3af5eps/Ue5c8rIaABI/AAAAAAAAAao/Nxc8Qm-GVbc/s1600/Ms.+Malladi+Subbamma,+AP+receives+MA+Thomas+Human+Rights+Award+1996.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="205" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1AEE3af5eps/Ue5c8rIaABI/AAAAAAAAAao/Nxc8Qm-GVbc/s320/Ms.+Malladi+Subbamma,+AP+receives+MA+Thomas+Human+Rights+Award+1996.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">Ms. Malladi Subbamma devoted herself heart and soul in the struggle to secure a place of dignity and honour for women. Realising the need to develop strong organizations to carry on the Movement in a sustained manner, she set up the Mahila Hrudaya Samstha which now serves as a sphere head of women’s liberation.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">Any assault on women by anyone instantly draws Ms.Malladi Subbamma’s ire. Be it the belabouring of a woman in nearby Nalgonda or an act of Sati in distant Rajasthan or the shunting off nuns in a convent, she jumps in to the fray to battle the forces that stand in the way of women’s freedom and dignity.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">She played an active role in the campaign against arrack launched by women of Andhra Pradesh that led to the prohibition of arrack in the State. She has been promoting inter- caste marriages; she herself often officiates at these secular wedding ceremonies.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">Ms. Subbamma has also been associated with a wide spectrum of human rights activities under the auspices of the Citizen for Democracy and the People’s Union for Civil Liberties.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">A Reformer cast in the renaissance mould, Ms. Subbamma has effectively articulated the concept of women’s rights as human rights.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><br /><div class="MsoBodyText"><span lang="EN-US">In recognisation of her significant contribution to the protection and promotion of human rights in general and of women’s rights in particular, the Vigil India Movement presented the M.A.Thomas National Human Rights Award 1996 to Ms.Malladi Subbamma.</span></div></div>vigilindiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04311506355828366254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3812904923489258512.post-12190958835404307762013-07-23T03:36:00.002-07:002013-07-23T03:36:18.558-07:001995: Dr. C.T. Kurion and Mr. Balraj Puri<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="MsoFooter" style="tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span lang="EN-US">1995: Dr. C.T. Kurion and Mr. Balraj Puri<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoFooter" style="tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YkT4FM41E8k/Ue5ch6A79gI/AAAAAAAAAag/O_vob5bliOs/s1600/M+A+Thomas+National+Award+1995+(shared)+by+Mr.+Balraj+Puri+and+Dr.+C+T+Kurian.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="198" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YkT4FM41E8k/Ue5ch6A79gI/AAAAAAAAAag/O_vob5bliOs/s320/M+A+Thomas+National+Award+1995+(shared)+by+Mr.+Balraj+Puri+and+Dr.+C+T+Kurian.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoFooter" style="tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">Dr. Kurien has consistently <b>defetishized</b> Indian economy on behalf of the working people and the poor mass. His concerns, insights and perspectives are available in a large number of books and papers. He has been a clear sighted and powerful critic of concentration of ownership and control of the physical resources. He has exposed the paradox of islands of affluence in the ocean of Indian poverty. His critiques of liberalization and globalization in academic and <b>popular for a constitute</b> a significant contribution to human rights literature in the broadest sense. Above all, he has been a champion of progressive causes and exemplar of high social and ethical values.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">Mr.Balraj Puri has championed the cause of civil rights and communal harmony for half a century. When he protested against the dismissal of Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah’s Government in 1953, he was almost a lone dissenting voice in the Jammu region. But he persisted until the Sheikh was reinstated in office 22 years later. When the emergency cost its dark shadow on the country, he joined the battle against it. A close associate of Jayaprakash Narayan, he has been working under the banner of the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), of which he is the convenor for Jammu and Kashmir.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">As Sikh militancy rose in Punjab and the security forces mounted anti-terrorist campaign he toured the State, pleading for reconciliation. When militancy gained in the Kashmir valley he visited the affected areas with the arrangements for personal safety and brought to light instances of human rights violations by both the security personnel and the militants.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">On countless occasions, he rushed to the scenes of communal conflict to spread the message of peace and goodwill way back in 1947. He organized a volunteer corps to help the victims of partition. In 1967 when fanatics in Jammu threatened to avenge a rumoured riot in Kashmir, he staked his own life to prevent the outbreak of violence. During the anti-Sikh riots of 1984, he went to the rescue of entrapped members of the minority community. A chillalrous champion of the rights of women, children, Dalits and other weaker sections, he has been active on the environment front, too.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">Vigil India Movement, with great pleasure in recognition of their contributions presents the M.A.Thomas national human rights award for 1995 jointly to Mr.C.T.Kurian and Mr.Balraj Puri, human rights activists of Jammu.