Home / News / Urgent Appeals / UPDATE (INDIA): Need your support for Fr. Pallth's struggle
 

UPDATE (INDIA): Need your support for Fr. Pallth's struggle

June 9, 2002

UPDATE ON URGENT APPEAL UPDATE ON URGENT APPEAL UPDATE ON URGENT APPEAL <br>
<br>
ASIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION - URGENT APPEALS PROGRAM <br>
<br>
Update on Urgent Appeal 10 June 2002 <br>
---------------------------------------------------------------------- <br>
UP-38-2002 (RE: UA/16/2002 - Support Fr. Pallath's hunger strike for justice - 06 May 2002) <br>
<br>
UPDATE (INDIA): Need your support for Fr. Pallth's struggle <br>
---------------------------------------------------------------------- <br>
<br>
31st DAY OF THE HUNGER STRIKE <br>
<br>
PLEASE VISIT THE JESUIT HOUSES IN YOUR COUNTRY IF YOU CAN NOT WRITE TO THEM <br>
<br>
For your action, we are sending you the following latest updates on Fr. Pallath¡¯s hunger strike. <br>
<br>
- Protests spread to other Jesuit Institutions of Kerala <br>
- Tom Kochery joins issue with the Jesuits <br>
- Fr. Mani followed by Fr. George Valiyapadam and Fr.Stephen Mathew in relay Hunger strike <br>
- Dharna and fast to take place at Trivandrum Kannur and Bangalore. <br>
<br>
With the shifting of Fr.Pallath to the medical college hopital, if the Jesuits of Kerala thought the problem has moved away from their doorstep, they were in for a rude shock. An indication of the growing anger against the stubbornness of the Jesuits came yesterday in the form of a protest march and sit in before the Loyola College at Trivandrum - a premier Jesuit institution of Kerala. <br>
<br>
The protests were lead by none other than Fr. Tom Kochery, a leading Redemptorist priest and comrade-in-arms with the Jesuits in several agitations of the fish workers of Kerala. Fr. Tom Kochery also heads the National Fish Workers Forum, and is, along with Ms. Medha Patkar of the Narmada Bachao Andolan, one of the convenors of the National Alliance of People's Movements. He was joined by activists of the Samajwadi Jana Parishat, several nuns of the Society of Jesus and Mary and the Medical Mission sisters. Fr.Kochery has also announced protests to take place before Jesuit institutions in Bangalore on Monday. <br>
<br>
Against the total insensitivity of the Jesuits, public anger is building up in a manner least expected by the Jesuits. Reports are coming in of several protest actions planned in various parts of the state and elswhere in the country. On Monday, the Loyola college Trivandrum will again witness a protest demonstration attended among others by noted political intellectual of Kerala P.Govindapillai. Several priest and nuns along with various human rights activists are expected to take part in the protest action. <br>
<br>
Meanwhile, the South Indian Cell for Human Rights Education and Monitoring has planned a series of protest actions in Bangalore before the Jesuit institutions there, commencing from Tuesday. The Dalit christians fo Kannur have teamed up with several human rights and social action groups of Kannur district to put pressure on the Jesuit and church authorities to resolve the issue in a Just manner. A public meeting and solidarity fast is being observed at the stadium corner in Kannur tomorrow. <br>
<br>
Since the arrest and hospitalization of Fr. Pallath, his closest priest followers have resolved to continue the visible face of the hunger strike through a relay hunger strike in a shamiana erected before the Medical College hospital. Following Fr. Mani Parambet, Fr. George Valiapadam and now Fr. Stephen Mathew have undertaken fast there. Fr. Stephen is to be followed by Fr. sebastian Kizhakkekoot and Fr. George pulikkuthiyil. <br>
<br>
Stand Steadfast - urges solidarity committee!! <br>
<br>
As concern mounted about Fr. Pallath's deteriorating health, the Chairman of the solidarity committee in support of Fr. Pallah's struggle for Justice, veteran trade union leader, Mr. A.Vasu, convened an urgent meeting of Fr. Pallath's supporters late last night and reviewed the struggle and the future course of action. As the hunger strike entered the 30th day, grave fears about the threat to Fr. Pallath's life was discussed, since he has decided to continue the fast in the hospital and has refused even medication. The fact that the Jesuit authorities of Kerala have not budged an inch and have only hardened their stand all the more - not only dishonoring earlier agreements but even going back from the meagre concessions they were willing to consider during informal exchanges with unofficial interlocutors was discussed. Fears were expressed about whether the strike was proceeding on the line script crafted by the Jesuits - of endangering Fr. Pallath's life and getting rid of the problem once and for all. <br>
