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| << December06, 2006 - [India Thinkers Net] MASUM 's fact finding report on Singur |
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[1] From: Sukla Sen <suklasen@yahoo.com> Date: Mon Dec 4, 2006 Subject: Singur Update: 04 12 06 NATIONAL ALLIANCE OF PEOPLE'S MOVEMENTS Haji Habib Building, Naigaon Cross Road, Dadar(E), Mumbai E mail - mumbainapm@gmail.com Medha Patkar Arrested Again........ Widespread Criticism of Bengal Govt. The West Bengal Government has again prevented Medha Patkar, the National Convener of the NAPM, on the late morning of December 4, 2006. She, along with other activists was proceeding towards Singur on Monday after she was released from police custody a day before, to publish the findings of the 'public hearing' that was held on October 27. However, She was stopped by the police, was taken into custody and she is kept in the Dankuni Coal Mines Guest House. Medha Patkar since has refused to take any food and hasrefused to police offer to keep her in any Kolkata Hotel. "I have come to be guest of Singur people and I will stay with them. How come the government can violate my constitutional freedom to visit any part in a peaceful way?" said Medha Patkar. However, the W. Bengal government has been keeping a tight control on her with 4-6 jeeploads of police around her throughout December 3, without arresting her. However, over 70 people from Singur and activists of various organizations are still in jail. Their case was to come in Kolkata High Court in 4th afternoon. W. Bengal Govt. Criticised. Meanwhile hundreds of organizations, activists and senior scientists, social-political ctivists, leaders have condemned attempts by the W. Bengal government of preventing the people and activists from visiting the Singur villagers, while the same government had allowed to hold a Left front rally in the area barely a day before. It shows that the W. Bengal government has something to hide, they opined. Dr. M. A. Ghare, senior agricultural scientist and president of Afarm, renowned environmental crusader Sujit Patwardhan of 'Parisar', Nari Samata Manch activist Sadhana Dadhich and various social workers condemned the attempts to stifle the voice of Singur people. " It is painful to now that the oppression in the Singur is just a sequel of the appeasing the Indian corporate powers like the Tatas and Ambanis and the multinationals like the Salem group. The public lands and open lands in Kolkata are being handed over to the private parties by the state. The hawkers have been brutally beaten and driven away from the downtown Kolkata. The state government has been spreading red carpet for the corporates by snatching the land, water and other natural resources from the farmers, labourers, hawkers and fishworkers", they said in a communication to the Chief Minister of W. Bengal. They demanded that the Left Front government must- • open dialogue with the people – the actual tillers and labourers and villagers in the Singur area about the land and see if they give their informed, voluntary consent. If they do not give consent, then state government must leave the land. Promises to people- farmers and workers are more important than the promises to corporates. • make public all the agreements, detailed project report and memorandum of understanding with the Tatas. • Till al this review of the entire Singur deal is complete with the participation of the people, the organizations and movements, all the land acquisition process must stop. • W. Bengal government must have a meeting of the people's organizations and experts to chart out the real way for the development, instead of only consulting the corporate powers. • In any event, the rights of the farmers, workers and small enterprenuers and professionals must be protected against any big corporate power – by the government. This is the mandate and duty of the government which prides itself in calling Socialist or Communist. Various organizations and social, political organizations have expressed shock at the behaviour of the Left Front government in W. Bengal, while the same Left Front has been actives with the people's movements against the Special Economic Zones (SEZ), in other parts of India, particularly in Maharashtra. The Left supporters and activists must prevail upon the W. Bengal government to respect the rights and livelihood of the farmers, tenents, labourers and workers instead of acting as a watchdog of corporate interests. The NAPM has expressed surprise at the Left Front government's stance and appealed it to be with the common people. Samar Das Suknedu Bhattacharya Ulka Mahajan Sanjay Sangvai ---------------------- [2] From: Saxon Rold <dockyne@yahoo.com> Date: Mon Dec 4, 2006 Subject: 31 of 1,000, please forward and support the resistance Ain't Going Back Again - Peace Machine comes in at Neil Young's Living With War, anti-war artist, popularity page, at number 31 this week. A two point drop from last week. We can use all the help we can get this week to push the message of resistance out to music listeners. This song is off the Support The Truth album and is dedicated to the thousands of US Troops who are refusing to deploy to this illegal war. After a decade and a half of