ATHIRAPPILLY SATHYAGRAHA COMPLETES 300 DAYS

By creating a new chapter in the history of struggles in Kerala,

Athirappilly struggle completes 300 days highlighting the

participation by people in all walks of life.

Sri.T.U.Radhakrishnan, Member, KPCC (Ex-MLA) who inaugurated the

function said that the struggle which commenced on February 25

inaugurated by the famous poetess Sugathakumari teacher, continues

strongly even after 300 days, even though the participants face

various pressures and threats from different quarters. It is the

mother nature that gives us water and air and not the governments.

KSEB should publish white paper on the scarcity of water in the dams

and flow of water in the river during the summers.  KSEB does not show

interest for making functional the power stations at Panniyar and

Moozhiyar.

It has been pointed out that if two  new generators are implemented at
Peringalkuth by spending 50 to 100 crores, this can replace the
proposed Athirappilly Hydro Electric Project which is uneconomical.
Thus it is abundantly clear that the reason for decision to implement
the proposed Athirappilly project for a cost of Rs.1000 crores is only
in the interests of the construction lobby

Those who do not wish to face failure in the coming elections should
join the struggle, he said.

Highlight of today's struggle was the flute recital by Unnikrishnan
Paakkanar.

-----------------------------------

Murari for Chalakudyriver Protection Forum

Jingle Bells Redux

Breaking every law
The mobs came asking blood
O'er the fields we ran
And very few got away
The police stood and watched
While Bajrang Dalis torched
Our houses by the night
And people by the day
 
Oh, jingle bells, jingle bells
Jingle all the way
It's no fun to be a minority
In Orissa today
Jingle bells, jingle bells
Jingle all the way
All we want is the Sangh Parivar
Would let us live and pray
 
Not so long ago
We thought we would be fine
But soon these Sanghi goons
Came and stole the shine
The plot was mean and dark
A swamiji was shot
We were blamed for it
And a massacre we got
 
Oh, jingle bells, jingle bells
Jingle all the way
It's no fun to be a minority
In Orissa today
Jingle bells, jingle bells
Jingle all the way
All we want is the government
To ensure some fair play
 
Jingle bells, jingle bells
Jingle all the way
Oh, what future do we have
In Orissa today
Jingle bells, jingle bells
Jingle all the way
We will fight and we will win
And keep the fascists AWAY!!

Release Abhay Sahu and scrap the POSCO project!

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/freeabhaysahu

 

We the undersigned strongly condemn the arrest of Abhay Sahu, the leader of the anti-POSCO movement in Orissa and condemn the attack of the Naveen Patnaik government on democratic people's movements.

 

Abhay Sahu, the visionary leader of the POSCO Pratirodh Sangram Samiti was arrested unwarranted by the Orissa police near Pattamundai in Jagtsingpur district in the evening on 12 October 2008 on his return from the hospital after a medical check-up. The same night he was sent to the Central Jail in Choudwar in Cuttack district. Despite his fragile health condition, he was not given any medical help till the evening of 15 October 2008. 

 

The motive of the state government behind Abhay Sahu's arrest can clearly be seen as an attempt to repress people's fight over their traditional and constitutional rights to lands and livelihoods and to divert public attention from attacks on Christians in the state so that it goes on unabated. 

 

Orissa has been reeling from crisis lately. The bare statistics reveal that 180,000 people have been displaced by recent floods because of the 'presence' and mismanagement of dams; at least 50,000 Christians made refugees by Hindutva hate campaigns and killings. 

 

It is shocking how the anti-POSCO movement has been virtually censored from the media and has faced titanic odds during the past three years. Nevertheless, the movement has succeeded in delaying the construction of a gigantic steel plant along with a new port on Orissa's coast, which will render thousands of people landless and jobless. 

 

The main aim of the POSCO project is to get iron ore from a magnificent mountain in North Orissa called Kandadhara (Sword's Edge): an extraordinary peak with dense primary forests and rich biodiversity inhabited by adivasis for millennia, where one of India's highest waterfalls falling down a cliff face is visible from miles away. The mining giants , through the eyes of the state's myopic vision, can only see the reserve of iron ore underneath. The fact that so much forests and wildlife and so many tribes have already been devastated by mining in North Orissa does not seem to count!!!! 

