By Donna Miles American Forces Press Service ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md., March 7, 2011 - With just over six months left to implement the Base Closure and Realignment Commission plan, the sweeping transformation it has sparked here is well under way and slated to be completed on time and under budget, officials reported.
The plan is bringing major growth to Aberdeen Proving Ground -- more than 6,500 people and more than $1 billion in new construction to accommodate the new workers, Army Col. Orlando W. Ortiz, the garrison commander, told American Forces Press Service. But it's also bringing a fundamental change to the post's historic mission, and how the Army ensures its warfighters have the most advanced equipment and systems possible to succeed on the battlefield. The U.S. Army Ordnance Center and School, the major tenant that defined Aberdeen Proving Ground's very identity for nearly a century, already has moved to Fort Lee, Va. There, it is part of the new Sustainment Center of Excellence, another BRAC initiative. As officials here closed a page on their post's legacy, they were busy preparing to open an exciting new one that would transform the installation into a hub of cutting-edge communications and electronics technology. Aberdeen Proving Ground has long been heavily involved in the Army's research, development, testing and evaluation mission, explained Army Col. Andrew Nelson, deputy garrison commander for transformation. But by consolidating many disparate and geographically separated organizations that supported those processes here at one post, BRAC is "bringing it to the next level," he said. "Aberdeen Proving Ground has been, but will be to a greater extent, one of the Army's major hubs of research and development of new technologies, and the testing and evaluation of those new technologies that lead to fielding new systems to support the warfighter," Nelson said. "This is the center of all of that -- the technology development that is leading to soldiers being better equipped and better supported in the operational environment where they are," he said. "It's the clothes they wear, the radios they speak through, the computer system that tracks where individual vehicles and soldiers are on the battlefield, to having [unmanned aerial vehicles] that give them the best intelligence of what the enemy is doing. "That is what Aberdeen Proving Ground already is, and what it will be about," Nelson said. "Everything we do here is all about ensuring that the individual soldier and the combat leader have the best possible equipment and systems and technology that is giving them the advantage on the battlefield." The biggest group of new arrivals to support this expanded mission is a collection of activities referred to as "the C4ISR materiel enterprise" that focuses on command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. The lion's share of its 7,200 people are coming from Fort Monmouth, N.J., which is closing under BRAC and transferring most of its functions to Aberdeen. The new arrivals hail from Fort Monmouth's Communications and Electronics Command and Communications-Electronic Research, Development and Engineering Center and several of their program executive offices. Others are arriving from related activities at Redstone Arsenal, Ala.; Fort Huachuca, Ariz.; and Fort Belvoir, Va. CECOM established a forward presence at Aberdeen in 2007, and officially uncased its colors here in October 2010. A steady stream of its workforce began arriving this past summer, some directly from Fort Monmouth, some from temporary swing space at Aberdeen and others, new hires replacing workers who chose not to relocate. Today, about 60 percent of the new C4ISR team already has made the move to Aberdeen Proving Ground, settling into the state-of-the-art research and development campus known as the "C4ISR Center of Excellence." Meanwhile, construction crews are putting the finishing touches on the second phase of the C4ISR project, which Nelson said is expected to be completed this month or next. The entire C4ISR complex, once complete, will include 13 buildings and more than 2.5 million square feet of new space. The next-largest group of newcomers to Aberdeen, numbering just over 600, hails from the Army Test and Evaluation Command headquarters and Army Evaluation Center, both in Alexandria, Va. While construction was wrapping up on its new headquarters, Army Maj. Gen. Genaro Dellarocco opted to move directly to Aberdeen, rather than temporarily to Alexandria, when he assumed command in October. Working in swing space at Aberdeen, he's paving the way for the rest of the headquarters elements to follow, while supervising subordinate commands that were already based at Aberdeen when the BRAC recommendations were announced. In addition, BRAC is consolidating a variety of other organizations at Aberdeen. These include the Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical and Biological Defense from Falls Church, Va.; Air Force Non-Medical Chemical-Biological Defense Development and Acquisition, from Brooks City Base, Texas; the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research from Forest Glen, Md., the Army Research Institute from Fort Knox, Ky., and the Army Research Laboratory's Vehicle Technology Directorate from Langley, Va., and Glenn, Ohio. The BRAC initiative also has brought a broad range of defense contractors to Aberdeen Proving Ground, where many are operating in a new 416-acre complex just outside the gate. Ortiz credited detailed planning that started before the ink had even dried on the BRAC 2005 recommendations with ensuring the post is ready to receive the new arrivals. The planners worked closely with inbound organizations to identify their exact requirements, and with state and local officials to ensure surrounding communities were prepared for the influx. And, able to take advantage of an economic slump that made bidding on the 17 major construction projects required at Aberdeen Proving Ground highly competitive, they realized huge cost-savings