It is alleged that Mr. Atiur Rahman was under rigorous custodial torture and subsequently shoot from service arms of BSF personnel on 21st March 2010 night near Saidapur village in Murshidabad district of West Bengal. Even after that they never cared to take him to any doctor for medical aid and they themselves declared him dead. It is a sheer violation of guideline set by NHRC, where it is clearly mentioned that the same is to be proceeded by a Magistrate and the next of kin of the deceased must invariably be associated.
However, the BSF authorities presented their predictable and clichéd version of ‘encounter death’ stating ‘smuggler attacking the on-duty BSF personnel during their intervention and on self-defence the BSF personnel had to fire’. This has become so common a state-of-affair to torture and kill innocent villagers and subsequently implicate them in smuggling case or placing a sickle or other common tool in the place of incident which is otherwise found with any agrarian villager; that people are afraid to become witness even if they have some information on the matter. Subsequently, multiple procedures of NHRC guidelines in case of ‘encounter death’ have not been followed in the follow-up action.
It has often been observed that instead of capturing an alleged smuggler and handing him/them over to police authorities and bring to judicial trial procedure, they indulge into killing the person thus forfeiting any opportunity to hear the version of other party amounting to violation of principle of natural justice.
This incident once more establishes the fact that the right to life and liberty of people residing in the nearby villages in Indo-Bangladesh border area is at peril in the hands of the Border Security Force.
Despite repeated complaints to various administrative authorities, the perpetrator BSF personnel are enjoying complete impunity and hence continuing their atrocities time and again on the populace. Due to their extreme barbaric atrocity and subsequent impunity, BSF personnel has become a ‘torture agent’ to poor villagers instead of ‘protector of country borders’.
Case Details
Name of the Victim :- Mr. Atiur Rahman (deceased), son of Mr. Mesher Ali, aged 24 years, religion – Islam, resident of village – Puthiya (Jamtala), Post Office – Barjumla, Police Station (PS) – Raghunath Ganj, District – Murshidabad, West Bengal, India.
Name of the Perpetrators:- (1) Mr. Sunil Kumar Singh, Border Security Force (BSF) Constable (No. 93106790), (2) Mr. Ajeet Singh, BSF Constable (No. 08254607) of Outpost (OP) No. 8 of Bahura BSF Border Observation Point (BOP) under ‘E’ company of 105 Battalion BSF, and (3) Company Commandant, ‘E’ company of 105 Battalion BSF.
Place of Incident:- At Afflux baandh (dam) near Saidapur adjacent to the OP No. 8 of Bahura BSF BOP camp, PS – Raghunath Ganj, District – Murshidabad, West Bengal.
Date of Incident:- On 21st March 2010 at about 9 PM.
Detail of Incident:-
Mr. Atiur Rahman, a recently married young small-scale businessman of Puthiya (Jamtala) village, an area adjacent to Indo-Bangladesh border was returning from his aunt’s (Ms. Mariyam Biwi, wife of Mr. Omar Ali, village – Saidapur, PO – Sommati nagar, PS – Raghunath Ganj) house along with his cousin brother Mr. Rahabul Seikh (son of Mr. Rezaul Seikh) at around 9 PM. On the way, they were blocked by two BSF personnel namely Mr. Sunil Kumar Singh and Mr. Ajeet Singh – both constables, and without showing any reason attempted to take them under their custody. As the villagers of those areas are already alert about BSF atrocities, sensing some uncalled for threat, they tried to escape the clutch of those two BSF constables. While Mr. Rhabul managed to get away, Mr. Atiur Rahman fall prey to those constables’ torment. They started beating him brutally with rifle butt, boots etc. and later fired two bullets from Mr. Sunil’s service rifle and killed Mr. Atiur Rahman.
