United Students

Everybody knows that sexual harassment is rampant in Delhi University. Girls endure lewd comments and even groping on an almost daily basis. It goes on inspite of article XIV-D and heavy policing on campus. In fact, the police seems to add to the problem for they are very evidently not sensitized to the issue and just can’t deal with the problem in an acceptable manner. It is obvious that some institutional changes are required to tackle this problem.

However, over the last three weeks the university administration as well as the NCW has done little about this case, and are also clueless about how to deal with the recurring problem of sexual harassment in the campus.

Thus, United Students decided to take this issue out to the common people of Delhi, by organizing a large protest meeting in Connought Place, and by involving parents and guardians of students of the university. We got a great response from the people of Delhi, and everybody was one on the view that sexual harassment has become rampant in the city, and there is pressing need of changes at the insitutional level to deal with this menace.

Citizens for good governance, involving RWAs of Delhi, NGOs and civil society activists will meet to protest the ‘licence to kill’ policy of the Delhi Government’s transport department and to highlight the non-serious attitude of the Government on the issuewith a Candle Light vigil for those who have lost their lives in road accidents by killer buses and a deadly policy.

Date: 19th July 2007
^{Venue : Jantar Mantar
Time : 5.30 p.m.}

^{Please be there along with members of your staff, family or friends to bring attention to this burning issue.}

^{For details, contact us on 9811153833, 9868148896 or 9811400644}

The Supreme Court on Wednesday stayed the trial in the Sabharwal murder case raising questions whether there is any mockery of justice hoping that the case would not go the ”Best Bakery” way where all the witnesses turned hostile.

The court also sought an explanation from the Madhya Pradesh Government what action it has taken against the police officers turning hostile witnesses.

Voicing concern over the manner in which the police officers who were reportedly eyewitnesses to the killing of the Ujjain professor turned hostile, a bench of Justice Arijit Pasayat and D K Jain hoped that the case does not turn out to be another ”Best Bakery” incident where all the witnesses turned hostile.

”What action have you taken against those police officers who resiled from their earlier statements? Would not the trial be a mockery if your police officers turned hostile?,” the court asked.

‘‘Our anxiety is that every police officer will be given a clean chit. We have seen what has happened in the Best Bakery case,” the bench said looking towards the MP government’s counsel who was present in the court.

Professor Sabharwal died after he was allegedly beaten by ABVP workers outside the Madhav College campus on August 26 last year following the cancellation of the student union polls.

The state government has been asked to reply within four weeks specifying what action it has taken against the three policemen who withdrew their statements.

(Source: NDTV | link)

India won a small but significant victory at the United Nations on Friday with the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) unanimously adopting an Indian resolution to declare Mohandas Karamchand (Mahatma) Gandhi’s birthday, October 2, as the International Day of Non-Violence.

The government tabled the resolution at the UNGA on May 31 this year to declare the Mahatma’s birth anniversary as a day of non-violence internationally.

Item 44, a resolution in the Culture of Peace segment at the UNGA to commemorate Gandhi”s birthday, received co-sponsorship from 142 member countries of the UN.

The resolution comes into effect from the 62nd session of the UNGA beginning in September. From October 2 this year and every year subsequently, the date will be commemorated as the International Day of Non-violence, the draft declaration states.

The idea was mooted as a small token of recognition for the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi earlier this year at a conference to celebrate the centenary of Gandhiji’s adoption of the satyagraha (non-violent non-cooperation) as a mode of protest.

The Congress party had hosted an international conference in January with participants from 91 countries and 122 international organizations to commemorate the launch of the Mahatma’s satyagraha.

Minister of State in the Ministry of External Affairs Anand Sharma was nominated by the government to move the resolution at the UNGA. He addressed the plenary session in New York on Friday night, his office said.“The wide ranging support (142 co-sponsors) shows the enormous esteem in which Mahatma Gandhi is held internationally,” MEA spokesman Navtej Sarna said.

A 2006 movie, ‘Lage Raho Munnabhai,’ on how the Mahatma’s ideals influenced positive change in a Mumbai crook, was screened at the UN to considerable acclaim.

(Source: Hindustan Times | link)