By TCN Staff reporter
Guwahati: The Barak Human Rights Protection Committee (BHRPC), an Assam-based human rights organization, expressed concern over the use of brutal police force over about 70 protestors against corruption at the Ramlila Maidan in Delhi in the early hours of 5 June, 2011. Demanding a prompt and impartial investigation into the incident, BHRPC however clarified that it does not share, like many other human rights organizations, the political, social and economic vision of Swami Ramdev. It also considers many of his demands and rhetoric as highly objectionable and ill-advised, but feels that everybody should stand for all others’ right to peaceful protest, freedom from torture and ill-treatment, and right to life.
The human rights organisation also condemned the prohibitory orders by the Delhi police under section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 (CrPC), under the jurisdiction of New Delhi district with a view to disrupt the announced peaceful protest and fast by Anna Hazare and activists of the India Against Corruption (IAC) movement on 8 June, 2011 at Jantar Mantar.
In a statement issued by the BHRPC on June 7, 2011, it is announced that the members of the BHRPC along with other 20 organisations will fast on 8 June, 2011 in Silchar (Assam) in solidarity with the nationwide movement against corruption led by Anna Hazare and other movements, against violations of human rights, repression and injustices. The BHRPC urges the people of Assam, particularly the residents of Barak valley, to join the country in the protest against repression of people’s voices by force and in demand of an effective anti-corruption institution under the proposed Jan Lokpal Bill.
Secretary general Neharul Ahmed Mazumder said, ‘The BHRPC considers that the use of force must be in accordance with the strict necessity to uphold peace and human rights. The right to life and freedom from torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment and the right to freedom of thought and expression which includes right to dissent and right to protest are enshrined in the constitution of India as well as provided in the international human rights law and standards, including in treaties binding on India, particularly the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), ratified by the country in 1979. These cannot be violated by the government as has been done in this case’.
The BHRPC also expressed concern over the increasing tendency of excessive use of force and highhandedness of the governments in dealing with peaceful protest against injustices and anti-people government policies throughout the country, including opening fire on the protest against nuclear power project at Jaitapur, Maharastra killing one; the deployment of heavy police force against the villagers opposing forcible land acquisition for the POSCO project in Jagatsinghpur, Orissa; and the illegal arrest of Akhil Gogoi, secretary general of Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti in Guwahati, Assam on 10 April, 2011 while addressing a press conference.