In the mean time Mr Rahabul informed Mr. Atiur’s family members that the latter was taken into BSF captive. Mr. Matiur Rahman, brother of Mr. Atiur states, “As we came to know about the dreadful incident, we immediately approached the Gram Pradhan (head of village level administration). He advised us to make a written complaint on the matter to the police in the next morning. However, in the morning, we came to know from fellow villagers that my brother has been killed by BSF firing and his body is lying on the field near Padma river banks. As we, family members and neighbours tried to approach the dead body, the armed BSF personnel vehemently obstructed us. It was so clearly evident from the dead body (photo attached) that he was cruelly tortured to the extent of twisting and breaking his arms before shooting him. Later, he was shot at left abdomen and another bullet fired at his forehead from point-blank range.” The bullet which was fired at the victim’s forehead pierced his head and entered almost one foot deep into the soil. The police personnel of Raghunath Ganj PS collected the fired portion of bullet from soil in front of the witnessing villagers. It is quite evident from this fact that, while firing this bullet, the victim was made to lie down on his back and was shot to kill. It is confirmed by us later from the investigating officer (IO), Mr. Ratan Kumar Choudhury, Sub-Inspector that the fired portion of the bullet is collected and kept under police custody.
However, the BSF version of the incident (as per their complaint to police) reflects the same old story of attack on BSF personnel by smugglers and they had to fire in self-defence. The Company Commander of 105 Bn BSF, BOP Boyraghat stated in his complaint, “…in the intervening night… Constable Sunil Kumar and Constable Ajeet Singh were patrolling (…). …constable Sunil Kumar observed 10-15 smugglers along-with about 06 cattle heads coming from India side and going towards Bangladesh side. He (Constable Sunil Kumar) also saw shadow of a smuggler nearby as such he physically apprehended him. The remaining smugglers tried to get free the apprehended smugglers by attacking and encircling patrolling party and they managed to get him free. They also tried to snatch weapon of Constable Sunil Kumar, however, they could not do so. The patrolling party challenged the smugglers to stop but the smugglers party threatened and encircled the patrolling party. During the course of fighting Const. Sunil Kumar sustained minor injuries in right arms and left leg. The butt of his rifle (…) suffered damage by dah (scythe) of smuggler. Sensing imminent danger to own life and in self defence of life, constable Sunil Kumar fired 02 rounds from his rifle (…). Resultantly (…) Atiur Rehman (…) sustained bullet injury in forehead and back and died on the spot. There is no report of casualty or injury to other smugglers or any BSF person. On firing, the remaining smugglers alongwith cattle heads ran away towards India village Dihipara (…).”
It is to be noted that, while two BSF personnel intervened the alleged smugglers, it is only Constable Sunil Kumar, who was apprehended, attacked, encircled, injured and fired bullet as reflected in the BSF complaint. It appears quite astonishing that the other member was totally spared from the alleged attack by those alleged smugglers. Neither there is any mention of the other constable’s reaction on the matter. As mentioned earlier, it is evident from the dead body of Mr. Atiur, he was brutally tortured and was shot while kept him lying on the soil. This is completely contradictory to the scenario represented by the BSF version. Moreover, even it appears quite incoherent that while one person (allegedly smuggler and one amongst the attackers) was taken into close captive so as to shot him repeatedly to death, rest of the smug
glers vanished from the scene along with the cattle. While one BSF personnel made it a point to nail one person to death, other person appeared to remain completely reclusive! More so, none of them tried to stop other alleged smugglers and allowed them to escape with cattle!
The Inspector General (South Bengal) of BSF Mr. CV Muralidharan defended, as reported in a prominent Bengali daily Ananda Bazar Patrika on 23 Mar 2010, “Everyone knows that curfew is promulgated in the Indo-Bangladesh border adjacent areas after evening. Loitering around those places after evening is completely prohibited for general people. Generally, smugglers move around those places after evening. How would the BSF guards know who is good person and who is smuggler?” The local Panchayat Pradhan of Baroshumul Gram Panchayat Mr. Fatik Sheikh argues quite rationally, “Even if BSF had any doubt, why did they kill him instead of taking him into their custody?” On the same report Constable Sunil Kumar was quoted as, “… I asked Mr. Atiur and his companion to halt. But, as they didn’t pay heed to my call and started running away, I had to fire.” Even this statement is quite contradictory to the firing details mentioned above – the victim was shot from point blank range and from front side.
