Goa
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Panaji: NHRC Issues Notice to Goa Govt on Tribals' Human Rights Violation
- Fri, Jun 03 2011 02:35:30 PM
Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji
Panaji, Jun 3: National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued notices to State Chief Secretary and Director General of Police (DGP) in connection with the human rights violations of Cauvrem tribals, who are fighting against illegal mining.
The commission in its notice, dated May 24, has given four weeks time for CS and DGP to furnish the report.
Savio Rodrigues, a media professional, had moved to the NHRC with the plea that the human rights of tribals at Cauvrem were violated by the state government and especially by police.
He had also pointed out to the attack on Nilesh Gaonkar, an anti mining activist, who was one amongst several youths, stopping the mining trucks from carrying illegal transport.
Rodrigues had petitioned the NHRC over alleged atrocities committed on the Velip and Gaonkar tribals from Cauvrem village, where locals are fighting to save their area from the mining menace.
The village has five iron ore mines. Operations at one of them were stopped after aggressive tribal agitation, while villagers have halted movement of trucks from four others.
Since the tribals began their stir, there has been a spate of attacks on the villagers. Earlier last month, around 100 villagers were arrested for blocking truck traffic, while a tribal leader, Nilesh Gaonkar, was mercilessly beaten up allegedly by pro-mining goons.
"The villagers were only upholding the directives of the Government when they staged a peaceful demonstration and stopped movement of trucks," Rodrigues said, adding the police acted at the instance of mining firms and truck operators.
A report highlighting the plight of the villagers, the incidents in the past and recent, including a police lathi charge video (where contains footage of a woman being dragged by the policemen) and a report on the attack on Gaonkar was sent to the NHRC by Rodrigues.