in implementing BRAC. "In our fiscal year 2010 program, we were awarding contracts at 60 to 70 percent of what the government estimate was [in 2005]," Nelson said. "That's a big savings, money the Army didn't have to invest here." The first major construction project, a new gate with five vehicle inspection lanes, was completed in May 2009. As the other projects took shape around the installation, less obvious to casual observers were the tremendous infrastructure improvements required to support them. These included multiple-lane gate accesses, roadways, water, sewer and electrical line and miles and miles of fiber optic cabling. Exciting as these new developments are, Ortiz said he's made a concerted effort to ensure Aberdeen's 70-plus previous tenants don't get short shrift. "We don't want haves and have-nots," he said. So the post has undertaken a massive plan to upgrade existing facilities and demolish many of its old World War I- and II-era buildings. Ultimately, plans call for demolishing 188 facilities and 775 housing units over the next five years. As these efforts continue, Nelson said he expects lots of activity at Aberdeen during the spring and summer months as workers move into new or renovated facilities. July is expected to be particularly busy. With the clock ticking down, Ortiz said he's confident Aberdeen Proving Ground is on track to fully comply with the Sept. 15 BRAC deadline. "We've already integrated a sizeable number of the new workers and the buildings that aren't already completed are very far along," he said. "The conditions are pretty well set." The plan is going so well, in fact, that Ortiz expects Sept. 16, the first workday after the BRAC deadline, to be "just another day at work" at Aberdeen Proving Ground. "I honestly do not believe that on Sept. 16, folks are going to notice anything different," he said. "As the locals will tell you, for us, BRAC has already happened. The magic of that Sept. 15 date has long come and gone." So instead of fixating on the BRAC deadline, Aberdeen Proving Ground is focusing on its new, expanded mission, Ortiz said. "What we're focusing on is the future," he said."That's where we really need to go." | ||||||||||
| Related Sites: Aberdeen Proving Ground Base Closure and Realignment Commission | ||||||||||
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Wednesday, March 09, 2011
BRAC Transforms Aberdeen Proving Ground Mission
U.S. Military Aircraft Fly Egyptians Home from Tunisia
By Cheryl Pellerin American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, March 6, 2011 - U.S. military aircraft flew 640 Egyptians home today and yesterday from the Tunisia-Libya border where the refugees fled to escape the violence that continues between government forces and rebels in Libya.
U.S. Africa Command is overseeing the effort as part of the ongoing U.S. and international response to the evolving humanitarian emergency in that region. "For passenger evacuation, four more flights today are moving 328 passengers to Egypt," Africom spokesman Kenneth Fidler said in an e-mail. Most of the passengers were men who had been working in Libya before violence flared on Feb. 17 when Libyan leader, Col. Moammar Gadhafi cracked down on protesters demanding government reform. Yesterday's four flights moved 312, Fidler said. The last military flight today left Djaerba in the late afternoon carrying 82 Egyptian nationals for a flight to Cairo that was expected to last 3.5 hours. Also yesterday, Fidler added, two U.S. Air Force C-130s from Ramstein Air Base, Germany, delivered humanitarian commodities less than 24 hours after President Barack Obama announced U.S. military support to the international effort. Donations from the U.S. Agency for International Development Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance warehouse at Leghorn Army Depot in Pisa, Italy, included 2,000 blankets, 40 rolls of plastic sheeting and 9,600 10-liter plastic water containers. The C-130J crews have used Naval Support Activity Souda Bay, Greece, on the island of Crete, as a hub and crew-rest location. Crews of the Marine Corps KC-130s have used Naval Station Sigonella, Italy, on the island of Sicily, as a hub for their role in the operations, according to Africom officials. Thousands of Egyptians have returned home from the Tunisia-Libya border on aircraft and ferries belonging to or chartered by governments from around the world. On March 4, Naval Forces Europe-Africa, which coordinates U.S. Navy support to Africom, established the joint task for Odyssey Dawn to provide tactical command and control for emergency evacuations, humanitarian relief, and future Africom missions in support of the U.S. government response to unrest in Libya. Africom announced its airlift progress and the establishment of Odyssey Dawn in tweets from the social networking site, Twitter. The airlift and humanitarian effort is part of a larger U.S. government emergency response that Obama ordered last week. "The United States, and the entire world, continues to be outraged by the appalling violence against the Libyan people," he said during a March 3 press conference. "The United States is helping to lead an international effort to deter further violence, put in place unprecedented sanctions to hold the Gadhafi government accountable, and support the aspirations of the Libyan people," the president said. "We are also responding quickly to the urgent humanitarian needs that are developing." On the same day, Obama approved the use of U.S. military aircraft to help move Egyptians who have fled to the Tunisian border to get back home to Egypt. | ||
| Related Sites: U.S. Africa Command Related Articles: Ramstein Units Partner to Help Evacuees From Libyan Conflict Air Force Joins Effort to Help Libyan Evacuees |
Tuesday, March 08, 2011
Orissa steel project threatens human rights : Amnesty
The Indian authorities have given POSCO conditional clearance to establish a steel plant and port operation on about 4,000 hectares of land in the coastal Jagatsinghpur district of the eastern state of Orissa.
