Subject: CONDEMNATION OF POLICE BRUTALITIES ON FOREST DWELLERS IN REWAFor more information Police firing in Rewa, Madhya Pradesh 19th April, 2007 To: The Prime Minister of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh (Fax: 91-11-23019545, 23016857) The Minister of Tribal Affairs, Mr. Paty Ripple Kyndiah (Tel No. 91-11-2348 8482, Fax: 23070577, 23381499) The Minister of Environment & Forests, Mr.A. Raja (Tel No. 91-11-24351727, Fax: 24362222) The Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Mr. Shivraj Singh Chouhan (Tel No. 91-11-755 2540501, 2551781) We are writing to strongly condemn the police firing on 4000 adviasis in Ghateha village in Teothar Tehsil in the Rewa district of Madhya Pradesh that took place on April 19, 2007 under the supervision of the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), the Sub-Divisional Officer of Police (SDOP) and the Circle Officer. The police fired tear gas shells on the adivasis from 1500 families, mercilessly beat down women and burnt and completely demolished houses belonging to the villagers in an inhuman effort by the Forest Department to evacuate them from the land that the adivasi families have been living on for more than 3 years. The atrocities meted out by the state to its marginalized citizens amount to gross violations of human rights and are very similar to other incidents involving brutal state-sponsored repression that have taken place in other parts of the country, such as Kalinganagar (Orissa), Singur and Nandigram (West Bengal), to name a few. We urge you to take stock of the situation and demand that such police brutalities be immediately ended and do not recur in the future. In Solidarity, Privacy PolicyEmail addresses are required to verify the authenticity of the petition. They are kept strictly confidential and will not be disclosed to anybody. List of SupportersClick here to view the supporters who have signed up. |