NHRC pulls up Assam over starvation and rights violations

A woman worker: living a under the shadow of death with no
adequate food, no proper housing and no medical care

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) pulls up the government of Assam over hunger deaths of tea labourers and other cases of human rights violations. In its camp sitting in Guwahati held on 28th May 2012 the NHRC heard about 50 pending cases relating to Assam state of North East India.

'Out of 17 cases, which the full commission heard, at least 6 cases were closed after the commission got satisfactory answers from the state authorities. In the other cases, the commission has given time to the authorities to respond to its recommendations. The commission recommended about rupees (Indian currency) 1.8 million (18 lakh) as monetary relief in different cases of human rights violations', NHRC said in a release to the press.

A former labourer lying in his courtyard who died later due to
hunger and lack of medical treatment without medical care

'In the matter relating to starvation deaths in the Bhuvan valley tea estate in Cachar district, the commission has asked the state government to pay rupees 0.2 million each to the two tea garden workers and rupees 0.1 million (1 lakh) each to about 13 dependents of the workers who died due to starvation. The Commission has also directed the state government to inquire whether the Tea Association of India (TAI) was distributing the food grains properly among the workers or not' said the NHRC. The government provides the tea workers with food items from the Public Distribution System (PDS) through the TAI which is not favorably seen by the commission.

The NHRC release further stated that in a case relating to rehabilitation of children rendered orphan or destitute in communal riots in upper Assam districts, the commission asked the state government to identify the child victims without any further delay and give financial assistance to them and sent compliance report along with proof of payment within eight weeks. The Commission observed that it is the negligence of officers that led to orphaned children not getting timely assistance despite the fact that so many years have past since the riots.

House of Atul Bauri who recently died allegedly of starvation.
His daughter and other family members are in front of the house

In the cases relating to force prostitution of three women in Cachar district, the commission asked the state government to pay rupees one lakh each to the three victims. The government was also asked to inquire whether there was any organized activity going on in the state of Assam to bring girls from Meghalaya to Cachar and Silchar and forced them into prostitution. The authorities have been asked to take action against the guilty.

On the issue of witch hunting, the state authorities admitted that this practice is prevalent in backward and distantly located places. During last five years, about 88 women and over 40 men became victims of such incidents. The commission has asked the state authorities to create awareness among people and strive for fast investigation and speedy trial in incidents of witch hunting to at the deterrent.

The commission also heard encounter and custodial death cases in its two division benches and asked the police authorities to scrupulously adhere to its guidelines and submit all the reports to the commission timely for early disposal of such cases.

The Assam based human rights group Barak Human Rights Protection Committee (BHRPC), the group that has been reporting the starvation deaths of tea workers and fighting for their cause and complainant in several other cases, said that this move of the NHRC to dispose of pending cases expediently and to reach out to the remote areas in a bid to sensitize the government officials and talk with the civil society groups are great steps and have been long overdue. This will go a long to protect rights of the people encouraging the independent human rights defenders and the recommendations and observations of the NHRC will work as strong disincentive to the potential violators among the officials.

Originally published in the BHRPC site and also cross posted in the Newsblaze.

Rights group voices concern over police brutality in West Bengal

The Hong Kong based rights group Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has expressed concern over a case of illegal arrest, detention and police brutality against Mr Golam Kibria from Murshidabad district, West Bengal, India. Calling it a case of senseless brutality the AHRC said in a release that this is yet another incident in a seemingly infinite number of cases wherein law enforcement agencies due to ingrained malpractices and callous attitudes have committed criminal acts against helpless individuals under their jurisdiction.

The AHRC wrote to the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Arrest and Detention and the Special Rapporteur on Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment calling for their intervention in this case.

Citing an inquiry undertaken by MASUM, a West Bengal based human rights organisation, the AHRC said that the victim of illegal arrest, detention and torture was 30-year-old Mr Golam Kibria from the Murshidabad district, who endured physical assault and injury from police officers from Jalangi Police Station led by Mr Manas Maity, the Officer-in-Charge of Jalangi Police Station and the Sub-Divisional Police Officer, Domkal, Murshidabad.

The police encircled the house of Mr Samsul Huda (Golam Kibria's father and a retired school teacher) at 1.30am on 4 May 2012 and began to strike the front door repeatedly, demanding entry. The police then forcibly entered the house and violently laid hands on Mr Golam Kibria, whose hands were tied with a rope and held above his head while the police brutally beat him. The victim was then taken to Jalangi Police Station.

