[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]
dam-l Maheshwar Update
FAST BEGINS AGAINST STRIPPING OF MAHEHESHWAR DAM AFFECTED YOUTH BY
POLICE.
NIMAD FESTIVAL BEING HOSTED BY MP GOVERNMENT A CRUEL SATIRE WITH
NIMADIS.
Nineteen men and eleven women affected by the Maheshwar dam began a
relay fast today, in front of the police thana, Mandleshwar, district
Khargone, in protest against the barbaric and public strippng of
Shri Jaganthan Chowdhury of submergence affected village Mardana by the
police. Shri Chowdhury is an engineer by training and farmer by
profession.
The struggle entered a new phase from March 1998, after Digvijaysingh
Government of Madhya Pradesh reversed its earlier order to stop all
dam, powerhouse and related works until a comprehensive review of the
project is completed. Consequently on the 22nd and 23rd of April,
hundreds of dam affected people entered the dam site to offer peaceful
satyagraha. However, on both days especially on the 23rd April, the
police brutally beat up the gathered men and women. And also poured
verbal sexual abuse on the women. The National Women's Commission
based on its investigation has indicted the State Government on this
account and has asked for a complete stoppage of such violations as well
as stoppage of dam and other related works.
>From the first week of May 1998, the Maheshwar dam affected people
embarked on a program of people's check posts on roads leading to the
dam site, stopping all construction material going to the dam. On the
10th of June, on the third such crackdown by the police and the
administration on the people's barricades in the last few days,10
poliemen set upon and tore Jagannath Chowdhury's clothes piece by
piece, until he was completely naked. Sub Divisional Officer police
Mr.Anjana and thanedar Shri Bhanvar supervised the entire incident. Shri
Chowdhury was taken in this condition to the jail. In the jail, a
police woman threatened the arrested women that if the protests
continue, it will be your turn the next time and said that their saris
and petticoats will be torn and they will be stripped naked. And then
they will be trampled and beaten. Four hundred and ninety people have
been arrested. The Andolan condemns this barbaric incident of stripping
Jagannath Chowdhury and takes strong exception to the threat of
stripping the women protesters. The Government cannot encroach upon the
human dignity of the men and women protesters fighting a battle of
survival peacefully. The Andolan demands suspension of all guilty police
officers including Mr.Anjana, Sub Divisional police officer, Mandleshwar
and a public apology by the Chief Minister for the same. And also that
the work on the dam should be suspended until the review of the project
is completed. If these demands are not met by the 14th of June, the
protestors will go on indefinite fast.
After using lathis and bullets, the police and the administration are
now trying to break the spirit of the people by publicly shaming them,
for the benefit of the private company S.Kumars responsible for the
project. On the other hand, the state government has arranged a Nimad
festival on the 13th,14th and 15th June at Maheshwar.
The Andolan finds it a cruel satire that the government that is
uprooting thousands of people in Nimad from their lands and homes,
crushing their struggle for justice, lathi chanrging them, putting them
into jail and stripping them naked, showing scant regard for either the
Nimad people or their culture. The Andolan condemns such hypocrisy and
hopes that the state government will take immediate steps before the
14th June and accepts the demands of the Narmada Bachao Andolan.
Chittaroopa Palit
---
* QMPro 1.02 11-1111 * Warning : Don't send us any attachments/ encoded
messages
--
| Internet: NBA@lwbdq.lwbbs.net
| Fidonet: NBA 6:606/11 URL: http://www.lwbbs.net
| Live Wire! BBS/Nanda Netcom Internet Gateway - Connecting the World