 

It's a well-known fact now that the Naveen Patnaik government is selling Orissa for a song, caring little about the gross human rights violation and environmental crimes  associated with it. 

 

The POSCO project is a gigantic corporate crime, an attempt by a multinational corporation to seize the land and resources of the people and of the nation. The POSCO project will hugely benefit no one except POSCO itself. Moreover, the state government's moves to hand over the land are illegal and a criminal offence under the Forest Rights Act, 2006. 

 

When serious violence erupted, on 29 November 2007, and bombs were thrown by goons at a crowd consisting largely of women, senior IAS officer, Priyabrat Patnaik, made a statement on TV, "Those people [who oppose the project] have been taught a lesson." Shouldn't he have been immediately dismissed from service for inciting and glorifying violence in a democracy while holding a responsible position???  

 

By arresting Abhay Sahu, does not Naveen Patnaik send out the message that Orissa and its innocent people be damned, no one will be allowed to stand in the way while metal and mining giants plunder the state's natural resources and pauperise its people with the help of the government?!?!

 

The police had filed numerous false cases against the leaders of non-violent struggles, while taking no action against those responsible for several violent attacks on the people of the area. The malafide cases against Abhay Sahu will now be used to unjustly detain him, in order to silence him and to intimidate those opposed to the project: a practice the state administration has been scrupulously displaying wherever there is dissent against its destructive development agenda. 

 

It seems that silencing Abhay Sahu is more important than containing the ensuing communal violence by the state government. 

 

It is extremely essential, for the survival of Indian democracy, that Abhay Sahu be freed immediately and the POSCO project be cancelled. 

 
We call on the Naveen Patnaik government to
· provide medical aid to Abhay Sahu immediately;
·make a stand for civilised and democratic values and order Abhay's release;
·cancel the POSCO project and withdraw all police deployment from the area immediately;
· prosecute all those responsible for violence against the people of the area and compensate the people for the repression that they have suffered; and
·stop similar repression elsewhere in Orissa where people are fighting for their choice of livelihoods and human rights (such as in Niyamgiri, Kashipur, Kalinganagar).

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

In solidarity,

 

Subrat Kumar Sahu

New Delhi

 

Breaking the Silence - Sexual Minorities Come Out in Kerala

13th November 2008 (Thursday), Calicut

Anything connected with sex is suppressed in Kerala. Morality has

become an obsession with Kerala's societal attitude, cutting across

the divides of class, gender, caste and religion. While in a majority

of countries women can work and live as singles and contribute to

social production, in Kerala, such people are largely isolated and

kept aloof from the public sphere. The question of sexual rights

occupies limited spaces of socio-political discourse in Kerala. The

mainstream political parties here are yet to identify or acknowledge

the politics of queer activism.

We seem to have reached a point that no political movement can move

ahead unless the conspiracy of silence about sexuality is broken. The

politics of sexuality cannot wait till all the problems related with

globalization and unemployment are solved forever. We need to talk

about sexual rights as we do about any other fundamental rights.

Kerala is one of the very few states in India where the CPI(M) has

been most active over the years. It would be interesting to juxtapose

this with the fact that in September 2003, All India Democratic

Women's Association (the women's fraction of CPI(M)) had sent a note

to the Indian Govt. to scrap IPC 377. But one doesn't seem to have

reached its own cadres in Kerala even after 5 years.

Section 377 of IPC is challenged in the Delhi High Court and the final

hearings are on now. Large scale sexual minority mobilizations took

places in Bangalore, Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata in the recent past

demanding the repeal of IPC 377. This brought about enormous media

coverage all over India but not in Kerala. While the Kerala Government

is extremely keen reaching out to homosexual/bisexual men to use them

for HIV prevention initiatives, one can clearly notice that there is

absolute disregard for their human rights.

Hijras are visible and tolerated in most parts of India. Meanwhile,

they are scared even to visit Kerala for a short-time. Most of the

Keralite hijras migrate and live in Chennai, Bangalore, Mumbai and

other parts of India. They are forced to present themselves in male

attire when they visit their families in Kerala.

