Address for correspondence: Kaustubh Das 34-A, Shastri Nagar Society Nizampura, Vadodara, Gujarat. Ph.0 7043220178 Date: 19 September 2014 To, The Chairperson, National Human Rights Commission, Delhi CC: The Chief Minister, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, CC: The Police Commissioner, Vadodara, Gujarat CC: The Vice Chancellor Maharaja Sayajirao University , Vadodara Subject: Complaint against the illegal detention of 55 Tibetan Students of Maharaja Sayajirao University in Vadodara. (16 -17 September 2014) Dear Sir, We, the undersigned, would like to bring to your attention the case of illegal detention of the 55 Tibetan students of the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda on 16th and 17th of September 2014. We would like the Commission to note that no information was provided by the police officers towards the reason of the detention. The only explanation offered was that the Tibetan students have been detained as a precautionary measure and that orders for their detention have come from the Centre. It is clear that these orders were issued in the light of the Chinese Premier’s visit to Gujarat on 17 September. We request a clear-cut explanation as to which laws and statutes were used to detain the students and under whose orders. We would also request a copy of the said orders. As citizens of India we strongly condemn this action of the Police, the State and also the administrative authority of the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda. The freedom to create informed political opinion and to organize peaceful protest is a fundamental human right enshrined in the Constitution of India. The right to freedom of movement and expression are fundamental rights also protected by the constitution. If detention was made on the suspicion of illegal activities, was there any information sought on the backgrounds of the students? Did any of the students detained have any criminal record or relations with any criminal or terrorist organization? Was there any physical evidence of the plan of any terrorist activity? The authorities need to be reminded that organizing peaceful protest is not an illegal act. Subsequent to the detention of these students, local (non-Tibetan) students of the Maharaja Sayajirao University who spontaneously protested the draconian measures of the police were also harassed by the police. Some students were also physically manhandled and intimidated by the police officers present. The actions of the police were completely inhuman, unethical and a gross violation of the laws of the country. Please see the news coverage of the incident by The Times of India, (Ahmedabad edition) attached as annexure-1 List of Concerned Citizens: Signatories to this complaint No. Name Address Phone No. 1. Kaustubh Das 34-A, Shastri Nagar Society Nizampura , Vadodara 07043220178 2. Archit Mehta Room 73, MA Hall, Halls Of Residency,MSU 08866406919 3. Abhijan Gupta Sanket Flats, Pratapganj,Vadodara 09979937360 4. Dr Deeptha Achar 5 Vrindavan Nagar, Sama Road, Vadodara 09898513705 5. Dr. Trupti Shah 37, Patrakar colony, Tandalaja Road, Vadodara 09427937162 6. Rohit Prajapati 37, Patrakar colony, Tandalaja Road, Vadodara 0265-2320399 7. Professor Johannes Manjrekar 001, sunflower Appt. Near Anandbag society, Sama Road, Vadodara. 09328964245 8. Dr. Nandini Manjrekar 001, sunflower Appt. Near Anandbag society, Sama Road, Vadodara. 09324764425 Annexure-1 Tibetan students on hunger strike to protest police detention TNN | Sep 18, 2014, 12.28 PM IST timesofindia.indiatimes/city/vadodara/Tibetan-students-on-hunger-strike-to-protest-police-detention/articleshow/42791730.cms VADODARA: Police crackdown on Tibetan students continued on Wednesday as M S Universitys guesthouse was turned into a fortress by the cops. Girl students were detained inside the guesthouse while their male counterparts were kept at the police headquarters in Pratapnagar. The Tibetan students began a hunger strike from Tuesday night alleging police misbehaviour. The police, on the other hand, said that the detentions were made anticipating trouble. The Tibetan students had sought permission to organize a rally on Wednesday. They said that about 100 students will participate in the rally. We detained 55 students as we thought that they might create trouble during Chinese president Xi Jinpings visit to Ahmedabad, said city police commissioner E Radhakrishnan. On Tuesday night the cops had detained 26 girls and 29 boys from the MSU campus without informing the MSU officials. It was after the intervention of university officials that the girls were shifted to the guest house. All we had demanded was permission for a peaceful protest. Instead the cops picked us up forcibly. The police pushed us into their van and mistreated us while detaining us. We are on hunger strike to protest such treatment meted out to us, said Tenzin Tophel, president of Tibetan Students Association of Baroda that which has 120 student members from MSU. Tophel said that the police had earlier promised to allow a peaceful rally at a designated area away from the venue in Ahmedabad. He added that Vadodara police came to their hostel on pretext of preparing identity cards for them. On Wednesday, the cops picked up three other Tibetan girls along with an Indian student from Faculty of Fine Arts even as they were not staging any protest. This group was also brought to the university guest house. Later, the police detained another group of students of Faculty of Fine Arts trying to protest outside the guest house against the illegal detention of their fellow students. The police even locked up entire guest house premises. _________________________________ Rohit Prajapati / Trupti Shah 37, Patrakar Colony, Tandalja Road, Post-Akota, Vadodara - 390 020 GUJARAT, INDIA Phone No. (O) + 91 - 265 - 2320399 Email No: rohit.prajapati@gmail ____________________________________________________________________
Posted on: Sat, 20 Sep 2014 04:28:42 +0000