CC_India

in the state. Violations of law and order should be
dealt with by the police not emergency legislation.
3. Develop fast track mechanisms and a built-in civic
accountability structure for ensuring justice for
human rights violations perpetrated by state and
non-state actors, as well as objects such as landmines.
The directives of the State Human Rights
Commission for compensation/rehabilitation in the
aforementioned cases be steadfastly implemented.
4. Call for the demilitarisation of the border areas:
• Landmines: Both India and Pakistan are not signatories
to landmine ban treaty. India, however, is
signatory to 1996 amendment of Protocol II of the
Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW), which
forbids use of landmines in civilian areas. India and
Pakistan must sign and ratify the convention. There
is urgent need to address this issue and in particular
to pay attention to its gendered implications including
compensation and medical support should be
promptly delivered.
• Vacate public lands: Removal of armed forces from
occupation of public land and accountability for
military occupation of public lands. Vacate the land
and the illegal occupation of civil buildings with a
timeline.
• Cease the militatisation of development: Including
Operation Sadbahvna and take cognisance of the
implication of the militarisation of development
undermining democratic accountability and civilian
responsibility. Many of these programs are specifically
oriented towards youth and women and they
have further gendered implications.
5. We note with concern the practice of civilians contracted
for work by the army (porters) signing documents
waiving the responsibility of the security
forces for injuries and other incidents in the course
of the work. Civilians that ‘work’ for the army must be
recognised and duely compensated.
6. Enable women to directly address issues of complaint,
security and militarisation by promoting their meaningful
participation in decision making structures
especially by drawing upon existing entitlements to
quotas.
TRIPURA:
1. Ensure the women’s commission is adequately
addressing the needs of indigenous women by monitoring
their progress on issues such as girls’ education
in tribal regions where the situation has been grossly
understated by the government and documentation
exists of remote and tribal areas with no facilities and
schools that have been closed for years. Also ensure
tribal women are in decision making positions on the
commission and are participating meaningfully in the
commission. Begin discussions on the development
of a Indigenous women’s commission which would
address the concerns of tribal woman and process
complaint reports.
2. Promote the education, empowerment and leadership
of tribal women within their communities, in
political parties and within the Autonomous Tribal
Council.
3. Facilitate unity through inter-ethnic and inter community
round-tables with civil society (independent
of government intervention) to identify common
issues women face.
4. Increase support given to civil society groups working
on women’s issues (particularly cross-ethnic and
cross-community), independently without political
interference with a focus on youth groups as critical
to the collective.
5. Removal of AFSPA due to its obsoleteness and grave
impact on women’s security, long history of human
rights violations and disruption to the lives and culture
of the people, particularly in Tribal areas. AFSPA
is applied only to indigenous areas, a discriminatory
practice which reinforces an undesirable divide
despite the fact that the state is supposedly in a ‘post
conflict’ situation.
6. Implement the women’s reservation bill of 50%
women (including fulfilling reservations particularly
for tribal and scheduled caste women) as office bearers
and in the three tier panchayat system to tackle
issues of security for women, corruption in relation
to women’s access to schemes/facilities and militarisation.
This 50% quota extends to the Autonomous
Tribal Council and should be fulfilled. Furthermore,
women should be empowered in their local tribal systems
and decision making processes.
UNEQUAL CITIZENS: Women’s Narratives of Resistance, Militarisation, Corruption and Security
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