Reports were soon heard that the police had completely removed his clothes and assaulted him again in his naked condition while in their custody. The severely injured victim was released from Jalangi Police Station on 5 May 2012 without any explanation as to his arrest the previous day or for the barbarism that was visited upon him during his unlawful detention.

Medical reports demonstrate the gravity of the assault upon Mr Golam Kibria, who is still being treated. The victim is himself still in shock and greatly traumatised by this unwarranted violence against his person. The victim's family members and some other locals witnessed the incident, but they are unable to seek justice because the police they have to report the case to would be the very same group of men who had themselves tortured the victim. Although these heinous criminal acts against Mr Golam Kibria are in themselves despicable, the criminality of the entire law enforcement agency is equally undeniable and even more troubling. The law has failed to provide back-up avenues through which the individual who was not in the first instance protected, could seek justice and compensation, and through which the perpetrators could be punished.

Mincing no words the rights body said that something is terribly wrong with the justice system in India. When individuals and entire communities live in fear of their own safety because of the arbitrariness and senselessness of violence; when agencies that were designed specifically to protect and uphold rule of law are themselves perpetrators of these acts; when police personnel, logically the moral exemplars for the societies they administer, are able to behave with complete impunity and are not subjected to intense scrutiny from the centre - it is a broken, dysfunctional system, a failure of humanism, a mockery of ideals.

Without intervention by the central government, the people of Murshidabad and all over India face, for the foreseeable future, continued abuse of their freedoms and physical person and no likelihood for justice to be served to those acting with complete impunity.

Along with the UN entities the AHRC also wrote to the Indian authorities demanding impartial and credible investigation into the case and compensation to the victim.

More importantly, the body called on to the Central authorities to take steps to circumscribe such acts of violence and impunity by instituting safeguards (such as external observers or auditors appointed by the centre) at the provincial level to monitor and enforce adherence to the legal procedures stipulated by the state government. The Central authorities should also take steps toward revising their stance toward Article 9 of the International Covenant Civil and Political Rights and toward acceding to the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel Inhuman and Degrading Treatment and Punishment in order to become even more credible in the commitment to international norms and shared ideals since the Indian state, particularly the central government, should undertake to protect the life, liberty, dignity and personal security of every single person residing in the Indian state under all circumstances through all means possible, demanded the AHRC.

Originally published in the Newblaze with the title AHRC Voices Concern Over Case of Police Brutality in India and available at http://newsblaze.com/story/20120525070457lask.nb/topstory.html

Campaign to save tea labourers from huger deaths

The Barak Human Rights Protection Committee (BHRPC) has started an online petition calling on the authorities in India to save the tea workers of Assam who are dying due to hunger, malnutrition and lack medical attention and care.

Bacause, according to the BHRPC, it is very shocking that the enforced conditions of starvation and famine and resultant tragedy of hunger deaths of the tea workers of Assam still persists with its all menacing ugliness. Labourers of tea estates in this North East Indian state known worldwide for tea production are dying one after another due to malnutrition and lack of proper health care.

So far 15 workers of a particular tea garden in South Assam died and several others are counting their days, according to the information available with the BHRPC. (Read more here) or support the tea workers and sign the petition here.

ভাষা শহিদঃ ন্যায়ের লড়াই ও অধিকারের আন্দোলন

ভাষা শহিদঃ ন্যায়ের লড়াই ও অধিকারের আন্দোলন

১৯শে মে একটি বিশেষ দিন। এই দিনটি বরাকবাসি আর বরাকের বাইরের অনেক বাঙ্গালির আছে একটি পবিত্র দিন। 

১৯৬১ সালের ১৯শে মে শিলচর রেলওয়ে স্টেশনে পুলিশের গুলিতে ১১ জন নিরস্ত্র সত্যাগ্রহির মৃত্যু হয়। বরাক উপত্যকার মানুষেরা তাঁদের মাতৃভাষা বাংলাকে আসামের দ্বিতীয় সরকারি ভাষা হিসেবে স্বীকৃতির দেওয়ার দাবির সমর্থনে ধর্না দিচ্ছিলেন। পুলিশ বিনা প্ররোচনায় গুলি চালায় তাঁদের উপর। ১১ জন নীরিহ তরুন-তরুনি শহিদ হন।

উত্তাল হয়ে ওঠে কলকাতা সহ ভারতের বাঙালি অধ্যুষিত অঞ্চল। কেন্দ্রীয় সরকারকে হস্তক্ষেপ  করতে হয়। কি এবং কোন পরিস্তিতে গুলি চালানো হয়েছিল তার তদন্তের জন্য এক কমিশন গঠন করা হয়। 

বাংলাভাষাকে বরাক উপত্যকার জন্য (সে সময়ের কাছাড় জেলা) সরকারি ভাষা হিসেবে মেনে নেওয়া হয়। শিক্ষাক্ষেত্রেও বাংলাকে কিছুটা স্থান দেওয়া হয়। 

কিন্তু পরবর্তিকালে নানা সময়ে আসামের সংখ্যালঘুদের মাতৃভাষা ও এমনকি তাদের অস্তিত্বের উপর সরকারের হানা নেমে আসে। আরো বেশ কয়েকবার প্রতিবাদের রক্তের স্রোত বইয়ে দিতে হয়। ১৯ ৭২, ১৯৮৬ এবং ১৯৯৬ তে আরো ৪ জন শহিদ হন। এই সব আন্দোলনে ১৯ প্রেরনা জোগায়।

১৯ এখন এখন হয়ে উঠেছে এক প্রতীক।

১৯ মাতৃভাষার অধিকার আদায়ের সংগ্রামের প্রতীক। সেই মাতৃভাষা বাংলা, অসমিয়া, মানিপুরি, হিন্দি বা অন্য যে কোন ভাষা হতে পারে।

১৯ মৌলিক মানবিক অধিকার আদায়ের সংগ্রামের প্রতীক। সেই অধিকার মাতৃভাষার অধিকার, আত্মপরিচয়ের অধিকার, আত্মপ্রকাশের অধিকার, আত্মমযার্দার অধিকার, সাম্যতার অধিকার, বাঁচার অধিকার, ভোটদানের অধিকার সহ সকল মৌলিক মানবাধিকার।

১৯ নিজের অধিকার আদায়ের সংগ্রাম আর অন্যের অধিকারকে সন্মান জানানোর প্রতীক।

১৯শের চেতনা অধিকারের চেতনা।

১৯শের চেতনা সাম্য, মৈত্রী আর ভালবাসার চেতনা।

সেই চেতনাকে পরিসর দেওয়ার জন্য গত কয়েক বছর থেকে শিলচর রেলওয়ে স্টেশনকে ভাষা শহিদ স্টেশন বলে নামকরণ করার দাবি উঠছে। কতৃপক্ষ নানা টালাবাহানা করছিলেন। এখন জানা গেল, তাঁরা জানিয়েছেন যে এই ব্যাপারে এখনও আদালতে Criminal case ঝুলে আছে। তার জন্য নাকি আসাম সরকারের পক্ষে সেই প্রস্তাবে সায় দেওয়া সম্ভব নয়। এই মামলাগুলো শহিদ ও তাঁদের সহ-প্রতিবাদিদের বিরুদ্ধে রজু করা হয়েছিল। আক্রান্তের বিরুদ্ধে আক্রমণকারিদের মামলা। এটা শুধু শহিদদের আবমাননা নয়, গোটা বরাকবাসি তথা গোটা বিশ্ববাংলার অবমাননা। এই অবমাননাতে আমাদেরও সমান অংশিদারিত্ব রয়েছে। আমরা কোনমতেই এর দায় এড়াতে পারি না।

এ থেকে এই কথাটাও পরিস্কার যে আমাদের শরীরে যে শুধু মেরুদন্ডের অভাব নয় তা নয়, আমাদের ঘিলুতে মগজেরও প্রচন্ড অভাব রয়েছে। না হলে আমরা কেন হত্যাকারিদের বিচারের দাবি, শহীদদের রাষ্ট্রীয় স্বীকৃতির দাবি আর কম পক্ষে সরকারি তদন্ত প্রতিবেদন প্রকাশের দাবিতে লড়াই না করে রেল স্টেশনের নামকরণ নিয়ে পড়েছি। তাও স্টেশনটি এখন অব্দি আধুনিক রেল লাইনের সাথে সংযুক্ত নয়। 