The area includes land on which local farmers are dependent for their livelihoods, and to which they may have rights under Indian law.
The farmers' claims to the land have not been properly settled, despite the fact that official investigations have raised serious concerns about the failures of Orissa State to protect land rights in the context of the steel project.
State police could take over the land during March if the authorities fail to recognize the farmers' right to use it.
"The potential impacts on local communities could be devastating," said Ramesh Gopalakrishnan, Amnesty International's India Researcher. "Some 2,000 people could lose access to common lands and face destitution if the authorities fail to act."
The proposed POSCO operation would be India's biggest foreign direct investment project.
Investigations were conducted by two panels established by India's Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) in July and September 2010.
Theyconcluded that the Orissa state authorities had failed to settle community claims over common forest lands.
They also stated that the proposed steel project had violated national environmental laws and coastal regulations and failed to adequately assess the potential negative impact of the mega project on the livelihoods of the local communities.
Despite these findings it appears that the MoEF is set to allow the project to go ahead as long as Orissa state authorities can confirm that no local communities have rights to the land under the Forest Rights Act, 2008. However, this does not guarantee that the affected communities will be able to have their claims resolved through a fair and transparent process.
"India has a duty to protect local communities against human rights abuses, including those involving businesses operations," said Ramesh Gopalakrishnan.
"The authorities and POSCO must carry out a comprehensive human rights and environmental impact assessment of the project, in consultation with residents of Jagatsinghpur, and ensure that no work begins on the project until the residents' rights are protected."
Background
Since June 2005, local communities in Jagatsinghpur district have protested the possible displacement and potential threats to their livelihoods from the POSCO project.
Protestors have erected barricades in the area and prevented officials from entering three villages. In June 2008, one protestor, Dula Mandal, was killed in by a bomb during a clash between critics and supporters of the project and in May 2010 at least 20 protestors sustained gunshot wounds when police used excessive force against them. Protests have intensified during February 2011.
Severaladivasi (indigenous) and other marginalized communities in mineral-rich states including Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal have been protesting over the potential negative impacts of major development projects on traditional forest lands and habitats on which they depend for their livelihoods.
This work is part of Amnesty International's Demand Dignity campaign which aims to end the human rights violations that drive and deepen global poverty. The campaign mobilises people all over the world to demand that governments, corporations and others who have power listen to the voices of those living in poverty and recognise and protect their rights.
CMC celebrated Woman's Day
Ludhiana: The students of College of Nursing, CMC celebrated Woman's Day in the Antenatal OPD. They conveyed message through a play on female foeticide, that if women are firm and take indipendent decision not to go for it inspite of family pressures there will be no more female deaths. The women attending antenatal OPD also took a vow to raise voice against it, now and in future too. They were also educated on the adverse effects on society if the female sex ratio decreases drastically. While speaking on the occasion Dr.Kanwal Masih Medical superintendent said the common belief of society that only a boy is responsible for our lineage. He asked the audience if someone could remember the name of his 5 ancestors to which most of the audience was tight-lipped.
Principal College of nursing Mrs.Triza Jiwan also stressed that girls have outshone the boys even though the boys have outnumbered the girls. Even so some parents, where the role of the family can not be ruled out, choose to eliminate the girls before the birth. This message was welcomed and appreciated by all participants present in the function.
--Rector kathuria & Shalu Arora
--Rector kathuria & Shalu Arora
Women’s Day Celebreted Behind Bars
Iranian Women Rights Activists Celebrate 100th Anniversary of International Women’s Day under Pressure and Behind Bars
Tuesday 8 March 2011
Change for Equalitywww.we-change.org/english: Iranian women’s rights activists commemorate the 100th anniversary of international women’s day while facing increased pressures and while many of their colleagues remain in prison. While the activists in the One Million Signatures Campaign have remained active carrying out trainings and awareness raising activities on women’s rights the pressure on them as well as other women’s rights activists is increasing. The Campaign embarks on the 100th anniversary of International Women’s day while several of its activists remain in prison including:
Ronak Safazadeh, Kurdish women’s rights activist, currently serving a 6 year prison sentence in internal exile. She was arrested on October 9, 2007 and has been in prison since. Ronak Safazadeh is also a member of the Azar Mehr women’s NGO in Kurdistan Province.
Zeinab Bayazidi, Kurdish women’s rights activist currently serving a four year prison sentence in internal exile in the city of Zanjan. She was arrested on July 9, 2008. Her appeals process, as noted by her lawyer, was unusually speeding and suffered from legal irregularities.
Alieh Eghdamdoust, women’s rights activist, sentenced to serve three years in prison in relation to her participation in the peaceful protest in Hafte Tir Square on June 12 2006. She is currently serving her prison term in Evin. She has been in prison since February 1 2009.
Bahareh Hedayat, women and student rights activist currently serving a 9.5 year prison sentence at Evin prison. She has been denied visits and contact with her family. Bahareh was arrested on December 27, 2009 and has remained in prison since.
