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The story of how the Chamba Police attacked me without fact or reason!
On July 31, 2004, I attended the International Minjar Fair in Chamba, Himachal Pradesh, India. Where I, a citizen of the United States of America, was attacked without reason by the Chamba police department. I am the mother of six grown children, four grandchildren. I have degrees in Criminal Justice, Behavioral Science, and Anthropology (study of culture). I have spent the last year and one half traveling, taking photographs of the cultures of Nepal, India, and Sri Lanka. I was given information in Manali, by the tourist department in relationship to the festivals in Chamba. Lonely Planet mentioned in their guide, this festival, has been held for over a thousand years. I came to India to seeking ancient cultural influences still present in the modern Indian culture. At this international cultural event, which the tourism department wishes to promote, I was been treated so horrible, that I am still in a state of shock.
I have taken literally thousands of pictures of Indian culture. I have attended countless ceremonies and festivals all over India. I was greatly honored when the women, and the holy preist, a pandit, at the site of the six temples in Chamba, allowed me to sit with them, to enjoy and photograph the puja on the first monday of the festival. My heart was filled with happiness.
During the nightly cultural shows I attended, I was unable to get photographs of the dancing, due to the fact, I so far from the stage. This is because IMPORTANT people only are allowed near the stage. All else must sit behing a pipe fence, with armed guards. I have never previously encountered this attitude anywhere in any other place in the world.
On July 31, 04, on the advice of many local citizens I had spoken to, I went to the Deputy Commissioner of Chamba's office, Rahul Anand, requesting his help in this matter. He was very kind, offered me cold water, tea and biscuits. He sent a man to get a pass, which was stamped and initialed. He told me I could sit in the front, VIP section, and take all the pictures I wanted. He informed me all I had to do was show my offical pass which he personally gave me.
I presented my offical VIP pass that night, as soon as the first dancers began. I took many photographs of the first dance, and was very happy.
A rude man, D.N. Sharma, came to me soon after the first dance, demanded I sit in the back local section. He was dressed in street clothes, and did not identify himself. I presented the pass to him, which he told me is "just a card", and I must move now. I said he should contact the Deputy Commissioner of Chamba and ask him. I have permission to sit there. He returned with three extremely obnoxious policemen, who demanded I get up and leave this minute, threatening me. I reiterated, this card allows me to sit there. Then the three policemen went away, and came back with probably twenty more. N.D. Sharma then yanked, pushed and broke my Olympus digital camera which cost me $1000.00 US dollars when I bought it. The lens was now smashed into the camera, but still on. The camera was around my neck and arm. I did not even have a chance to turn it off, to try to protect the lens. The police had my arms, and would not let put away my camera or shut it off. They made rude remarks as though I was mentally deficient and that was why I was sitting there, and that I was no VIP, so therefore I could not be there. No one common is allowed to tread on the sacred ground of the dignitares.
The Chamba police, under orders from N. D. Sharma yanked me up. A tall policeman poked me hard in my neck, and then tore my Ganesh necklace off my neck. He was ready to hit me with his stick, his face filled with hatred. I stated this will be an international incident, and he stopped. The police pulled and dragged me, a 57 year old woman out of their sacred VIP section. They laughed, thinking this was great fun to drag me, causing my pants to be pulled down as I was dragged. Turns out, these actions were televised on a cable tv station.
The entire festival saw these humiliating actions of the Chamba police towards a USA citizen, and a visitor to their "International" Minjar Festival. The police tried to grab my purse and my camera contuinously, while dragging me. My purse and camera equipment spilled on the ground, and further damaged the camera, which now did not work at all.
The police forced me into a car and took me to a room near the fair, (where I see them always sitting). I demanded to be taken to to speak to someone in charge. They had left the front seat in the car,in full back osition. I would have a hard time getting out even sideways. When I was unable to be pushed out easily, they pulled me face first through the tiny space, yanking, shoving, pushing, instead of moving the seat. My body still hurts many days later.
My camera was stuck in the car seat. I kept saying I am stuck, my camera is stuck. The Chamba police then ripped the expensive glass lens right off the camera by pulling on me, when the camera was caught by it's lens in their car. I have huge black bruises on leg now. They tore the entire back bottom of my $25 dress off at waist level.
One Chamba policeman playing the cop, kept telling me "I was safe with him, and the Deputy Commissioner was inside the building, I can talk to him". I pointed out the time, and wrong building. They treated me as though I was mentally deficient the entire time.
One policewoman said sarcastically, "read her badge, get her name, so she is in trouble". The entire group of police all laughed over and over, till finally out of boredom most eventually left. They speak little or no English, or pretended not to. They refused the entire time to allow me to call the United States Embassy. They did not care what I said, they pretended I was crazy to think I had a card from the Deputy Commissioner of Chamba allowing me to sit in the VIP section. They all laughed telling me the local man, with mental problems, in an uniform is the Police chief, I may speak to him.
After two hours, they told me to leave. When I attempted to leave, I was grabbed by the police women outside and pushed back into the station. A short while later, they tell me to leave again, with police escort. I pointed out that I had been told that already, then roughly detained.
I was never charged with any crime, I was never allowed to make any statement. They wrote something on a paper, about midnight, passed it around, I heard the time I went to the Deputy Commissioner's office that day mentioned. I had told a policeman the details of the office of the Deputy Commissioner, the time, his furniture, and that the men in the Deputy Commissioner's office had been discussing a water project while I was there.
