NHRC issues notice to the Kerala Government taking suo motu cognizance of allegations of illegal sand mining in coastal areas
PRESS RELEASE
New Delhi, 10th October, 2013
The National Human Rights Commission has taken suo motu cognizance of media reports that Mrs. Jazeera V., a woman from Kerala, accompanied by her three small children, has moved to the National Capital, to protest at Jantar Mantar, after an assurance from the State Chief Minister, subsequent to her 64 days sit-in outside the Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram for action against sand mining mafia, failed to yield any results. A notice has been issued to the Chief Secretary, Government of Kerala and District Collector, Kannur, calling for their response to the allegations within two weeks.
They have also been asked to inform about the legislative and administrative actions taken by the Government of Kerala for preventing illegal and indiscriminate mining of sand from the riverbeds and seashores, with particular reference to the Kannur district and to the allegations of Mrs. Jazeera.
Earlier, considering the matter an issue of protection of human rights, the NHRC Member, Mr. Justice Cyriac Joseph, accompanied by the officers of the Commission, visited the venue of the sit-in agitation by Mrs. Jazeera. She reiterated her allegations in the media reports that illegal sand mining in her hometown in District Kunnur has led to shrinking of the coastal area with the result that land around her house was fast disappearing, the houses were getting flooded during monsoon and that there was an imminent danger of loosing the environment, which needed to be kept for the future generations.
The Commission has observed that no doubt, illegal and indiscriminate mining of sand from the riverbeds and seashores raises serious environmental problems and threat to human rights. It looks strange that 64 days sit-in agitation by Mrs. Jazeera outside the Government Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram did not produce any tangible result and it is unbelievable that the assurance stated to have been given by the Chief Minister of the State was not honoured and the illegal sand mining is continuing. The matter deserved to be enquired into by the Commission.
The Commission has also expressed concern over discontinuation of school education of Mrs. Jazeera's two daughters, Rizvana, 12 years and Shifana, 10 years, as they are part of her sit-in agitation. It has observed that it would appear that Mrs. Jazeera is ignoring her parental duty under Article 51 A (K) of the Constitution and Section 10 of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009. Thus, action may be necessary to protect the right to education of her two daughters.
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New Delhi, 10th October, 2013
The National Human Rights Commission has taken suo motu cognizance of media reports that Mrs. Jazeera V., a woman from Kerala, accompanied by her three small children, has moved to the National Capital, to protest at Jantar Mantar, after an assurance from the State Chief Minister, subsequent to her 64 days sit-in outside the Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram for action against sand mining mafia, failed to yield any results. A notice has been issued to the Chief Secretary, Government of Kerala and District Collector, Kannur, calling for their response to the allegations within two weeks.
They have also been asked to inform about the legislative and administrative actions taken by the Government of Kerala for preventing illegal and indiscriminate mining of sand from the riverbeds and seashores, with particular reference to the Kannur district and to the allegations of Mrs. Jazeera.
Earlier, considering the matter an issue of protection of human rights, the NHRC Member, Mr. Justice Cyriac Joseph, accompanied by the officers of the Commission, visited the venue of the sit-in agitation by Mrs. Jazeera. She reiterated her allegations in the media reports that illegal sand mining in her hometown in District Kunnur has led to shrinking of the coastal area with the result that land around her house was fast disappearing, the houses were getting flooded during monsoon and that there was an imminent danger of loosing the environment, which needed to be kept for the future generations.
The Commission has observed that no doubt, illegal and indiscriminate mining of sand from the riverbeds and seashores raises serious environmental problems and threat to human rights. It looks strange that 64 days sit-in agitation by Mrs. Jazeera outside the Government Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram did not produce any tangible result and it is unbelievable that the assurance stated to have been given by the Chief Minister of the State was not honoured and the illegal sand mining is continuing. The matter deserved to be enquired into by the Commission.
The Commission has also expressed concern over discontinuation of school education of Mrs. Jazeera's two daughters, Rizvana, 12 years and Shifana, 10 years, as they are part of her sit-in agitation. It has observed that it would appear that Mrs. Jazeera is ignoring her parental duty under Article 51 A (K) of the Constitution and Section 10 of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009. Thus, action may be necessary to protect the right to education of her two daughters.
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