Nasrin Sotoodeh, human rights lawyer and women’s rights activist sentenced to 11 years of prison and 20 year ban on legal practice and travel. Nasrin was arrested on September 4 2010 and remains in prison while she appeals her sentence. New charges have been brought against her since her arrest.
Fatemeh Masjedi, women’s rights activist currently serving a 6 month prison sentence in Qom for her involvement in the Campaign. She was arrested on Friday January 28, as she was on her way to Tehran from Qom and taken to prison to start serving her sentence, despite the fact that her lawyer had filed a judicial review in her case.
Farnaz Kamali, women’s rights activist, arrested during protests on February 20, 2011. Her situation, the charges against her and her location remain unclear. She has been allowed one telephone call to her family from prison.
Also, many Campaign activists have been sentenced to prison terms in relation to their human rights or journalist activities, which have either not been implemented yet or are in appeals, including:
Mahboubeh Karami, Campaign activist who has been sentenced to serve a 3 year prison term, but the sentence has not yet been implemented.
Shiva Nazarahari, Campaign and human rights activist has been sentenced to serve a four year prison term, but the sentence has not yet been implemented.
Jila Baniyaghoub, Campaign activist and journalist has been sentenced to a 1 year prison term and a 30 year ban from journalistic activities.
Kaveh Kermanshahi, Campaign and human rights activist in Kermanshah has been sentenced to a 5 year term, which he is appealing.
Other women remain in prison during the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day well. They include women’s rights activists, student activists, journalists, political figures and human rights activists.
Some of the women currently in prison in relation to their activism include: Mahdieh Golroo, student activist, Haleh Sahabi, women and peace activist, Fariba Ibtahaj, women’s researcher and political activist, Hengameh Shahidi, journalist, Mahsa Amrabadi, journalist, Nazanin Khosravani, journalist, Atefeh Nabavi, student activist, Shabnam Madadzadeh, student activist, Zeinab Jalalian, Kurdish rights activist, Fatemeh Karoubi, political activist, Zahra Rahnavard, political activist, Fakhrolsadat Mohtashamipour, political activist, Leila Tavasolli, political activist, Mahvash Sabet, religious minority, and the list goes on…
We wish all our readers a happy International Women’s Day celebration. Here’s hoping that our colleagues and friends will be free and out of prison for next year’s celebration of the day for women.
Courtesy : We Change
Ronak Safazadeh, Kurdish women’s rights activist, currently serving a 6 year prison sentence in internal exile. She was arrested on October 9, 2007 and has been in prison since. Ronak Safazadeh is also a member of the Azar Mehr women’s NGO in Kurdistan Province.
Zeinab Bayazidi, Kurdish women’s rights activist currently serving a four year prison sentence in internal exile in the city of Zanjan. She was arrested on July 9, 2008. Her appeals process, as noted by her lawyer, was unusually speeding and suffered from legal irregularities.
Alieh Eghdamdoust, women’s rights activist, sentenced to serve three years in prison in relation to her participation in the peaceful protest in Hafte Tir Square on June 12 2006. She is currently serving her prison term in Evin. She has been in prison since February 1 2009.
Bahareh Hedayat, women and student rights activist currently serving a 9.5 year prison sentence at Evin prison. She has been denied visits and contact with her family. Bahareh was arrested on December 27, 2009 and has remained in prison since.
Nasrin Sotoodeh, human rights lawyer and women’s rights activist sentenced to 11 years of prison and 20 year ban on legal practice and travel. Nasrin was arrested on September 4 2010 and remains in prison while she appeals her sentence. New charges have been brought against her since her arrest.
Fatemeh Masjedi, women’s rights activist currently serving a 6 month prison sentence in Qom for her involvement in the Campaign. She was arrested on Friday January 28, as she was on her way to Tehran from Qom and taken to prison to start serving her sentence, despite the fact that her lawyer had filed a judicial review in her case.
Farnaz Kamali, women’s rights activist, arrested during protests on February 20, 2011. Her situation, the charges against her and her location remain unclear. She has been allowed one telephone call to her family from prison.
Also, many Campaign activists have been sentenced to prison terms in relation to their human rights or journalist activities, which have either not been implemented yet or are in appeals, including:
Mahboubeh Karami, Campaign activist who has been sentenced to serve a 3 year prison term, but the sentence has not yet been implemented.
Shiva Nazarahari, Campaign and human rights activist has been sentenced to serve a four year prison term, but the sentence has not yet been implemented.
Jila Baniyaghoub, Campaign activist and journalist has been sentenced to a 1 year prison term and a 30 year ban from journalistic activities.
Kaveh Kermanshahi, Campaign and human rights activist in Kermanshah has been sentenced to a 5 year term, which he is appealing.
Other women remain in prison during the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day well. They include women’s rights activists, student activists, journalists, political figures and human rights activists.