</span></div></div>vigilindiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04311506355828366254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3812904923489258512.post-62093845059986565212013-07-23T03:31:00.001-07:002013-07-23T03:31:43.417-07:001994: People's Union for Civil Liberties<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="MsoFooter" style="tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span lang="EN-US">1994: People’s Union for Civil Liberties<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoFooter" style="tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YZZCKiBPknI/Ue5befgWqvI/AAAAAAAAAaU/iN4xgYYhjkw/s1600/M+A+Thomas+National+Human+Rights+Award+1994+to+Peoples+Union+for+Civil+Liberties.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="215" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YZZCKiBPknI/Ue5befgWqvI/AAAAAAAAAaU/iN4xgYYhjkw/s320/M+A+Thomas+National+Human+Rights+Award+1994+to+Peoples+Union+for+Civil+Liberties.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span lang="EN-US">People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), as it is widely known, was born when the emergency rule had eclipsed the freedom enshrined in the Constitution of India. As darkness enveloped the country and the people waited for a ray of hope, a band of freedom lovers came together under its banner to expose the civil rights violations and secure for the victims such redress as was possible in the prevailing circumstances. It was a task that called for courage and dedication. The People’s Union for Civil Liberties leadership proved itself capable of taking up the task. </span></div><div class="MsoFooter" style="tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoFooter" style="tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">After the emergency rule ended, People’s Union for Civil Liberties extended its concern beyond protection of the citizen’s legal and Constitutional rights and expanded its activities to cover the whole of human rights. It took up the cause of bonded labour, women and other oppressed sections. </span></div><div class="MsoFooter" style="tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoFooter" style="tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">It stood up against torture and killings in trouble-torn States such as Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir, whose larger sections of the people tend to condone, in the belief that they are unavoidable in combating terrorism.</span></div><div class="MsoFooter" style="tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><br /><div class="MsoFooter" style="tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">The glorious battles waged by PUCL under a competent leadership are a source of inspiration and encouragement to all. In recognisation of its meritorious services, Vigil India Movement is pleased to present it with the “M.A.Thomas National Human Rights Award for 1994”.</span></div></div>vigilindiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04311506355828366254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3812904923489258512.post-38621031658357427812013-06-29T22:43:00.000-07:002014-05-19T22:47:08.821-07:00Human Rights Diary - May 2013<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-align: justify; text-justify: newspaper; text-justify: newspaper; text-kashida-space: 50%; text-kashida-space: 50%;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 16pt; font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BxrrwFz1-f_SZ240RU85Rlk4ZnM/edit" target="_blank">Keeping children out of labour</a><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-align: justify; text-justify: newspaper; text-justify: newspaper; text-kashida-space: 50%; text-kashida-space: 50%;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-align: justify; text-justify: newspaper; text-justify: newspaper; text-kashida-space: 50%; text-kashida-space: 50%;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 12pt;">The economic vulnerabilities that confront households in the current sluggish recovery from the global meltdown are aggravating the fight against child labour, says the International Labour Organisation. Its latest report emphasizes the need for universal coverage of at least a minimum level of social security to help some 215 million working children. Half that number is trapped in the worst forms of child labour – work akin to slavery, debt bondage, child prostitution and hazardous occupations harmful to health and safety. To be sure, the number to child workers did drop by some 30 million in the last decade. But job losses in the adult population in the wake of the global financial crisis and shocks related to crop failure and recurrent freak weather patterns are threatening a reversal of recent gains. The report collates findings from various studies that establish a clear correlation between adverse macro-economic indicator and the recourse to child labour. Correspondingly, cash transfers are known to prove effective in reducing child labour in Asia and Latin America, subject to supply-side conditions such as the availability of education facilities. Similarly, in many African countries where parents have been lost to the HIV/AIDS epidemic, social protection measures such as health insurance, targeted at the elderly, ensure uninterrupted school attendance among children.