Holding hands and accompanying of the victims until they restore their normalcy has been the single point agenda of People’s Watch in establishing rehabilitation homes for the torture victims; one at Madurai and the other at Mettur; both in Tamil Nadu. This was an initiative of our realization during the year 2000 that the victims need multi-dimensional support in sustaining their physical and as well as mental strength both as an individual and as a family in their pursuit of attaining justice. Services ranging from shelter, food, counseling, medical and mental health assistance are some of the services offered by RCTV.
- To provide medical, psychosocial assistance / treatment to victims.
- To provide security and temporary shelter to victims of torture who are at risk of further abuses.
- To promote socio-economic rehabilitation for victims and their family members.
- To provide educational assistance for victims’ children.
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To encourage networking with various like-minded organizations/movements.
The RCTV Mettur was initiated in the year 2005 to provide rehabilitation services and assistance to the torture survivors of the Special Task Force of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu in the course of their anti-Veerappan operation. Most of the victims who were extremely poor and illiterate were subjected to the cruellest forms of torture. The RCTV Mettur provides medical care and socio-economic assistance to the victims. The Centre is presently small, despite the dire need for rehabilitation. Land has presently been acquired there to expand the centre. At present Legal assistance and medical treatment is provided through mobile clinics in the tribal areas once in a week. The Economic Development Program is also being implemented by RCTV - Mettur.
Temporary Shelter and Protection for Victims / Witnesses:
Temporary shelter is provided for the victims or witnesses in cases of human rights violations who are referred by the Monitoring Unit and Helpline. Victims of all forms of torture are provided shelter. Victims or witnesses are provided only temporary shelter / protection until the time that they can reintegrate themselves into Mainstream Society or the case related danger is no longer present, as the case may be. We have contacts with social welfare department, homes for women in distress, and child line who too refer persons to this shelter. During their stay period, all necessary assistance including toiletries, clothing, etc, if needed, are provided. They are also provided an environment where they are also able to ventilate their feelings and are able to take an appropriate decision in regarding their problem.
Medical Assistance:
Medical Assistance is provided for the victims who are referred by the Monitoring and Intervention Units. The victims will be taken to concerned specialists for conducting necessary tests. The medicines the Doctors prescribe are also provided for the victims free of cost. If necessary the victims are provided treatment in Sudhanthra where they stay as inmates. The Centre in Madurai employs the services of a Physiotherapist who treats victims of torture who have sustained injuries. The victims are referred to local hospitals like Meenakshi Mission Hospital, Ananda Priya Hospital, Vadamalayan Hospital, M/s. Chellamuthu Trust and Clinical Psychologist, etc. The Centre in Mettur arranges weekly mobile clinics to the villages in the regions where people affected by Special Task force – perpetrated atrocities reside. A team constituting of a Doctor, Nurse and Community Organizers visit the villages every Thursday in a vehicle and provide medical services to victims. General Public of the areas also benefit from these mobile clinics.
Educational Assistance:
People’s Watch provides educational assistance to children who are the victims of human rights violations and those who have lost either or one of their parents. They are chosen and referred to schools. Children who have experienced various forms of torture become emotional and mentally distressed and their troubles are compounded by the loss of the main breadwinner of the family. Due to the above said reasons many children are neither able to pursue their studies nor go to school. Such children not only lose their right to education but also their childhood. In other words, they lose their right to life, right to family, right to home, right to privacy, right to rest and leisure, right to dignity, right to education, right to health, right to play, right to recreation, etc. Since 5 years many such children of torture survivors have been educated and their talents have been honed, which has earned the praise of many in the society.
Economic Development Program:
An Economic Development Program was initiated by the Centre for the victims of the Special Task Force in the Mettur region. Victims are enabled to start a sustainable livelihood by provision of fishing nets, doormat weaving looms, cows, economic assistance for petty shop etc.
Summer Camp:
The Centre has been conducting Summer Camps for children of victims of torture and human rights violations every year since 2002 in the month of May. These are children of parents killed in police custody and encounters, children of torture victims and abused children who were the victims of corporal punishment in school or children of parents who had undergone violence due to caste discrimination or bonded labor. Through these camps which are camps with a difference and unlike any other Summer Camp, the children of the torture victims are given exposure to the pleasant part of life to regain their lost childhood, and provide them an opportunity and a place where they can move freely and get relieved from their traumatic experiences. The first Summer Camp held in 2002 saw participation of 20 children. In 2003, 133 children participated in the camp; in 2004 the number of participants was 130, in the 2005 summer camp, 150 children participated and in 2006, 270 children participated. This year, the summer camp organized from May 9th to 19th in Mahatma Residential School, Alagar Koil at Madurai had 250 attendees. In these camps, the children in the age group of 8-16 have sessions on computers, Yoga, games, trekking, art, craft, environment science, folk dances and songs, rural sport, naturopathy etc.
