NHRC heard the voiceof unheard

Interface and meeting with Parliamentarian on issue of Muslim minority in Uttar Pradesh

Greetings from PVCHR

In the south Asia region, spate of organised violence, police torture, discrimination, physical and psychological attacks on religious minorities have emerged as a real threat for the pluralist and secular democracies. Attacks on Hindu and Christian communities in Pakistan and Bangladesh and targeting of Muslim and Christian communities in India are being increasingly used as a political weapon by the communal and fascist forces. In an attempt to strengthen the composite secular culture and establish rule of law in the country, People’s Vigilance Committee on Human Rights (PVCHR), Varanasi and Human Rights Law Network(HRLN), New Delhi have documented over 1500 cases of human rights violations after comprehensive fact finding exercises in the last 3 years with support of European Union and PVCHR. These cases relate to police torture and communal violence which have affected the minority Muslim community most in Uttar Pradesh. These organisations have legally intervened in these cases and have prepared an analytical report based on the facts and ground experiences during the course of action.

PVCHR had heightened its advocacy and had utilized the voices of the people in the pursuit of policy changes at varying levels http://www.pvchr.net/2010/07/prevention-of-torture-bill-2010.html. Such visibility of the organization had provided the leverage for its positioning and proactive role in relation to the Torture Prevention Bill http://www.prsindia.org/uploads/media/Torture/prevention%20of%20torture%20bill%202010.pdf. It is significant to note that dignity provided substantial inputs to the draft bill that PVCHR had utilized in its policy and advocacy interventions.

 Such proactive role has made PVCHR one of the very few organizations that are being consulted for inputs in the final framing of the bill http://www.scribd.com/doc/34430163/Prevention-of-Torture-Bill-2010-RCT-Comments. At the same time, PVCHR is now sitting as CSO representative to the consultative body created by the NHRC for human rights issues and concerns. 

A video documentary titled “Muslim & Police: A Perspective” has been prepared on the basis of interactions for almost three months at the grass root level with the members of Muslim community in various Muslim dominated districts of Uttar Pradesh.

Keeping in view the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections in 2014, an interface is being organised with various Members of Parliament and representatives of political parties from Uttar Pradesh on the “International Human Rights defenders’ Day” and eve of “World Human Rights Day” with the support from European Union and Dignity Danish Institute Against Torture www.dignityinstitute.org. Progressive citizens, Human Rights defenders and survivors of Muslim community from various parts of Uttar Pradesh are participating in this dialogue. The dialogue will commence with the screening of the video documentary, “Muslim and Police: A perspective”. It will be followed by dinner at the end. 

Date: 9 December, 2013
Time: Evening 5 pm, to be followed by dinner at 8 pm.
Place: Speaker Hall, Constitution Club, Rafi Marg, New Delhi. 

Therefore in this regards we are inviting you for this programme. It is kind requests please take few minutes from your busy schedule for making program successful.

With regards
Lenin Raghuvanshi
Secretary General 
PVCHR
Mobile No: +91-9935599333
Email: pvchr.india@gmail.com 
www.pvchr.net
www.pvchr.asia

Harsh Dobhal and Mathew Jacob
Human Rights Law Network
c/o Socio-Legal Information Centre
576, Masjid Road, Jungpura
New Delhi - 110014
+91-11-24374501
http://www.hrln.org/