Amnesty slams India on Nandigram

Thursday, May 29, 2008
Rights violated! Amnesty slams India on Nandigram

New Delhi: Global human rights watchdog Amnesty International has lambasted India for failure to book those responsible for the disappearance of hundreds in Kashmir, unlawful killing and evictions in Nandigram and police action against peaceful protestors against land acquisition for Special Economic Zones in Orissa.

"There have been atrocities against protests in Nandigram, Singur and Kalinganagar in Orissa. People's rights over natural resources have been denied. Dr Binayak Sen is still in illegal custody," said Mukul Sharma, director Amnesty International, India, releasing the body human rights report for 2008.

Pointing to the displacement of tribals, the report said, about 50,000 adivasis continue to be displaced from Dantewada areas and no effort has been made to ensure their voluntary return.

Civil rights activists like Saroj Mohanty and Roma were being hounded by government authorities.

The report said state and non-state actors in Jammu and Kashmir continued to enjoy "impunity for torture, deaths in custody, abductions and unlawful killings."

"A human rights organisation reported that in the past 18 years, 1,051 people had been victims of enforced disappearance in Baramulla district alone," the report said.

Human rights organisations have challenged official claims that there had been no disappearances until 10 November 2007, saying that 60 people had disappeared since 2006, including nine in 2007.

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