[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

DAM-L LS: Police Repression in Gujarat against NBA (fwd)



----- Forwarded message from Medha Patkar -----

From owner-irn-narmada@netvista.net  Mon Oct 16 15:33:48 2000
Return-Path: <owner-irn-narmada@netvista.net>
Received: from DaVinci.NetVista.net (mjdomo@mail.netvista.net [206.170.46.10])
	by lox.sandelman.ottawa.on.ca (8.8.7/8.8.8) with ESMTP id PAA16420
	for <dianne@sandelman.ottawa.on.ca>; Mon, 16 Oct 2000 15:32:27 -0400 (EDT)
Received: [(from mjdomo@localhost)
	by DaVinci.NetVista.net (8.10.0/8.8.8) id e9GIpCN04036
	for irn-narmada-list; Mon, 16 Oct 2000 11:51:12 -0700 (PDT)
	(envelope-from owner-irn-narmada@netvista.net)]
Received: [from [192.168.1.78] ([205.178.127.217])
	by DaVinci.NetVista.net (8.10.0/8.8.8) with ESMTP id e9GIouF03873
	for <irn-narmada@netvista.net>; Mon, 16 Oct 2000 11:50:57 -0700 (PDT)
	(envelope-from patrick@irn.org)]
X-Sender: irnpatrick@pop3.netvista.net
Message-Id: <v0422080fb610fc2836ea@[192.168.1.78]>
Date: Mon, 16 Oct 2000 11:41:51 -0700
To: irn-narmada@netvista.net
From: Medha Patkar <medhapatkar@vsnl.com> (by way of Patrick McCully)
Subject: LS: Police Repression in Gujarat against NBA
Sender: owner-irn-narmada@netvista.net
Precedence: bulk

[text/enriched is unsupported, treating like TEXT/PLAIN]

[Charset iso-8859-1 unsupported, filtering to ASCII...]
subject: LS: Police Repression in Gujarat against NBA


<center><bold><bigger>Unwarranted Repression of a Peaceful People_s
Movement


</bigger>Police savagery in Gujarat against people associated with NBA
and activists.


</bold></center>Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA), which during its 15 years
of struggle against the destructive Sardar Sarovar (Narmada) Project
(SSP), has been a victim of State highhandedness several times, in all
three (Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat) states. This include
killing of youth in police firing, rapes, lathi charge several times,
prohibiting entry to villages, illegal arrests and detention, clamping
of false cases etc. The Gujarat Government is up against the peaceful
people_s movement, using illegal means, again.


Following is a brief description on the unwarranted incidents of State
Repression and Police Atrocities faced by the people and activists of
NBA from August 2000 onwards:


On <bold>October 13th</bold>, Kishore Minj, an activist from M.P.
tribal area who is volunteering for NBA for an year and resides in
Kevadia region for peaceful work on issues of social justice for the
Project affected, was forcibly arrested from village Kothi at 8 p.m.
and taken to Kevadia Police station. Mr.Rajkumar, DSP himself was
present and took to beating of Kishore with his own hands and cane,
when many police constables and officials were present.


For last many days, Narmada District police had been checking all buses
and blockade on all roads to sanctuary area and affected villages, in
order to prevent entry of Medha Patkar and conducting of any meeting by
any of the local activists.


<bold>Latest news is that Khansigh, a tribal resident of village
Saibas, tehsil Dediapada, Dist Narmada was taken by the police
officials on 15th October and have subjected to brutal physical
assault. Further news in awaited.


</bold>Forest employees had confrontation with Khansingh who was
peacefully cultivating his farm in the forest area since decades.
Suddenly, his bullock was fortified. When the tens of villagers went in
search for the same in the third week of July and found that the
bullock was being used by  the forest employee himself, they recovered
it and brought it back. Forest and police officials, however, filed a
case against Khansingh, and was asking him to surrender himself and the
bullock to the police station and forest department. This case was
discussed with the District Forest officer, Mr.Tyagi on August 28th
when during a rally in Rajpipla. NBA delegation had a long discussion
with the Collector and the DFO when the latter had agreed to
investigate the matter.


<bold>28th August, 2000</bold>  A rally was held at Rajpipla (Dist.
Narmada, Gujarat) were 3500 SSP affected tribals from Gujarat
participated. When our village representatives went to the police
station in Kevadia Colony and approached Deputy Superintendent of
Police (Dy.SP) for giving a letter of intimation about the program of
rally, he refused to take it.  About 100 tribals and supporters of NBA,
who were on their way to Rajpipla, to take part in the rally and later
a meeting with the District Collector along with the Shoolpaneshwar
Sanctuary affected people, were arrested near SSP dam site and taken to
Kevadia Colony police station. They were all detained there for atleast
4 hours and then released after a lot of unwanted questioning.


During the rally, a heavy police force was deployed and people were
being continuously threatened of action by District Superintendent of
Police (DSP). Even after a dialogue was held with the Collector and
Forest officials, Rajpipla and the program was over, senior and junior
police officials followed the people to the place of halt and continued
to take a intimidating stance.