A police case has been registered in Raghunath Ganj against BSF personnel upon Mr. Mesher Ali’s (father of the deceased) complaint vide case no. 148/10 dated 22 March 2010 under sections 302/34 of Indian Penal Code. While our activist contacted Mr. Subir Pal, Sub-Inspector of Ragunath ganj PS, he said, “BSF personnel had unlawfully killed Mr. Atiur and subsequently inquest was carried out by Mr. Abul Kashem, a Deputy Magistrate” On the other hand, BSF has lodged a complaint (extract of which is mentioned above) to the same police station and another case has been started on the same incident vide PS case no. 147/10 dated 22 March 2010 under sections 147/148/149/186/353/427/307 of Indian Penal Code.
It needs to be mentioned that while BSF has repeatedly tried to prove that the victim was a smuggler, it is evident from his certificates and examination cards that he has been trying sincerely to establish himself as a government employee and was very close to obtain a job. The Gram Panchayat Pradhan of Sekhalipur Gram Panchayat Mr. Dil Mohammad affirmed, “Atiur was a very honest guy.” A member of Panchayat committee Mr. Torab Ali appended, “He was a good person and was never connected to any smuggling activity.” Such an honest person’s killing added to the growing misery and terrifying atmosphere created by BSF atrocities around Indo-Bangladesh border areas.
However, it is confirmed from the IO of the case that no substantial development has been taken place till date. Poor villager’s often restrain from becoming an witness due to probable BSF personnel’s subsequent terror. Due to consistent impunity enjoyed by perpetrator BSF personnel, villagers have started to believe that, in spite of being citizen of India, they are denied justice.
Report by: Kirity Roy Secretary Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM) & National Convenor Programme Against Custodial Torture & Impunity (PACTI)
Select a WP Edit Snidget below to add it to your post or page. Yes, they can be used in content areas too!
is a retired physician who practiced holistic, non-drug, mental health care for the last decade of his forty year family practice career. He is a contributor to and an endorser of the efforts of the Citizens Commission on Human Rights and was a member of MindFreedom International, the International Center for the Study of Psychiatry and Psychology, and the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies.
While running his independent clinic, he published over 400 issues of his Preventive Psychiatry E-Newsletter, which was emailed to a variety of subscribers. (They have not been archived at any website.) In the early 2000s, Dr Kohls taught a graduate level psychology course at the University of Minnesota Duluth. It was titled “The Science and Psychology of the Mind-Body Connection”.
Since his retirement, Dr Kohls has been writing a weekly column (titled “Duty to Warn”) for the Duluth Reader, an alternative newsweekly published in Duluth, Minnesota. He offers teaching seminars to the public and to healthcare professionals.
[/themify_box]
">Gary G Kohls George Monbiot[/caption]
Studied in Oxford University, columnist with The Guardian newspaper, also the author of the bestselling books The Age of Consent: A Manifesto for a New World Order and Captive State: The Corporate Takeover of Britain, as well as the investigative travel books Poisoned Arrows, Amazon Watershed, No Man’s Land, How Did We Get into This Mess? Politics, Equality, Nature and other.
Prof Johan Galtung was born in Oslo. He earned the PhD degree in mathematics at the University of Oslo in 1956, and in 1957 a year later completed the PhD degree in sociology at the same university.
Prof Johan Galtung received nine honorary doctorates in the fields of Peace studies, Future studies, Social sciences, Buddhism, Sociology of law, Philosophy, Sociology and Law.
State Councilor of St. Petersburg, Russia. Founding President, Global Harmony Association (GHA) since 2005. Honorary President, GHA since 2016. Director: Tetrasociology Public Institute, Russia. Philosopher, Sociologist and Peacemaker from Harmony. Author of more than 400 scientific publications, including 18 books in 1-12 languages. Author of Tetrism as the unity of Tetraphilosophy and Tetrasociology – science of social harmony, global peace and harmonious civilisation. Director, GHA Web portal “Peace from Harmony”. Initiator, Manager, Coauthor and Editor in Chief of the book project “Global Peace Science” (GPS).
