Geneva: The International Council of Indian Muslims (ICIM), together with the Universal Human Rights Council (UHRC) and passionate supporters, unveiled powerful protest banners in front of the iconic United Nations building to shed light on the ongoing human rights violations in India.
This joint initiative is a testament to the power of collective action in pursuit of justice and equality,” ICIM said in a statement.
By bringing together activists, human rights groups, and the international community, ICIM said that injustices faced by Indian minority communities would be brought to global attention.
“The situation in India calls for attention, and these protest banners are a reflection of hundreds of millions of Indian citizens’ state of affairs,” said Rasheed Ahmed, President of the International Council of Indian Muslims. “Through this visual statement, we aim to highlight the urgent need for justice, equality, and an end to human rights violations. We call upon leaders, policymakers, and individuals to join us in this work collectively for a better world.”
The protest banner event invites individuals from all walks of life to come together, take a stand, and be part of a movement that work for a world where human rights are universally respected.
The group claims it serves as a reminder that “change begins with each of us and that our voices, united, have the power to bring about tangible and lasting change.”
There is a growing sense of uncertainty of life as each day passes by due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Many countries are in lockdown. This could have been a time to gel well with partners and bond with them. Unfortunately, there is a wave of surging domestic violence against women not just in the developing countries but the so-called developed countries.
The Secretary General of the United Nations (UN) Antonio Guterres has decried ‘horrifying rise in domestic violence.’ He urged all governments to make the prevention and redress of violence a key part of their national response plans for COVID-19. Whether it is the United Kingdom (UK), Australia, Lebanon or India, the story is the same. Some men have turned brutes and see the lockdown as an opportunity to subjugate women and inflict violence.
In India, the National Commission for Women (NCW) has been receiving distress calls and the calls have doubled in the last week. Social activist Brinda Adige has pointed out the ghastly tales of domestic violence which baffles human behaviour. In one particular case, a wife was beaten when she objected to her husband watching p*rn in the presence of little children. What values is the father passing on to his children?
Men should learn to spend quality time with their partners and children. Even animals seem to understand ‘quality time.’ Recently, there was a report from a zoo in Hong Kong where the pandas, which are shy to mate in the presence of humans are making up for the lost time – a decade in captivity. They are making love but men are busy making war. One never knows when the deadly Coronavirus can strike a family with fatal consequences.
Police cannot enter each and every dispute when they have to enforce the lockdown. It is time to be fair and respectful again to women before it is too late. We should be a worthy part of human civilization.
Jamia Millia Islamia held a ‘Special Convocation’ on April 27, 2011 at 11 AM in Dr. M.A. Ansari Auditorium, Jamia Millia Islamia to confer the degree of ‘Doctor of Letters’ (Honoris Causa) on Mr. Ban Ki-moon, Secretary General to United Nations.
On another side, just outside the Jamia campus, many Sikh organizations like All India Sikh Students Federation (AISSF) and US based human rights group, Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) and National 1984 Victim Justice and Welfare Society protested against Ban Ki-moon’s meeting with Congress leaders. The protest was to seek justice for victims of 1984 riots. Some of the Jamia students also not happy of the Jamia Decision to honour Mr. Ban Ki-moon. One student from Jamia Millia Islamia, Hafeez wrote on his Facebook’s wall “Jamia Millia Islamia now with full armed force as Jamia conferring an honorary Doctor of Letters (D.Litt) to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. Before getting honored let him talk about Kashmir, Gujarat, Maoism, Operation Green Hunt, Maudany, Soni Sori, Kazmi and Police Torture in allegation of Maoism and Terrorism…etc, Let’s struggle for Justice, Let’s all be fighters today!”
The newly appointed Chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia Lieutenant General M.A. Zaki (Retired) presided over the special convocation and conferred the degree on Mr. Ban Ki-moon. Mr. Najeeb Jung, Vice Chancellor, presented him the citation.
The citation presented to him by Vice Chancellor Mr. Najeeb Jung read “In honouring him, Jamia Millia Islamia celebrates one of the most acclaimed figures of our times, who – in his person and action – combines the strong foundations of morality and ethics with equally important principles of human rights and dignity. In recognition of his immense contribution to development and world peace, Jamia Millia Islamia confers upon him the degree of Doctor of Letters (Honoris Causa) on this 27th day of April, 2012.”
In his acceptance speech, Mr Ban Ki-moon said “Thank you for this distinguished recognition. For decades, I have been a student of India. Now I finally have a degree to prove it! Today you do me and the United Nations a special honour. In that spirit, I accept this honorary doctorate on behalf of the women and men who serve the United Nations around the world.”
Mr. Ban Ki-moon is the eighth and currentSecretary-General of the United Nations. In 2011, Mr. Ban Ki-moon ran unopposed for a second term as Secretary-General and was unanimously re-elected to the post of Secretary General by the General Assembly. He will continue to serve in his current position until 31 December 2016.
Mumbai (PTI): Yoga guru Baba Ramdev yesterday said he would undertake a fast unto death in New Delhi from June 4 to demand recovery of black money deposited by Indians in Swiss banks, disclosure of account-holders’ names and a ban on high-denomination currency notes.