Lesbians or gays or transgenders find it extremely difficult to have

social space in Kerala. They are viewed as objects of curiosity and

fun that attracts the media attention. There have been many an

instances of lesbian suicides in Kerala over the years. The situation

is such, that if they are to make a living, they would have to migrate

to other states in India. The media mostly chooses to ignore such

issues, preventing them from becoming a matter of public debate.

Recent suicide of a gay couple in Ernakulam attracted very little

media coverage. Most progressive groups in Kerala too ignored this.

In this context, a group of sexual minority activists and supporters

from different parts of Kerala (and some from Karnataka as well) met

twice in the last 2 months and felt a strong need to break the

continuing silence in Kerala. It was decided to organize a public

event in Calicut on 13th November 2008, where a large number of sexual

minorities will come out in the open and march publicly for the first

time to reclaim their rightful space in the society. Mr. Sunil Babu

Pant, the first sexual minority Member of Parliament in Asia has

confirmed his participation in the event.

The event will be organized by a coalition organizations (including

FIRM, Malabar Cultural Forum-Calicut, Sahayathrika, LLAS-Kollam,

Sahay-Palakkad, Sanghamithra-Thrissur, HRLN, GAIA, Vanitha

Society-Calicut, Chilla-Thiruvananthapuram,

ANANNIA-Thiruvananthapuram, Sex Workers Forum Kerala, Sangama, Aneka,

Suraksha, Samara, Karnataka Sex workers Union and Karnataka Sexuality

Minorities Forum), and the coalition would continue to advance the

human rights for sexual minorities rights in Karala.

We request you to support us through your participation in the event..

In Solidarity

Sanjesh, Seena and Abhilash

on behalf of the organizing committee

For more information contact:

9995013899
9745796017
9947234562

The Death of an Activist and a Peer

"She was not part of a large relief organization, nor did she represent the government of the United States. She was just one woman who cared about the fate of her fellow humans."

By Maya Trabin

Marla Ruzicka, a California native and passionate young activist, died Saturday on the Baghdad Airport Road in Iraq when a suicide bomber attacked a convoy that was next to her vehicle. At 28, Marla spent much of her short life working towards the causes she felt deeply committed to, including humanitarian causes around the world. In recent years, she had been working in Afghanistan and Iraq, surveying those civilians who have been injured or killed in the war, numbers which are not accounted for by the U.S. Military. 

Marla grew up in the conservative town of Lakeport, in northern California. She did not, however, take on the tone of the town. Begining her campaigns toward public awareness and exposure of the world's attrocities outside of Lakeport, Marla started speaking her mind as an eigth-grader when she led a school protest against the Persian Gulf War in 1991, and was suspended soon thereafter. 

From her high school graduation, throughout college, and in the years since, Marla developed her understanding of the world through the eyes of an activist. Working with numerous human-rights based organizations, including Global Exchange and Code Pink, she developed deep compassion for those around her and those she had never met. 

In her recent missions to Iraq, she was not part of a large relief organization, nor did she represent the government of the United States. She was one woman who cared about the fate of her fellow humans, and had the ability to convince others around her to see the urgency of such work. 

More information about Marla's relief efforts can be found on the CIVIC website, an organization founded by Marla. CIVIC - Campaign for Innocent Victims of Conflict - is "a small organization working to obtain U.S. Government assistance for communities and families in need, while helping to shine a spotlight on the human costs of war." 

Han Shan, of Students for a Free Tibet, was a friend of Marla’s. He helped gather pictures of her, and had this to say: “The photos show her doing what she did best: connect with people, gain trust, make friends, make people of all ages smile. She did this as effectively with war-rattled Iraqi children, veteran news reporters, or politicians. And she did it all in the name of raising awareness about the devastating impact of war on innocent people." 

Tribals block Vedanta's way to Niyamgiri

Oct 8,2008

News from a resident of Kadamguda village - 

People of 5 villages on the road to Niyamgiri have put a roadblock at Kadamguda. The road leads to Niyamgiri hilltop. Vedanta had planned to do Bhumi Puja there tomorrow and start survey work. Hearing this the people decided to put up a roadblock at Kadamguda. A resident of Kadamguda says they have put up the blockade on their own steam. Supporting NGOs and political parties are yet to arrive at the scene. He has appealed to everyone to lend solidarity. 

