By Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net
New Delhi: The more ignorant of their rights is the common man the more ‘powerful’ (read unlawful) is the police force. Hardly is any nation witnessing it more than we in India. The import of “war on terror” has further intoxicated the powered police. And ‘naturally’ – thanks to media and government policies worldover, as also in India – Muslim minority is the first victim. Nothing can save them from the menace of the police than power of knowledge – knowledge of rights, both fundamental and civil, knowledge of basic criminal law, how law governs police and police station, and right to information.
Kudos to Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR) these all information and much more has been collected in a handbook, necessary for every person of the community, more so for human and civil rights activists.
Human & Civil Rights Defender’s Resource Manual, as the title denotes, has been prepared for human rights and civil rights activists, creation of the nationwide network of whom is the prime concern the APCR has set for itself.
Born in 2006, this non-profit and non-governmental civil rights’ group is aimed at defending the rights of the underprivileged sections of the society. And for this, it has set out to train and create a network of paralegal workers at all India level. “APCR is a civil rights’ group comprised of advocates, social activists and grassroots legal social workers dedicated to using the legal system to protect and advance civil and human rights in India,” reads introduction of the group on the back cover page of the handbook.
The 122-page guidebook, launched recently by APCR President and renowned lawyer Yousuf Hatim Muchhala, and Director of APCR’s Training Division, Dr. Shakeel Ahmed in Ahmedabad at the end of 3rd General Body Meeting of the organization, is divided in five parts – each dealing with different but interrelated issue.
Part One talks about Constitution, Fundamental Rights, Indian Judicial System and Court Structure. Part Two titled Criminal Law and Procedural Framework in India discusses various issues like criminal law, burden of proof and FIR. The chapter gives much focus on issues related to FIR like objective of FIR, who can lodge it, who can write it and essentials of FIR. While Part Three is devoted to Right to Information the Part Four talks about National Human Rights Commission, National and state commission of minorities, National Commission of Women and National Commission for Protection of Child Rights. The chapter not merely gives information about these government bodies but how they can be approached and used for our protection of rights. The last Part Five deals with how to file complaints in the Press Council of India.
The guidebook is being translated into Urdu and Hindi to widen its reach.
The guidebook, priced at Rs 100, can be had from APCR office at:
108, 3rd Floor, Pocket I, Near Living Style Mall, Jasola, New Delhi-25
Phone- 011-29945999