আমি এটা বলছি না যে ভাষা শহিদদের নামে শিলচর রেল স্টেশনের নামকরণের প্রয়োজন নেই। আমি এই নামকরণের দাবি সম্পূর্ণ সমথর্ন করি। এই নামকরণ শহিদদের স্বীকৃতি আদায় ও আগামী প্রজন্মের অন্তরে তাঁদের লড়াইয়ের কথা খোঁদাই করে রাখার জন্য প্রয়োজন। 

কিন্তু এর চেয়ে বেশি নাহলেও এর সমান প্রয়োজন তাঁরা এখন যে সরকারি খাতায় অপরাধি হয়ে আছেন সেই খাতা পুড়িয়ে ফেলা, তাঁরা যে শহিদ তার সরকারি স্বীকৃতি আদায় করা, ঘাতকদের আইনের চোখে দোষি সাব্যস্ত করা ইত্যাদি। অন্তত তদন্ত প্রতিবেদনটা তো জনসমক্ষে আনার আন্দোলন দিয়ে কি সেই লড়াই শুরু করা যায় না? 

Investigation finds charge of rape established against doctor

The police in Assam have filed a charge-sheet in the court against a doctor for raping his patient. The charge-sheet under section 376 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 has been filed by the officer-in-charge of the Dholai police station (PS) on 13 March 2012 at the Court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate in the district of Cachar after investigation of a case filed by a minor girl on 27 November, 2011.

This is disclosed recently by the district superintendent of police (SP) in Cachar in a report (vide No. G/SR/1281 dated 16/03/12) submitted to the Deputy Registrar of the Assam Human Rights Commission (AHRC) in response to a notice of the AHRC.

The report states that the survivor lodged a First Information Report (FIR) at Dholai PS inter alia alleging that on 27 November, 2011 at about 4 PM the complainant being accompanied by her sister in law (name withheld to protect identity) had been to the chamber of Dr Dilip Paul at Sadagram (Dholai Bazar) where he refused to check her up.

Instead, he asked her to be in his residential chamber for her check up and treatment. On her arrival at his residential chamber the accused doctor asked her to go inside while her sister in law was asked to wait outside. As soon as she entered the house, the accused doctor closed the door and window from the outside and forcibly raped her.

The AHRC issued a notice to the SP for a detailed report about the case after it registered a case of human rights violations (vide AHRC Case No. 302/2/11-12.) on the complaint filed by the Barak Human Rights Protection Committee (BHRPC).

The report of the SP, however, mentions that the medical test conducted after the investigation of the case started do not corroborate the allegations of the victim as well as those of the BHRPC against the doctor. It says that (1) evidence of recent sexual intercourse not detected, (II) evidence of violent mark not detected in her private parts and (III) her age is above 18 years and below 20 years.

The BHRC claimed that the victim/survivor is a minor girl studying in class IX.

However, on the examination of the witnesses of the complainant, witnesses of the accused and the place of occurrence the investigating police officer found that charge under section 376 of the IPC which provides punishment for rape is established, states the SP.

When the AHRC asked the BHRPC for its comments on the report of the SP the latter submitted a detailed response pointing out why the medical report can not be relied upon. According to the BHRPC the medical report can not be relied upon because (i) there was inordinate delay in conducting the test; (ii) the report goes against the circumstantial evidences; (iii) the report goes against the accounts of the witnesses as recorded by the police; and (iv) the element of sympathy of the doctors who conducted the test towards the doctor who is the alleged violator creeping in and vitiating the objectivity of the findings can not be ruled out as both of them are colleagues and belong to the same profession.

The BHRPC also said that the filing of charge-sheet by the police will facilitate the criminal court to conduct trial on the criminal aspect of case in order only to fix criminal liability and proportionate penal measure called for under the law. It is not the domain of the trial court to consider human rights liability of the violator and remedies to the victim/survivor. Therefore, it comes under the jurisdiction of the Commission to fix human rights liability and more importantly to provide redress to the victim/survivor in terms of adequate compensation.