[/themify_box]
First published at :
">Leo M Semashko Robert C Koehler[/caption]
writes for the Huffington Post, Common Dreams, OpEd News and TruthOut. He considers himself a “peace journalist.” He has been an editor at Tribune Media Services and a reporter, columnist and copy desk chief at Lerner Newspapers, Chicago. Koehler launched his column in 1999. Robert Koehler has received numerous writing and journalism awards over a 30-year career in USA. He writes about values and meaning with reverence for life. He is praised as “blatantly relevant” and “a hero of democracy”.
[/themify_box]
First published at :
">Robert C Koehler Robert J Burrowes PhD[/caption]
has a lifetime commitment to understanding and ending human violence. He has done extensive research since 1966 in an effort to understand why human beings are violent and has been a nonviolent activist since 1981. He is the author of ‘Why Violence?‘
He has been a radio producer (Earthstar Radio, San Francisco), organized and worked with the homeless, and is an advocate/activist in the nonviolent protest movement for safe energy, human rights, and peaceful solutions.
He is USA Vice President of the World Constitution and Parliament Association whose mission is to build a parallel world body to the United Nations, an emerging Earth Federation with a Provisional World Parliament under the Earth Constitution.
[/themify_box]
First published at:
">Roger Kotila PhDProf Richard Falk[/caption]
an international relations scholar, professor emeritus of international law at Princeton University, author, co-author or editor of 40 books, and a speaker and activist on world affairs.
Since 2002 he has lived in Santa Barbara, California, and taught at the local campus of the University of California in Global and International Studies, and since 2005 chaired the Board of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation. His most recent book is Achieving Human Rights (2009).
[/themify_box]
First published at :
">Richard FalkDr Gray Corseri, PhD[/caption]
is a member of the TRANSCEND Network for Peace, Development and Environment. He has published and posted articles, fiction and poems at hundreds of venues, including, TMS, The New York Times, Village Voice, Redbook Magazine and Counterpunch.
He has published 2 novels and 2 collections of poetry, and his dramas have been produced on PBS-Atlanta and elsewhere. He has performed his poems at the Carter Presidential Library and Museum and has taught in universities in the US and Japan, and in US public schools and prisons.
[/themify_box]
First published at :
">Gary CorseriAntonio Carlos Silva Rosa, Editor, TMS[/caption]
born 1946, is the editor of the pioneering Peace Journalism website, TRANSCEND Media Service-TMS, an assistant to Prof. Johan Galtung, and Secretary of the International Board of the TRANSCEND Network for Peace, Development and Environment.
He completed the required coursework for a Ph.D. in Political Science-Peace Studies (1994), has a Masters in Political Science-International Relations (1990), and a B.A. in Communication (1988) from the University of Hawai’i.
Originally from Brazil, he lives presently in Porto, Portugal. Antonio was educated in the USA where he lived for 20 years; in Europe/India since 1994.
[/themify_box]
First published at :
">Antonio Carlos Silva Rosa
John Scales Avery is a theoretical chemist, Associate Professor Emeritus, at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark. He is noted for his books and research publications in quantum chemistry, thermodynamics, evolution, and history of science. His 2003 book Information Theory and Evolution set forth the view that the phenomenon of life, including its origin, evolution, as well as human cultural evolution, has its background situated in the fields of thermodynamics, statistical mechanics, and information theory.
He is an Indian citizen & permanent resident of Australia and a scholar, an author, a social-policy critic, a frequent social wayfarer, a social entrepreneur and a journalist;He has been exploring, understanding and implementing the ideas of social-economy, participatory local governance, education, citizen-media, ground-journalism, rural-journalism, freedom of expression, bureaucratic accountability, tribal development, village development, reliefs & rehabilitation, village revival and other.
For Ground Report India editions, Vivek had been organising national or semi-national tours for exploring ground realities covering 5000 to 15000 kilometres in one or two months to establish Ground Report India, a constructive ground journalism platform with social accountability.
He has written a book “मानसिक, सामाजिक, आर्थिक स्वराज्य की ओर”on various social issues, development community practices, water, agriculture, his ground works & efforts and conditioning of thoughts & mind. Reviewers say it is a practical book which answers “What” “Why” “How” practically for the development and social solution in India.
worked as a mediator for the church in Belfast; as faculty at The School of Peace Studies, University of Bradford, and as Executive Director, the Right Livelihood Award Foundation. He has founded several Indian NGOs, is an Officer of the Order of Canada, and a member of the TRANSCEND Network for Peace, Development and Environment.