The satyagraha will be held at Ramlila Maidan “to force the Government to act on corruption-related issues,” Ramdev told reporters here.
Yoga guru Ramdev speaks in support of social activist Anna Hazare in New Delhi (Reuters file photo)
“Along with me, several supporters spread across the world will also fast during the satyagraha,” he said.
“The Centre has not taken any concrete decision on the issue of black money. The fight against corruption will continue till it is not rooted out,” he said.
A strong Lokpal law should be enacted by August 2011, Ramdev said. The Lokpal panel should have the power to recover money swindled by the corrupt and punish them with death sentence, he said.
Ramdev also demanded declaration of illegal wealth held by Indians in foreign countries, ratification of the UN Convention against Corruption and ban on all high-denomination currency notes such as Rs 1,000 and Rs 500.
In this ‘Satyagraha against Corruption’ movement, Ramdev has invited social activist Anna Hazare, former IPS officer Kiran Bedi and Karnataka Lokayukta Justice Santosh Hegde.
However, Ramdev said though he appreciated efforts of eminent lawyer Shanti Bhushan and his son Prashant regarding Lokpal Bill, they had not been invited to join him.
“The fight against corruption will never be easy. Fingers will be pointed at everyone and there could be a conspiracy against those who are a part of this movement,” he said, adding he will write a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the issues relating to corruption.
Asked if he was delinking himself from Hazare’s movement by announcing his own satyagraha, Ramdev said, “Annaji’s agitation was on the single issue of Lokpal Bill. We have to take the agitation to the next level.”
Ramdev, however, clarified he had no intention to enter politics. “I do not have any ambition to be a politician. I will never actively participate in politics.”
In a NATO air strike, Gaddafi’s son Saif al-Arab,29, and three grandchildren were killed. Gaddafi survived the attack and has been fighting a rebellion against his 41-year rule in which scores of civilians have been killed. Journalist were taken to the house hit by three missiles, with its roof blown away and mangled rods of reinforcing steel hanging. It is expected that Gaddafi would appear or make a declaration today when the funerals are expected.
Denying the allegations of fabricating the death by some media to discredit NATO, Deputy Minister Khaled Kaim said: “The air strikes were a fourth attempt to assassinate Gaddafi.” Even before a formal announcement, the Embassies of Britain and Italy were attacked and burnt by angry crowds.
The United Nations has decided to withdraw its international staff from Tripoli after its compound was attacked by angry mob and some vehicles stolen. Martin Nerisk, a UN spokesman, said that “the decision to leave the country was based on the overall security situation in Tripoli.”
NATO denied targeting Gaddafi or his family and cleared that it was targeting only military targets in the area of the bombed site. It also stated that NATO continued its precise strikes against regime’s military installations in Tripoli overnight, including striking a known command and control building in the Babal al- Aziziyah neighborhood.
NATO Commander in Chief Charles Bauchard said: “The targets were part of a strategy to hit command centers that threatened civilians.”
However, Libyan Government official Musa Ibrahim claimed that “what was now left was the law of the jungle.” He said: “We think it is clear to everyone that what is happening in Libya has nothing to do with protecting civilians.”
Thousands of civilians have lost their lives in fighting between rebels and government forces prompting a huge humanitarian crisis. On Sunday, an aid filled ship was shelled by government forces off Misrata, a lifeline for aid agencies.
Rights group claim hundreds of people have been killed in the city with government forces bombings. Refugees poured in across the border in Tunisia. A fleeing Libyan said: “I never thought I would have to leave my house but today, at the age of 80, I find without taking possession and without knowing where I am going to stay here in Tunisia.”
London (Xinhua): The London Conference on Libya held Tuesday has not settled any major problems concerning the Libyan crisis and the disputes between the countries conducting an ongoing military operation against Libya, observers say.
The three-hour conference brought together representatives from nearly 40 countries and some major international blocs including the United Nations, NATO, the European Union (EU) and the Arab League.
At a press briefing after the conference, British Foreign Secretary William Hague claimed the West-led coalition, which has conducted the military operation since March 19, has been “widened,” saying Sweden had agreed to join the operation by supplying eight fighter jets to patrol the no-fly zone.
Photo released by UK Foreign Ministry shows delegates at the London Conference on Libya, in London, Britain, March 29, 2011. Over 40 foreign ministers and representatives from key regional organizations attended the conference in London Tuesday to discuss the situation in Libya. (Xinhua/UK FCO)
Hague also said the conference agreed to set up a contact group to lead international efforts to map out Libya’s future.
However, the participants did not reach any consensus on the key issues such as what the final aim of the military operation is, when the operation should be wrapped up and whether NATO would limit the air strikes after assuming command, analysts say.
Meanwhile, there are a wide range of other disputes concerning the Libya crisis.
First, some major players on the global stage like the African Union (AU), Russia and China did not back the West-dominated air strikes on Libya from the beginning.
Arab League chief Amr Moussa, who has blasted the air raids, did not attend the conference at all and only sent his deputy here.
