Civil rights activists from India, neighbours to form South Asia Council, lobby on human rights with SAARC

By Our Representative
A Delhi Declaration adopted by over 100 senior civil rights activists from 20 Indian states, and joined by representatives from Nepal, Afghanistan and Pakistan, said that a People’s/Citizens South Asia Council would be formed in order to lobby for the formation of a human rights mechanism under the South Asian Association of Regional Countries (SAARC). The declaration— whose text was released five days later -- was adopted at the end of two-day consultations (August 26 and 27, 2014) in Delhi. The council, it said, would reflect “the diversity of the vast region.”
The council would simultaneously work for the “promotion and protection of human rights for all in the region, including the threats posed by aggressive militarization and nuclearisation in the name of security; the human rights of nomadic and migrant populations, bonded labour, informal and rural workers”, the declaration said, adding it would also examine problems of “women and children who are victims of trafficking, migrant and indigenous labour.” The consultation was sponsored by the Working Group on Human Rights in India and the UN (WGHR).
Then, it would take up issues of “fish workers, South Asian asylum seekers, refugees and stateless persons; the protection of the rights of all including populations who suffer from gender, religion and caste-based discrimination; cross border issues including the conduct of security forces and paramilitary and basic economic and social and cultural rights, including inalienable rights of all peoples towards natural resources”, the declaration said.
Pointing out that the council would work for the “reform in the criminal justice system geared towards peace and justice; and violations in the name of national security and counter terrorism”, the declaration said, “No issue that concerns human rights will be beyond the purview of the council. Part of the exercise of its establishment will be to preserve existing and create new records, evidence and documentation” for establishing a SAARC human rights mechanism.
The declaration said, the council would give “equal emphasis to matters of human rights violations and protection through the establishment of tribunals and their recommendatory judgments/ conclusions as also educational and cultural programmes related to the preservation of the environment and our shared cultures”, adding, “Specific to this mandate will be the creation of an alternate methods and means of communication to link the concerns of human rights preservation and protection between and through the peoples of South Asia.”
Earlier, a concept note distributed at the consultation said that SAARC was the only regional inter-state association in the world which did not have a human rights mechanism. It said, “At present all regional organizations similar to SAARC – the ASEAN, the African Union (AU), the European Union (EU), the Organization of American States (OAS), the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the League of Arab States – all have a human rights body. SAARC is the only such regional organization to not have a human rights body or treaty for cooperation of its members on issues related to the International Covenants and other core international instruments on human rights.”
The concept note stressed that as long “as the two principles of non-interference and the exclusion of contentious issues are a part of the SAARC Charter, the regional organization will find it difficult to engage meaningfully on subject of human rights without contravening the terms of its Charter, and will not be able to take the next step as a human rights arbiter. Among the major human rights challenges in the region today, several revolve around civil and political rights where meaningful arbitration by a regional human rights body would require interfering in contentious issues in the internal affairs of a member state.”

Comments

'300 Nazis fell by your gun': Most successful female sniper in history

By Harsh Thakor* "Miss Pavlichenko’s well known to fame, Russia’s your country, fighting is your game. The whole world will always love you for all time to come, Three hundred Nazis fell by your gun." — from Woody Guthrie's “Miss Pavlichenko"

TU activist Anirudh Rajan, lawyer Ajay Kumar in custody: Wounded reputation of world's largest democracy?

By Vedika S* Over the last few days, India's National Investigation Agency (NIA), known to be tasked with suppressing revolutionary, democratic, and progressive forces, conducted a series of raids across Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi. Targets included human rights attorney Pankaj Tripathi, student leader Devendra Azad, and peasant union leader Sukhwinder Kaur. Lawyer and anti-displacement activist Ajay Kumar was arrested and taken to his home in Mohali, which was subsequently raided. He is now imprisoned in Lucknow as a suspect in the NIA's "Northern Regional Bureau (NRB) Revival case."

RG Kar saga: Towards liberation from the constraints of rigid political parties?

By Atanu Roy* There's a saying: "There is no such thing as a half-pregnancy." This adage seems particularly relevant when discussing the current regime of the Trinamool Congress (TMC). The party appears to be entrenched in widespread corruption that affects nearly every aspect of our lives. One must wonder, why would they exclude the health sector—a lucrative area where illicit money can flow freely, thanks to a network of corrupt leaders colluding with ambitious bureaucrats?

'No to risky 11,000 MW hydroelectric project': Call to protect Siang river

Beverly Longid, Jiten Yumnam* The civil rights network, International Indigenous Peoples Movement for Self-Determination and Liberation (IPMSDL), has voicesd its support for the residents of Siang District, Northeast India, as they resist the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation's (NHPC) efforts to monopolize the Siang River for its Upper Siang Hydroelectric Project, a massive undertaking proposed at 11,000 MW.

A Hindu alternative to Valentine's Day? 'Shiv-Parvati was first love marriage in Universe'

By Rajiv Shah* The other day, I was searching on Google a quote on Maha Shivratri which I wanted to send to someone, a confirmed Shiv Bhakt, quite close to me -- with an underlying message to act positively instead of being negative. On top of the search, I chanced upon an article in, imagine!, a Nashik Corporation site which offered me something very unusual.

Unwavering source of ideological inspiration in politics, life: Personal tribute to Yechury

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak Sitaram Yechury was everyone's comrade. He lived his life in public like an open book of praxis. Everyone was familiar with his family background, student life, many talents, achievements, and political journey that defines his everyday life as a committed communist.

Trailblazer in literary innovation, critic of Indian mythology, including Ramayana

By Harsh Thakor* Ranganayakamma, commonly known as RN, stands out as a transformative figure in promoting Marxist thought, democratic ideals, and anti-caste principles through her remarkably clear and engaging writing style. A trailblazer in literary innovation, her works span a broad array of topics, from critiques of Indian mythology and revivalism to discussions on civil liberties, the Indian Communist Movement, and Maoism in China.

'Abduction' of labour activist Anirudh Rajan part of a 'troubling trend': CASR

By Our Representative The civil rights network Campaign Against State Repression (CASR) has issued a strong denunciation of the "abduction" of labour rights activist Anirudh Rajan, who was taken by state authorities on September 5, 2024, while traveling to meet his family. This incident is part of a troubling trend, as the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and various state forces have increasingly targeted trade union and democratic rights activists over the past year.

Impact of global warming? Asia's 61% population 'deprived of clean water'

By Vikas Meshram* A recent study from Utrecht University in the Netherlands warns that climate change and socio-economic transformations will exacerbate water scarcity, disproportionately affecting populations in South Asian countries. Human beings require clean water for drinking, sanitation, food production, energy, and manufacturing. Across the globe, people and policymakers are grappling with the challenges of water scarcity.

Search This Blog