<br>
After serious deliberations and taking full cognizance of the threat posed to Fr. Pallath's life, the committee decided that their genuine concerns for Fr. Pallath's life should not come in the way of Fr. Pallath's right to lead his struggle for justice to its logical conclusion. His is a struggle for a life of dignity. Fr. Pallath is fully aware of the implications of his struggle. The struggle is being waged by him. The action council and the solidarity committee are merely supporting his struggle- averred the meeting. The meeting resolved to continue the struggle steadfastly and not to arbitrate on matters which should entirely be the prerogative of the agitationist. \&quot;We will continue to present the facts of the case to the general public. Finally, no authority however powerful will be able to resist the groundswell of people's protests and the moral strength of Fr. Pallath. If Fr. Pallath is convinced that no price is too big to be paid for a life of dignity and to ensure <br>
that justice is obtained, his supporters will respect that decision\&quot;- a statement issued after the meeting said. <br>
<br>
Dalit Christians petition Kerala Catholic Bishop's Conference <br>
<br>
As Fr.Pallath's hunger trike entered the 30th day today, Dalit Christians under the banner of the Dalit Cultural Renaissance Centre - Cannanore petitioned the Kerala Catholic Bishop's Conference (KCBC) to urgently intervene and save Fr. Pallath's life. The petition addressed to the president of KCBC, Major Arch Bishop Varkey Vithayathil, read: <br>
<br>
\&quot;Dear Spiritual Father, <br>
<br>
We are Dalit Christians, the oppressed and the untouchable dalits and tribals of Norh Kerala - Malabar, who have been liberated in to the universal brotherhood of Christian faith through the works of Jesuit missionaries. The Jesuit society continues to retain our love and respect for this liberative role in our lives. <br>
<br>
It is therefore with a deep sense of anguish and pain that we are today having to write to you about the present Jesuit leadership's totally unjust and inhuman treatment of Dr. J.J.Pallath who has made stellar contributions to the dalit emanicipative process by bringing to centre stage our true culture and ethos. As you would know, Dr. Pallath's work among Dalit, tribal and fisher people's communities have been recognized as the preferential option of the Church towards these oppressed communities. The sense of Justice that has been imparted to us by the pioneering Jesuit missionaries of yore compels us therefore to raise our voice against this grave injustice. <br>
<br>
The response of the Jesuit authorities of Kerala to a priest who has been fasting at their doorstep for 30 days pains us. He is being vilified, aspersions are cast on his character and a vicious campaign to tarnish his image is being carried out using pliable media. All this while the cause of the hunger strike that has now entered a stage when his life is in real danger is the deliberate violation of the agreement entered in to between Fr.Pallath and the Jesuit superiors of Kerala in October 2001. <br>
<br>
We believe that a stage has been reached when the Bishop's of Kerala can no longer treat this issue as an internal matter of the Jesuits. The moral conscience of Kerala has been provoked by the utter disregards the Jesuits are showing to natural justice and human rights. What is at stake is the reputation of the entire Christian community. We call upon you to intervene decisively in the matter and ensure that the issue is resolve in a manner, where the Christian community is seen to be standing firmly on the side of Justice. The time is fast running out. We urge you to intervene quickly.¡± <br>
<br>
Sd/- <br>
Mr. T.I Joseph, Mr. Issac Pilathara, Mr. C.P Gabriel, Mr. N.J. Thomas, Mr. T.M Ignatius. <br>

Document Type :
Urgent Appeal Update
Document ID :
UP-38-2002
Countries :
Document Actions
Share |
Subscribe to our Mailing List
Follow AHRC
Extended Introduction: Urgent Appeals, theory and practice

A need for dialogue

Many people across Asia are frustrated by the widespread lack of respect for human rights in their countries.  Some may be unhappy about the limitations on the freedom of expression or restrictions on privacy, while some are affected by police brutality and military killings.  Many others are frustrated with the absence of rights on labour issues, the environment, gender and the like. 

