In the eyes: dream. The brow as if it could feel
something far off. Around the lips, a great
freshness—seductive, though there is no smile.
Under the rows of ornamental braid
on the slim Imperial officer’s uniform:
the saber’s basket-hilt. Both hands stay
folded upon it, going nowhere, calm
and now almost invisible, as if they
were the first to grasp the distance and dissolve.
And all the rest so curtained within itself,
so cloudy, that I cannot understand
this figure as it fades into the background—.

Oh quickly disappearing photograph
in my more slowly disappearing hand.

French Exit compares two translations of this Rainer Maria Rilke poem here.

POLICE COMPLAINTS AUTHORITIES – REFORM RESISTED

Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) is out with its 2nd report on the working of Police Complaints Authorities in India. The report titled ‘Police Complaints Authorities – Reform Resisted’ is a five year review of the functional Authorities that were set up following the Supreme Court’s decision in the Prakash Singh case that ordered their creation in 2006.

The picture that emerges from our second national report on the functioning of PCA’s  is bleak in the extreme. Only eighteen of the twenty-eight states have set up a Police Complaints Authority and of these only ten actually exist at the ground level. But none of these comply with the schema laid out by the Supreme Court. Where they are functional on ground (Assam, Chandigarh, Haryana, Goa, Kerala, Puducherry, Tripura and Uttarakhand , Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu ), they are designed such that they fail to deliver their mandate. Despite the odds the Authorities are trying to do the best they can. Without a helping hand and without the political support we are afraid that they would become one more body that the public will soon have no confidence in approaching.  The Report ‘Police Complaints Authorities – Reform Resisted’ could be accessed http://www.humanrightsinitiative.org/publications/police/PoliceComplaintsAuthorities_ReformResisted.pdf

CHRI ’s Press Release ‘Challenges Beset India’s Police Complaints Authorities’ could be accessed http://www.humanrightsinitiative.org/pressrelease/CHRIPressStatementonIndia’sPoliceComplaintsAuthorities.pdf

For further information on Police Complaints Authorities -Reform Resisted contact Ms. Devika Prasad at devika@humanrightsinitiative.org or Ms. Navaz Kotwal at navaz.uno@gmail.com For more information on CHRI’s work on Police Reforms in India, South Asia, East Africa and Commonwealth please visit our website: http://www.humanrightsinitiative.org

Aditi Datta Media and Communications Officer Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative B-117, Sarvodaya Enclave, Second Floor New Delhi 110017 INDIA Ph: 91 1146085477, 45804529 Fax: 91 11 26864688

Follow CHRI on Twitter: http://twitter.com/chri_INT

Join CHRI on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Commonwealth-Human-Rights-Initiative/339047116123738

Join South Asian Right to Information Advocates Network (SARTIAN): http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sartianetwork/

Join CHRI’s Facebook Campaign on Police Reforms: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Police-Reforms-India/244948815539080

Watch CHRI videos on U Tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1E3lpl_hoT0&feature=player_embedded#!

Mail Aditi for CHRI Publications (free): aditi@humanrightsinitiative.org;aditidg@gmail.com

More info on our website: www.humanrightsinitiative.org CHRI is an independent, non partisan, international non-governmental organisation working for the practical realisation of human rights in the countries of the Commonwealth.

Song of the moment

Song of the moment

There’s also a seed swap event organised by Geekgardener at his place. Details at his blog which is a fantastic resource of veggie-growing ideas and tips.