Chhattisgarh Project

Introduction

Since its inception, CHRI has been working nationally and internationally in the field of police reforms. The prime focus has been on policy level dialogues and educating strategic groups about police functioning and mechanisms of accountability. CHRI has always drawn attention to the need for initiating fundamental changes in the present functioning of the police.

The rationale for the Chhattisgarh project was borne out of the realisation that there was a need to develop a region based advocacy programme to help CHRI develop linkages to its national level programme. Since 1999, CHRI has been consistently working with various critical groups and stakeholders in Madhya Pradesh, with a programme of advocacy and awareness building, which has also been adopted in Chhattisgarh. In the initial years of state formation the State Government had shown interest in developing good governance through partnerships with civil society groups and this was reason enough for CHRI to actively focus on an Access to Justice and an Access to Information programme in the state. However, of late due to the violence and the counter violence the present situation of both the government and the civil society is one of deep suspicion and distrust. At Assembly in mid 2005 both the ruling party and the opposition party passed a resolution to bring the NGO's under a strict scanner. The project has evolve through the various change in political climate, the change in police leadership and the ongoing dynamics in the civil society.

In the national work CHRI has catalysed debate on police reforms, right to information and has undertaken massification of human rights education on the Constitution and citizens' access to information and their rights while interacting with the police. CHRI's earlier interventions in Madhya Pradesh determined that it was important to bring in a hand on experience to its research work and this would also help in the advocacy efforts. In addition the opportunity to work in a new state, which has a huge and traditionally exploited indigenous tribal population particularly vulnerable to police abuse, strengthened the hope that the state itself would be keen to improve police-public relations.

In its endeavour CHRI collaborated with the newly formed Chhattisgarh State Human Rights Commission to work on the concept of police reforms in the state. CHRI aim was also to bring police reforms as a front burner issue for the Commission to work on. Over the last four years the Chhattisgarh State Human Rights Commission has worked closely with CHRI in spreading human rights education. CHRI had opted for this long-term intervention in the hope that the Commission one day will be able to carry forward its mandate of educating people on their rights and create a more empowered community while they interface with the law enforcement.

Discussions with important stakeholders in the State including the government, the police department, civil society groups and the media were held in Raipur on June 10, 2002. CHRI placed the agenda of discussion on police reforms in the State, which culminated in the following strategy. The recommendations of this consultation process can be categorised into the following broad areas:

"To encourage informed and intelligent participation of the community in the process of police reforms"
(i) Develop mass awareness programmes on rights and duties.
(ii) Sensitise police personnel on human rights issues and how to interface with the people.
(iii) Dialogue with critical groups such as the bureaucracy and legislators to draw them into the conversation of reforms.
(iv) Create discussion platforms between the police and community in an effort for decentralisation of power and build participation for people policing.

"The following mechanisms can be adopted for dissemination of information to bring in greater levels of awareness and education".
(i) Introduce legal literacy through a communications strategy,
(ii) Educate the community on their rights,
(iii) Network with strategic groups and individuals in an attempt to promote the cause of police reforms.

" Changes that need to be brought to ensure police reforms".
(i) Replace Police Act, 1861,
(ii) Bring in attitudinal changes in police personnel,
(iii) Improving community police relationship.
(iv) Empower the people so that they can enjoy their rights and are able to access the system
(v) Work in partnership to usher zero tolerance to violence and corruption

CHRI took the recommendations of the people and built on the programme through five workshops on policing issues, four on Police Personnel Sensitisation and four on legal literacy camps, radio programmes and mass dissemination of literature through 2002-2004. Therefore the focus after consultations with various strategic groups was on legal education and building a better communications between the police and the community.