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-align: justify; text-justify: newspaper; text-justify: newspaper; text-kashida-space: 50%; text-kashida-space: 50%;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-align: justify; text-justify: newspaper; text-justify: newspaper; text-kashida-space: 50%; text-kashida-space: 50%;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 12pt;">It is abundantly clear then that the elimination of child labour is predicated upon making progress on many fronts. Getting kids to go to school, a key priority that drove the abolition campaign a decade ago is obviously a necessary but not sufficient condition for the eradication of child labour. Surely, there has been a surge in enrolments in recent years and there has even been some talk of devising ways to retain wards beyond primary school. But all of this presupposes a sound overall policy framework to be sustained over the long term. A scenario where as much as 75 per cent of the global population (more than 5 billion people) has no access to comprehensive social protection, as per ILO estimates, hardly inspires confidence in the capacity of countries to kick start the lives of millions. To make headway, governments must be prepared to spend more. A hugely influential 2010 study which claimed that public debt ratios in excess of 90 per cent of gross domestic product would automatically lead to a decline in growth has recently been exposed as relying on erroneous calculations, a </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">fact conceded by its authors.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Several governments that have so far persisted with crippling austerity measures to cut back on welfare spending, with severe socio-political ramifications, should reconsider their stance. ...............</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BxrrwFz1-f_SZ240RU85Rlk4ZnM/edit" target="_blank">....... Read More...........</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-align: justify; text-justify: newspaper; text-justify: newspaper; text-kashida-space: 50%; text-kashida-space: 50%;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span> </span><span lang="en-US"><o:p></o:p></span></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div></div>vigilindiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04311506355828366254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3812904923489258512.post-7469473398956241182013-06-04T02:36:00.000-07:002014-03-11T02:37:44.436-07:00Human Rights Diary - April 2013<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-align: justify; text-justify: newspaper; text-justify: newspaper; text-kashida-space: 50%; text-kashida-space: 50%;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "Book Antiqua"; font-size: 14.0pt; font-weight: bold; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Book Antiqua"; mso-cyrillic-font-family: "Book Antiqua"; mso-default-font-family: "Book Antiqua"; mso-greek-font-family: "Book Antiqua"; mso-latin-font-family: "Book Antiqua"; mso-latinext-font-family: "Book Antiqua";"><a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BxrrwFz1-f_Selp4b05taFJLXzg/edit" target="_blank">Food as a right</a><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-align: justify; text-justify: newspaper; text-justify: newspaper; text-kashida-space: 50%; text-kashida-space: 50%;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-align: justify; text-justify: newspaper; text-justify: newspaper; text-kashida-space: 50%; text-kashida-space: 50%;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "Book Antiqua"; font-size: 12.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Book Antiqua"; mso-cyrillic-font-family: "Book Antiqua"; mso-default-font-family: "Book Antiqua"; mso-greek-font-family: "Book Antiqua"; mso-latin-font-family: "Book Antiqua"; mso-latinext-font-family: "Book Antiqua";">In its latest form, the National Food Security Bill, 2013 promises to address the extreme irony of an ambitious nation holding mountains of food in storage, while masses of its people are under-nourished or even starving. The right to food is finally on the threshold of being legislated. Every step taken to widen the coverage of food security schemes is an advance. Yet, the empirical truth is that incremental measures at targeting the needy are a poor substitute for a cohesive, rights-based universal system of food entitlements. There are, no doubt, many positives to the new legislation, such as coverage of up to 75 per cent of eligible priority households in rural areas, the importance given to women as the head of the household for issue of ration cards, inclusion of pregnant and lactating women for free meals (some in government wanted to take away this entitlement from women who bear more than two children but the idea was sensibly dropped), and setting up of State Food Commissions to investigate violations of entitlements. Under the proposed law, it will be up to the States to frame criteria and choose the priority households for food entitlements, an exercise that will inevitably be accompanied by the well-documented troubles associated with targeting any welfare scheme. Exclusion of any deserving household is unfair and divisive. It poses a challenge to States that wish to provide universal access, an issue that is bound to be felt acutely in urban areas attracting tens of thousands of migrant labourers.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-align: justify; text-justify: newspaper; text-justify: newspaper; text-kashida-space: 50%; text-kashida-space: 50%;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "Book Antiqua"; font-size: 12.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Book Antiqua"; mso-cyrillic-font-family: "Book Antiqua"; mso-default-font-family: "Book Antiqua"; mso-greek-font-family: "Book Antiqua"; mso-latin-font-family: "Book Antiqua"; mso-latinext-font-family: "Book Antiqua";"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-align: justify; text-justify: newspaper; text-justify: newspaper; text-kashida-space: 50%; text-kashida-space: 50%;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "Book Antiqua"; font-size: 12.