Human Rights Defenders Data Information Knowledge Solidarity

AiNNI [ All India Network of NGOs and Individuals Working with National and State Human Rights Institutions] ] stands along with the larger vibrant, vocal, non-compromising yet patriotic citizenry of this country whose stand has been vindicated through the report and recommendations of the 45th Session of the Sub Committee on Accreditation (SCA) of Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) held March 2025 made public last night. 

The decision to downgrade NHRC to ‘B’ status is historically the first downgrading of the Indian NHRC since its inception in 1993 and after its 2016, 2023 and 2024 deferrals. NHRC has challenged these recommendations under the GANHRI statute. 

AiNNI hopes NHRC will upload this report on its website truly respecting the human rights principles of transparency and accountability. 
AiNNI wishes to also record the small yet positive steps undertaken by the Indian NHRC, for the first time in history, under the leadership of Justice V. Ramasubramanian and wishes to express its willingness to work with and support the NHRC as a responsible civil society platform which has engaged with the NHRC ever since its inception as a platform in 2010 and through its forerunner, People’s Watch since 1995. 
AiNNI wishes to place its gratitude to the SCA and GANHRI for this very fair and detailed assessment that it has undertaken and we do hope that this will path the way for a yet a stronger, independent, truly effective NHRC that this country badly requires.

Jailed singer-activist accuses taloja prison authorities of fatal medical negligence      https://indiejournal.in/article/jailed-singer-accuses-taloja-prison-authorities   Dec 30, 2024 On December 11, 2024, I learned that undertrial prisoner Arjun Keru Abhang had died in the morning after suffering from a heart attack. I knew Abhang. I also had information about how the Chief Medical Officer at Taloja had neglected the health issues that Abhang was going through and treatment in the five days leading to his death,” Gaichor writes in the letter to the SHRC, calling the CMO’s treatment of Abhang irresponsible and inhuman.- Gaichor, human rights activist and a member of Kabir Kala Manch..On December 7, Abhang returned to jail after his hearing at the Belapur sessions court. The same evening, he began complaining of pain in his lower abdomen. But despite sending out a medical report, he was not given any treatment until the next morning when the constable came for barack opening. Even after that, he had to wait for around one and a half hours to be taken for check-up,” Gaichor alleges.

Ravi Kiran Jain is no more. A lot of us might not know who Ravi Kiran Jain was.
A former head of the PUCL, Ravi ji was an extremely kindred soul. He worked alongside Dr. Binayak Sen, Sudha Bharadwaj and Kavita Shrivastava in the PUCL.
When Justice Sudhir Agrawal of the Allahabad High Court, (the Ayodhya judgement case judge) wrote a letter to the Bar, suggesting that judges and senior advocates make contribution to help hapless lawyers during corona virus days, he as PUCL national president, publicly responded, saying that first this judge should give up his unnecessary Z-plus security (after the kind of judgement he had given), and secondly, he said, these days clients instead of  engaging Senior Advocates prefer to engage kith and kin of Judges practicing in high court. 
It embarrassed many 'uncle judges' no end. 

Fond of quoting HM Seervai at length, he was the stuff the quest for justice in an unequal world is made of. No flag will fly at half mast, but his demise is nevertheless a huge loss, the kind which should be mourned in the recesses of our souls. 

A lot of warriors for justice do not get the sort of headlines that some receive. Would we see gushing elegies in the papers? -- A Whats App Post.