A special rapporteur of the United Nations visited Ahmedabad on Monday for a fact finding mission on the situation of human rights and their defenders in Gujarat.
A special rapporteur of the United Nations visited Ahmedabad on Monday for a fact finding mission on the situation of human rights and their defenders in Gujarat. The delegation will visit states of Jammu & Kashmir, Orissa, West Bengal, in addition to Gujarat, between January 10 and 21.
In order to gather first-hand information, the delegation met at least 50 different people who are either victims of human rights or defenders like NGOs at a local hotel.
"The aim of the mission is to evaluate in person, in an objective and impartial manner, the situation of human rights defenders in the country, and to initiate a process of constructive cooperation with the authorities," said Margaret Sekaggya, a part of the delegation, who has visited India at the invitation of the government. Sekaggya, a lawyer from Uganda, was appointed Special Rapporteur in March 2008 by the UN Human Rights Council. She is independent of any government and serves in her individual capacity.
Representatives from Rajasthan and Maharashtra were also present. Ahmedabad-based NGOs like Navsarjan, Prayas Center for Labour Research and Action, Jan Sangharsh Manch etc made presentations about how they are harassed by the local police and pressurised by the establishment. Interestingly, at least three lawyers were also present who were talking about pressure on them. Besides, NGOs working with 2002 communal riots victims and the victims themselves were also present.
"We informed them about how difficult it is to carry out demonstrations in Gujarat. The police do not register FIR if it is against a powerful person. In fact, there have been incidents where the activists themselves have been booked for holding demonstrations against atrocities," an activist present at the gathering told DNA.
Director of NGO Prashant, Father Cedric Prakash was also present at the meeting, along with victims like activist Amit Jethava's brother, senior IPS officer RB Sreekumar and a few more people from the judiciary.
The UN expert will hold national consultations with human rights defenders in Delhi later. The Special Rapporteur will also meet state officials, a broad segment of civil society, representatives of UN agencies and the diplomatic corps. A final report on the visit will be presented to the Human Rights Council in 2012.
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