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Under the project to Reducing Police Torture against Muslims at the Grassroots Level by Engaging and Strengthening Human Rights Institutions in India several activities were organized for human rights activists of Aligarh. The activities were training, Roza Iftar for communal harmony, meetings with victims and their family members, seminar with local NGOs and Shahr-e-Mufti on the issues of minorities and human rights and press conferences.
PVCHR is working with the financial aid from European Union chiefly in Meerut, Muradabad, Varanasi and Aligarh and at few other places in India against the atrocities with Muslims. Explaining about the working of human rights activists Dr Lenin told that they should be aware of the basic legal facts as this was important for them. For example if police arrests someone he or she has to be produced before the magistrate within 24-hours of the arrest, tell reason for arrest and there shall be no violence with the arrested person. If the police has taken away a person in the name of arrest the information can immediately be given to the DIG through telegram as this telegram will serve as a proof for the arrest. Shirin Shabana Khan said that If the cops are not following the supreme court directives given in connection with the DK Basu case then the information has to be given to the National Human Rights Commission, superintendent of police, IG (zone) through a letter and it is important to mention which directives in particular were not followed at the time of arrest by police. Mrityunjay explained threadbare the schemes under prime ministers 15 point programme for the minorities welfare. The participants were given DK Basu guidelines, Detention Watch!!, learning material for prime ministers 15 point programme, posters, handbill and pamphlets.
Other activities
Under the project to Reducing Police Torture against Muslims at the Grass-roots Level by Engaging and Strengthening Human Rights Institutions in India Include and strengthen human rights organization to reduce atrocities against Muslims at the ground level meetings/seminars were held to check whimsical policing and atrocious activities by cops. Meetings were held with human rights organizations, including different networks to form groups for Muslim rights and with NGOs, intellectual citizens, administration and representatives of the newspapers. The detail of these activities is as follows:
Roza Iftar
On August 09 2011 a Roza Iftar was organized in Aligarh to set up communal harmony, check atrocity upon Muslims, protect their rights and form friends groups. In the event both Hindus and Muslims and people from other religion participated with administrative officials, educationists, politicians, NGOs. The programme began at 7.15 pm where 115 people turned up for participation. Some of the victims of police atrocity too participated in the programme.
Dr Lenin (right) and Ragib Ali (left) Shahr-e-Mufti (Aligarh) Abdul Hamid (centre)
Press conference
Many times news about police atrocity upon Muslims/Minorities do not come with adequate sensitivity and proper impact. PVCHR organized a press conference in Aligarh (at the Muskan restaurant) to discuss with the media upon sensitivity on Muslim issues, details of the project and schemes for minority welfare on August 10 2011.
Newspaper clippings (left) Uttar Pradesh-Uttrakhand Kesri: Meerut: Ragib Ali Violence on rise in Aligarh, Muradabad and Meerut: Ragib Ali (right) Hindustan: People do not trust police and law
Representatives of local, state and national media participated in the press conference. The press conference was addressed by general secretary of PVCHR Dr Lenin, member of the governing body Ragib Ali and management team member Shirin Shabana Khan. Dr Lenin spoke on the work of PVCHR, status of Muslims at present and the project. Replying to the queries from the media Dr Lenin stressed on the need for strengthening of the Indian cultural harmony. Dr Lenin shared the case of Abdul Ajij who died in police custody. Shirin Shabana Khan stressed upon the need to work for awareness about the minority welfare scheme and their status. She appealed to the media to focus upon the welfare schemes for the minorities and make stories related with schemes. Press conference was participated by project manager Mrityunjay and district coordinator Mohd Naseem.