NPPTI (National Project on Preventing Torture in India), supported by EU and FnSt:-

Masum addressed incidents of torture from 2006 to 2008 under a national initiative as ‘National project on Preventing Torture in India’ financially assisted by European Commission and in West Bengal the program was implemented by Masum with association of National implementing organization; People’s Watch. We have implemented the project in 6 districts of West Bengal. These are Howrah, Kolkata, Hooghly, North 24 Paraganas, South 24 Paragans and Murshidabad.

During the project we conducted 800 fact findings

3 High level fact findings

One national level Fact Finding led by State Director on Kandhamal massacre

                                                                                                                                             Painful reminiscence

Legal intervention 

• Direct interventions in the court in 31 cases

• Public Interest Litigation in Calcutta High Court in 2007

• Complaints have been lodged before different HR institutions, state and national levels government departments on 315 incidents/cases.

Awareness and Sensitization Program

18 Torture and Human rights Awareness programmes during project period with lawyers, prosecutors, teachers, medicos, psychiatrists, media, political parties, Trade Unions & Police

                                                                                                                                Recall with photographs

Literature/publications 

25000 & 15000 hand books on torture in vernaculars and English respectively were distributed 

462 pages compilation of torture cases with pictures, press releases, news paper cuttings with analytical reports of the project for the year 2007 & 277 pages for 2008 with Photographs 

Resource materials for Lawyers, Doctors, Teachers, Media Persons, Politicians, Trade Unionists, Prosecutors and others  

Periodic publication of newsletters with regular pamphlets, booklets & other materials.

Achievement in the project

• Recorded huge number of torture cases with proper documents to show prevalence of torture in the society

• Torture and human rights issue reached to different cross sections of society who realised the necessity to prevent it

• The government was stoic in responding to the issue of torture but continuous hammering has been able to break the ice 

• Network has been developed in the project area to get information of torture with the local people, NGOs, professionals and like minded persons 

• In many areas, the incidents of torture has been declined e.g. BSF firing in Jalangi area (Model Taluk), police harassment in Basanti Colony in Kolkata and other places 

• The State government slowly responding to the issues continuously raised by the project e.g. like magisterial inquest in cases of custodial deaths, registration of murder case in encounter deaths.  

• The tortured victims have got their voices heard through the project in legal arenas, public platforms, social gatherings and before government officials 

• The people involved in the project sharpened their efficiency and widen their knowledge in human rights fields under relentless works and accurate training programme held in the project