Under the aegis of the Sikh political body -Dal Khalsa, in a far-reaching move, the leadership and delegates from various states of India which see a continuous violation of human rights, will gather in Amritsar on the historic World Human Rights Day, 10 December, to pay obeisance at Darbar Sahib -the Golden Temple and to deliberate upon the state of affairs of the struggling nationalities -Kashmiris, Sikhs, Tamils, Nagas, Twiprassa and others. WSN reports.

Taking stock of the human rights position in India today, there is a dire need to challenge the brutalization, police excesses, growing intolerance and centralization process of the Indian state.

This meet has been called to express solidarity with struggling nationalities, peoples and regional identities, said Kanwarpal Singh, a senior leader of the Dal Khalsa at a press meet held at the party office of the Dal Khalsa. 

Kanwarpal Singh told the media that  Tamil nationalist ideologue and the chief coordinator of political party Naam Tamilar Katchi from Tamil Nadu -Senthamizhan Seeman will attend the meet. Three leading activists from Nagaland of the Naga Peoples Movement for Human Rights -Neingulu Krome, Neivotso Venuh and A Kenneth, who fight for the rights of the Naga people and support the Naga Peace Process with the government of India and representatives Manhari Jamatia, Bhabesh Jamatia, Habal Jamatia from Tripura of Tripura People’s Front from Tripura, led by Madam Patal Kanya Jamatia, the party fighting for rights of Twiprasa indigenous peoples will also participate.  Activists and leaders from Kashmir and from amongst the Sikhs in Punjab will also participate.

Tamil leader Seeman, Naga Human Rights activists Neingulu Krome, Neivotso Venuh, A Kenneth and Tripura People’s Front delegates Manhari Jamatia, Bhabesh Jamatia, Habal Jamatia from Tripura will attend the first of its kind Struggling Nationalities People’s Rights Meet on 10 December Human Rights Day to express solidarity and support for each other.

Kanwar Pal Singh, Senior leader Dal Khalsa

Calling the meet the first of its kind, Kanwar Pal Singh said that the leadership of various nationalities will jointly go to the Golden Temple in the morning and discuss the human rights situation at a separate meet in the evening. 

Addressing the press meeting, General Secretary of the party -Paramjeet Singh Tanda said that the recent killings of innocent civilians are highly condemnable and the Union government is singularly responsible for the killing and that this happened because the government has given full impunity to security forces under AFSPA. He said the ossification of Naga talks is a manifestation of the Indian Union not accommodating the political demands of the Naga people.

The dastardly killing of 15 civilians in Nagaland is highly condemned and it underscores the need for such human rights meets to challenge the onslaught on civil liberties.

Spokesman Paramjit Singh Mand said that the People’s Rights Meet is being held to focus on human rights and civil rights in India today, which have been so severely curbed and controlled that India is fast degenerating into a totalitarian and majoritarian state. 

Freedom of expression, right to dissent and right to privacy is severely undermined and harassment, torture and arrests are widespread in Punjab, he added.

He further added that the repeal of Article 370, 35A in Kashmir followed by curbing of civil liberties and fake encounters is a testament to how totalitarianism and majoritarian regimes distort civil liberties. He condemned the arrest of human rights defender Khurram Parvaiz by the NIA.   

Freedom of expression, right to dissent and right to privacy is severely undermined and harassment, torture and arrests are widespread in Punjab.

“The apathy of the government towards the anti-CAA movement continues, political prisoners continue to languish in jails across the country. Muslims and Dalits continue to live in a climate of fear due to a sustained hate narrative against them. 

He chided the Narendra Modi Govt for refusing to recognize the deaths of 700 farmers and Lakhimpur Kheri incident in which 3 farmers and a journalist were crushed to death.