Dear friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received very disturbing information regarding the assault on five women human rights defenders working with Sahjani Shiksha Kendra (SSK) in Lalitpur, Uttar Pradesh. The women, belonging to the Dalit and backward communities, were physically and verbally assaulted while inaugurating an adult literacy centre for Dalit women. The project is supported by Nirantar, a prominent voluntary organization working in the field of education. They were assaulted in the village by a locally powerful man named Sahib Singh Yadav. Even more disturbing is the fact that the perpetrator threatened them with sexual assault and abused them on the basis of caste, a practice declared illegal by the Indian constitution.
SSK and Nirantar have been working in Lalitpur since 2002, for the empowerment of Dalit and Adivasi women and girls through literacy and educational interventions. SSK is the only women-headed organization in the district, staffed primarily with Dalit and BC women in Lalitpur, working with nearly 3000 Dalit and Adivasi women.
CASE NARRATIVE:
On May 12, five women working as human rights defenders were physically and verbally assaulted by a locally powerful man named Sahib Singh Yadav in Digwara village of Madawara block while inaugurating an adult literacy centre for Dalit women. The women, members of SSK, are from Dalit community and were in the village to encourage women from the community to learn to read and write. Around 30 women from the village had gathered for the ceremony when Sahib Singh Yadav, a powerful man, arrived and physically and verbally assaulted 5 staff members, namely Meena, Kusum, Gyasi, Nirmla and Urmila of the organization.
The man did not want SSK to work with Dalit women in this village as it would upset the age old hierarchies and thereby challenge his illegal dominance. This is why he did not want the centre to become operational and attacked the women activists with a lathi. Two of the SSK team members sustained serious head and body injuries in the assault with one of them having to have 7 stitches on her forehead. Two of the survivors are from the Dalit community and two from the OBC community.
Sahib Singh used caste-based abuses like ‘chamarni’, ‘basorni’ and sexually explicit language to humiliate and frighten the women activists. He also threatened them, saying he would kill them if they dared coming back to the area ever again. The villagers were also threatened with dire consequences if they gave any statement against him.
The FIR and a Medical Report in this case has been filed. However, the sections under which the case has been registered (IPC 323/ 504/506, including the SC/ST Act) are very weak. Further, the police has failed to take any action against the accused and three days after the incident, Sahib Singh Yadav is still roaming free.
Furthermore, this is not the first instance of physical assault on SSK field staff members. Last year, Sandhya Ahirwar, a Dalit SSK field activist, was physically and verbally assaulted in Madawara by two men from the dominant caste. A complaint was registered, but she was pressured into withdrawing the complaint.
The recurring incidents show that human rights defenders, particularly Dalit and Adivasi women, are vulnerable to caste-based and gender-based violence. Also, this is a serious violation of the constitutional commitment to equality and freedom given that the women have been attacked for working with the Dalit community. The incident also raises the issue of safety of women activists who fight for the rights of marginalized communities such as Dalit and Adivasis as they are challenging oppressive structures of patriarchy and caste.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
SSK and Nirantar have been working in Lalitpur since 2002, for the empowerment of Dalit and Adivasi women and girls through literacy and educational interventions. SSK is the only women-headed organization in the district, staffed primarily of Dalit and BC women in Lalitpur, working with nearly 3000 Dalit and Adivasi women. In the last ten years, SSK and Nirantar have worked towards equality on the basis of gender and caste by addressing issues of gender-based violence. By empowering and skilling rural women, SSK has also worked on monitoring the implementation of government schemes and programmes for the rural poor, such as MNREGA and RTE. An important aspect of SSK and Nirantar’s work is the running of Adult Literacy Centres in the villages of Lalitpur.
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write to the authorities mentioned below demanding a judicial inquiry in this case. The AHRC is writing separately to the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders as well as UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples calling for an intervention in the case.
To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear ____________,
INDIA: Punish the perpetrators of assault on women Human Rights Defenders in Lalitpur, Uttar Pradesh
Name of the Victims: Meena, Kusum, Gyasi, Nirmla and Urmila.
