Over 600 civil rights bodies release charter of demands for protection of marginalised sections

Preventing discrimination against the disabled people and LGBTQ community members and penalising gender, caste as well as religion-based violence were among the charter of demands released by over 600 civil rights bodies for protection of marginalised sections of the society.

Preventing discrimination against the disabled people and LGBTQ community members and penalising gender, caste as well as religion-based violence were among the charter of demands released by over 600 civil rights bodies for protection of marginalised sections of the society. In a joint statement, the 632 organisations, including women's groups, LGBTQIA communities, human rights bodies, trade unions and farmers' organisations, said they released the charter of demands under the campaign "Hum agar uthhe nahin to (If We Do Not Rise) which was observed on September 5 to mark the third death anniversary of activist Gauri Lankesh.

The 632 civil rights organisations include All India Progressive Women's Association, National Federation of Indian Women, All India Democratic Women's Association, HAQ-Centre for Child Rights, LABIA (Lesbians and Bisexuals in Action) and others. The charter of demands released on Tuesday covers 13 thematic areas -- Democratic Rights, Transparency and Accountability, Institutional Autonomy and Integrity, Right to Life and Safety, Food Security, Right to Education, Right to Work, Right to Political Participation, Right to Health, Access to Natural Resources, Technology and Surveillance, Rights of Persons with Disabilities and Media.

The bodies demanded penalising any discrimination, violence or stigmatisation of LGBTQ persons and disabled people. The demands raised in the charter also include repealing Citizenship Amendment Act, undoing the "regressive" amendments to the RTI Act, penalising gender, caste and religion-based violence and preventing discrimination against the disabled.

Under the theme of Right to Education, the charter condemned efforts of communalization of the curriculum and demanded the inclusion of Constitutional Values and Democratic Rights as an essential components of social science curricula. "We demand an increase in the number of days from 100 to 200 under MNREGA as a response to the rural distress induced by COVID and an increase in wage rate to a minimum of Rs 600 per day," the charter said.

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