Some of the women currently in prison in relation to their activism include: Mahdieh Golroo, student activist, Haleh Sahabi, women and peace activist, Fariba Ibtahaj, women’s researcher and political activist, Hengameh Shahidi, journalist, Mahsa Amrabadi, journalist, Nazanin Khosravani, journalist, Atefeh Nabavi, student activist, Shabnam Madadzadeh, student activist, Zeinab Jalalian, Kurdish rights activist, Fatemeh Karoubi, political activist, Zahra Rahnavard, political activist, Fakhrolsadat Mohtashamipour, political activist, Leila Tavasolli, political activist, Mahvash Sabet, religious minority, and the list goes on…
We wish all our readers a happy International Women’s Day celebration. Here’s hoping that our colleagues and friends will be free and out of prison for next year’s celebration of the day for women.
Courtesy : We Change
Monday, March 07, 2011
Amnesty Calls for Investigation Into Reports Police Beat
Mon, Mar 7, 2011 at 10:14 PM
Amnesty International Urges Saudi Arabia to Allow Peaceful Protests, After Government Bans Right to Legitimate Demonstrations and Detains 24 People
Organization Also Calls for Investigation Into Reports Police Beat and Kicked Protesters in city of al-Qatif
New York : Amnesty International today called on the Saudi Arabian government to allow peaceful protests, saying a ban on all demonstrations in the kingdom was “outrageous.” The organization also called for an investigation into the detention last week of about 24 people after peaceful protests and assaults by police on others.
On Saturday, the Ministry of Interior said security forces would take “all necessary steps against those who attempt to disrupt order.” Authorities confirmed the ban on protests, which was first referred to in 2008.Further protests are planned for Friday amid growing calls for reform in the country. “The Saudi Arabian authorities have a duty to ensure freedom of assembly and are obliged under international law to allow peaceful protests to take place,” said Philip Luther, deputy director of Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa Program.“They must act immediately to end this outrageous restriction on the right to legitimate protest.”Some 24 people were detained last Thursday and Friday following protests in the city of al-Qatif, denouncing the prolonged detention of Shi’a prisoners.Police in al-Qatif kicked and beat with batons at least three of the protesters, who were taking part in an apparently peaceful demonstration supporting nine Shi’a community members who have been detained without trial for over 14 years.The arrests came a week after prominent Shi’a cleric Sheikh Tawfiq Jaber Ibrahim al-’Amr was arrested following a sermon calling for reforms in Saudi Arabia. He was released without charge on Sunday.“The Saudi authorities must investigate reports of beatings of protesters by security forces. They should also ensure that those detained are either charged with recognizable offenses and tried fairly or released,” said Luther.“While in detention they must be protected from torture and other ill-treatment, and given regular access to their family, lawyers and medical,” he said.Most of the protesters are believed to be held in a police station in al-Dhahran, a city in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province.Among those arrested are Shi’a activists Hussain al-Yusef and Hussein al-‘Alq, who have written for the Shi’a website www.rasid.com, which often details arrests of and discrimination against members of the Shi’a community.The nine members of the Shi’a community in prolonged detention were arrested in connection with the 1996 bombing of a U.S. military complex in al-Khobar in which 20 people were killed and hundreds injured.According to reports, they were interrogated, tortured and denied access to lawyers and had no opportunity to challenge the legality of their detention.Calls for reform, including for a constitutional monarchy and greater political freedoms, and for the release of people detained without charge or trial in Saudi Arabia have grown louder in recent weeks amid protests spreading across the Middle East and North Africa.BackgroundIn 2008, following a protest against Israel’s military action in Gaza, the Ministry of Interior, was reported to have said that protests in Saudi Arabia were banned.Those who defy this ban are often held incommunicado without charge and denied access to the courts to challenge the legality of their detention.Critics of the Saudi Arabian government face gross human rights violations at the hands of security forces under the control of the Ministry of Interior.They are often held incommunicado without charge, sometimes in solitary confinement, prevented from consulting lawyers and denied access to the courts to challenge the lawfulness of their detention.Torture or other ill-treatment is frequently used to extract confessions from detainees, to punish them for refusing to “repent”, or to force them to make undertakings not to criticize the government. Incommunicado detention in Saudi Arabia often lasts until a confession is obtained, which can take months and occasionally years.Amnesty International is a Nobel Peace Prize-winning grassroots activist organization with 3 million supporters, activists and volunteers in more than 150 countries campaigning for human rights worldwide. The organization investigates and exposes abuses, educates and mobilizes the public, and works to protect people wherever justice, freedom, truth and dignity are denied.
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Amnesty International Urges Saudi Arabia to Allow Peaceful Protests, After Government Bans Right to Legitimate Demonstrations and Detains 24 People
Organization Also Calls for Investigation Into Reports Police Beat and Kicked Protesters in city of al-Qatif
New York : Amnesty International today called on the Saudi Arabian government to allow peaceful protests, saying a ban on all demonstrations in the kingdom was “outrageous.” The organization also called for an investigation into the detention last week of about 24 people after peaceful protests and assaults by police on others.