The BHRPC in its submission urged the AHRC to recommend to the authorities to provide an adequate amount of compensation to the victim/survivor; and while fixing the quantum of the compensation the AHRC should take into consideration the aggravating factors involved in the case such as (a) that the alleged violator is a government servant paid from the state exchequer for acting as savoir for those who are in physical distress; (b) that the victim/survivor went to the alleged violator in full trust as his position demands; (c) that the alleged violator took benefit of position of custodian of the victim/survivors at the moment of commission of the violating acts; (d) that the case has a clear custodial angle; (e) that the age and social and other circumstances of the victim/survivor are such that the minor girl has had an entire life full of colours but which has been destroyed beyond repair for no faults of hers and her life has become an undesirable and unbearable burden on her fragile shoulders.

(This has also been published in the Newsblaze and is available at http://newsblaze.com/story/20120513124721lask.nb/topstory.html

Inquiry ordered Into death of new born baby, over alleged medical negligence

The New Delhi based statutory child-rights body, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, (NCPCR) asked the deputy commissioner of Hailakandi district of the North East Indian state Assam for a report on how the first child of Mr Bijoy Dev and Mrs Tumpa Dev of Ward No. 13 at College Road in Hailakandi town died on 1 April 2012 after delivery.

The nation's child rights watchdog moved into action after receiving a complaint from the Barak Human Rights Protection Committee (BHRPC) on 11 April. It was alleged that the child died due to negligence and dereliction in duties by the doctors of the Sontush Kumar Civil Hospital of Hailakandi. The NCPCR registered the case based on the complaint as case No. 13016/32389/2010-11/COMP.

The BHRPC alleged that Mrs Dev went in labour, and was brought to the S K Roy Civil Hospital at about 1pm on 30 March. No doctors saw the woman and with the help of nurses, she gave birth to a male child. It was a forced birth as some doctors who later examined the baby and his mother said she was in need of caesarian section and that complications leading to the death arose due to the injuries caused to the baby during delivery. The condition of both the mother and child started to worsen soon thereafter. Still no doctors in the hospital saw them. They then went to the Silchar Medical College and Hospital, Silchar (SMCH) and the baby died there at about 6pm on 1 April.

According to BHRPC, this appears to be a clear case of causing death by negligence within the meaning of section 304A of the Indian Penal Code, 1860, even keeping in mind the rules laid down by the Supreme Court of India in Jacob Mathew Vs State of Punjab (2005) (Appeal (Crl.) 144-145 of 2004) for application of the section in cases of negligent and rash acts or omissions of doctors. Most importantly, it is a prima facie case of violations of fundamental right to life as laid down in Article 21 of the Constitution of India. In a catena of cases, the Supreme Court held that the right to health care is a part of the right to life.

The rights group also claimed that the negligent conduct of the doctors, particularly that caused the death of the baby also amounts to violations of the rights enshrined in Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948. The allegations also constitute violations of provisions of legally binding human rights instruments to which India is a state party. Such as the right to life provided under Article 6 of the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights, 1966. As a positive entitlement, the right to health and health care is recognised in Article 12 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, 1966. Further, it is also a case of violations of relevant provisions of other United Nations conventions, such as Article 12 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, 1979 (CEDAW) and Article 6 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, 1989 (CRC).

The case also falls under section 13 (1) (j) of the Commissions for Protection of Child Rights Act, 2005.

Secretary Lov Barma wrote on 17 April 2012 (vide No AS-13016/32389/2010-11/COMP/10930) to the Hailakandi Deputy Commissioner, Mr A Nanda Babu Singha, asking for a report within a moth.

After receiving the notice, Mr Singha formed a three-member inquiry committee on 3 May 2012, headed by the Hailakandi circle officer Dhrubajyoti Dev. The other two members are the joint director of health and the district programme officer of the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM). Mr Singha asked the committee to file their report within 15 days.
                                                                                                                     
This news was first published in the Newsblaze and available at http://newsblaze.com/story/20120511095852lask.nb/topstory.html

Another Assam tea garden worker dies of malnutrition

Another tea plantation worker in India died untimely at the age of 38. Mr. Lakhi Prasad Dushad, a resident of the North Bank division of the Bhuvan valley tea estate in Assam, died on 3 May 2012. He was a permanent worker at the tea estate.

The Barak Human Rights Protection Committee (BHRPC), an Assam based rights group, earlier reported 14 deaths that were found to be caused by starvation, malnutrition and lack of proper medical care in this south Assam tea garden. With this latest death, the toll stands at 15, according to the information available with the BHRPC.