AU Commission Chairman Jean Ping, who was expected to attend the London conference, did not appear either.
Jean Ping has reiterated the AU opposes any foreign military intervention in Libya and expressed discontent toward the Western forces for not consulting with the AU sufficiently before launching the military operation.
Russia has been urging the coalition forces to cease fire in Libya immediately.
China has also opposed the military attacks by the Western forces on Libya.
Second, apparent disputes even remain among attendees of the hastily-arranged London conference.
Turkey, a NATO member, has insisted the UN Resolution 1973 on Libya adopted on March 17 has a clear framework, and any action that goes beyond the framework “is illegal.”
Meanwhile, Germany, a traditional Western power and also a NATO member, has refused to join the military operation. It abstained from voting for the UN resolution on Libya.
Third, the countries contributing to the military operation face increasing domestic pressure.
According to a latest survey conducted by the British polling consultancy ComRes, 47 percent of the questioned Britons regard the government as wrong to commit British forces to actions in Libya, and 71 percent fear the military actions could drag Britain into a prolonged conflict like the Iraq War.
Similarly, worries of “entangling the U.S. into another Iraq” still linger in the United States after President Barack Obama declared NATO would formally take over the full command of the military operation Wednesday.
New Delhi (KMS): Veteran Kashmiri Hurriyet leader Syed Ali Gilani has reiterated that a plebiscite supervised by the United Nations and end to India’s forcible occupation of Jammu and Kashmir is the only viable and amicable solution to the Kashmir dispute.
Hurriyet leader Syed Ali Gilani (file photo)
Addressing India Today Today Enclave 2011 in New Delhi, Syed Ali Gilani said that India not only took the Kashmir dispute to the United Nations but was also a signatory to its resolutions, which guaranteed right to self-determination to the Kashmiris.
He maintained that the first Indian Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru had also promised plebiscite to the Kashmiri people at the historic Lal Chowk in Srinagar but neither the resolutions nor the promises had been implemented yet, keeping the dispute lingering.
“Kashmiris want freedom from India’s forcible occupation. It is high time for India to fulfil its broken promises and give right to self-determination to the Kashmiris under the supervision of UN. This is the only amicable and viable solution to resolve the dispute,” he said.
Stating that Indian troops are committing gross human rights violations in occupied Kashmir, the veteran Hurriyet leader said that the troops had killed one lakh people, raped 7,000 women and subjected more than 10,000 youth to enforced disappearance. “There are 50,000 orphans, 30,000 widows and 1,000 half-widows in the Valley besides presence of 2700 unidentified graves in which nearly 3000 persons are buried. Our youth are being subjected to third degree torture and most of them have been maimed. India claims to be one of the biggest democracies of the world, however Kashmiris are yet to see its democratic face,” he added.
Maintaining that settlement of the dispute is in the best interest of New Delhi, Syed Ali Gilani said, “There is a tension between India and Pakistan due to Kashmir. Forty per cent of India’s population is living below the poverty line. It is in the interest of India to resolve Kashmir by granting the Kashmiris their right to self-determination.”
Lawyers protest against illegal detention of Qayoom
Srinagar (KMS): Veteran Kashmiri Hurriyet leader Syed Ali Gilani and senior Aall Party Hurriyet Conference leader Shabbir Ahmed Shah have reacted strongly to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s recent statement that Kashmir dispute will be resolved within the framework of Indian constitution.
Gilani in a media interview in Srinagar said that the Kashmiris had rendered countless sacrifices during the past over six decades to secure their inalienable right to self-determination promised to them by India and the United Nations.
APHC Chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani (R) and Shabbir Ahmad (L) during a press conference in Sri Nagar
He said that the Kashmiri dispute should be settled by keeping in view its historical perspective.
Shabbir Ahmed Shah in a statement issued in Srinagar said that Manmohan Singh’s assertion had reflected that India was not ready for resolving the conflict over Kashmir. He urged the Government of India to give up intransigence and solve the dispute through tripartite talks.
Meanwhile, Syed Ali Gilani in a statement appealed to the Amnesty International and International Red Cross to take cognisance of illegally detained Kashmiri Hurriyet leaders and activists. APHC leader Nayeem Ahmed Khan in his statement said that the occupation authorities had unlawfully arrested over 4000 Kashmiris during the last eight months to suppress the just liberation struggle.
On the other hand, lawyers in the occupied Valley boycotted the court proceedings, today, to press the demand of unconditional release of the High Court Bar Association President, Mian Abdul Qayoom. They also staged a sit-in protest in the premises of the Lower Court Srinagar. Mian Qayoom was re-arrested by the police and booked under draconian law, Public Safety Act, for the third time after a court ordered his release, yesterday.
The APHC spokesman in a statement issued in Srinagar flayed the authorities for re-arresting Yasmeen Raja immediately after her release from Srinagar Central Jail. Indian police arrested district president of Jammu and Kashmir Tehreek-e-Hurriyat, Raja Merajuddin from Telbal area of Srinagar.
One Indian trooper was killed while another injured in a snow avalanche at Chinigund in Kargil, today.
