Vol. XXXVIII, No. 8 ISSN-0970-8693 AUGUST 2018 Rs. 20 Resolution of the PUCL National Executive Meeting held in Delhi, 30th June & 1st July, 2018: Resolutions PUCL National Executive “State Worse than Emergency” – India turning Meeting: “State Worse than Emergency” – into a Lynchistan! India turning into a Lynchistan! (1) PUCL is shocked at the situation of our democracy which is a “State ARTICLES, REPORTS & DOCUMENTS: worse than the Emergency”. It is obvious that the present regime, with its From Eugenics, Biometrics to Jurimetrics: religious majoritarian agenda, is trying to cause disaffection between Supreme Court Judges on Trial - Gopal sections of the people and destroying the social fabric of the society. The Krishna (9); Preliminary FFT Report of people are being pushed to the brink of civil strife with large sections Incident of Gang Rape of 5 Adivasi Women in living in fear. The State is also brazenly conspiring with corporate Jharkhand (14). financial interests and elites to deliberately push people to directly challenge the state thereby giving a pretext to crush all democratic PRESS STATEMENTS, LETTERS AND NEWS: rights. Increasingly the agenda of the state is being pushed from welfare as a human right to a security and surveillance state. PUCL Resolution on the NRC updation in st The PUCL National Executive takes note of the recent incidents of state Assam, 1 July2018 (2); Rejoinder to Arun violence against citizens occurring in the targeted killing of unarmed Jaitley by Prabhakar Sinha (3); Press citizens protesting against the Sterlite plant in Thoothukudi (also known Statement: PUCL Stands in Solidarity with as Tuticorin), mass arrests of farmers and local citizens protesting Sudha Bharadwaj, National Secretary, PUCL against the 8 lane highway between Salem and Chennai; violence (5); Public Statement by Advocate Sudha unleashed along with filing of several hundreds of false cases and Bharadwaj (6); Press Statement: PUCL arrests in thousands of Dalits protesting the Supreme Court judgment, Strongly Condemns the Ghastly Attack on making the Act for Prevention of Atrocities of the SC ST ineffective; Swami Agnivesh (7); PUCL Rajasthan: Press making India “lynchistan” through widespread mob attacks and Note: Not Cow Sumggling but Extortion lynching predominantly of Muslims; police killing of farmers in Madhya Which Led to the Lynching of Akbar Khan (8); Pradesh; the action of the security forces in the cold blooded killing of at Minutes of PUCL National Council Meeting least 40 tribals in Gadchiroli and throwing of their bodies in the Indravati and Decisions & Resolutions held on 18-19 River; and numerous other such incidents. Two things stand about these Nov. 2017 at GPF, Delhi (13); Tamil Nadu incidents - one the brazen sense of impunity and power of the armed PUCL: Press Release (17); Gujarat PUCL: state, and on the other the resounding silence and a non-questioning Memorandum to H.E. the President (18); attitude of civil society and majority of the media. Gujarat PUCL: Press Note on Anti- Apart from the Indian state virtually waging a war against its own citizens, (the Govt of India as also) the governments of various states Emergency Day with two Resolutions (18). have also systematically divested themselves of their responsibility to bring about social justice and ensure the well-being of their citizens, by Annual Subscription: PUCL Bulletin either not implementing laws protecting these groups or progressively (w.e.f. January 01, 2017) INDIA reducing budgetary allocations towards food and social security, health, PUCL Members Rs. 200 education and the welfare of marginalized and vulnerable sections, Non-Members Rs. 240 Libraries, Institutions Rs. 300 including Tribals, Dalits, women and people with special needs. This has OVERSEAS led to alarming levels of starvation highlighted by 20 deaths in PUCL Members US$50 Jharkhand, UP and Karnataka in the last few months. Shamefully India Non-Members US$100 now ranks 100 out of 119 in the hunger index. Libraries, Institutions US$120 The intolerance to democratic dissent is matched by the intolerance towards media professionals exposing true facts underlying tall claims to development and governance in India in the last four years, ranging from slapping of defamation cases and terrifying trolling to outright killings. Increasing corporatisation of the media has ensured that the media fails to play its role as a sentinel of public interest becoming a 435 PUCL BULLETIN, AUGUST 2018 1 pliant tool in the hands of the state killing those opposed to their been so reduced to irrelevance as to create a discourse and a mindset interests. The scary part is that is happening under the present and even creating fake news other state governments like dispensation. Parliamentary supporting the anti-democratic Haryana have started following the traditions of holding debates before actions of the Indian state. example of the UP government and the passage of important Bills has The grim situation