Alleged Perpetrator: Sahib Singh Yadav
Place of Incident: Digwara Village, Madawara block, Lalitpur, Uttar Pradesh
Date of Incident: 12 May, 2013
I am writing to you with grave concern regarding the physical and verbal assault on five women human rights defenders by a locally powerful man named Sahib Singh Yadav in Digwara village of Madawara block on May 12, 2013 while they were inaugurating an adult literacy centre for Dalit women. The women, members of SSK, belonging to Dalit and OBC communites, were in the village to encourage women from vulnerable communtiies to learn to read and write. Around 30 women from the village had gathered for the ceremony when Sahib Singh Yadav, a powerful man, landed there and physically and verbally assaulted 5 staff members, namely Meena, Kusum, Gyasi, Nirmla and Urmila of the organization.
The man did not want SSK to work with Dalit women in this village as it would upset the age old hierarchies and thereby challenge his illegal dominance. This why he did not want the centre to get operational and attacked the women activists with a lathi. Two of the SSK team members have sustained serious head and body injuries in the assault with one of them having to have 7 stitches on her forehead. Two of the survivors are from the Dalit community and two from the OBC community.
Sahib Singh used caste-based abuses like ‘chamarni’, ‘basorni’ and sexually explicit language to humiliate and frighten the women activists. He also threatened them, saying he would kill them if they dared coming back to the area ever again. The villagers were also threatened with dire consequences if they gave any statement against him.
The FIR and a Medical Report in this case has been filed. However, the sections under which the case has been registered (IPC 323/ 504/506, including the SC/ST Act) are very weak. Further, the police has failed to take any action against the accused and three days after the incident, Sahib Singh Yadav is still roaming scot free.
Further, this is not the first instance of physical assault on SSK field staff members. Last year, Sandhya Ahirwar, a Dalit SSK field activist, was physically and verbally assaulted in Madawara by two men from the dominant caste. A complaint was registered, but she was pressured into withdrawing the complaint.
The recurring incidents show that human rights defenders, particularly Dalit and Adivasi women, are vulnerable to caste-based and gender-based violence. Also, this is a serious violation of the constitutional commitment to equality and freedom given that the women have been attacked for working with the Dalit community. His incident also raises the issue of safety of women activists who fight for the rights of marginalized communities such as Dalit and Adivasis as they are challenging oppressive structures of patriarchy and caste.
I, therefore, urge you to
1. Ensure that the perpetrator, Sahib Singh Yadav, is immediately arrested,
2. Ensure that the F.I.R is amended on the basis of real nature of the assault and accused is charged with provisions concurrent with the grievous injuries caused to the victims,
3. Ensure that the police officers guilty of diluting the F.I.R are investigated and prosecuted,
4. Ensure that adequate security is provided to the field staff of the SSK,
5. Ensure that security is provided to the Dalit hamlet of Digwara village as they are under serious threat,
6. Ensure that adequate security is provided to the witnesses of the assault so that they are not silenced into submission.
Yours sincerely,
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PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS TO:
1. Dr. Manmohan Singh
Prime Minster
Government of India
Room No. 148 B, South block, New Delhi
INDIA
Fax: + 91 11 230116857; 23015603
E-mail: manmohan@sansad.nic.in
2. Chairperson
National Human Rights Commission
Faridkot House, Copernicus Marg
New Delhi 110001
INDIA
Fax: + 91 11 2338 4863
E-mail: chairnhrc@nic.in
3. Ms. Mamta Sharma
Chairperson, National Commission for Women
4, Deen Dayal Upadhayaya Marg
New Delhi-110 002
INDIA
Fax: 91-11-23236154
E-mail: complaintcell-ncw@nic.in
4. Shri P. L. Punia
Chairperson of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes
Floor 5, Lok Nayak Bhavan
Khan Market
New Delhi-110003
INDIA
Fax: +91 11 4625378
5. Shri Akhilesh Yadav
Chief Minister
Mukhyamantri Niwas
Lucknow
Uttar Pradesh
INDIA
Fax: +91 522 2239234
E-mail: cmup@up.nic.in
6. Chief Secretary
Uttar Pradesh:
Fax: 0522- 2239283
E-mail: cs-uttarpradesh@nic.in
7. Director General of Police
Lucknow
Uttar Pradesh
E-mail: dgp@up.nic.in
8. Deputy Inspector General
Jhansi
Uttar Pradesh
E-mail: digrjsi@up.nic.in
9. District Magistrate
Lalitpur, Uttar Pradesh
Email: dmlal@up.nic.in
10. Superintendent of Police
Lalitpur
Uttar Pradesh
E-mail: spltp-up@nic.in
Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ua@ahrc.asia)