Since yesterday Vedanta's goons have been repeatedly visiting the blockade site to dissuade the people. They asked the people to send 5 delegates to the refinery to talk to SK Patnaik but the people refused. They have threatened the company people with dire consequences if the exert more pressure. Since today morning half a dozen company goons have made as many attempts to break the people's resolution. These company people are mostly from Lanjigarh and are popularly referred to as the 'goonda party'.

Vedanta has started construction of roads in the area leading to the hilltop. One protestor has been silenced with a plum contract in the construction. A few days ago he refused to meet Action Aid activists with whom he had been working so far as a team. His name is Danu Majhi and I have footage of him giving fiery speeches in Bhubaneswar. It is unfortunate that he chose to support Vedanta. 

Also, tomorrow an effigy of Vedanta will be burnt instead of Ravana at Lanjigarh where a big tribal congregation is being planned. 

  
--
www.youtube.com/niyamgiri

TATAs PULL OUT FROM SINGUR A VICTORY OF PEOPLE'S POWER OVER THE CORPORATE STATE

LET THE MESS BE CLEARED UP AND LESSON LEARNT

Date: 03-10-2008

We, the people's movements, welcome the decision of Ratan Tata and Tata Motors to withdraw their Nano Car Project from the land of Singur that belongs to the people, which is a victory of the people's movement supported by the political parties, especially the Trinamool Congress and SUCI, with other people's organizations, which supported the Krishi Jamin Raksha Committee, including NAPM, West Bengal with its allies, especially the Pachim Banga Khet Mazdoor Samithi The conflict that gets redressed with this decision after many ups and downs and threats and promises was not just between the Opposition Party and the CMP Govt. of West Bengal as Tata tried to depict, but was rather one between the state and its people. We are happy that the prime and irrigated and agricultural land of Singur would now be rightfully restored back to the hardworking rural communities.

The people's decision has ultimately over powered as against the opposite view, backed by statutory and monetary power.  We wish Tata respects people's views and it will be unfortunate if Tata asserts that it has taken the decision considering only the security of its staff and allies and not that of the people of Singur – the farmers, bargadars (share croppers) and the labourers and have not conceded to the people's demands for their own livelihood security.

Even if Tatas go away to Karnataka or Gujarat or elsewhere it would behove them to follow the democratic process and seek the consent of communities and not just the State before its cars or machines enter their land and before it makes any agreement with the State. The least of corporate social responsibility demands this as a basic principle to be followed in the industrialization process, be it in the name of SEZ or other project. Only this would decide whether and how would the people choose the right kind of industries that would be employment generating, livelihood securing and environment-protecting.

Common people in the country and the would over know that the real people's issue behind the Singur struggle as also Nandigram, Nandagudi, Kakinada, Raigad, Gorai, or elsewhere was undemocratic and unjust as well as forcible occupation of people's land. It was also manipulation of people resources imposing transfer from agriculture to industry, not even of their choice. The movement cannot be said to be either against industrialization or development per say. Rather the struggles such as Singur have helped initiate a public debate on the conception of development, the planning process vis-à-vis the constitutional framework and the land acquisition as per the British law.

What is being questioned is the imposition of and undue push given to the corporate culture as against people's interest, when no consent is sought from the immediate losers, who are never listed nor are they fairly compensated or rehabilitated. The displaced and deprived therefore have and will have a right to assert their decision if the State does not follow the democratic processes. The folly and fraud of the CPM Govt. is once again exposed after Nandigram and all kinds of oppression and repression or even the allegations of sedition have failed miserably before the people's power.

There is no doubt that Mamata Baneejee has played a leading role in support of the people, who refused to give in to money, market and muscle power. We must also congratulate the intellectuals, artists and various people's organizations in West Bengal who remained with the struggle through and through with an uncompromising position coming out of a clarity on the ideology of development, which is going to be the issue of utmost priority in the coming days. Shri Gopal Krishna Gandhi the Governor of West Bengal has exhibited the role that every Governor can play in the situation of conflict or even stalemate, which must be recognized.