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Book Antiqua"; mso-cyrillic-font-family: "Book Antiqua"; mso-default-font-family: "Book Antiqua"; mso-greek-font-family: "Book Antiqua"; mso-latin-font-family: "Book Antiqua"; mso-latinext-font-family: "Book Antiqua";"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-align: justify; text-justify: newspaper; text-justify: newspaper; text-kashida-space: 50%; text-kashida-space: 50%;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "Book Antiqua"; font-size: 12.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Book Antiqua"; mso-cyrillic-font-family: "Book Antiqua"; mso-default-font-family: "Book Antiqua"; mso-greek-font-family: "Book Antiqua"; mso-latin-font-family: "Book Antiqua"; mso-latinext-font-family: "Book Antiqua";"><a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BxrrwFz1-f_Selp4b05taFJLXzg/edit" target="_blank">............ Read more...............</a><span id="goog_1167117488"></span><span id="goog_1167117489"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a></span></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div></div>vigilindiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04311506355828366254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3812904923489258512.post-23593047901007061002013-05-10T02:32:00.000-07:002014-03-11T02:34:33.283-07:00Human Rights Diary - March 2013<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-align: justify; text-justify: newspaper; text-justify: newspaper; text-kashida-space: 50%; text-kashida-space: 50%;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 16pt; font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BxrrwFz1-f_ScF9qUW5RakZHa1U/edit" target="_blank">Saving our children</a><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-align: justify; text-justify: newspaper; text-justify: newspaper; text-kashida-space: 50%; text-kashida-space: 50%;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-align: justify; text-justify: newspaper; text-justify: newspaper; text-kashida-space: 50%; text-kashida-space: 50%;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 12pt; font-weight: bold;">Child health is one area where investments in innovation can result in tremendous social and economic returns.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-align: justify; text-justify: newspaper; text-justify: newspaper; text-kashida-space: 50%; text-kashida-space: 50%;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-align: justify; text-justify: newspaper; text-justify: newspaper; text-kashida-space: 50%; text-kashida-space: 50%;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 12pt;">Among countries with comparable development indicators, India has the potential to address many of its challenges with unique homegrown resources. The information technology sector, for example, has transformed the country’s economy and is currently helping expand access to a wide range of quality services for some of the poorest in India. India’s space and atomic energy programmes are outstanding example of indigenous technical ingenuity.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-align: justify; text-justify: newspaper; text-justify: newspaper; text-kashida-space: 50%; text-kashida-space: 50%;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-align: justify; text-justify: newspaper; text-justify: newspaper; text-kashida-space: 50%; text-kashida-space: 50%;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 12pt;">As economic growth continues to decelerate, the government, which has committed to doubling the country’s R& spending by 2017, may consider deferring or delaying planned expansion of scientific capacity. It is critical that we do not forget the important role of indigenous scientific innovation, in particulars, to improve livelihoods and promote wellbeing. To reiterate Jawaharlal Nehru’s words, “It is science alone that can solve the problems of hunger and poverty, of insanitation and illiteracy.”<o:p></o:p></span></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;">Child health is one area where investments in innovation can result in tremendous social and economic returns.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;">India nearly halved child mortality rates between 1990 and 2010. Improved healthcare services and access to simple health interventions, such as oral rehydration therapy to address severe cases of diarrhea, have contributed to this encouraging reduction of child deaths.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-align: justify; text-justify: newspaper; text-justify: newspaper; text-kashida-space: 50%; text-kashida-space: 50%;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-align: justify; text-justify: newspaper; text-justify: newspaper; text-kashida-space: 50%; text-kashida-space: 50%;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 12pt;">However, in 2010, experts estimate that almost 17 lakh children less than five years of age died in India. This is still far too many children. Pneumonia and diarrhea, together, account for a significant proportion of these deaths. There are even more hospitalizations and out patient visits from these two diseases. Because of the tremendous emotional and financial toll that diarrhea takes on Indian families, we need to take these threats to our children seriously.....<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-align: justify; text-justify: newspaper; text-justify: newspaper; text-kashida-space: 50%; text-kashida-space: 50%;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-align: justify; text-justify: newspaper; text-justify: newspaper; text-kashida-space: 50%; text-kashida-space: 50%;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-align: justify; text-justify: newspaper; text-justify: newspaper; text-kashida-space: 50%; text-kashida-space: 50%;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 12pt;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BxrrwFz1-f_ScF9qUW5RakZHa1U/edit" target="_blank">.......... read more............