Once again the police told me I am free to leave. When I try to leave, I am followed by at least five officers. The police woman demanded I give her my hotel keys. I stopped at an STD to make a call to the embassy. The man at the store, said I could call when the man talking on the phone was through. The police told the man to not allow me to call. He then said he was closing his shop, I was NOT allowed to use his phone, (because the police told him not to allow me to). The shop keeper told me to walk to the bus station to use the phone. They were all closed. Everywhere I went, was closed. The police did not let me out of the station till after 12:30 am, to prevent me from calling the US Embassy.
I would never come back to this city. The prejudice against foreigners has never surfaced it's ugly head before as in Chamba, Himachal Pradesh, India. I have many to India many times, and never treated this way. The few foreigners I met, left soon after they arrived. They too felt the hatred of some of the local people.I have met many nice people also. But far too, too, many rude gender biased men in this town. Chamba has history, beautiful surroundings, but outsiders are unwelcomeby the Chamba polie force, they are not important enough.
The Chamba police never made any effort to check their information at the festival. Their attitude is they are all powerful men. I wanted photographs of the last day's ancient procession. When I finish my masters, I will teach at the college level. These pictures as a slide show would have taught more than any words could. Instead I hid in my hotel, looking out as it passed by. I was terrified of the Chamba police.
I had to wait for 3 days before the Deputy Commissioner of Chamba was in his office. I arrived at his office at 10:00 am. and waited till he arrived. I gave him a letter I had written detailing the actions of his police force. He promised me the camera would be repaired. N. D. Sharma smiling broadly, clasped his hands and said "sorry"..... that was it. No punishments were to be taken against the police who had ripped my clothing and necklace, who left finger mark bruises in my arms, and huge ones on my legs, who hit me a few times for good measure, NOTHING would happen to them. It was a "MISTAKE" the Deputy Commissioner said, just a "mistake", that is all.
I was sent to the Assisstant Deputy Commissioner of Chamba's office, it was decided on a photographers examination, who was called by the city for expert advice, that the camera could not be repaired, but must be replaced. I sat in the office till 3:30 pm waiting for information about the replacement of my camera, which I had purchased for $1000. The Assisstant Deputy Commissioner of Chamba's wife and family also waited with me, as they were planning on going shopping with him that day, as soon as he finished with me.
At 3:30 pm. I was taken to the Deputy Commissioner of Chamba's office, and told to speak to another man, which they pretended was higher in rank. This man had a simple room with a table, not the fancy office of the higher ranking officers. He insulted me, yelling in the the Deputy Commissioner of Chamba's office about my country, complaining about an offical the USA had frisked at an airport in the USA, and other unrelated biased statements. According to him, I was a terrible person because I came from a country that frisked his defense Minister at an airport. He screamed my country was not a democracy, India was, and more.
I was told to return at 5:00 pm and everyone would be there. I came back and everyone had left long before. I said I am going to call the embassy NOW to the men outside waiting. Then the obnoxious man had me called to his office. He took me in an offical government car to look at cameras in Chamba. He tried to have me take a cheap plastic camera in return for damaging my expensive one. He said all digital cameras have the same lens, are exactly the same regardless of pixels or make. I refused. He left in a huff after a few stores. He told me to come back to Deputy Commissioner of Chamba's office 10:00 am, in the morning, everyone will be there. I came back next morning, no one was there, no one would be there all day. I left after 1 1/2 hours.
I contacted my US Embassy by phone and email. I was told they would send my complaint to the police. I then went bck to the Deputy Commissioner of Chamba's office 2 days later. I was made to wait a long time. When I was let inside, I was insulted, my country insulted, remarks made about Iraq to show how worthless my country was. I was told my treatment at the festival, was never their problem, the police had attacked me. I was told the Deputy Commissioner of Chamba's office had no control over the Chamba Police Dept. The Deputy Commissioner of Chamba yelled at me, he was not paying. He only admitted he had offered to replace it, after I reminded him I went in an offical vehicle to look at cameras. He said his offer was only because he had felt sorry for me. He is not paying for anything, ever.
He spoke on the phone in Hindi, and to a group of men, making sure I was the butt of his jokes. He changed to English to threaten me with obstruction of justice, what justice, what obstruction????? He personally gave me an offical pass to the festival. The police then attacked me physically, humilated me, broke my expensive Olympus digital camera. I have been in pain ever since.
My story has been on the news at least 4 times, and in many Indian papers. I am waiting for Chamba to right the wrongs, and the police to suffer for their actions. Many local people each day apologized to me for the actions of the police. They said the police were allowed to do anything they wished, lawless. I found great sympathy and kindness in the local citizens.
The festival is filled with amazing colors, dancing, wonderful things for sale, food, and cultural wonders. BUT to go there is to risk a police force racially and gender biased, and out of control; politicans that only care about their own personal interests. The officals in Chamba, should be concerned about the image they project to the entire world. The officals call this an international festival, but instead, they make it clear, OUTSIDERS are not welcome.
The Himachal Pradesh tourist board advertises this festival in their magazine, and verbally. They have never yet answered my numerous emails sent to them about my treatment. Nor have I been offered any condolences from the many officals who must be fully aware of this situation, but perhaps they never read or hear news of the people they rule so pompously over. I am waiting.This letter was sent to and totally ignored by the Himachal Tourism department, the Prime minister's office of india, and every conceivable Indian agency. The US Embassy requested an investigation. Many papers have printed the story, it has been seen ontv... Still the police are laughing, no one can touch them, they are in charge of Chamba.
This woman entered the sacred ground of the dignitaries.
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