Indians bag Gwangju HR prize

Scoop, Newzeland

Central Chronicle, Bhopal , MP
9 May 2007


Opinion- Indians bag Gwangju HR prize

The 2007 Gwangju Prize for Human Rights has been jointly given to two Indians this year. Dr Lenin Raghuvanshi from People's Vigilance Committee on Human Rights (PVCHR) in Varanasi (UP) and Irom Sharmila from Manipur state.

This is the first time that Indians have figured in the recipient list. The past recipients include Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, the NLD General Secretary in Myanmar, Xanana Gusmao, President of East Timor; Basil Fernando, Executive Director of Asian Human Rights Commission, Hong Kong; Korean Association of Bereaved Families for Democracy, South Korea; and Dandeniya Gamage Jayanthi, Monument for The Disappeared, Sri Lanka.

The Gwangju Prize for Human Rights Award was established to celebrate the spirit of the 18 May 1980 Gwangju Uprising by recognizing both individuals, groups or institutions globally that have contributed in promoting and advancing human rights, democracy and peace in their work.
The prize is awarded by the citizens of Gwangju in the spirit of solidarity and gratitude from those whom they have received help in their struggle for democratization and search for truth. It is hoped that through this award the spirit and message of the May 18 will be immortalized in the hearts and mind of humankind.

Dr Lenin Raghuvanshi has put up vehement resistance against the caste system, supported advocacy initiatives of torture victims in 5 northern states and brought hope back to the minds of more than 3,500 bonded child laborers and those suffering human rights infringements prompted by the caste system, especially to the untouchables.

The Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) enacted in 1958, which is operative at the time of a 'suspected' riot(s) in order to 'maintain public order', allows killing by shooting, entering and search of property, and arbitrary detention, etc., its abuse is currently spawning grave human rights violations in some parts of India. Under the powers of AFSPA, on 2 November 2000, the Indian military opened fire on its own citizens in the state of Manipur. Since then, Irom Sharmila, a resident of the tragic state, has refused to eat and drink anything in resistance to indiscriminate use of the AFSPA against civilians.

The response of the Indian government to her resistance has been repetitively evasive: the government has arrested her on a charge of 'attempted suicide', force-fed her and then freed her under applicable law, but, up until now, has failed to provide any fundamental alternative to the law in question. In October 2006, Sharmila left Manipur for New Delhi, the capital of India, at the peril of her own life, to facilitate the accomplishment of the goal of her 6-year-long struggle, i.e. the abolishment of the AFSPA.

However, her daring mission was brought to an abrupt halt when she was arrested by the New Delhi police on her second day in the city. Currently, she is in custody at Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital (RMH).

In recognition of their efforts to improve human rights in India , the 2007 Gwangju Prize for Human Rights Selection Committee has selected Lenin Raghuvanshi and Irom Sharmila as co-recipients of the award.

This award carries a prize money amounting to US$ 50,000, a gold medal and a certificate, and ceremony will be held in Gwangju City, Republic of Korea to mark the 27 th anniversary of 18 May 1980 Gwangju Uprising.

"Over the years, I have been very involved in and worried about the situation of marginalized children. In 1993, with Swani Agnivesh, I founded the Bachapan Bachao Andolan (Save the Childhood Movement) and in 1996 the People's Vigilance Committee on Human Rights (PVCHR) was born to reeducate children who were forced to work" said Dr Lenin.

Lenin Raghuvanshi has become a symbol for millions of Dalits fighting for their dignity in India. His approach to the struggle constantly puts the person at the centre and urges respect for the human dignity of all people belonging to India's lowest castes.

The work of Lenin Raghuvanshi marks a shift in the Indian movement for human rights; he is one of a relatively few activists who insist that caste-based discrimination goes against democratic principles. In Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh - one of the most traditionalist, conservative and segregationist regions in India - Lenin, with a few resources but plenty of confidence and determination, has managed within a short time to bring the problems facing marginalized people to national and international attention.