On Saturday, the Ministry of Interior said security forces would take “all necessary steps against those who attempt to disrupt order.” Authorities confirmed the ban on protests, which was first referred to in 2008.Further protests are planned for Friday amid growing calls for reform in the country. “The Saudi Arabian authorities have a duty to ensure freedom of assembly and are obliged under international law to allow peaceful protests to take place,” said Philip Luther, deputy director of Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa Program.“They must act immediately to end this outrageous restriction on the right to legitimate protest.”Some 24 people were detained last Thursday and Friday following protests in the city of al-Qatif, denouncing the prolonged detention of Shi’a prisoners.Police in al-Qatif kicked and beat with batons at least three of the protesters, who were taking part in an apparently peaceful demonstration supporting nine Shi’a community members who have been detained without trial for over 14 years.The arrests came a week after prominent Shi’a cleric Sheikh Tawfiq Jaber Ibrahim al-’Amr was arrested following a sermon calling for reforms in Saudi Arabia. He was released without charge on Sunday.“The Saudi authorities must investigate reports of beatings of protesters by security forces. They should also ensure that those detained are either charged with recognizable offenses and tried fairly or released,” said Luther.“While in detention they must be protected from torture and other ill-treatment, and given regular access to their family, lawyers and medical,” he said.Most of the protesters are believed to be held in a police station in al-Dhahran, a city in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province.Among those arrested are Shi’a activists Hussain al-Yusef and Hussein al-‘Alq, who have written for the Shi’a website www.rasid.com, which often details arrests of and discrimination against members of the Shi’a community.The nine members of the Shi’a community in prolonged detention were arrested in connection with the 1996 bombing of a U.S. military complex in al-Khobar in which 20 people were killed and hundreds injured.According to reports, they were interrogated, tortured and denied access to lawyers and had no opportunity to challenge the legality of their detention.Calls for reform, including for a constitutional monarchy and greater political freedoms, and for the release of people detained without charge or trial in Saudi Arabia have grown louder in recent weeks amid protests spreading across the Middle East and North Africa.BackgroundIn 2008, following a protest against Israel’s military action in Gaza, the Ministry of Interior, was reported to have said that protests in Saudi Arabia were banned.Those who defy this ban are often held incommunicado without charge and denied access to the courts to challenge the legality of their detention.Critics of the Saudi Arabian government face gross human rights violations at the hands of security forces under the control of the Ministry of Interior.They are often held incommunicado without charge, sometimes in solitary confinement, prevented from consulting lawyers and denied access to the courts to challenge the lawfulness of their detention.Torture or other ill-treatment is frequently used to extract confessions from detainees, to punish them for refusing to “repent”, or to force them to make undertakings not to criticize the government. Incommunicado detention in Saudi Arabia often lasts until a confession is obtained, which can take months and occasionally years.Amnesty International is a Nobel Peace Prize-winning grassroots activist organization with 3 million supporters, activists and volunteers in more than 150 countries campaigning for human rights worldwide. The organization investigates and exposes abuses, educates and mobilizes the public, and works to protect people wherever justice, freedom, truth and dignity are denied.
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I declined Officer's job offer because....!
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Comrade Parduman Singh |
After completing my studies, I joined the Sarvodya Programme of Gandhi Ji alongwith a friend by going to a village and cleaning the streets and by dispensing medicines for elementary diseases to poor people in a village near Amritsar.
During the days of partition in 1947, I worked actively for amelioration of sufferings of refugees from and to Pakistan and saved the lives of many innocent victims. After this, both of us were offered Officer's jobs by the Government but I declined because Congress had accepted partition of the Country.My friend accepted the job and retired as DPI in Punjab Government.
I joined the Communist Party of India and became a whole timer of the party. The life of party whole timers was very hard. I alongwith other whole timers in the CPI/AlTUC used to get monthly wage at the rate of Rs. 20 per month during the fifties. Any of us who got monetary help from family members or friends had to deposit it in the party fund.
To live in a monthly wage of Rs. 20 was quite difficult even in those days when we were young. What I did was to eat four chapatis with free dal at Dhaba at 10 AM and eat four chapatis at 6 PM. There was no money for tea or break fast. Rs. 5 was spent on other necessary items. This went on for many years. The wage was raised to Rs. 30 per month which the minimum wage for unskilled workers fixed by the State Government. None of us was satisfied because we had dedicated our lives for the revolution to bring socialism in the country. It was a question of dedication to the cause of socialism.
I was elected secretary of the Punjab State Committee of A.I.T.U.C. during that period. I was elected a member of All India General Council in 1953 and its all India Vice president in 1994. I wrote my first book on History of Trade Union Movement in Amritsar in 1980.
In the Communist party I was elected the secretary of Amritsar City Committee of CPI and subsequently of state council and state Executives of the party. The Amritsar Unit of the party took part in elections to the state Assembly and Municipal Corporation. I also took up all national and International issues.
