National Politics

Congress President Kharge Pays Tribute To Freedom Fighter Udham Singh On His Birth Anniversary

Kharge

The crowd had assembled peacefully at the venue to condemn the arrest of two national leaders — Satya Pal and Saifuddin Kitchlew — when they were fired at indiscriminately by General Dyer and his men.

New Delhi: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday paid tribute to the revolutionary freedom fighter Udham Singh on his birth anniversary on Monday.

“Our tribute to revolutionary freedom fighter, Shaheed-e-Azam, Udham Singh who made the supreme sacrifice for the nation. His patriotism shall continue to inspire millions,” Mallikarjun Kharge said in a tweet along with a graphical image of Udham Singh. Born in 1899, Udham Singh was from Sangrur in Panjab and a freedom fighter who had lost his parents at an early age.

He was hanged to death on July 31, 1940, for killing Former Lieutenant Governor of Punjab Michael O’Dwyer to avenge the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.

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The Jallianwala Bagh massacre took place on April 13, 1919, when troops of the British Indian Army, under the command of Colonel Reginald Dyer, fired machine guns into a crowd of unarmed protesters and pilgrims who had gathered in Jallianwala Bagh in Punjab’s Amritsar on the occasion of Baisakhi.

The crowd had assembled peacefully at the venue to condemn the arrest of two national leaders — Satya Pal and Saifuddin Kitchlew — when they were fired at indiscriminately by General Dyer and his men.

According to British government records, 379 people including men, women, and children were killed while 1,200 were wounded in the firing. Other sources place the number of dead at well over 1,000.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by HW News staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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United Nations

Honduras: new internal displacement law ‘much-needed step’ towards restoring hope and dignity

UN News

The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, applauded on Thursday, Honduras’ landmark legislation establishing a legal framework to respond to the complex situation faced by thousands forcibly displaced within the Central American country.

The action taken by the National Congress will help with the more than 247,000 Hondurans who have been displaced by violence, 55 per cent of whom are women and 43 per cent children and adolescents.

“This law on internal displacement is a much-needed step towards restoring their dignity, hope and rights,” said UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi.

Lives torn apart by violence

On a recent trip to the country, he recounted “devastating testimonies of people whose lives have been torn apart by violence and criminality”.

In addition to creating an institutional framework through the National Response System to Forced Displacement, the new law establishes prevention mechanisms for forced recruitment, criminal exploitation of children and youth, and other challenges.

With 46 per cent of displaced students having suspended their education or being barred by gang violence from returning to school, the act also envisages the creation of educational reintegration protocols.

While walking home from school in Yoro, Honduras, the 13-year-old girl in the middle was grabbed, thrown into a van, beaten, raped and released one hour later.
© UNICEF/Andriana Zehbrauskas
While walking home from school in Yoro, Honduras, the 13-year-old girl in the middle was grabbed, thrown into a van, beaten, raped and released one hour later.

Provisions of the law

As three quarters of the displaced population need material support, humanitarian assistance is another pillar of the legislation.

At the same time, 85 per cent of those displaced who have reported impacts on their health also expressed the need for mental health services.

As such, the new legislation strengthens inclusion in mental health programmes.

Moreover, the Inter-institutional Commission for the Protection of Persons Internally Displaced by Violence, said that 68 per cent of displaced homeowners had their properties appropriated, destroyed, or were forced to abandon or sell them, while only 32 per cent managed to keep their properties after displacement.

This legislation establishes a protection mechanism for abandoned housing, land and property, being the first legal tool in the country of this nature.

“Now that it has been adopted, I encourage the authorities to expedite its implementation,” Mr. Grandi underscored.

Making progress

Although the Law has yet to be sanctioned by President Xiomara Castro, the legislation stands as an example of the progress made in Central America and Mexico to protect and provide solutions for those forcibly displaced, within the Comprehensive Regional Protection and Solutions Framework, whose member States gathered in Tegucigalpa last week.

UNHCR together with partner agencies will continue to support the Government of Honduras in responding to and preventing forced displacement.

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