URGENT APPEAL

Lakshmi, 45 year old Dalit women from Koormavilasapuram village, is a member of Self Help Group (SHG).  She fortunately owns her house as well as one acre cultivable land. On 19 September 2007, she returned from another village from a SHG meeting at 9 pm. The leader of SHG Girija collected Lakshmi’s savings as a practice of SHG, but soon after Lakshmi was blamed for stealing a calf from the village. Although Lakshmi denied any stealing, she became a suspect.

Lakshmi was then taken to a higher-caste village by Girija and brought before a “Katta Panchayat” (KP), an unofficial village meeting. KP is prohibited under Laws in Tamil Nadu as most KP are used for humiliating or/and beating up women. Women who were sent to KP are usually tied up to posts and forced to kneel before the villagers.

Lakshmi was humiliated in front of everyone and was compelled to confess to theft of the calf. Lakshmi maintained her innocence. Her husband explained before the KP that they truly did not know anything about the missing calf. But the KP did not even listen to them. KP made Lakshmi swear her innocence in front of the temple by burning camphor. Lakshmi, her husband and sister were forced to prostrate themselves.

Continuous humiliation with bad language drove Lakshmi to commit suicide- she tried to hang herself thrice. On 23 Sept 2007 again, KP was held with the sole purpose of humiliating Lakshmi and to incarcerate her with her husband and sister in the SHG’s building.

Lakshmi begged everyone for to be released. All three suffered a lot.  Lakshmi had chest pains and requested to be allowed out to get medication..  She was made to collect medication from her house guarded by four guards, to ensure she was brought back to the SHG’s building. More than 10 people monitored the building.

Again on 24th of September, another KP was held and Lakshmi was ordered to pay compensation of Rs. 12,000/- (US$300).  The amount was reduced to Indian Rs. 6,000 later, but Lakshmi was threatened that her land would be taken away if she did not pay the money. Lakshmi was also warned that she would not be allowed to live in the village as there would be social boycott: such as refusals of drinking water, purchase from village shop, and employment.

She complained of the case to the police with the support of Tamil Nadu Dalit Women’s Movement (TNDWM). The local police, however, conspired with the leader of SHG as well as villagers who had KP, including landlords to avoid any action on the case. Lakshmi and women’s movements, Rural Women Liberation Movement and TNDWM, are seeking justice, not compromise for this case.

The TNDWM, Rural Women Liberation Movement with various women’s movements demand,

• Immediate action on the persons who confined Lakshmi, her husband and her sister in a SHG room.
• Immediate action on the Local Sub Inspector of Police for neglecting to precede the case with the conspiracy of KP members.
• Punishment to the village KP leaders for social boycott on Lakshmi.
• Punishment to the village KP leaders for provoking Lakshmi to attempt suicide three times.
• Punishment to the village KP leaders for humiliating Lakshmi and accusing her of steeling the calf.
• Proper judicial process be followed- to determine the allegations of theft made against Lakshmi

We also stress that,

• KP is prohibited under Laws in Tamil Nadu for violating human rights.
• SHG is disempowering women.
• As a citizen of India, everyone has a right to live freely. Lakshmi is entitled to the same basic protection to all rights as afforded to citizens under all laws

We request you to write to,

The District Collector,
Collector Office,
Thiruvellore,
Tamil Nadu.

State Human Rights commission,
143, P.S. Kumarasami Raja Salai,
Thiruvarangam Malaiga,
Chennai – 600 028.
Tel: + 91 44 24951484.

Dr. R.M. Ramathal,
State Women’s Commission
Agricultural Building,
Chepauk, Chennai – 600 005.
Tel :  + 91 44 28592750.

Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu,
St. George Fort,
Chennai – 600 009.
Tel: + 91 44 25672345

Justice Rajendra Babu,
Chairperson,
National Human Rights Commission of India,
Faridkot House, Copernicus Marg,
New Delhi 110 001,
Tel: +91 11 230 74448,
Fax: +91 11 2334 0016,
Email: chairnhrc@nic.in.

Shri Shivraj Patil,
Union Minister of Home Affairs,
Ministry of Home Affairs,
104-107 North Block,
New Delhi 110 001 India,
Fax: +91 11 2309 2979.

Sharad Pawar,
Minister of Agriculture and Minister of Consumer Affairs,
Food &     Public Distribution,
Room No. 120, Krishi Bhawan,
New Delhi - 110001 India,
Fax: +91 11 2338 4129 / 2338 8165.
  
Justice K. G. Balkrishnan,
Chief Justice of India,
Supreme Court, Tilak Marg,
New Delhi -1,
Fax: +91 11 233 83792,
Email: supremecourt@nic.in

H.E. Mr. Swashpawan Singh,
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Permanent      
Representative to the United Nations (Geneva),
Rue du Valais 9 (6ème étage),
1202 Geneva,
Tel: +41 22 906 86 86, Fax: +41 22 906 86 96,
Email: mission.india@ties.itu.int

Mr. Dipak Chatterjee, Ambassador,
Embassy of India in Brussels,
217 Chaussée de Vleurgat,
1050 Brussels, Belgium,
Fax: +32 (0)2 6489638 or +32 (0)2 6451869

Justice A.K. Rajan, Chair,
Aquaculture Authority (Government of India),
Shastri Bhavan Annexe,
26 Haddows Road, Chennai - 600 006,
India,
Fax : 91-44-8216552

to ask for

1. All these individuals in their official capacity to take seriously the case of Lakshmi and ensure the relevant authorities- particularly the justice agencies- take appropriate procedure to file the case to penalize those who commit unlawful practices. Also, in light of General Recommendation 31 of UN Committee for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, there shall not be any discriminatory practice in the procedures to file the cases; such as not-taking up the case filed by Dalit women.
2. making sure that the local laws to protect human rights be implemented appropriately with appropriate countermeasures.
3. Prohibition of KP 

Also, we request you to write to,

• UNDP
• World Bank
• International Development NGOs which promotes SHG schemes
• UNCDF

Address: United Nations Capital Development Fund,
Two UN Plaza, 26th Floor, New York, NY 10017,

Tel: + 1 212/ 906 6565
Fax: + 1 212/ 906 6479
Email: info@uncdf.org

• Local Development Agencies

to question the human rights violations occurring through SHG’s work

For further information, contact Tamil Nadu Women’s Forum on email: tnwforum@gmail.com.