From The Telegraph, June 25, 2011
Gladson Dungdung writes to PC against IB sleuths over anti-national slur
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Ranchi-based Gladson Dungdung (32), who describes himself as a human rights activist, writer and motivator, said that an officer claiming to be from the Jharkhand unit of the Union home ministry visited his home yesterday and told him that he was being questioned to find out details about his involvement or association with anti-national organisations.
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Now, after the quizzing he and his family faced yesterday, Dungdung alleged the home ministry’s move was “intended to coerce, humiliate and suppress” his voice against injustices meted out to adivasi communities for whom he has been fighting at various platforms for several years.
A copy of the letter that Gladson Dungdung had written to various authorities follows:
To,
The Hon’ble Union Minister,
Ministry of Home Affairs,
North Block, Central Secretariat,
New Delhi – 110001.
Re: inquiry against me by the Ministry of Home Affairs through the CBI.
Dear Sir,
Greetings!
With due respect, I would like to bring your attention in a case of inquiry against me, which has been carried out by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), New Delhi through the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The Ministry had done the similar inquiry last year and I had given them all the required information despite that the same inquiry has been repeated to know whether I’m involved in any kind of anti-national activity and my association with the anti-national elements.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has initiated second round inquiry against me. An officer of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Mr. Nirmal Kumar Birua visited my resident in the afternoon at 3:15 PM on June 23, 2011 and asked me about the activities I’m involved with, the source of my income, my association with the organizations and mass movements, my work for Human Right, publications, reports, articles and so on. He also recorded about my family background including the background of my parents, brother and sisters, the present status of my family members and about my present residence and present status.
He told me that the Jharkhand Unit of the MHA has to send a bulletin in every evening and the Delhi office has been consistently asking to submit a report regarding my involvement in anti-National activities and association with anti-National elements. However, when I checked it I was shocked to know that there is no such unite of the MHA exists in Ranchi but the MHA does all kinds of inquiry in the state either through the Intelligence Bureau (IB) or the CBI. In fact, I have put everything in the public domain and I’m always available in Ranchi the capital city of Jharkhand and also appear in the media (print and electronic) very often. I have been raising the issues of human rights and social justice and the allegations of my involvement in anti-national activities and my association with the anti-national elements are baseless.
The most surprising thing is, the MHA is not even aware about my association with the Planning Commission of India. Last month, I was nominated as a member of an autonomous body “Assessment and Monitoring Authority” (AMA) under the Planning Commission (Govt of India).
Hence, I feel that the MHA has been taking actions against me with the clear intention to coerce, humiliate and suppress my voice as I’m one of the outspoken persons from the Adivasi community.
Therefore, I request you; kindly stop all kinds of inquiry against me and also to take action against those officers who are trying to defame my credibility. I hope to hear you soon.
Thanking you.
Yours Sincerely,
Gladson Dungdung,
Member,
Assessment and Monitoring Authority,
Planning Commission (Govt. of India),
C/o – Mr. Suleman Oreya,
Near Don Bosco, I.T.C. Gate,
Lane – 2, Khorha Toli, Kokar, Ranchi-834001
***
Gladson Dungdung is a Human Rights Activist, Writer and Motivator. He comes from the Indigenous community of Jharkhand. His family was displaced during the construction of Kelaghagh Dam situated at Simdega district without any rehabilitation. His parents were brutally murdered in 1990 when he was merely 12 years old. Consequently, he had to undergo through a long struggle. His areas of interest include Indigenous’ rights, advocacy, human rights, policy formation & implementation and strategic planning & campaign. He is the founder Secretary of the ‘Navjeevan Foundation’, an organization works with Children, Adivasi, Dalits, Women and Rickshaw-pullers in Jharkhand.
He writes regularly for the Daily Newspapers, Weeklies and Journals on the issues of indigenous people’s rights, human rights and social change. He is a regular contributor to the Uday Indian, Morung Express, the Verdict, the Tehelka, the Mainstream, Countercurrents, Sanhati, WorldproutAssembly, Weekly Mirror, Jharkhand Express (Hindi). His articles are also carried out by the leading News papers of Jhakhand including Prabhat Khabar, Hindustan, Dainik Jagran, Seven Days, Naye Duniya and Ranchi Express.
Presently, he is the convener of the Jharkhand Indigenous Peoples Forum and member of the Planning Commission of India “Assessment and Monitoring Authority “(Social Justice and Social Welfare Division). He is also associated with the various organizations, campaigns and people’s movements in India. He can be reached at gladsonhractivist@gmail.com