of women's indulge in encounters as a pretext been given up as has been the safety in India is starkly highlighted to counter growing crime. marginalization of Parliamentary by the use of sexual violence as a Aadhar is at its core a surveillance- Standing Committees and their tool to silence women and society, enabling programme, which Reports. both in conflict areas like Bastar threatens privacy and democratic The last straw on the camel's back and Kashmir, as also in other p r a c t i c e . S h o c k i n g l y t h e has been the increasing executive places like the Kathua and Unnao Government through sustained interference with the independence incidents. The studied and propaganda accompanied by of the judiciary. So much so that deliberate silence of the Prime coercion of making people four senior judges felt compelled to Minister to condemn many of the mandatorily link Aadhar to every bring this to the attention of the incidents outlined above is akin to service has lulled people into nation through a media conference. selective amnesia from a person believing that privacy is the price The vexed issues of judicial who is otherwise quick to respond we have to pay for better appointments, allegations of to personal and insignificant events implementation of welfare corruption, lack of accountability occurring worldwide. programmes. In fact, the Aadhar and erosion of constitutional values While the real perpetrators of anti- project is endangering both - are leading to a loss of faith towards dalit violence of Bhima Koregaon welfare as well as privacy. justice among the people that is a on 1st January 2018 roam free, the The attack on Scientific temper, the source of deep concern. vindictiveness of the state against school curriculum and higher In view of the grim human rights human rights activists is epitomised education is complete. With the scenario prevailing in the country by the recent arrests of lawyer Prime Minister and his ministers and the importance of educating Surendra Gadling, Professor frequently pouting nonscientific and mobilizing ordinary citizens to Shoma Sen, tribal activist Mahesh facts and promoting superstition, protect, preserve and promote Raut, Dalit writer Sudhir Dhawale including giving ministerial status to human right, oppose fascist rule and political activist Rona Wilson, god man in State after State, along and dictatorial governance the in the name of the Urban Maoist with making seriouschanges in the PUCL has decided to organise bogey. curriculum and text books regional meetings focussing on Never before has any state according to the majoritarian i s s u e s t h r e a t e n i n g I n d i a n brazenly adopted encounters as a religious ideology, and almost democracy. The gatherings will means of addressing issues of destroying Institutions like JNU, include members of student crime like the current Uttar Pradesh HCU in order finish the autonomy of unions, trade unions, women's government led by Yogi Adityanath these Universities in every organisations, Dalit and adivasi (Ajay Singh Bisht). A virtual reign of sense.And now with the recent groups, disabled people's groups, terror has been unleashed wherein hurried proposal of repealing the sexual minorities and other constitutional proprieties and Rule UGC Act and bringing in the Higher organisations working for the of Law Doctrines have been thrown Education Commission of India bill, democratic rights of the people. We to the winds with the UP Police establishes thepush for ending would like to reiterate that it is only a having committed more than 1000 autonomy and bringing in more vigilant citizenry which can protect encounter incidents shooting down government and political patronage human rights and democracy. 50 persons. Not only has the state and control of Universities and Dr. V. Suresh, General Secretary, police abdicated its constitutional Institutions; and stifle critical PUCL on behalf of the National responsibilities to follow the law, thinking on campuses. Executive Committee q they have turned into state predator Never before has the Parliament Note: The PUCL National Executive Committee during their meeting on 30th June and 1st July, 2018 had also discussed the serious situation existing in Assam pursuant to the exercise of the Government of Assam to create the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and heightened insecurity amongst members belonging to the minority community that this was an attempt to delegitimize them and to declare them ot be aliens and pushed out of the country, where they have been residing, in many instances for the last 40 to 50 years, if not more. We share the text of the Resolution that was prepared. PUCL Resolution on the NRC updation in Assam, 1st July, 2018 The PUCL is extremely anxious register containing the names of system which may exclude genuine and concerned by the process of Indian citizens in the State of Indian citizens, separate families, updating the National Register of Assam.