[Reader-list] Everyday Violence

Thu Mar 28 13:22:00 IST 2002

Dear all at the Reader List,

I am enclosing below an e mail from Bharati Chaturvedi, 
(bharatich at hotmail.com) who works with an NGO that is involved with recycling 
and rag pickers in Delhi. The e mail precedes a letter of complaint written 
by three rag pickers against an instance of an arbitrary police attack on 
their persons. 

Do read this to see how everyday violence operates on the streets of this 
city. 

Shuddha
____________________________________________________

dear friends,

recycling is now a fashionable word, being promoted far and wide, in schools 
and in policy. It helps us to get rid of our guilt of over-consumption, 
perhaps. 

so, how is recycling really happening? obviously, in india, through the 
ragpickers and kabaris we see all over, and whom have been praised time and 
again for their contribution towards society and cleaning up the city. 

here is an account of how recycling often works at the ground level, at a 
brutal level. this email takes the form of a complaint by a ragpicker, and 2 
kabaris, to the police,regarding incidents which took place today. It is in 
english, which was written because it was the easiest and quickest.but they 
have hindi versions.since the compalint was made, we have met various police 
officials and an enquiry has begun. As a result of this, we have been been 
inundated with calls from the most unexpected quarters to "stop feeling so 
bad" about the incidents described below. We have been asked to show some 
sympathy for the police because they are also human beings. most of this is 
becoz the persons involved have gone to everyone who knows us in Connaught 
Place and demanded that we should be " controlled". 

so much, then, for the comfort levels we feel when we say : msot waste in 
india is recycled. AND HOW!!!
bharati chaturvedi

To

ACP (Vigilance)

Sri. P.C. Gopichand 

PS. Parliament Street.

New Delhi. 110011

March 25 2002

Dear Sir, 

We are writing to you to lodge a complaint against the incidents that took 
place yesterday/early morning today regarding ourselves. We have noted below 
the occurances , followed by each of our experiences and finally, our request 
and appeal to you. 

Stage I :

A group of police men (appx 7 persons, in uniform and without) approached 
Ram, a kabari in Raja Bazar and asked him to produce a battery stolen /lost 
from the PS Beat Box in Barakhamba Road. Ram requested them to search his 
shop as he had not bought any battery. This was done at the instance of a 
Asami, whom none of us have had any dealings with, but who had named us as 
the buyers of the battery. However, they picked Ram up and took him away in 
an auto-rickshaw.  They then reached Connaught Place, where they picked up 
Santu, also a kabari, who works at the Garbage Station situated there. They 
also picked up Ajay Rai, who was present there, because he had come to inform 
Santu that Ram had been taken away and to rush to the Police Station. 

The policemen appeared to be in an inebriated state, which was surprising 
since it was a dry day. 

Stage II : 

All of us (Ram, Santu and Ajit Rai) were taken to the Fire Brigade Beat box, 
where we were severely beaten with belts, lathis, and other items. We are 
able to identify at least two of the personnel by name : Mukesh and Manoj. 
Several other policemen were also present at that time. Given below are our 
individual versions : 

Ram : 

I was beaten with lathis, one of which also broke on my back. One of the 
policemen in uniform also sat on my chest , kneeling and pressing his knee 
onto my chest and causing me great pain.  I was also hit with a tube like 
material, which is found in vehicles. They also tied up my mouth when I 
screamed to prevent me from being heard. Two policemen caught my forearms and 
held me tightly , leaning against a pillar like tree and two others whipped 
us, and ordered us to confess to having bought the stolen battery. Apart from 
my back, I was also beaten severely on the soles of my feet. 

I have severe beating marks on my back, great pain in my eyes and feet, 
muscle pain and body ache. I am unable to walk and have to lie down as one of 
my legs is also injured. 

************************

Santu :

I was also beaten similarly with lathis, a belt and other items. They told me 
that the battery cost them Rs. 7500 and they were not going to leave me to 
compensate them either through cash or by producing a battery. I told them I 
had no battery , where upon they began to beat me further. In fact, after 
being beaten and in pain, I believed it was better for me to agree to 
anything that the police asked me to confess, rather than allow them to maim 
or kill me. Then they asked the identified person how much he had sold the 
battery to me for. He named the price of Rs. 500. By this time, I had fallen 
down due to excessive beatings and I agreed that I had bought the battery for 
Rs. 400 and sold it for Rs. 500, as I did not wish to be killed. Then they 
asked me for a battery for Rs. 7500 : paid for in cash or a new battery. 
Finally, they searched me and found Rs. 2000 on my person, which was 
entrusted to me as part of my work as a waste manager with Chintan. This they 
kept, but returned later, when I asked for it while leaving, after noting 
down my address and name. They asked me to produce a battery by 10 am.  

I have great pain on both my legs, marks of the beatings and am in great 
pain. 

************************

Ajit Rai :

I was beaten, like the others severely and also suffered from profusely 
bleeding injuries on my left leg. They forced me to say that I was also with 
Osami while he was supposed to have stolen their battery. 

************************

All three of us were beaten after being held by our arms across a tree and 
all of us were beaten on our soles very badly. 

Meanwhile, Mr. Asami, the accused, was also constantly given dozes of smack, 
to which he is addicted, while we were being beaten. None of us work with 
Asami and hardly know him. We are entirely unaware as to whether or not he 
stole the battery and if it was stolen. However, we wish to point out some of 
our observations :

  1.. All of us have Identify Cards, which show that our work and presence in 
the NDMC Connaught Place Area is acknowledged clearly. The Police Station has 
knows about these clearly, as we have had several interactions with them and 
other Police Stations and laso given them copies of these. Santu is part of 
the Chintan Staff and works as a waste manager on field projects. Chintan, an 
NGO working with the NDMC on waste -related issues, has also facilitated 
interactions with the Police. Waste collected from some projects is often 
sold to Ram directly. However, all this information, apart from proper 
procedures,  were brushed aside in favour of picking us up late at night and 
beating us up mercilessly.

  2.. We have been picking up and selling waste generated in this city , and 
we make our ends meet on the waste that is thrown out, albeit with 
difficulties. However, the police repeatedly told us that every ragpicker and 
kabari was essentially a thief.   

3. We tried to have a medical examination done at 4 :30 am, after being 
released, at RML Hospital, but were denied this as we did not have a letter 
from the Police Station. 

We would like to request for the following :

  1.. A through medical examination and treatment. 
  2.. An enquiry into the entire incident and appropriate punishment to those 
who have tortured us. 
  3.. Prevention of such incidents in the future, through an identified 
official whom we can approach for these and also, minor problems. 
  4.. A monthly meeting to evaluate the progress and events of the last month 
and to move ahead. 

We have tried many times to co-operate with the police, often successfully. 
It is very sad that we still are called thieves and that a citizen can be 
picked up for interrogation at any hour, in this irresponsible manner and 
treated without any regard to his rights. 

We wish to launch this as our complaint. 

Santu  

Ajit Rai

Ram