[/themify_box]
First published at -
">Vithal RajanRene Wadlow[/caption]
is the President of the Association of World Citizens, an international peace organization with consultative status with ECOSOC, the United Nations organ facilitating international cooperation on and problem-solving in economic and social issues.
[/themify_box]
">Rene WadlowBaher Kamal[/caption]
[themify_box]
Baher Kamal
Egyptian-born, Spanish-national secular journalist. He is founder and publisher of Human Wrongs Watch. Kamal is a pro-peace, non-violence, human rights, coexistence defender, with more than 45 years of professional experience. With these issues in sight, he covered practically all professional posts, from correspondent to chief editor of dailies and international news agencies.
[/themify_box]
Credits :
">Baher KamalRosa Dalmiglio with Lama Mongolia[/caption]
She is a member of the China Council Disabled People’s Performing Art Troupe (special art, culture and humanity), which touches the hearts of all people and portrays the strong willpower so encouraging to 60 million Chinese disabled persons.
Ms. Dalmiglio is Intermediary Agent of CICE, Centre International Cultural Exchange, a direct subsidiary of the Ministry of Culture, People’s Republic of China. CICE is a comprehensive institution engaged in cultural exchange programs, professional publication and presentation of cultural art works such as exhibits, receiving foreign art troupes and artists, holding international cultural research programs, and producing intercultural and interreligious documentary films.
She is a member of China Disabled Person’s Federation, CDPF. She is also a member of the International Women Federation, which is concerned with the financial ethics of women s enterprises in underdeveloped areas.
[/themify_box]
credits:
">Rosa Dalmiglio
Director, Guru Arjan Dev Institute of Development Studies.
A recipient of Cultural Doctorate of Philosophy of Economics from USA. He is an active member of various professional bodies, namely -
He participated and presented papers in various International/national/regional seminars, conferences etc.. He remained member of the Academic Council of Punjab Technical University, Jalandhar. An unwearied researcher has about 200 research papers published in various international and national journals of repute and 15 research monographs to his kitty. Besides, he has authored/co-authored /edited 15 books which have been well received and highly acclaimed during his three decades of professional career. He was honoured by various national and international awards, namely, Guru Draunacharya Samman, Vijay Rattan Award and so on.
Dr Ron Paul served in U.S. House of Representatives three different periods: first from 1976 to 1977, after he won a special election, then from 1979 to 1985, and finally from 1997 to 2013.
During his first term as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Paul founded the Foundation for Rational Economics and Education (FREE), a non-profit think tank dedicated to promoting principles of limited government and free-market economics. In 1984, Paul became the first chairman of the Citizens for a Sound Economy (CSE), a conservative political group founded by Charles Koch and David Koch 'to fight for less government, lower taxes, and less regulation.' CSE started a Tea Party protest against high taxes in 2002. In 2004, Citizens for a Sound Economy split into two new organizations, with Citizens for a Sound Economy being renamed as FreedomWorks, and Citizens for a Sound Economy Foundation becoming Americans for Prosperity. The two organizations would become key players in the Tea Party movement from 2009 onward.
Dr Paul proposed term-limit legislation multiple times, while himself serving a few terms in the House of Representatives. In 1984, he decided to retire from the House in order to run for the U.S. Senate, complaining in his House farewell address that 'Special interests have replaced the concern that the Founders had for general welfare.... It's difficult for one who loves true liberty and utterly detests the power of the state to come to Washington for a period of time and not leave a true cynic.'
He is known nationally and internationally as a pioneer figure in the study of culture and psychopathology who challenged the ethnocentrism and racial biases of many assumptions, theories, and practices in psychology and psychiatry.
In more recent years, he has been writing and lecturing on peace and social justice. He has published 15 edited books, and more than 250 articles, chapters, book reviews, and popular pieces.
