NHRC camp sitting at Guwahati concludes; 56 cases of human rights violations in NE States heard

Press release

National Human Rights Commission

New Delhi, 17th November, 2023

NHRC camp sitting at Guwahati concludes; 56 cases of human rights violations in NE States heard

A sum of Rs. 355.5 lakh relief paid or in the process of being paid to the victims

Meeting held with Chief Secretaries & DGPs and SHRCs to protect and promote human rights and human dignity

The National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, India today concluded its two-day camp sitting on 16th & 17th November, 2023 at Administrative Staff College, Guwahati, Assam. The camp sitting was organized to hear the pending cases of human rights violations in eight North Eastern (NE) States and to spread awareness amongst the officials of State Governments, its parastatal organizations and NGOs. NHRC, India Chairperson Justice Shri Arun Mishra, Members, Dr. Dnyaneshwar M. Mulay and Shri Rajiv Jain, Secretary General, Shri Bharat Lal, Registrar (Law), Surajit Dey, and senior officers also attended the camp sitting.

Justice Mishra, inaugurating the camp sitting, said that the Commission has a wide-ranging mandate for the promotion and protection of human rights in diverse areas and the Commission’s camp sitting in the concerned States is a unique concept aimed at reaching out to the doorsteps of the victims of human rights violations.

The Commission heard 56 cases in the presence of concerned officers of the North Eastern States and the complainants. These included, among others, the alleged arbitrary and unlawful division/partition of the lands of the Chakmas at Anandapur-I and Anandapur-II, Brajapur, Bodhiasatta-II villages in District Changlang, Arunachal Pradesh, alleged rape of a 16-year old tribal girl by a non-tribal person in the area of Kokrajhar town, PS- Kokrajhar, District-Kokrajhar, Assam, death of 57 person, injuries to 18 and missing of 04 persons due to negligence of the North East Frontier Railways while executing a project entailing construction of tunnels and railway tracks to connect Jiribam with Imphal, poor condition of District Hospital at Chaurachandpur, Manipur due to non-availability of basic facilities, complaints regarding incidences of violence in the State of Manipur, alleged failure on part of State of Arunachal Pradesh to pay compensation to 108 Chakma and Hajong families of the Changlang District, Arunachal Pradesh who have been affected by "Construction of 132KV T/L from Namsai to Miao" project despite direction/sanction of the Central Government to pay for the lands acquired and other damages caused to assets during the construction of the tower/pillar of that project, erosion of two backward Tribal Buddhists villages under the Margherita Sub-Division, District- Tinsukia, Assam from the Burl Dihing River. With the intervention of the Commission, compensation of Rs. 355.5 lakhs, states have either paid or are in the process of paying the same.

The Commission also held a meeting with the Chief Secretaries/DGPs of the NE States and asked the officers to submit action-taken reports on various Advisories issued by the Commission on various issues such as Mental Health, Police Encounter, Bonded Labour, Right to Food & Safety, CSAM, Truck Drivers, Ocular Trauma, Prevention of Suicide in judicial and police custody, manual scavenging and others etc. The officers were directed to ensure timely submission of reports in cases pending before the Commission and in particular, the compliance reports wherein the Commission makes a recommendation in cases of alleged and proven cases of violation of human rights of individuals. The Commission also stressed upon the State Governments to provide infrastructure to SHRCs and fill up the vacant posts on priority for the smooth functioning of the State Human Rights Commission.

After hearing the cases, the Commission interacted with the NGOs/HRDs which was attended by their representatives. They raised a gamut of issues related to human rights violations. The Commission appreciated the work being done by the NGOs and Human Rights Defenders in the N.E. States and encouraged them to continue to do so without fear or favour. The interaction concluded with the observation that the continued partnership of the NGOs, and HRDs with the National Human Rights Commission will go a long way in strengthening the human rights regime in the country. They were informed that they can file complaints of human rights violations through hrcnet.nic.in.

*****