Tamils and Human Rights
Discussion
2.5 hrs
October 20, 2013 11:30 am Sunday
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NAPM invites you to join for an interactive discussion: "Tamils and Human Rights - How the unresolved post-war situation in Sri Lanka affects Democracy in South Asia" on 20th October from 11.30am at Lamakaan to visit a small exhibition and some visual material and to discuss the impact of the situation in our neighbouring country on democracy in India and in South Asia.

NAPM and fraternal socialist organizations are conducting a tour of Srilankan Tamil people through different states from 16th to 28th October, 2013. On 20th October they are going to be in Hyderabad as part of this tour.

From Nov.21, 2013 onwards, the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting is planned to be held in Colombo. Currently, many protests are going on against this move. Human Rights organizations are adverse to the attempt to create the impression as if normalcy had returned to Sri Lanka after thirty years of strife and civil war. Even worse, Mr.Rajapakshe has been depicted as the hero in the “War in Terror”, a concept which is also in great use in India. He was the Guest of Honour of the Commonwealth games in Delhi. The recent visit of the UN Commissioner for Human Rights, Ms Navaneetham Pillai, has brought to light in no uncertain terms that despite many efforts to create new infrastructures and to restore tolerable living conditions, the sufferings of people in the camps, the pain of large scale disappearances and the lot if about 80000 war widows have not been attended to in serious ways. The refusal to implement the 13th amendment to the constitution stands in the way of devolution of power.

While Tamil Nadu has been deeply aware of the situation in our neighbouring country, the extent of violence, bloodshed and displacement, is often not fully understood in other Indian states. This has led to certain alienation of Tamil Nadu the so-called “mainstream”. The tour of people concerned with the question of human rights violations in Sri Lanka, the question of genocide and massive displacement, triggers many questions in the Indian society as well, which need to be addressed if we strive for a viable Indian Society.

Entry - Free

Organizer
Saraswati Kavula
NAPM is an alliance of progressive people’s organisations and movements, who while retaining their autonomous identities, are working together to bring the struggle for primacy of rights of communities over natural resources, conservation and governance, decentralised democratic development and towards a just, sustainable and egalitarian society in the true spirit of globalism. We stand against corporate globalisation, communalism and religious fundamentalism, patriarchy, casteism, untouchability and discrimination of all kinds. We believe an alliance emerging out of such a process with shared ideology and diverse strategies can give rise to a strong social, political force and a National People's movement. In its quest for a larger alliance, beyond the people’s movements, NAPM also reaches out to integrate various civil society organisations and individuals working towards similar goals. NAPM provides a forum for coming together of numerous vibrant strands of ideologies. In its own programmes, actions and conceptualisation of development perspectives on emerging paradigm of sustainable development, equity, freedom, justice and peace NAPM draws from the ideas of Gandhi, Ambedkar, Marx, Lohia, Phule, Periyar and others.