National Confederation of Human Rights Organisations
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NCHRO
National Confederation of Human Rights Organizations (NCHRO) is a common platform of the various groups and individuals committed to the cause of human rights in India.
ENCOUNTER KILLINGS
National Confederation of Human Rights Organizations, (NCHRO ) in association with Amnesty International India convened a National seminar on fake ‘Encounter Killings’, on 26 June 2007, (U.N. Anti Torture Day) at Marathi Patrakar Sangh Hall, Mumbai. At the end of day-long deliberations resolutions with 11-point demands were passed which are as follows:
RESOLUTIONS
NCHRO Resolution on UN Anti Torture Day (26 June 2007) Wednesday 27 June 2007, by NCHRO...
The encounter killings are part of a deliberate and conscious state administrative practice for which the Indian government must bear the responsibility. The successive political groups in power sanctified this de-facto policy of extra-judicial killings by members of the police forces, the Armed Forces and para-military security personnel in Jammu & Kashmir, Assam, Manipur and Tripura and by the State armed police in Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Gujarat in the name of eliminating naxalites, terrorists or criminals.
The State has armed itself with Draconian laws such as Armed Forces Special Powers Act, Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, and derivative state legislations which are irrational, unjust and against the principles of natural justice. These laws justify preventive detention and encourage to extract confessions by any method.
The United Nations Basic Principles emphasize that the use of force and firearms by law enforcement officials should be in consonance with respect for Human Rights. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that “everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.” Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, (ICCPR), provides that “every human being has the inherent right to life. This right shall be protected by law. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his life.” Extra-judicial killings clearly contravene the right to life.
India ratified ICCPR in 1979 and signed the convention against Torture since 1997, but has betrayed it commitment to take effective measures to ensure that extra-judicial killings do not occur. It is yet to follow that up and ratify the convention. The rapid increase in the number of such killings flies in the face of the Right to Life as enshrined in Article 21 of the Indian Constitution. Antiquated laws are yet to be reformed and brought in line with international practices. There is no real investigation of extra-judicial killings. It is not surprising that the guilty in the police and security forces remain unpunished.
The hopes that Civil society had in the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), have been belied because of serious flaws in the Statutes. The NHRC and other National Commissions have not been able to call the guilty to account for violence against Religious Minorities, Women, Dalits and Tribals.
This National Convention on Encounter Killings organized by the NCHRO in association with Amnesty International of India on this 26th day of June 2007, the International Anti-torture day, notes gross violations of Human rights, specially of torture and extra-judicial deaths in many countries. The Convention condemns the assault on human dignity in the US military prison in Guantanamo Bay in the Cuban island, the military prisons in Iraq, and the situation in countries of South Asia demands.
The convention submitted the following demands to Government of India and State Governments.
1. Urgent and effective measures to stop fake encounters, disappearances, custodial violence, custodial death and extra-judicial killings by police, special squads and security forces;
2. Reform the criminal justice system and the Indian Penal code, beginning the process by repealing all special legislation that enable a culture of torture and culture of impunity;
3. Prevent cruel, inhuman or degrading punishments by authorities;
4. Stop discrimination and violence against women, indigenous peoples, Dalits and minorities and ensure genuine safe guards;
5. Strengthen the statutes of the NHRC, State Human Rights and Minorities Commission and other statutory bodies;
6. Protect and rehabilitate the victims and survivors of encounter killings and other police atrocities, and give them affirmative compensation;
7. Ratify UN convention against torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment (convention against torture) by making amending statutes;
8. Establish a National Register of the Missing, and of Victims of torture, custodial deaths and encounter killings under the supervision of the NHRC;
9. Establish public grievance redressal mechanisms on the pattern of Lokayukta and Ombudsman to take cognizance of excesses committed by police and armed personnel, and to enforce Command Responsibility;
10. Maintain the sanctity of the ultimate power of Clemency now being exercised by the President of India and by State Governors from judicial and political aggression and encroachments and
11. Immediate release of Dr. Binayak Sen (National Vice Chairman PUCL, Chhattisgarh)
The Council of Members
Justice Hosbert Suresh elected as the President of NCHRO by NCHRO and Adv. K.P. Mohammed Shareef (Kerala) as the general secretary.
The new national committee of NCHRO formed on 26 June 2007
President:
Justice Hosbet Suresh (Mumbai),
Justice Hosbet Suresh, retired judge of the Bombay High Court, is a leading human rights activist and has worked extensively for civil liberties in India.
Vice Presidents:
Dr. John Dayal (New Delhi)
Dr. John Dayal, is one of India’s best known Human Rights activist and Member of National Integration Council, General Secretary of the All India Christian Council and President of the All India Catholic Union.
Dr Shams-ul-Islam (New Delhi),
Prof. Nagari Babayya (Bangalore)
Dr. Abraham Mathai (Mumbai);
Dr. Abraham Mathai is a Maharashtra based Human Right activist, Vice Chairman of Maharashtra Minority Commission and General Secretary of Maharashtra AICC
Secretary General:
Adv. K.P. Mohammed Shareef (Kerala)
Mohammed Shareef is a Kerala based Human Rights Lawyer and the former Chairman of CHRO, Kerala
Secretaries:
Ms Gouri Lankesh (Bangalore)
Gauri Lankesh is the former editor of Kannada weekly, Lankesh Patrike . She is an activist journalist, who is genetically inherited with the socialist legacy of her father P.Lankesh, who was a famous writer and film Director of Kannada Literature
G. Subramanian (Chennai),
Thiru. G. Subramanian is the Executive Director of Tamil Nadu based Human Rights Organization, Manitham
Dr. Abdul Salam (Kerala) Dr. Abdul Salam is the Secretary of Kerala based CHRO, the confederation of Human Rights organizations.
Treasurer:
Justice Co Chenna Basappa, (Mangalore)
The Executive Committee members are:
Prof. Ramesh (Karnataka),
Pervez Bari (Bhopal),
E.M. Abdurahman (Kerala),
Dr. Mehboob Shariff (Karnataka),
Adv Suresh (Andhra Pradesh),
Lateef Mohammed Khan (Hyderabad),
Abdul Hafiz Gandhi & Prof. Arshi Khan (both Aligarh),
Pattabirama Somayaji (Karnataka),
K.M. Shareef (Karnataka),
Adv. Sunder Rajan P. (Tamilnadu),
A.M.M. Shafi (Karnataka)
Adv. Sultan, (Tamilnadu)
