Citizens for Justice and Peace
Persons deprived of liberty require specific focus: UN-IASC Guidance on prisoners and detainees amidst Covid-19
31-Aug-2020
In March this year, just as the Covid-19 pandemic was getting serious, an Inter-Agency Standing Committee issued interim guidance on how people deprived of their liberty should be treated amidst growing concerns of the Coronavirus infection. The two agencies; Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights (OHCHR) and the World Health Organisation (WHO), jointly…
Covid-19 disproportionately affecting Indigenous people: UN OHCHR issues guidance on protection of Indigenous Rights during the pandemic
28-Aug-2020
Indigenous communities, who often lack access to proper healthcare facilities, on account of a history of oppression and discrimination, are also suffering disproportionately due to the Covid-19 pandemic as per the United Nations. A guidance released by the Office of the Human Rights Commissioner, titled Covid-19 and Indigenous People’s Rights, says, “The COVID-19 pandemic is…
Revisiting DK Basu: The most relevant judgment of all time A landmark judgment that held that torture revealed the darker side of human civilization
17-Aug-2020
Case title: D.K.Basu vs. State of West Bengal Case No.: Writ Petition (Crl) No. 592 of 1987 Date of judgement: December 18, 1996 Coram: Justices Kuldip Singh and A.S. Anand ‘Torture’ of a human being by another human being is essentially an instrument to impose the will of the ’strong’ over the ‘weak’ by suffering…
Women street vendors particularly vulnerable during lockdown: ISST-Janpahal Survey finds they face high loss of livelihood, sexual harassment
04-Jun-2020
Thrice oppressed, women street vendors have turned to exhausting personal savings for survival besides bearing the overarching burden of household chores reveals this survey by ISST-Janpahal in Delhi. Gender disparities sharpen during calamities and conflicts making the burden worse. So it has been for the impact of the Covid19 pandemic lockdown. While migrant labourers and…
CJP complains to NBSA against Zee News report on “Zameen Jihad” The channel has submitted its response and the hearing will commence once NBSA resumes functioning
01-Jun-2020
The channel allegedly borrowed the deeply communal term from social media and ran a complete show propagating various types of Jihad in the country categorising them as soft jihad and hard jihad. In March, Zee News aired a programme hosted by Mr. Sudhir Chaudhary called “DNA: Jammu मेंज़मीन के ‘इस्लामीकरण’ का DNA टेस्ट” (DNA test…
CJP sends complaint to India Today for its sting operation on Madrasas, terming them as hotspots The complaint also questions the sting operation and the hate peddled through the show
17-Apr-2020
India Today has been conducting investigative journalism on COVID-19 related matters and in the 4th part of this series, its focus was on Madrasas. This show titled “Madrasa Hotpots: India Today Investigation” was hosted by Rahul Kanwal and was aired on April 10. This show was heavily and widely criticised for being blatantly Islamophobic and…
Family migrates from WB, son declared foreigner in Assam! Gauhati HC upholds Tinsukia FT’s order, does not accept land documents as proof
06-Mar-2020
Even as the poor, the unlettered and the dispossessed worry about proving their citizenship in the absence of having proper documents, it turns out even when one has them there is no guarantee that they will be able to prove their case. Munindra Biswas learnt this the hard way. Now that the final NRC has…
School headmaster’s testimony missing, Assam woman declared foreigner Gauhati HC uphold's FT order, insists on testimony of issuing authority to authenticate documents
06-Mar-2020
In yet another example of how challenging it has become for people to prove their citizenship, the Gauhati High Court has ruled that a school leaving certificate needs to be authenticated by providing the testimony of the issuing authority. The court ruled against the suspected foreigner in the case because she failed to get her…
Is UP at war with it’s own people? Fact finding report by Karwan-e-Mohabbat reveals administration's inefficiency and possible complicity
25-Feb-2020
In wake of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) coming into effect, several protests had erupted across India. While most remained peaceful, violence was reported from a few. However, questions that need to be asked are; who triggered and who perpetrated the violence, and who was at the receiving end. Now, a fact-finding report by Karwan-e-Mohabbat,…
Allegations of inclusion of ‘ineligible’ people in Assam NRC State coordinator seeks details from DRCRs of all districts
25-Feb-2020
There appears to be no respite for people of Assam. Some are likely to suffer even though their names have been included in the National Register of Citizens (NRC) that was published in August last year. Now, in a letter addressed to all Deputy Commissioners and District Registrars of Citizens Registration (DRCR) of all districts,…