</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-align: justify; text-justify: newspaper; text-justify: newspaper; text-kashida-space: 50%; text-kashida-space: 50%;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div></div>vigilindiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04311506355828366254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3812904923489258512.post-955938590097248932013-04-26T20:12:00.000-07:002013-08-22T20:14:11.942-07:00Consultation on "Women and Child Rights"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Consultation on “<b>Women and Child Rights</b>”<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">9 April 2013, Youth Hostel, Patna, Bihar<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">One day consultation on “Women and Child Rights” was organized at Youth Hostel, Patna on 9 April 2013. Nearly 28 participants from different sectors and vigil groups participated in the consultation.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Adv. K.D. Singh welcomed the participants and Resource Persons for the programme. Mr. John VM Juliana, Programme Manager briefed about the concept of the consultation and he has highlighted the present reality on crime again women and our response to take effective measures to control the crime rate against women and children in India. He also briefly explained about Vigil India Movement and its tireless effort in promoting human rights for more than 30 years. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Prof. Umesh Pratap Singh, took a session on Women and Child Rights. Prof. Umesh has elaborated the Women and Child Rights issues in India and briefly outlined Constitutional provisions and International Instruments such as Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. He also emphasized that women and children do not enjoys the basic rights as men enjoys. In India women are deprived of basic rights in the name of tradition and culture particularly states like Bihar, UP, Orissa and Jharkhand still practices witchcraft and forces the women folk as victims of such practices. At the concluding, he insisted that NGOs and Civil Society Organizations must take a pivotal role in protecting and promoting the rights of Women and Children by organizing mass awareness campaigns in the regions. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The participants were divided into two groups and they were asked to discuss the child labour and child marriage issues that prevail in Bihar. One representative from each group presented the issues discussed. Mr. Ram Chandar Lal Singh and Dr. Rajesh Ranjan shared their concerns about the issues and requested the Vigil India to organise similar programmes in Bihar to regroup revitalise the Vigil Groups in Bihar.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Adv. K.D. Singh summarized the highlights of the programme and expressed his gratitude to the participants and the VIM for organizing a consultation at Patna. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div>vigilindiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04311506355828366254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3812904923489258512.post-54088887595442834462013-04-25T01:21:00.000-07:002013-05-26T02:21:02.686-07:00Social Stigma of Widow Women in India - Consultation Report<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /><div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Regional Consultation on<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">SOCIAL STIGMA OF WIDOW WOMEN IN INDIA<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div><div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">6-7 April 2013<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Rajkeeya Sangralay (National Museum), Dampier Nagar, Mathura<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YfCXr5UUMEM/UaHT4Jb0vgI/AAAAAAAAAaA/ZLgBDLuPnuw/s1600/DSC_0015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YfCXr5UUMEM/UaHT4Jb0vgI/AAAAAAAAAaA/ZLgBDLuPnuw/s400/DSC_0015.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #222222;">Regional Consultation on “Social Stigma of </span><span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">W</span><span style="color: #222222;">idow </span><span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">W</span><span style="color: #222222;">omen in India</span><span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">”</span><span style="color: #222222;"> was held </span><span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">from 6 – 7 April 2013 </span><span style="color: #222222;">at </span><span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">the Rajkeeya Sangralay (nation Museum) </span><span style="color: #222222;">Mathura</span><span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">, Utter Pradesh. The purpose of the seminar was to address the existing pathetic conditions</span><span style="color: #222222;"> of Widow Women living in Mathura and to mobilize Civil Societies working in Mathura to take up the issue as one of the prioritized issues to be dealt with relevant care and attention. 35 participants from different educational institutions, NGOs, Civil Society Movements and few active Political activists participated in the consultation. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">On the first day of the consultation, Mr. Istiaq Ahmed Khan, a senior member of Vigil Group, UP Region welcomed the participants and the Resource Team. Mr. John VM Juliana, Programme Manager, VIM briefly introduced about the Vigil India Movement founded by Dr. M.A. Thomas during the emergency period (1975-1977) with a vision to insist hope, fearlessness and struggle among the people in order to promote human rights culture and to bring equality and equity in India. He also emphasizes the relevance of organizing this particular consultation at Mathura. The fact is that in India incidents of inhuman attitudes towards women are very high and there were several cases of violence against women have been reported from the remote village to the capital. If this is the plight of an ordinary women think of the status of widows and divorced women in India. It is disquieting to know that more than 40 million widows are living a dead life in India. Ironically more than 20000 widows are living in Mathura in which 90 percent of them are from Wet Bengal. They are denied of their basic rights and being ill-treated in the name of tradition and culture. Incidentally Mathura is housing large number of widows from various parts of India and their life cycle is traditionally isolated. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Mrs. Sabira Khatoon, Former Trustee of VIM took a session on ‘Social Stigma of Widow Women in India’. She was briefly explained the Historical complexity in treating women in India. Mrs. Khatoon briefed that the word “<i>Widhwa</i>” is drawn from “<i>Vidhi</i>” and is known as “<i>Vidhi ka Vidhan</i>” in which it is assumed that <i>Vidhwa</i> is also wish of the creator. The God has created human beings and given them full freedom but we as human start practicing the evil culture and denying equal rights to women. Generally women are treated as second citizen by culture and tradition and they are not allowed freely to raise their voice for any concern. They are suppressed and oppressed by the society. The plight of Widow Women is too tragic. There are several customs and tradition which oppressed to be an isolated member of the society. Widows are leading isolated undignified life and where as in Mathura alone more that 20000 Widows are living in pathetic condition in temples and in streets. They are sexually abused and denied shelter, food and other basic amenities. She also mentioned that even today, despite of several legal provisions and the continuous struggle against the evil practice of “Sathi”, the society is practicing “<i>Manusmriti</i>”, which exploits women in several ways. The Widow Women has no rights to participate in social functions at home and at the society. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Mrs. Pushplata Verma took a session on ‘Women Movement and Women Rights issues in India’. Mrs. Pushplata explained that Women Movement were encouraged by Leaders like Sarojini Naidu, Mahatma Gandhi and Ravindranath Tagore and now women movements are actively raising voice in all social cause even in difficult situation. Today women organizations are developing and they are raising their voices for cause of the women. Women empowerment is the result of their voice. Reservation in the Panchayat election is the glorious achievement of the movement where women will also take part in decision making process. Speaking on the rights of the women she told that property and marriage rights are there but the community or society has the upper hand and they force women not to come out for their rights.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Mrs. Laxmi Gautam, NGO activist in Mathura elaborated that in about 40,000 widow women are leading their drastic life in Mathura and its surrounding areas. More that 90 percent of widow women are from West Bengal. The localities in Mathura, Brindhavan and its surrounding speaks Bengali very fluently that their own native language Hindi. These women are living in many temples, Ashrams and trusts. They are called ‘<i>Dasi of Bhagwan’</i> but they are leading very miserable and isolated life. They are often exploited by the priest in the temples, ashrams and trusts, once they become old; they are thrown out of ashrams and temples. Finally they are begging in streets. She also mentioned that number of abortion clinics’ are increasing near Brindhavan. These widow women’s are forced to infanticide the babies in womb itself, failing to do so would be vanished. They are paid Rs.12/ for 3hrs or Rs.99/per day for singing Bhajan in the temples. A few NGOs have taken initiative to rehabilitate the widows but the execution part is in snail phase as the religious administrations are very strong in covering up all the crimes by the religious and political power. Quite interestingly, she has given contrasting statement about the Non-Bengali widows who are living in Mathura. There are quite a few numbers of widows (Non-Bengalis) in Mathura heading the family with family pride and dignity. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">At the end of the day the participants were divided in to two groups and they were assigned to discuss the Role of Civil Society in Protecting the Widow Rights. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"></div><ul><li><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">The government census should clearly collect the data of women in the family and in the ashrams, temples etc., in order to provide welfare schemes to them.</span></li><li><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">NGOs, Civil Societies should organize regular awareness programme on Widow Rights and make the people to be known about the Human Rights Instruments.</span></li><li><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Empower Widow Women and make them to be independent social and economically rather than depending on Temples and Ashrams.</span></li><li><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;">Encourage re-marriage of Widow Women.</span></li><li><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;">Create employment opportunity for the Widow Women.</span></li><li><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;">Formation of Widow Welfare committee in Mathura and other places where Widows are living in large numbers.</span></li><li><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;">Government should take care of the Children of Widows in terms of education, health and other services.