In 2004, to give voice to those who are marginalized, the Jan Mitra Gaon' was born, also known as 'People-friendly village'. This is a pilot project in which Lenin adopted three villages and a slum, where plans include reopening an elementary school, abolishing forced labour, making education for girls obligatory and spreading non-traditional education. There is no elementary education in vast rural areas but the PVCHR has opened educational centres for children in 45 villages.

"Thanks to the intervention of the PVCHR before international and national fora," says Raghuvanshi, "we have managed to put hunger on the agenda of government priorities.

Bobby Ramakant

online available at- http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0705/S00177.htm

http://www.centralchronicle.com/20070509/0905305.htm

Mahilaon mein Badhta Fibriede ka prakop

Mahilaon mein Badhta Fibriede ka prakop

स्वतंत्र भारत, अप्रील १७, २००७

Mangalore: CITU opposes Beedi Industry bundh

Mangalorean.com

May 8 2007

Mangalore: CITU opposes Beedi Industry bundh

Mangalore, May 7: The South Kanara Beedi Workers’ Federation, a unit of CITU, has stated that the Industry Bundh declared by the Beedi Manufactures to be observed from May 5 to 11, is unilateral and illegal, and demanded that the same be withdrawn forthwith. It has demanded of the managements to pay full wages to Beedi workers for the days of closure informed All India Beedi Workers’ Federation Working President B Madhava.

Addressing newspersons on Monday he said that Tapan Sen, one of the All India Secretaries of CITU, has already introduced a Private Member’s bill in the Rajya Sabha to amend Clauses 6 to 11 of the Cigarettes and other Tobacco products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act 2003 so as to exclude Beedi from the purview of the said Act.

CITU is making every effort to gain support of MPs for the adoption of this bill in Parliament. Pressures are also being mounted on the Central Government in this regard. There is danger to the Beedi Industry if the pictorial depiction of skull, cross bones and dead body are to be printed on the label of beedies. This will endanger the jobs and lives of about 80 lakh beedi workers all over the country. But the Beedi Managements’ unilateral decision to stop production of beedies for 7 days and throw the workers to unemployment and starvation is not the solution to this problem, he added.

He also said that CITU is equally interested as the managements in saving the beedi industry. CITU is fighting on all fronts to protect the source of living of 80 lakhs of Beedi workers. But we assert that it is the inalienable right of the trade unions to conduct agitations of the workers. CITU is opposed to the efforts beedi managements to snatch away the rights and discretion of trade unions by closing down the industry at their will and then seeking the support of the workers. S.K. Beedi Workers’ Federation(CITU) has decided to organize protests before Beedi Managements’ Depots from 8th May throughout the district on demanding immediate resumption of production and payment of wages to the workers for the days on which they have not been given work.

South Kanara Beedi Workers’ Federation(CITU) Secretary Sukumar Thokkottu, President J Balakrishna Shetty and Vasath Achary were present at the press meet

online availble at - http://mangalorean.com/news.php?newstype=local&newsid=43231

Domestic Violence on Women

Indepth op-ed in Jansatta National News Paper

April, 2007

Domestic Violence on Women

Tobacco Smoke is Harmful

Tobacco Smoke is Harmful

Article Published in Swatantra Varta, Andhra Pradesh's largest serculated Hindi news paper

Happy Times at last for Karnataka tobacco farmers

Newindpress.com

Sunday May 6 2007

News- Happy Times at last for Karnataka tobacco farmers

MYSORE: Karnataka's tobacco growers were a happy lot this year and were laughing their way to the bank after realising an all time high average price for their produce, better known as 'Mysore Virginia', in spite of the World Health Organisation's (WHO) pressure on India to discourage tobacco cultivation.

The tobacco farmers of the state had repeatedly suffered due to poor price and excess National production year after year, but this year their fortunes had taken a different turn. More than 90 per cent of tobacco grown in Karnataka was produced in Mysore district due to its conducive climate.

The decline in the global tobacco production, mainly in Zimbabwe and Brazil, had forced international cigarette manufacturers to make a beeline for the eight tobacco auction platforms in the state during 2006-07 and vie with each other for the Virginia flue cured (VFC) variety of tobacco.

