NHRC takes suo motu cognisance of reports of attack on farmer

A video purportedly showing a farmer being allegedly beaten up by cops in Tamil Nadu over non-payment of loans has gone viral, prompting the National Human Rights Commission to take suo motu view of the incident.
The video which was aired by TV channels, shows few policemen allegedly attacking the farmer, identified as Balan of Thanjavur district. The incident also drew sharp reactions from farmers' bodies in the state.
"NHRC has taken suo motu cognisance of media reports that officials of a private bank with the assistance of police came to seize the tractor of a farmer and brutally attacked him and forcibly took him to a police vehicle, as they wanted to recover the money he had borrowed," the Commission said in a statement.

It observed that such a form of "forcible recovery" itself amounts to human rights violation.
NHRC said it approved the realisation of debt through lawful means but "totally disapproves the forcible recovery by torturing farmers."
Accordingly, notices have been issued to the Chief Secretary and DGP, Government of Tamil Nadu seeking reports within two weeks on the matter, NHRC said.

Quoting reports, NHRC said that "at least three police personnel were beating one Balan, a farmer."
He had availed a loan of Rs 3.80 lakh from a private bank in 2011 to buy a tractor. He had paid Rs 4,38,880 so far but the bank demanded a further payment of Rs 1.34 lakh and served a notice to him but Balan could not pay the remaining amount, NHRC said.

Balan was engaged in his farm land on the day of the incident when he was forcibly pulled down from the tractor and brutally beaten by the police, it said.
"It is in the common knowledge that private sector banks and financial institutions, in order to recover the loan advanced to individuals, particularly farmers, use police to brutalise the defaulters," Justice D Murugesan, Member, NHRC said.
"The intemperate attitude of the bank officials and the involvement of the police in such forcible recovery by torturing farmers and their servants is largely prevalent in different states of the country," he said.

On the first day of the three-day NHRC hearing held
here, the commission considered 107 complaints of which 47 cases were finally disposed.
On the second day, 25 important cases of human rights violation were considered by the full commission. These included alleged violation in KBK region, Posco project, practice of witchcraft, death of infants in hospital, malnutrition, child labourer, death due to electrocution and Japanese encephalitits.
On the last day, the commission took up six cases at the division bench of which two cases were closed upon consideration of the reports.