During the period 1980-1992, when terrorism held sway in punjab, I was among those who mobilised and involved not only the workers but all the people against terrorism and separation inspite of all the dangers involved. An all party committee was formed for this purpose.
We organised Prabhat Pheris and Mohalla Meetings in various parts of the city. The committee including CPl(M), Congress, BJP, Janta Dal and Akalis was formed at my initiatives and as the secretary of the city committee of CPI I acted as convener of this Committee.
During eighties and beginning on nineties Amritsar was the epicenter of terrorist activities in Punjab. The Communists took on their activities very bravely without caring about their own safety. I give below a few instances:
On the day Punjab police DIG Atwal was shot dead at the steps of Golden Temple Complex, we were having a previously fixed general meeting of textile workers. One of our Comrades was having meetings of Brick Kiln workers. We heard the news of Atwal's murder. We consulted the leaders and the workers of both groups and decided to take out a protest march in the city. With Red flags and about two hundred fifty workers and their leaders raised the slogan of "ATTWAD WAKH AND MURDAbaad... Na HINDU RAJ Na KHALISTAN JUG JUG JIVE HINDUSTAN." We marched to the Hall Bazaar upto Kotwali and returned to Katra Jaimal Singh and then to Pink plaza Hall Bazaar, the shopkeepers got up from their seats and praised the bravery of communists and Fruit venders distributed their fruits freely amongst the processionists and praised the bravery of the Communists.
Some Communalists destroyed the model of Golden Temple situated at the Railway Station and a crude bomb was exploded by terrorists near Shiwala Bhaian. We organised a Keertan Darbaar in the presence of Guru Granth Sahib at the Railway Station. We invited the leaders of other parties to come and address the gathering. From there we organised a procession upto Shivala Bhaian. The Parbhandhak Committee of Shivala Bhaian arranged the Langer and sweets for the processionists.
Some Terrorist tried to muddle in Trade Union work. The AITUC and the CITU Left Trade Unions gave a call for General Strike in the City on 31 st May, 1984, we- requested the workers to bring sticks, hockeys, kirpans alongwith them. Thousands of workers came from Chheharta, Haripura, Batala Road, came in processions to Putlighar Chowk where a big rally was organised. Afterwards we came to know that some young terrorists had collected in the Gurdwara Pipli Sahib, Putlighar with an intention to attack the workers. One religious minded person who was also sympathetic towards the workers told them that you are a few people whereas there were thousands of armed workers in the Putlighar Chowk. Hearing this the terrorists ran away. Another aspect of this strike and rally was that the then S.S.P was inimical towards the communists. Although previously he was informed about the strike and the rally, he sent only two constables and a head constable with sticks to guard the rally. Actually he wanted a clash.
After that the rally took out a procession to the Hall Bazaar and Kotwali and Jallianwala Bagh, to the Golden Temple complex and returned via Katra Jaimal Singh to Pink Plaza.
We brought out thousands of hand bills and posters. We held Prabhat Pheries and Mohalla meetings, throughout the city and organised rallies and processions at different places. The result was that inspite of throwing cow's tales and Heads of Pigs before the temples and Gurdwaras there was no communal incident in Amritsar throughout the ten years of terrorism in Punjab.
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| Ekta Bhawan Putlighar |
It was announced from Darbar Sahib that Ekta Bhawan Putlighar which was the Headquarter of Communists should be attacked and destroyed. Some sympathisers told us.
I asked the whole timers and some other close Comrades to come and guard Ekta Bhawan. About 15 Comrades collected and stayed for about 15-20 days. One illegal Pistol and a few Kirpans were procured and stones and bricks were collected at the top of Ekta Bhawan. Comrades gave 24 hours guard duty. Food for them brought from their homes and houses of other Comrades living nearby.As per decision of the All Parties Committee, many public meetings and processions were organised in which the leaders of all parties participated. The result of all these activities was that the people of Amritsar got involved in the fight against terrorism. The proof is that inspite of throwing of Cows' tales and heads of pigs by communalists, no Hindu Sikh clash took place during the entire period.
During this period CPI contested Punjab Assembly elections from Amritsar west constituency. In 1967, CPI candidate, Comrade Satya Pal Dang won by more than ten thousand votes by defeating the then Chief Minister of Punjab, Giani Gurmukh Singh Musafir. In 1969, he defeated veteran Congress leader Jai Inder Singh. CPI won this seat five times. In all these elections, I was the chief organiser of the party. I was elected a member of Amritsar Municipal Committee in 1967. Subsequently I was nominated by the party for the District Grievance Committee and District Planning Board. I did Commendable work in these above mentioned bodies for development of poor abadis and all aslums in Putlighar, Haripura, Chheharta and Purani Jail area. Achievements in development of other areas was impressive.
The CPI in Amritsar also took part in all national and international events. During wars with Pakistan, we organised canteens for the Army personal going towards the border.
During Vietnam war we organised processions against imperialism.