Tobacco board officials told UNI that as much as 96.98 million kg of tobacco was sold during the year, with farmers realising an average price of Rs 55.94 a kg.The state tobacco growers have sold tobacco at a record price of Rs 542.56 crore this year.Not only had the quantum of tobacco transacted created a record, but also the average price per kg realised.

Farmers' fears that the price would plummet on account of record production remained unfounded as they commanded a good price.During 2005-2006, 82.91 million kg of tobacco was sold at an average price of Rs 48.06 a kg, realising Rs 398.48 crore in all the three varieties of tobacco - bright, medium and low grade which commanded a good price this year.

The bright variety, which accounted for 33.24 million kg at 34.28 per cent of the produce, was transacted at an average price of Rs 65.33 a kg.The medium variety, which accounted for 40.06 million kg at 41.31 per cent, realised an average price of Rs 57.23 a kg and the low grade variety accounted for 23.67 million at Rs 40.58 a kg.The officials said healthy price realisation for tobacco in Karnataka was mainly due to the decline in production in Zimbabwe and Brazil.

The political instability in Zimbabwe was also one of the reasons for the slump in production, which had created a good demand for Indian tobacco.Though Indian tobacco was generally used as neutral fillers to be added to the volume of tobacco in cigarettes, the low nicotine content in tobacco grown in the Mysore region made it attractive for the global cigarette manufacturers.An estimated 42,000 farmers in Karnataka, concentrated in Hunsur, Periyapatna and H D Kote taluks in Mysore district, cultivate tobacco in around 80,000 hectares of land, which was largely rain-fed area.India, a signatory to the framework convention on tobacco control sponsored by the WHO, was encouraging farmers to switch over to alternative commercial crops, but the question whether farmers would give up such a lucrative crop remains to be seen.

It sought to gradually eliminate tobacco consumption that claimed ten million lives every year, by 2020.Karnataka VFC Tobacco Growers’ Association president Jaware Gowda, also a member of the tobacco board, attributed the good socio-economic condition of the farmers of the region primarily to the tobacco crop.

'There is no viable alternative to tobacco, he claimed. Meanwhile, the association strongly opposed the state government's proposal to impose value added tax (VAT) on tobacco in the state.Gowda contended that tobacco was produced at the farm level and was not a finished product.''Any move to introduce vat on tobacco would reflect on the tobacco price and the brand image of 'Mysore tobacco'' would take a beating in the international market,'' he added.

online available at- http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IEK20070506033024&Page=K&Title=Southern+News+-+Karnataka&Topic=0

Indo-Pak peace while chewing tobacco

May 5, 2007 posted by indiatime

News- Indo-Pak peace while chewing tobacco

New allegations are coming to light on the business connections of some of India’s richest business tycoons to Dawood Ibrahim’s organization. India’s first Maybach owner and the Gutkha King Rasiklal Dhariwal, and his one-time partner Jagdish Joshi are once again in the limelight, and are now said to be targets of a joint investigation by the Scotland Yard and the CBI.
Previously, both Dhariwal and Joshi, the so-called Gutkha (chewing tobacco) kings of India, were implicated in helping India’s most wanted Dunai-based crime don Dawood, to set up shop in Pakistan. More information is now about to come out as both Dhariwal and Joshi are at each other’s throats, and probably about to spill a lot more tobacco.

Dhariwal’s daughter Janhavi, who got India’s first Maybach as a 21st birthday present from her Gutkha tycoon dad is also being investigated for business irregularities.

The gutkha kings’ tobacco adventure is one of the first Indo-Pak joint business ventures. And with financiers like Dawood Ibrahim backing up the collaboration, there is no shortage of funds. With tobacco connoisseurs on both sides of the border willing to sacrifice and bet their health, the chewing tobacco may be the glue that finally brings the subcontinent together.

The armies on both sides can now safely tuck away their guns, bombs and missiles, and open up their tobacco satchels. India and Pakistan, once blood brothers, will now become spit-brothers, thanks to Dawood and his friends in Pakistan, and the Maybach-driving tobacco barons of India.

online available at- http://www.indiatime.com/2007/05/05/indopak-peace-while-chewing-tobacco/