Citizens for Justice and Peace
Death of a Rationalist: Govind Pansare Baptised by the bullet for questioning the politics of religion, caste and class
19-Feb-2018
A rationalist is a person who chooses to believe the scientific explanation for the occurrence of natural events rather than attributing them to faith or fate. Often rationalists openly renounce and denounce religion in favour of reason and logic. This, unfortunately, also often puts a bull’s eye on their backs. In fact, since late 2013,…
Activist in Vietnam sentenced to 14 years in prison for livestreaming fishermen’s march
12-Feb-2018
The Guardian reported that a Vietnam court has sentenced activist Hoang Duc Binh to 14 years in prison for livestreaming fishermen’s march to file a lawsuit against a steel plant that expelled toxic material into the sea. Binh was found guilty of “abusing democratic freedoms to infringe on the interests of the state, organisation and people, and…
Shahid Azmi, You live forever! In Memoriam
10-Feb-2018
In a short life spanning thirty three years, Shahid Azmi’s contribution to the democratic rights movement in India was immense. Though it has been eight years since he was killed on February 11, 2010, it is as if he is still alive, serving as the guiding light for many aspiring, young lawyers who want to…
Bhim Army Chief’s Detention Economic and Political Weekly
08-Feb-2018
We, on behalf of the Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP), a civil rights organisation, would like to draw your attention to the unjust incarceration of Chandrashekhar Azad Ravan, chief of the Bhim Army, a young and dynamic democratic rights activist. He was arrested by the Uttar Pradesh (UP) police on 9 June 2017. Apart…
American ivory trade researcher murdered in Kenya
06-Feb-2018
The Guardian reported that Esmond Bradley Martin died after he was stabbed in his home in a suburb of Nairobi on February 4, 2018. Although early reports indicate that police believe he died as a result of a bungled robbery, there are also that his death was linked to his work, the Guardian said. Bradley Martin, who…
रावण को आज़ाद करो हमारी याचिका पर हस्ताक्षर करें
03-Feb-2018
भीम आर्मी के संस्थापक और जुझारू युवा दलित नेता चंद्रशेखर आजाद उर्फ़ ‘रावण’ पर उत्तर प्रदेश की सरकार ने दोबारा रासुका लगा दी है. जिस राज्य के मुख्यमंत्री अपने ऊपर लगे केसों को बेशर्मी से हटा रहे हो, वहां एक निर्दोष इंसान को जेल में रखने का एक ही मतलब है – की वे रावण…
My Sister, My Soulmate A poem by Kavita Lankesh
29-Jan-2018
Gauri Lankesh fearlessly spoke truth to power. She stood up against injustice and discrimination. She strived for communal harmony until her dying breath. On the occasion of Gauri Lankesh’s birth anniversary, we are publishing a heartbreakingly beautiful tribute by her sister Kavita. She raved, she ranted, Many times she burst out…. Uppercaste this… Brahmincal…
Our Gauri: A Tribute to Gauri Lankesh #IAmGauri
29-Jan-2018
Fearless journalist Gauri Lankesh was shot dead outside her home in Bangalore in September 2017. This film follows her political journey, envisaging what she stood for and her struggle for communal harmony until her last breath.
Free Chandrashekhar Azad (Ravan) Sign our petition today!
27-Jan-2018
Bhim Army Chief, Chandrashekhar Azad, popularly known as Ravan, has been incarcerated in an unjust manner for about 8 months now. He was arrested by the UP police on June 9, 2017 in connection with the Saharanpur violence of May 2017. Apart from multiple criminal cases, that CJP believes are being unjustly foist on him,…
The Girl who scared the Government Shehla Rashid on hate, misogyny and threats
27-Jan-2018
Shehla Rashid was dragged into a raging maelstrom of hate and misogyny nearly two years ago when she emerged at the forefront of India’s burgeoning student movement. She earned the wrath of right wing groups and was anointed with a variety of undignified labels like ‘anti-national’ and ‘traitor’. However, none of this deterred the firebrand…
यूँ बनती है नफ़रत की दीवार उमर ख़ालिद और जिग्नेश मेवाणी पर हुई एफ़आईआर और उससे जुड़ी नफ़रत भड़काने वाले ज़हरीले भाषणों की झड़ी का एक छोटा सा विवरण
13-Jan-2018
2018 का पहला दिन और सैकड़ों की तादाद में भगवा झण्डे लिए समूह ने भीमा कोरेगाँव युद्ध स्मारक पर हमला बोल दिया. दलित, जो हर साल 1 जनवरी को भीमा कोरेगाँव युद्ध के शहीदों को याद करने जमा होते हैं, वे इसहिंसा से भौचक्के रह गए और खुद को बचाने का प्रयत्न करने लगे. उसके…
Report: More than 300 human rights defenders killed in 2017
09-Jan-2018
Front Line Defenders, an Ireland-based organisation working to protect human rights defenders at risk, released its Annual Report on Human Rights Defenders at Risk in 2017 on January 3, 2018. According to the announcement of the report’s release, 312 human rights defenders in 27 countries “were killed for their peaceful work, according to data collected” by the…
Dalit Forest Rights Activist Shobha demands action against minor son’s Illegal Detention Alleges constant harassment from authorities
08-Jan-2018
Shobha, a resident of village Baadi, post Daala, and district Sonebhadra, is one of the key women leaders of the ongoing people’s movement in the Sonebhadra district against the illegal construction of the Kanhar dam. She is also part of the movement to implement the Forest Rights Act, 2006. She has now alleged that she is being…
Upward surge in Human Rights Violations in the Valley: JKCCS Annual report highlights cases of suppression of dissent
06-Jan-2018
The Jammu Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS), in its annual report for 2017, mentions the “upward surge” of human rights violations in the valley last year. Particularly in the efforts of pushing back against dissent, according to the report, “the authorities continue to use [sic] Public Safety Act (PSA) as an instrument to suppress…
UN human rights chief calls on Iran to probe protesters’ deaths
05-Jan-2018
On January 3, 2018, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, has called on Iran “to handle the wave of protests that have taken place around the country with great care so as not to further inflame violence and unrest,” and probe deaths and major injuries that have occurred, an Office…