According to BHRPC reports, the tea estate is owned by a private company based in Kolkata, which employs about 500 permanent and approximately another 1000 casual workers, was abandoned by the owners in October 8, 2011 without paying the workers their outstanding wages and other dues. It resulted in loss of means of livelihood for the workers, pushing them into starvation that led to the deaths of 10 people, up until 27 January 2012.

According to the BHRPC fact-finding report released on 1 February, the workers were deprived of their rights as they were forced to do overtime work and were paid very low wages (Rs. 41.00 for casual workers and 50.00 to 55.00 for permanent workers) without being provided any medical treatment while working and, after closure, had the payment of their wages, provident fund and bonus suspended.

The rights of plantation workers to a fair wage, bonus, provident fund, housing and basic medical facilities in accordance with the Plantation Labour Act, 1951 have not been enforced. In the course of closure, the government failed to make any intervention to guarantee their fundamental rights to live with dignity. It is further found that basic medical care and food distribution for the poor under the government schemes including the ICDS did not properly reach even those workers who lost their livelihoods and that was one of the causes that led to the deaths.

The secretary general of BHRPC, Mr Neharul Ahmed Mazumder said in a statement released on 8 May, that on receiving information about the death of Mr Dushad, a team from the BHRPC visited the garden and talked with his family and other labourers on 3 May. "The team was informed that the immediate cause of the death apparently was tuberculosis. But the labourers contended that because of long time malnutrition the deceased had been very weak and vulnerable to attacks of such diseases. This is the reason for a large number of the labourers having tuberculosis, while people residing in nearby villages seldom have this disease, they claim."

The BHRPC stated that on the basis of the information provided by the workers, this also appears prima facie as a clear case of death, due to malnutrition and lack of proper medical care, since the underlying cause of the death is obviously malnutrition and the immediate cause of tuberculosis is a treatable disease.

Moreover, going by the definition of starvation death provided in the National Food Security Bill, 2010 drafted by the National Advisory Council and the Starvation Investigation Protocol prepared by the Supreme Court Commissioners on the right to food the unfortunate death can be termed as the one caused by starvation. This is also a case of failure of both the union government of India and the state government of Assam to ensure the right to live with dignity, to which every citizen of India is entitled, under Article 21 of the Constitution of India, as well as international human rights law.

The BHRPC continuously reported to the authorities in India about the hunger deaths in the Bhuvan valley tea garden since 1 February 2012. The authorities have not yet taken any effective action to ameliorate the situation and improve the working condition of the labourers, in accordance with the international human rights obligations and laws passed by the Indian parliament. The Assam government only made the owners re-open the garden and ordered an inquiry as a whitewash.

Without enforcement of legal obligations of the owners, and human rights obligations of the governments, the re-opening of the garden appears nothing short of the return of the beast. The action merely worsened the conditions, instead of ending the woes of the labourers. There are complaints that labourers are not getting loans from the provident fund (PF) to get over their cash crunch, as the management had only paid 50% of the arrears of PF through the district administration, which is not even being released by the authorities.

Even the PF claims of the dead labourers were not being cleared. The garden hospital is still totally non-functional and the hospital run by the government under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) has no full time qualified doctor. Though rationing of some staple food has been started, it excludes most of the dependents of the workers. According to the labourers, both the quality and quantity of the food items supplied are not consumable by human beings.

The BHRPC expressed its deep concerns over the present survival and future well-being of the family of Mr Dushad. He left behind his wife Imti Dushad (aged about 30), his sons Kishan Dushad (15), Eleven Dushad (13), Sujit Dushad (11), Hitesh Dushad (8) and 5 year old daughter Sweetie Dushad. Their survival is uncertain in the situation as it now stands.

The BHRPC made a supplementary submission about the death of Lakhi Prasad Dushad, and the situation now prevailing in the estate, to the office of the Supreme Court Commissioners on the right to food, as well as the National Human Rights Commission. The National Human Rights Commission took cognizance of the hunger deaths in Bhuvan valley on the petitions of the BHRPC. The authorities, including the prime minister of India and the chief minister of Assam, have also been informed.

The report has also been published by the Newsblaze and available at http://newsblaze.com/story/20120509070943lask.nb/topstory.html