During the American inspired attack on Chief and murder of its president, we organised a two hours strike in all factories and took out a procession.
During trade union activities, I got interested in the field of social Security which was a neglected field at that time in the country. This interest was heightened when I was nominated to participated in various ILO National and International seminars, in one which I was elected chairman of the drafting committee. I was also made Chairman of a group of social security experts which drafted a comprehensive law on social security Experts Labour Law Association and Friedrich Ebert Stiftung Project. I was nominated by AITUC to the Regional Board of Employees State Insurance Corporation and remained a member for nearly 20 years. I was nominated by AITUC as a Trustee in Central Board of Trustees of Employees' Provident Fund in 1977 and continues to be a Trustee of that all India high level body till date. The entire corpus of nearly over Rs. 166,000 crores of rupees, vestes in this Board and it manages the Employees Provident Fund Organisation throughout the country. This fund has a membership of 42.74 crore workers- being one of the biggest social security organisations of the world.
In the 80s, I conceived an old age, disability and survivor's pension scheme for industrial workers who are members of Fund. I put my proposal before the Central Board of Trustees and eventually the Government of India promulgated such a pension scheme for nearly 40th crore private and public sector employees on 16.11.1995. In India apart from Government employees in the other employees in industry or in Public Sector could dream of getting pension after retirement. This pattern was subsequently adapted by Bank and Insurance employees, Journalists and University Teachers.
In a function held on 23.11.95 on completion of one year of the scheme, I was hailed as Father of Pension Schemeby P.A. Sangma, the then Labour Minister, Dr. L. Mishra, Secretary to Government of India, Department of India and at that time Secretary General, Lok Sabha said that I should be awarded a Golden Scroll of Honour for my contribution in evolving the Pension Scheme and making it acceptable to the workers.
At present nearly 35 lakh retired workers or in case of death during employment their widows and children are getting pension.
I felt that not enough was being done for development and extension of Social Security in India, even by the Trade Unions as well as by the Govt. I mooted the idea of forming the Non-Government Organisation (NGO) which was to be a non partisan organisation. At my initiative and with the active help of R. K. A. Subramania, former Chairman of the Central Board of Trustees of Employees Provident Fund and Addl. Secretary Labour, Social Security Association of India was formed in 1991 and was inaugurated by Dr. Manmohan Singh, the then Finance Minister, government of India.
I continued to be founder President of this organisation. I gave up this office of my own 2- 3 years back. The governing body elected me as Emeritus President of life. This organisation, is a body of high level social security experts academics, Labour economics, former functionaries of International Social Securities Association and International Labour Organisation, Officers of Social Security Organisation.
The two biggest Social Security Organisation i.e. Employees Provident Fund Organisation and Employees State Insurance Corporation are its international members. This association is devoted to research, study, training and development and extension of Social Security in India. It has already held many seminars, workshops, training camps, round tables in all parts of the country as well as an Asian seminar and has brought out many publication. The association has won National and international recognition in a short period of ten years.
I have authored many books on Social Security in India. Asia Pacific and in developing countries of Asia, Africa and South Africa. These publications include: -Social Security and struggle for human dignity in the developing countries, published in 1988 in English and French by world federation of Trade Unions. -A report on exempted Provident Funds as Chairman of a Committee of CBT. A manual of Social Security in India. -Social Security in Asia and Pacific.
�New approach to minimum wages as measure of social protection in three volumes. (Co-authored with R. K. A. Subramanya, Secretary General, Social Security Association of India.
*A monumental comparative study of Social Security System in 36 developing countries of Asia, Africa and South Africa.
*Protection for the elderly, the disabled and the survivor�s in India at the threshold of 21st century.
*Two booklets on Employees Pension Scheme in English and Hindi as well as in many regional languages.
*UN year for the elderly 1999 -towards a society for all ages. (as Editor) -Health protection in India in the year 2000.
*Unemployment Benefit schemes in Developing Countries. A case for unemployment scheme in India.
Five of the above mentioned books have been published by the German foundation Friendship Ebort Stiffling, copies of these books were sent to ILO and ISSA and these both level organisations have praised my research work in Social Security. Some of the books have world wide circulations.
I used to send two copies publication to International Labour Organisation (ILO) and International Security Association (ISSA). Dalmer D. Hoskins, Secretary General of IS SA wrote to me:
*I should like to extend to my sincerest congratulations on this comprehensive volume which constitutes an excellent compendium on the historical background and features of the wide range of old age, invalidity, and survivor's schemes existing in India at the National, State and Enterprise levels. It also pin points some of the crucial issues being faced in this field of Social Security. This publication will therefore be an important addition to our library and I am sure will be widely consulted by those wishing to have a complete picture of the various types of Social protection in India for the elderly, the disabled and the survivors.
With my renewed thanks and wishing you continued success in your excellent efforts at disseminating information of Social Security in India, I remain.
--Comrade Parduman Singh
From the New Age Central Organ of the Communist Party of India (CPI)(issue dated Saturday, August 05, 2006.)
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