annual report print final.qxd - Asian Centre for Human Rights

INDIA HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT 2005 Himachal Pradesh
N.C. Jain, a retired Chief Justice of the
Karnataka High Court was appointed as
the Chairperson of the Himachal Pradesh
State Human Rights Commission. 2
The law enforcement personnel
continued to use disproportionate force.
On 11 February 2004, the Himachal
Pradesh police violently dispersed a
peaceful demonstration by the Tibetans at
McLeodganj, Dharmasala. They were
marching to Delhi to participate in the
Tibetan Uprising Day celebrated on 10
March. Police dispersed the march on the
ground that they had not obtained any
permission. When Vice-President of the
Tibetan Youth Congress, Samphel Tenzin
opposed it, he was reportedly assaulted
without any provocation. The policeman
physically dragged nuns, monks and
elderly marchers. One 81-year-old Dorje
reportedly received blows on the head and
other parts of the body. A policeman also
snatched the camera of ANI cameraman
Hemant. 3
The Dalits faced atrocities from
physical abuse to segregation by the upper
castes.
The lack of proper rehabilitation
negatively impacted the enjoyment of
human rights by victims who were
displaced by National Thermal Power
Corporation in Arki tehsil of Solan and the
Pongi dam.
II. Atrocities against the Dalits
Although on 1 December 2004, four
upper castes - Baldev Singh, Tej Singh,
Janti and Chino, all residents of Behi
82
Pargna Himgiri village were convicted by
Special Judge, Chamba, under Sections
447, 427, 379 and 34 of the Indian Penal
Code and Section 3(1) of the Scheduled
Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention
of Atrocities) Act, 1989, the Dalits
continue to face atrocities. 4 The four were
sentenced for destroying the house of Ms
Ramdei, wife of Rasalu of Behi Pargna
Himgiri village, belonging to ‘Chamar’
community, one of the Dalit groups. The
government of Himachal Pradesh had
allotted two bighas of land in Behi village.
But the accused objected to the allotment
stating that they would not allow a
‘Chamar’ to reside near their house and
demolished Ramdei’s house. 5
On the night of 27 March 2004, two
members of a Dalit family, Kapoor Singh
and his son Shalig Ram, were allegedly
beaten to death by a mob in a suspected
case of caste rivalry at Motipur village in
Sirmaur district. Around midnight, armed
persons reportedly dragged them out of
their house and beaten them to death. 6
On 20 April 2004, one Mast Ram, a
Dalit resident of Nagta village in Kangra
district, was allegedly beaten by four
youth belonging to upper caste of the same
village while he was returning home. He
was also threatened with dire
consequences if he disclosed their identity
to the police. For five days the victim did
not reveal the names of the culprits and
continued to get treatment from a private
clinic. Later, when his condition
deteriorated he related the incident to one
of his relatives, who immediately shifted