Open Hearing and Camp Sitting at Guwahati, Assam

A high level delegation of the National Human Rights Commission led by Chairperson, Justice Shri H.L. Dattu and comprising Members, Justice Shri D. Murugesan, Shri S.C. Sinha, Smt. Jyotika Kalra and senior officers held a two day 'Open Hearing' and 'Camp Sitting' to take up the matters related to the States of Assam and Meghalaya at Assam Administrative
Staff College, Guwahati from 17th-18th May, 2017. In all 43 matters were taken up during the sittings of Full Commission and two Division Benches after the inauguration of the programme by Justice Shri H.L. Dattu. He emphasized upon the need for effective implementation of the Centre's flagship schemes to ensure that the marginalised sections are not deprived of their basic rights and their rights are not violated. The cases which were taken up included forest rights of Chakmas, massacre of 36 villagers of Nonke Khagrabari in District Baksa in Assam on 2nd May, 2014, grabbing of land of tribal villagers, non-issue of caste certificates, non-implementation of welfare (Central and State Government) schemes, trafficking of girls, child labour issues, atrocities on scheduled castes etc. The matters relating to death in police action and custodial deaths were taken up by Division Benches.
On the second day, the Commission held a meeting with NGOs of the States of Assam and Meghalaya on human rights issues. They invited attention to many areas such as on unlawful arrest, handcuffing, maternal health and other health services, custodial torture and death, low
wages in tea gardens, problems of witch hunting, regulatory measures for sale of acid, lack of immediate response by police on FIRs pertaining to missing children, lack of awareness about human rights and implementation and proper utilization of State Disaster Relief Fund.
Later, these issues, apart from some others, were discussed separately with the Chief Secretary, DGP, DMs, SPs and other senior civil, police and jail officers of the States of Assam and Meghalaya.
The NHRC Chairperson and Members also briefed the media about the outcome of the 'Open Hearing and Camp Sitting' as well as discussions with the NGOs and senior officers of the two State Governments for wider dissemination of information on the action taken by the NHRC towards promotion and protection of human rights.
So far, 'Open Hearings' have been held in the States of Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Andaman & Nicobar, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, and at Chandigarh for the States of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and UTs of Chandigarh and Puducherry.
A 'Camp Sitting/Open Hearing' for the States of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu was held jointly at Bengaluru in September, 2010. Another joint 'Camp Sitting/Open Hearing' for the States of Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and UT of Chandigarh was held at Chandigarh in November, 2014. A joint 'Camp Sitting/Open Hearing' for the States of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana was also held at Hyderabad in April, 2015. The Commission also held an 'Open Hearing' in New Delhi to hear complaints received from Meerut region of Uttar Pradesh.