The self-withdrawal by Ratan Tata in spite of the CPM Govt. not taking a clear position in favour of its own people should set an example for others like the Ambanis' who are facing conflict after conflict at many places. However, following this withdrawal, the CPM and Tata together must also clear up the mess by making the occupied land free and restoring the previous land records as also compensating the losses borne by the farmers, share croppers and labourers, as per the package that was being offered. This amounting to a few crores to Rs. 1500 crores of loss as reported by TATAs would indeed bring a part of the credibility back to the State Government and the corporates both. The whole struggle of Singur with the valiant martyrdom of Rajkumar Bhul, Tapasi Malik and others has reinforced our faith in the non-violent peaceful struggles that only can save land, water, forests and aquatic or mineral wealth of the country from unjustified usurpation for profits over people.

We hope the Parliament, political parties, the various Governments, the corporate and the Judiciary take a lesson from this long drawn conflict and support a respectable way out in the situation of conflict be it in Narmada, Noida, Nandgudi or elsewhere. Singur also once again proves that everything that industries do, whether in the form of SEZ or forcible acquisition of land is not legitimate and this must hence forth be remembered by all parties. We also demand withdrawal of the proposed amendments to the proposed Land Acquisition Act, with a weak rehabilitation Bill, which equates private purpose with public purpose.

Medha Patkar                        Anand Mazgaonkar           Mukta Srivastava          P. Chennaiah

NATIONAL ALLIANCE OF PEOPLE'S MOVEMENTS

A Wing First Floor, Haji Habi Building, Naigaon Cross Road

Dadar (E), Mumbai-400 014 Ph. No-2415 0529 E-mail: napmindia@gmail.com

Last chance to resist GM food!! ACT NOW!!

The Threat of Genetically Modified Food is now nearly here!!

 

But there is one way we can all respond to this!! Please use the website below to inform your resistance to Dr Anbumani Ramadoss, our Health Minister at;

http://www.iamnolabrat.com/labrat.php

You can read about the details of the dangers to human food and to YOU at:

www.iamnolabrat.com

The Indian Government (the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee) is on the verge of releasing the first genetically modified food crop for human consumption - Bt-Brinjal - which will be followed by all other vegetables, cereals and fruits.  This is probably the last chance to stop this happening in this country.  Following huge resistance, especially in Europe and many other countries, the big seed companies are now eying India for their experiments.

 

PLEASE RESPOND!

You can forward this to as many of your colleagues as possible and request them to respond.  Lets all come together for once on this, to protect our food for now and future.

 

 

With warm regards, and anticipating positive response from your side, we remain,

 

LIVING FARMS TEAM,

1181/2146, Ratnakar Bag – 2,

Tankapani Road,

Bhubaneswar - 751018.

Ph: 0674-2430176

livingfarms@gmail.com

NB: Please feel free to contact us for details. Kindly inform us at livingfarms@gmail.com when you sign the petition to enable us to keep track.

Implement 1990 Elections Result in Burma

One year after "2007 Saffron Revolution" led by Buddhist monks, who were at the forefront of the demonstrations against military dictatorship in Burma, leaders of the bare-foot monks and democracy activists are behind bars facing injustice.

We cannot ignore the lives of people scarified in 1988 mass uprising when more than 3000 people were gunned down, we cannot forget 2007 Saffron revolution when soldiers and riot police beaten and opened fire on Buddhist monks and peaceful demonstrators and we cannot close the eyes to the suffering of the heroes of Burma who are now in prisons and who were in prisons sacrifice their lives, faced torture and brutal treatment in order to show their aspiration for democracy. 

A tremendous responsibility rests upon the United Nations Organisation to a far better end, and we are looking for a more positive and bolder lead of the United Nations as military regime is trying to nullify the results of the 1990 elections result by planning to hold another election in 2010.

Burmese people show their destiny, their will and sacrifice their lives already. United Nations must step up further in order to solve Burma crisis and actions needed to be taken practically focusing on to implement 1990 Elections result. The solution for the crisis of Burma is to recognize 1990 election result to restore democracy and rule of law where everyone can enjoy the freedom of speech, press, beliefs and assembly that emphasizes the protection of individual rights. 

