Civil society asserts freedom to assembly and association; demands Govt response on IB report

By TCN News,

New Delhi: In a joint-statement signed by 62 individual civil rights activists associated with several organizations and rights groups to assert “freedom of expression, assembly and association,” and demanded from the government to respond to what they termed “malicious” IB report on NGOs funding.

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In its reports IB had questioned the intent and source of funding of some of the NGOs, suggesting that they are working against the economic interest of the country at the behest of foreign groups and organizations.

TCN file photo

Several citizens groups, trade unions and mass movements had met on June 26, 2014 at Indian Social Institute, New Delhi to “reiterate our deep conviction about the importance of preserving and nurturing spaces for social dissent and the freedoms of association, assembly and expression as the essential hallmarks of a democratic society.”

The joint-statement was very critical of the IB report and the government handling of it. It said, “We see this move as an attempt to restrict democratic space for civil society action and silence dissenting voices of individuals, organisations, social movements and trade unions.”

The statement added, “It is also an attempt to stifle the voices of the defenders of human rights who represent the voiceless, marginalised sections of the society. We strongly feel that it is our right and moral duty to collectively raise and represent the voice of invisible majority of this country.”

They endorsed the statements of Greenpeace, People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), MazdoorKisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS), Navdanya, Concerned Citizens and others and expressed their “complete solidarity” with them and the fears and apprehensions they have raised to be faced by the civil society groups in future.

The joint-statement was endorsed by 62 imminent civil rights activists, academicians, lawyers, etc, including Achin Vanaik, Aruna Roy, members of Mnest International, PUCL, Oxfam India, etc.

Full Statement:

We, as individuals, people’s organisations, citizens groups, trade unions and mass movements came together on June 26, 2014 at Indian Social Institute, New Delhi to reiterate our deep conviction about the importance of preserving and nurturing spaces for social dissent and the freedoms of association, assembly and expression as the essential hallmarks of a democratic society.

Indian social life has been enriched greatly by the wide and rich variety of engagements of people’s organisations, committed to just, equitable and sustainable development, peace, social justice and gender, class, caste and communal equality; and issues ranging from the rights of marginalised communities, dalits and tribal rights, gender rights, religious minorities, sexual minorities, disability, displacement, homelessness, forest rights, right to food and health, environment and ecosystem and human rights, secularism, welfare and rights, and transnational corporations and their impact, and increasing poverty in the country.

In this context, the gathering expressed its disquiet and concern over the report of Indian Intelligence Bureau (IB) on the role of development organisations, people’s movements, human rights organisations, and peace and justice activists. This report which made shrill and unsubstantiated claims was deliberately leaked to spur a medial trial, and is therefore a barely disguised official attempt to discourage and intimidate the democratic rights of citizens to express dissent with dominant state policies and to protest.The report particularly targets organisations which question the corporate-led development model and the nuclear policy, and champion environmental and labour rights. We are dismayed by the dubious manner with which the Indian Intelligence Bureau has maligned, demonised and criminalised many greatly respected social activists and groups in this country who have committed their lives for a social cause.

We see this move as an attempt to restrict democratic space for civil society action and silence dissenting voices of individuals, organisations, social movements and trade unions. It is also an attempt to stifle the voices of the defenders of human rights who represent the voiceless, marginalised sections of the society. We strongly feel that it is our right and moral duty to collectively raise and represent the voice of invisible majority of this country. We endorse the statements of Greenpeace, People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), MazdoorKisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS), Navdanya, Concerned Citizens and others and express our complete solidarity with them and the fears and apprehensions they have raised to be faced by the civil society groups in future.

The Supreme Court of India’s judgments have also upheld from time to time the constitutionality of the rights of dissent and free expression. These also find affirmation in many recent international frameworks of the United Nations and its Special Rapporteurs. In the last couple of years engagement of mainstream media and social media with the pressing social and economic issues has taken place on enormous scale despite the increasing control of corporate houses on media. Therefore we believe that the attacks of this nature especially the IB’s current report is essentially a handiwork of both transnationals and big Indian business interests driven by profit motive.

We are also concerned with the accountability of institutions like the Intelligence Bureau which till today functions within an indeterminate legal framework. This assumes all the more importance in the prevailing national scenario where the national security management policy has been purposefully left ambiguous and therefore remains undefined. We also demand that report of the L.P. Singh Committee instituted after the emergency in 1977 on the misuse of intelligence agencies should be made public.

We, as part of civil society groups simultaneously uphold the value of transparency within this sector whether we are locally funded or foreign funded organisations.

We demand that the present government should either own or at least respond to the parentage of this IB Report which to our knowledge was initiated by the past UPA government.

We are also striving for an open-ended platform, broad alliance and solidarity across all sections of the society and especially those engaged in the fight for equality, equity, secularism, pluralism, right to association, right to assembly and freedom of expression. Therefore, we now stand united at this critical stage in all solidarity at the local and national levels with all those organisations mentioned in the IB Report with a sense of hope and not despair.

We have decided to initiate a Secretariat to be based temporarily in Indian Social Institute (ISI), New Delhi to assist Human Rights Defenders with about 20 advisors representing various thematic engagements. Any individual or organisation in any part of the country who feel aggrieved by any action which infringes their right to assembly and association, freedom of expression are invited to approach the Secretariat for further course of action, including legal action for which we shall also form a legal defence fund.

We are giving a collective nationwide call for diverse course of action at the district and state levels on August 9, 2014 to mark the celebration of our assertion and celebration of public action reclaiming the republic with its core ideas of freedom, pluralism, just, sustainable and equitable development, and peace, across the country.

Endorsed by: