HRD Alert - India - Urgent Appeal for Action – Imminent physical threats and repeated attempts to harass and intimidate and forcefully and illegally evict lawyers and women Human rights defenders Ms. Shalini Gera Ms. Isha Khandelwal at Jagdalpur town in Bastar district in the state of Chhattisgarh – Regarding

HRD Alert - India - Urgent Appeal for Action – Imminent physical threats and repeated attempts to harass and intimidate and forcefully and illegally evict lawyers and women Human rights defenders Ms. Shalini Gera Ms. Isha Khandelwal at Jagdalpur town in Bastar district in the state of Chhattisgarh – Regarding

February 19, 2016
Dear Colleagues,

Greetings! 

Human Rights Defenders Alert - India has issued urgent appeal to the National Human Rights Commission, and its Focal point of Human Rights Defenders, Secretary General of NHRC, UN Special Rapporteur on situation of Human Rights Defenders, Chhattisgarh State Human Rights Commission, Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, on our grave concern regarding two lawyers and women Human rights defenders Ms. Shalini Gera and Ms. Isha Khandelwal who are constantly facing threats to their lives by the local police supported group Samajik Ekta Manch in Jagdalpur city of Bastar in Chhattisgarh. The women human rights defenders are also being pressurised directly by the local police to evict from the Jagdalpur town by tomorrow night where they have been practicing for the last many years. 

We request you to address solidarity appeals to the authorities in your organisational / individual capacities immediately. If you choose to use a model appeal that we have created, please feel free to do the same. It is appended – use after filling the portions in red. Beneath the model appeal are the addresses of the authorities. Please send copies of your urgent appeals to  hrda.india@gmail.com, hrda.ict@gmail.com,hrda.scc@gmail.com

Thanks and Regards

Secretariat - HRDA India