PUCL Karnataka Towards civil liberties and human rights for all in Karnataka

Press Release – Police Crackdown on Hijras

05.13.2011 · Posted in Human Rights, Minorities, Press Releases

PRESS RELEASE

PUCL, Bangalore, strongly condemns the call by city’s new police commissioner JP Mirji to target and crackdown on Bangalore’s Hijra community authorising mass arrests for creating public nuisance and under the Karnataka beggary Act. Criminalising either poverty or sexuality of a community are against the fundamental rights and freedoms constitutionally guaranteed and are far out of proportion with the nature of offense considered. Police force, by construction, should see itself, above all, as facilitators to adherence of constitutional values on matters of individual freedoms and cannot indulge in excesses under any subsidiary act that violates the above principals. In the case of the Hijra community, PUCL, via its work, is very aware of the social exclusion and boycotting faced by this marginalised community that perforce requires the community members to solicit as a primary livelihood means. We urge Mr. PJ Mirji to immediately halt the proposed unleashing of police repressions on a community that is already largely ostracised.

Sincerely,

Arati Chokshi
General Secretary
PUCL – Bangalore Chapter

Ref: http://www.bangaloremirror.com/article/1/2011051320110513001823509858f13d0/Top-cop-gives-his-men-three-days-to-put-an-end-to-eunuch-menace-.html

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