[/themify_box]
Credits:
">Anthony J. Marsella, Ph.D.Jason Hickel[/caption]
He is international consultant of the UN – FAO and international consultant for sustainable development and sustainable future of humankind of Universal State of the Earth - USE.
On 8th October 2016 he was appointed as The Chairman of the Humanity, Nature, Space and Environment protection Committee of the USE, the Supreme Council of Humanity - SCH from Athens, Greece and London, UK.
He is researcher working on: Nature; the Nature, Space and Environment protection; the Climate change system; System thinking; Globalization and global studies; Networking, Complexity and Swarm research: Sustainable Development and Sustainable Future of Humankind. He was among the pioneers researchers (1986 – 1994) to apply nature, space, and environment protection in a local community by activities we call today Local Agenda 21 Processes – a holistic program for survival of our civilization under new challenges of the third millennium.“Commencing from Local Community Sustainable Future and moving towards Sustainable Future of the Global Community of Humankind”.
He is independent researchers with many domestic and international publications and talks. Together with many researchers in co-operation worldwide within philosophy, operational research, global studies, case studies and complex problem solving research, system thinking, requisitely holism, networking and complexity, swarm research, integration and disintegration of matter and energy and universal upbringing, education and lifelong learning. He is contributing a systemic, requisitely holistic and a better understanding of the present. His latest research within the system theory, system thinking, networking, complexity and swarm research may provide a possible answer enabling people to better understand our world of humans.
During 2014 he completed 50 years of research work (1964 - 2014). This year he completed 50 years of been Dr. Vet. Med. Since 1986 he worked on the protection of Humanity, Nature, Space and Environment and completed 30 years of research.
For research on the climate change system and the book “System Thinking and Climate Change System (Against a big “Tragedy of Commons” of all of us), Ecimovic, Mayur, Mulej and co-authors, 2002, he was nominated for the Nobel Prize 2003. His work on “The Information Theory of Nature” was his second nomination for The Nobel Prize during 2007 in Physics. His third nomination for The Nobel Prize in Physics 2010 was for “The Environment Theory of the Nature”, published in the book “Three Applications of the System Thinking”, Ecimovic, 2010. Within last 10 years he has contributed trilogies: “The Nature”, “The Sustainable Future of Mankind” and “The Life 2017” – please see at: www.institut-climatechange.si
I grew up in Chile, got my medical degree there, began an academic career in 1970, and left for the USA due to the military coup in early 1974. My first job in the USA was working as a public nutrition professor in the international programme of Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee.
I started to travel to Africa in 1975, and worked a year in Cameroun in 1980 helping to prepare their five-year nutrition plan. I then moved to New Orleans, to Tulane University’s School of Public Health, and taught in the department of nutrition for ten years, before moving to Nairobi where I was an advisor in the Ministry of Health. Seven years there got me into extensive consulting in Africa, often on nutritional issues. In 1995 moved to Vietnam where I worked for two and a half years in the Ministry of Health as a senior primary health care advisor.
Many years of touching the reality on the ground, in Latin America, then the USA, then Africa and Asia, has made me understand that the real challenge is in the social and political determinants of malnutrition. I have devoted my writings and teaching to that. Over the years, I have found an important shift in my colleagues’ attitude and understanding towards acknowledging the basic causes of malnutrition. But yet I see little happening as a result. I submit that it is our guild’s lack of experience in the political arena that explains this dichotomy. I devote much of my energy to bridge this gap, and am a fervent advocate of empowering claim holders to demand needed changes from duty bearers. Nutrition is a perfect port of entry for that. Equity, social justice and people’s empowerment in a human rights sense is what really will make a difference.
There is no alternative but to deal with nutrition problems as indivisibly linked to social, political and environmental problems. We need to address them as such. The question is: are we all prepared to do that? The answer, in my view, decides whether we are part of the solution or part of the problem. Travelling and living in different parts of the world has reinforced my conviction that we need to get down from our academic ivory towers, and need to change the curricula of our young and upcoming colleagues, to give them the tools to act in such a context. To me, public health nutrition cannot be anything but that.
[/themify_box]
">Claudio Schuftan Dr MDProf. Ram Puniyani[/caption]