A distorted news of Medha Patkar having run away from Rajpipla was
spread by the police and roads of returning villagers were blocked and
were allowed only after much argument.


<bold>5th September, 2000</bold>: Two students from Tamilnadu
Theological Seminary, Madurai, Tamilnadu, named Ms.Ayona and Ms.Selvy
went to Kevadia from Baroda to visit the dam site and talk to affected
people. But were stopped at Kevadia and taken to police station and
questioned them about 2 hours. Later when they proceeded towards
Mokhadi, affected village along with Kishore and Aravind, visiting
activists of NBA from July onwards, they were again stopped on the way
and taken to Rajpipla before the DSP. He started harassing them by
asking -why are you here? Why only students from TTS are coming? He
also abused them with dire consequences if they come again. Why only
Christians are involved with NBA? ....and the like, and the DSP made
them sit in the police station till 6.30 in the evening. He also
cautioned them not to dare come again.


It is to be noted that police in Kevadia is harassing Bhimsingh Tadvi
and Prabhubhai Tadvi, the persons affected by the SSP Colony since
1960s who are active in the movement, daily from 28th onwards. The
method of harassment are, going to the houses everyday, asking indecent
questions in a threatening manner. When is the next program? Where is
it? Where is Medha Patkar? When will she come here? etc.


It is also to be noted that the police in Kevadia continues to harass a
lot of tribal women who are with NBA in the six villages affected by
the Project with their indecent and subhuman behavior.


People from Manibeli are being blocked from entering Kevadia colony,
which is their only market place for essential consumer goods and for
medical service. Their licensed boat, which is the only way of
transport, was confiscated on 25-9-2000 and was released only after 3
days of argument.


Again on <bold>9-10th of October</bold>, 5 students from Bangalore
National Law University were detained and not allowed to visit the
area, even after obtaining a legal pass from the Nigam office. They
were harassed by asking unwanted questions and when they showed their
pass to visit the dam site, the police arrogantly refused to accept it.
All the students were detained till evening and had to come back in
vain without talking to villagers or without seeing the dam site.


The incidence of <bold>August 24th,</bold> just before the mass rally
in Rajpipla, Retd Chief Justice of Delhi High Court, Rajendra Sachchar,
Adv.Haroobhai Mehta, Former Member of Parliament, Adv.Girishbhai Patel,
Human Rights Activist, Smt.Vidhya Bal, Editor, Marathi Women_s Magazine
and other eminent persons were arrested in Baroda and prevented from
participating in the Public Hearing in the Narmada Valley. The renowned
litterateur Arundhati Roy too was to be stopped but could reach the
valley having changed her route and traveled by boat, taking a detour.
Jst. Sachchar and Adv.Mehta have filed a case in the Gujarat High
Court.


The Gujarat government is following illegal and repressive methods to
prevent any movement of NBA or its supporters by camping a lot of
police and home guard in the whole area, including the Sanctuary
affected villages in Dediapada and Sagbara tahsils. Gujarat government
have deployed by Tuesday <bold>(10.10.2000)</bold> afternoon six deputy
superintendents of police, eight inspectors, 25 sub-inspectors, over
500 constables, and 15 home guards in Narmada District alone.


It_s obvious from the above incidences that the Government of Gujarat
is up against the peaceful people_s movement. It_s the State that is
violating the constitutional right granted to all citizens under
article 19, 21 and others. People_s right to get organised and fight
against absolute injustice is trampled upon. Such a violation of human
rights need to be seriously condoned and fought against.


We Appeal to our supporters from all walks of life, the organisations,
peace-loving organisations all over to issue statements and write
protest letters to <bold>Chairman, National Human Rights
Commission</bold> (Fax: ++91-11-3366537 or 3340016), <bold>President of
India</bold> (Fax: ++91-11-3019545), <bold>Prime Minister of
India</bold> (Fax: ++91-11-3019817 or 3016857) and <bold>Chief Minister
of Gujarat </bold>(Fax: ++91-2712-22101). Even when the case of Sardar
Sarovar is the Supreme Court, work at the dam is stayed and the Project
Affected People from 3 states, having faced first injustice due to
gigantic dam and then repression at the hands of the state police force
esp. in Maharashtra and Gujarat, have to fight the battle at every
front.


If the Government of Gujarat dares to crush the basic human rights so
blatantly now, when the Apex Court is looking into the whole case of
Sardar Sarovar Dam, what would be the situation after the judgment,
when there will not be any control over them?


In this critical stage of the struggle, therefore, your prompt and
strong response would be the most valuable support.


In solidarity,


<bold>M.K.Sukumar            Joe Athialy



<center>



</center></bold><center><bigger>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

</bigger><fontfamily><param>Comic_Sans_MS</param>When the earthworm and
her child were going from Kevadia to Manibeli, the child felt  a bump.
"There, my dear", said the mother, "lies Sardar Sarovar dumped"


</fontfamily></center><flushright>~ Kersi Sabavala


</flushright><center>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

</center>


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe from this list, send a message to majordomo@netvista.net
with no subject and the following text in the body of the message
"unsubscribe irn-narmada".

----- End of forwarded message from Medha Patkar -----