Burma Democratic Concern  launched the Global online petition to implement 1990 Elections result in Burma . Please check this link to sign the petition.(Everyone can sign the petition)

http://www.gopetition.com/online/22158.html

Mahatma Gandhi's birthday and the International Day of Non-Violence

IN DEFENCE OF PLURALISM, HARMONY AND PEACE
 
Come and join

People's March on 2nd October

Mahatma Gandhi's birthday and the International Day of Non-Violence

 
The march is a protest against
communal violence and increasing brutal attacks
on innocent people, minorities and human rights' defenders
by fanatics and terrorists of all kinds
 
The March will start at 1400 hours (2 pm) from Jantar Mantar till Rajghat

PLEASE come in large numbers for a show of strength and solidarity! 
 

For more information, please contact:
 
Seema Mustafa; 98110 59065
Anuradha Chenoy; 98101 02250            
Shabnam Hashmi;  98118 07558
Apoorvananda
Jamia Teachers' Solidarity Group
Kamla Bhasin; 981040 1219
Swami Agnivesh; 98109 76705
Fr. Dominic Emmanuel; 98100 18071

Vasundhara Jairath: 9953034105

Take Action for Tibet: Two Years Since China's Deadly Attack at Nangpa la

Two years ago today, Chinese forces opened fire on a group of

Tibetans attempting to escape Chinese repression in Tibet by

crossing the Nangpa Pass into Nepal. Foreign mountaineers at a

nearby Everest Base Camp witnessed Chinese border guards

carefully taking aim and firing at the line of defenseless

Tibetans. A 17-year old nun was shot dead, and many others,

including young children, were detained for several months,

before being released to their families. Click here to learn

more: http://www.studentsforafreetibet.org/nangpapass

Captured for the first time on film, the global community was
shocked by the brutality of Chinese policies in Tibet, which
authorize troops to open fire on unarmed Tibetans. Following an
outcry by Tibetans, their supporters, national governments and
people of conscience worldwide, all the Nangpa la detainees were
eventually released.

However, following the national uprising that swept across Tibet
this past March, China's state-sponsored violence in Tibet
continues with disturbing ferocity. Recent eyewitness reports
from Kirti monastery describe how Chinese armed police, wielding
spades and meat choppers, beat a group of monks:
http://www.studentsforafreetibet.org/article.php?id=1662

A BBC reporter who recently traveled to eastern Tibet describes
a massive Chinese military presence even in small towns:
http://www.studentsforafreetibet.org/article.php?id=1658

As China's crackdown in Tibet continues, Tibetans and their
supporters protested Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao's visit to New
York last week for the inauguration of the United Nations
General Assembly. In a rate one-on-one interview with CNN,
Premier Wen asserted that the Beijing Olympics had opened up
China and freedom of speech was allowed. This is simply not true
in Tibet where thousands of Tibetans remain detained, imprisoned
or missing for speaking out for their freedom and human rights.
To view photos and read reports of the protests during Wen's
visit to NY: http://www.studentsforafreetibet.org/wen

TAKE ACTION:

As we remember the tragic events that took place two years ago
at Nangpa Pass, join us in taking action for Tibetan filmmakers
Dhondup Wangchen and Golog Jimge. The two men were detained in
March 2008 for making Leaving Fear Behind, a bold documentary,
which depicts the plight Tibetans under Chinese rule and reveals
their true feelings about Chinese policies in Tibet and the
Beijing Olympics.

*Send a letter now to the Chinese government calling for their
release: http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/tibetanfilmakers

*Phone and lodge a complaint with the Ministry of Justice in
Beijing: (86) 10 652 067 06 (NOTE: China is 12 hours ahead of
Eastern Standard Time)

*Dhondup Wangchen is believed to be held at the Ershilipu
Detention Center in Xining, Qinghai Province, please phone and
demand his release: (86) 97 153 119 82

*Watch the film:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8048230761996582635

*Help promote the film by organizing a screening on your campus
or in your community. For more information, go to:
http://www.leavingfearbehind.com

*Download a fact sheet about the filmmakers and the
circumstances surrounding their detention:
http://www.studentsforafreetibet.org/downloads/LFBFilmmakers.pdf

*Read Reporters Without Borders recent press release calling for
the release of the filmmakers:
http://www.studentsforafreetibet.org/article.php?id=1661