Yet the expression of this frustration tends to stay firmly in the private sphere.  People complain among friends and family and within their social circles, but often on a low profile basis. This kind of public discourse is not usually an effective measure of the situation in a country because it is so hard to monitor. 

Though the media may cover the issues in a broad manner they rarely broadcast the private fears and anxieties of the average person.  And along with censorship – a common blight in Asia – there is also often a conscious attempt in the media to reflect a positive or at least sober mood at home, where expressions of domestic malcontent are discouraged as unfashionably unpatriotic. Talking about issues like torture is rarely encouraged in the public realm.

There may also be unwritten, possibly unconscious social taboos that stop the public reflection of private grievances.  Where authoritarian control is tight, sophisticated strategies are put into play by equally sophisticated media practices to keep complaints out of the public space, sometimes very subtly.  In other places an inner consensus is influenced by the privileged section of a society, which can control social expression of those less fortunate.  Moral and ethical qualms can also be an obstacle.

In this way, causes for complaint go unaddressed, un-discussed and unresolved and oppression in its many forms, self perpetuates.  For any action to arise out of private frustration, people need ways to get these issues into the public sphere.

Changing society

In the past bridging this gap was a formidable task; it relied on channels of public expression that required money and were therefore controlled by investors.  Printing presses were expensive, which blocked the gate to expression to anyone without money.  Except in times of revolution the media in Asia has tended to serve the well-off and sideline or misrepresent the poor.

Still, thanks to the IT revolution it is now possible to communicate with large audiences at little cost.  In this situation there is a real avenue for taking issues from private to public, regardless of the class or caste of the individual.

Practical action

The AHRC Urgent Appeals system was created to give a voice to those affected by human rights violations, and by doing so, to create a network of support and open avenues for action.  If X’s freedom of expression is denied, if Y is tortured by someone in power or if Z finds his or her labour rights abused, the incident can be swiftly and effectively broadcast and dealt with. The resulting solidarity can lead to action, resolution and change. And as more people understand their rights and follow suit, as the human rights consciousness grows, change happens faster. The Internet has become one of the human rights community’s most powerful tools.   

At the core of the Urgent Appeals Program is the recording of human rights violations at a grass roots level with objectivity, sympathy and competence. Our information is firstly gathered on the ground, close to the victim of the violation, and is then broadcast by a team of advocates, who can apply decades of experience in the field and a working knowledge of the international human rights arena. The flow of information – due to domestic restrictions – often goes from the source and out to the international community via our program, which then builds a pressure for action that steadily makes its way back to the source through his or her own government.   However these cases in bulk create a narrative – and this is most important aspect of our program. As noted by Sri Lankan human rights lawyer and director of the Asian Human Rights Commission, Basil Fernando:

"The urgent appeal introduces narrative as the driving force for social change. This idea was well expressed in the film Amistad, regarding the issue of slavery. The old man in the film, former president and lawyer, states that to resolve this historical problem it is very essential to know the narrative of the people. It was on this basis that a court case is conducted later. The AHRC establishes the narrative of human rights violations through the urgent appeals. If the narrative is right, the organisation will be doing all right."

Patterns start to emerge as violations are documented across the continent, allowing us to take a more authoritative, systemic response, and to pinpoint the systems within each country that are breaking down. This way we are able to discover and explain why and how violations take place, and how they can most effectively be addressed. On this path, larger audiences have opened up to us and become involved: international NGOs and think tanks, national human rights commissions and United Nations bodies.  The program and its coordinators have become a well-used tool for the international media and for human rights education programs. All this helps pave the way for radical reforms to improve, protect and to promote human rights in the region.