their determination to join hands in dealing with this grave problem which afflicts this
region as a whole.
6.22. The Commission helped with the partial financing of some of these,seminars/
workshops. It has, in the course of recent months, elaborated guidelines for providing
financial assistance to non-governmental organizations, should they seek such help
from it in organizing discussions on human rights issues.
(F)
PUBLICATIONS AND THE MEDIA
*
-
6.23 The Newsletter; published by the Commission both in English and Hindi, has
appeared without fail every month. It has come to be regarded as a steady source
of information on the Commission's work and concerns and has also provided the gist
of important decisions by the Commission in respect of.individual complaints addressed
to it. As such, demand for the Newsletter has greatly increased, both at h o m w
abroad, and the,Comrnission has had to step-up its monthly print-order. The Newsletter
is now widely read by human rights activists, students and scholars, members of the
legal fraternity, administrators, and representatives of non-governmental organizations.
It is available on Internet, and Members of the Commission on their travels around the
country orfurther afield are frequently asked by potential readers to add their names
to the Commission's mailing list. As earlier, the Commisison is particularly gratified'
that Members ~f the security forces and- others concerned with governance are
increasingly asking for 'the Newsletter.
6.24 The Clippings Information Service of the Commission is also of keen interest
to researchers, students and academics. Daily clippings, gleaned from the nation's
diverse press, are computerized, enabling their retrieval newspaper-wise, date-wise
and topic-wise.
.
6.25 The Commission has continued its practice of periodic meetings with editors1
senior correspondents, the most recent of which was held in January 1997, after the
new Chairperson had been in office ,for two months. Press briefings confinue to be
given on a -regular basis to correspondents, many of whom are developing a
specialization. in human rights matters.
6.26 The Commission has received the fullest cooperation from Doordarshan and AllIndia Radio. The Commission has prepared 12 spot^,^ which are being regularly
broadcast by P.IR. Further, "Human Rights Watch", a haIf-hour programme to be
.