Violent clashes erupted in the village of Nandigram, in the Indian state of West Bengal on March 14th of this year. Villagers and land owners have resisted state seizure of thousands of acres planned for commercial development. Many citizen activists have actively opposed the seizures. Police were sent to quell resistance to the seizures, and used armed force against the protesters resulting in at least 14 deaths. Activists say that in addition to armed violence, “large-scale methodical sexual assault” was used by police. The People’s Tribunal was formed by activists, medical professionals, media professionals and others from all over India. The Tribunal collected victims’ stories of the widespread use of sexual violence to quash resistance and punish protestors. The resulting report also claims that medical records of sexual assault victims were tampered with following the March 14th incident. The People’s Tribunal is calling for support for victims from civil society organizations and for the establishment of a special tribunal to address the cases of sexual violence against the women of Nandigram. The state and national government have not responded to claims they have tried to cover up the extent of the violence.
Read the People’s Tribunal on Nandigram report
Compiled from: Pallvi, Aparna, “Indian Tribunal Pushes for Sexual-Violence Inquiry,” Women’s eNews, 5 November 2007.