</span></li><li><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;">Government pension to Widow should be directly given to individual rather than temple administration and ashrams etc.,</span></li><li><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;">Affirm social security.</span></li></ul><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> </span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In the second day Mr. John VM Juliana and Mr. Mujeeb Ahmed Khan, Convener of VIM, UP Region jointly took a session on “Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women”. The UN instrument was explained in details and the Hindi version of the document is circulated among the participants. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Dr. Anant Yadav presented a paper on “Rights of Widow Women in India”. While explaining the Rights of the Women, Dr. Yadav insisted that the problem of Widow Women will not be solved by law itself; it needs change in our thinking, attitude and the change in our social customs. Abusing and denying rights to widow women is a kind of mental disease the society has strongly seeded in the mindset of the male chauvinist society, which need to be cured. This may not be happened until and unless the victims should rise for their freedom. So, it is an impeccable task for the civil society organization to create awareness among the people to empower Widow Women in India. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Women’s Social Security and Protection Mechanism: Mrs. Sadhna Bhargwa took a session and emphasized that there is inadequate social security for women in our country. Women are being harassed in all walks of life at home, at work place and at the public places. Sexual harassments and exploitation are increasing day by day and recent incidents on a running bus in New Delhi shook the country. Incidents of acid attacks, teasing, and trafficking are mounting fear on the common people to safeguard their girl children. The government should act immediately to regulate rigorous law and equip the law enforcement mechanism to contral the situation. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">At the concluding session the participants brought out the following statement to the Government and the society. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"></div><ul><li><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Uphold the Rights of Women particularly the Widow Women in terms of social, economic, cultural and political advancement.</span></li><li><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Social responsibility of women should not be denied at any cost.</span></li><li><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Improve the Social Security measures by amending rigorous law to protect the women in India.</span></li><li><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Reservation policies for Widow Women should be strengthen and monitor that the reservation for Widow Women in all the departments are properly implemented.</span></li><li><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Widow women and their children should be taken care and make possible provisions to protect them from the customs and traditions.</span></li><li><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">No Widow Women could be isolated at any point of time by the society and by the government.</span></li><li><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Develop and implement various welfare and rights based development programmes for widow women.</span></li><li><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Need regular seminars and consultations to create awareness among the people in order to promote and protect widows from all forms of discrimination.</span></li><li><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Civil Society should bring out the issues of Mathura to public, so that the people would support for the rehabilitation of Widows in Mathura.</span></li></ul><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">At the end of the consultation Mr. Mujeeb Khan thanked all the participants and Resource team and also requested the participants to report the issues to Vigil India Movement, so that the VIM National Office will take proper action through its urgent appeal to bring collective force in order to voice against all forms of discrimination against women particularly Widow women. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Mr. Mujeeb Ahmed Khan and Mr. Istiaq Ahmed Khan were coordinated the programme at Mathura. Mr. Than Singh and Mr. Prahlad Yadav served as local assistants for the programme.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jEWwqVFiMwU/UaHG6C_IYnI/AAAAAAAAAZg/VDJOUeLgBPg/s1600/mathura-news+clippings+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jEWwqVFiMwU/UaHG6C_IYnI/AAAAAAAAAZg/VDJOUeLgBPg/s320/mathura-news+clippings+001.jpg" width="163" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-35Y4FIX4sF8/UaHG31S35CI/AAAAAAAAAZY/Bha9LkqOIXY/s1600/mathura-news+clippings+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-35Y4FIX4sF8/UaHG31S35CI/AAAAAAAAAZY/Bha9LkqOIXY/s320/mathura-news+clippings+002.jpg" width="279" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-t_0vUeTJwcY/UaHG7R0srjI/AAAAAAAAAZo/eRO8zSqxZZA/s1600/mathura-news+clippings+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-t_0vUeTJwcY/UaHG7R0srjI/AAAAAAAAAZo/eRO8zSqxZZA/s320/mathura-news+clippings+003.jpg" width="233" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NUWQlocJGLk/UaHG8WW3MxI/AAAAAAAAAZw/Uz7IFtr1fck/s1600/mathura-news+clippings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NUWQlocJGLk/UaHG8WW3MxI/AAAAAAAAAZw/Uz7IFtr1fck/s320/mathura-news+clippings.jpg" width="210" /></span></a></div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div>vigilindiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04311506355828366254noreply@blogger.com