Chhattisgarh Project

CHRI's strategy is through a three-pronged approach:

• Initiating a best practice:
  • CHRI is facilitating a community-policing project in Maana Police Station, Raipur.
  • Regular interactions with key institutions such as Hiddayatullah National Law University (HNLU), Raipur and Kalyan College, Bhillai in district Durg to develop awareness on human rights issues and community participation in policing. Also to take their support to develop documents and work through internship programmes etc.
• Capacity building:
  • CHRI is focusing on human rights sensitisation for Police Personnel.
  • Providing support and developing programmes with the Chhattisgarh State Human Rights Commission with an effort to make human rights education one of the core activity areas of the institution.
    
• Communication strategy:
  CHRI disseminates information using a range of media including:
  
  • Radio programmes,
  • Pamphlets and easy to read flyers,
  • Spots for cable television and cinema halls in Raipur and Durg. Recently, the Kalyan College has conducted a survey and the following were some of the results.

In addition to the above three main areas, there is an ongoing advocacy process with the Government to create a culture of human rights. In 2005 to 2006 CHRI has taken up the issue to repeal the draconian legislation of the Chhattisgarh Special Public Security Act 2005. It has coordinated with civil society groups, has disseminated the critique of the Act widely and has taken up the issue both with the state and the Central government. CHRI's Chair and Director wrote a letter to the President of India. (Copy of the letter is attached).

On March 29th 2006 CHRI received a letter from the President's secretariat informing that the office had not received a copy of the Chhattisgarh Special Public Security Act 2005. Copy attached. On April 6, 2006 CHRI tried to file an application under the Right to Information Act to seek a copy of the presidential assent note from the Governor's office. The CHRI staff spent a lot at trying to locate the Public Information Officer (PIO), but were finally unable to file the application. See details.

On April 7, 2006 under the RTI 2005 the application was filed. See attachments. Further after the stipulated 30 days when the CHRI did not receive any response from the State PIO, a letter was sent to the person with further request for a copy of the presidential assent. See attachment. On May 18, 2006 an appeal was filed to the appellate authority. See details. Also a letter was sent to the Presidential secretariat asking for further clarifications. See attachment. The details of the campaign is attached.

In 2004 while the custodial deaths were reported in Chhattisgarh, and a local NGO Forum for Fact Finding Documentation and Advocacy (FFDA) had taken up the issue by filing a PIL in the Ram Kumar Dhruv case, CHRI had sent a complaint to the National Human Rights Commission (case no:123\33\2004-2005\CD) for intervention. Further a paper has been developed to help the civil society to understand the processes the government or the police have to follow after a custodial death is reported. (The Anatomy of a Custodial Death is attached).

However, these efforts do not deter CHRI from taking forward its primary efforts to undertake the process of mobilising the police and the civil society for police reforms. A recently held workshop on police reforms on March 21 2006 gives some details of the discussions and this report was submitted to the Police Act Drafting Committee (PADC) on March 25, 2006. (Report attached).The PADC is presently drafting a new Police Act to replace the Act of 1861. This committee has been set up by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India.

The project in Chhattisgarh gives CHRI an opportunity to demonstrate a multi-pronged approach to effectively bring together all possible stakeholders to ensure structural reforms in the police organisation in the coming years. The year 2003 was crucial for CHRI wherein strategic stakeholders were identified and involved to initiate the process of police reforms in the state.

Just as the focus of CHRI's international office is to facilitate issues of accountability, transparency and effective civil society participation in governance, the work in Chhattisgarh is a microcosmic project adhering to the same basic principles.