service, Dennis Kyne has decided that the truth is more important than victory. Please take a listen by clicking Ain't Going Back Again - Peace Machine and you can click Neil Young's living with war page below where you will find the song currently at 31 in support of the resistance http://www.neilyoung.com/lwwtoday/lwwsongspage.html The resistance is SOUNDING off. ---------------- [3] From: Sukla Sen <suklasen@yahoo.com> Date: Tue Dec 5, 2006 Subject: Singur: State at War against the 'Enemies of People' [Pls. visit <http://petitions.aidindia.org/singur/>; and write to: govsec@wb.nic.in / governor@wb.nic.in] Singur is in Hugli District of West Bengal. The West Bengal Government as 'decided' to give 997 acres of land to the Tata Group. The proposed factory will manufacture a car worth Rs. 1 lakh. Land acquisition has been made by the State Government for 'public purpose'. Compensation has been offered. Most have refused to give up their land despite subsequent hike in the rates of compensation. Government started the process of physical takeover of the land claimed to be handed over to it from the 1 December 2006. On 2 December, police resorted to unrestrained violence in the adjoining villages. The local TMC MLA and Medha Patkar was physically 'removed' from the area. An Urgent Appeal Giving consent or facing coercion, in case of Singur, has become the two sides of the same coin -- both the sides loaded heavily with threat, repression and violence. In this backdrop will those intoxicated with power kindly note that there is no greatness in letting 20000 armed police loose amidst a few villages? Have they started believing that the unarmed have no democratic rights? Have the images of Jalianwala Bagh faded? The Government of West Bengal with its police, is behaving like a land-grabbing promoter-mafia duo. It is spreading terror and trying to force almost 60% of unwilling individual land-owners to accept compensation and part with almost 50% of the remaining land at Singur. This, notwithstanding the Government's lie that 913 acres, that is 92% of the land has already been 'voluntarily' handed over to the State, which has issued acquisition notice in August. Why else should the state need to send 20000 armed personnel for so little land? Moreover the question of 'voluntary' handing over of prime agricultural land is a joke, a misnomer in the face of the Government's unilateral decision of acquisition. The Government is dispossessing land owners of their private property and following it up by branding them as encroachers and trespassers. The Government is openly justifying its brutish and bizarre actions stating that they are governed by the market -- Tatas they explain, after all, 'wanted' that specific piece of land at Singur. Obviously the overlord can cut its fiefdom into pieces and the taker will choose the cake -- leftist bhudaan movement, of a different kind. The farmers here work on two to five crops a year. There are 26 mini-tubewells, 2 deep tubewells and a DVC canal for irrigation. No wonder they refuse to sell there 'mother'. It is shocking to hear that LF leaders say that the womenfolk here, would be able to work as menials in the residential apartments which will come up in the vicinity when the factory is setup. Is this the paradigm of development for the future? The Information and Police Minister, like his distant predecessor -- Goebbels-- justifies police atrocities at Singur as 'self defense'. Earlier in the day, however, he had stated characteristically that 'nothing' has happened at Singur. The boastful challenging words "Who will stop us?" with a smug smile on camera, reminds one of a moustached German of yesteryears, though his economic pursuits are being compared by some of his party comrades with a Russian and a Chinese of not so distant past. No wonder this 'International Figure' is bragging -- "We are 235, they are 35" -- in spite of a 50-50 break up of polled votes in the last General Elections. Let us not talk about the single largest chunk of non-voters. When faced with an awkward question from a journalist on camera, he evades, turns away visibly embarrassed, but not before asking threateningly as to what paper the journalist represents. Siddhartha Sankar Roy, the Congress Chief Minister was similarly vindictive and arrogant in the '70's -- before he was dumped. History goes full circle -- Buddha, the Avatar, reverts to his purvashram, Siddhartha. CPI(M) leaders helped the police on ground-zero to identify the houses of those who have not given up their land. The law keepers selectively broke into these homes, assaulted even the elderly, women and children, torched hay stacks. Some TV channels did a great service by airing footage of the merciless beatings resorted to. It was shocking to witness over TV, hundreds of policemen trampling over crops and human rights. Such brutality and excess reminded one of our colonial past. Has the Left Front chosen to carry on with the British legacy? Shamefully it is the same Left Front which had once tried to empower rural Bengal. Whither land reforms? What about the pledges? Today empowered by the Black Commando, Rapid Action Force, Combat Force and regular police force it is going for the throats of the hapless tillers. What else can be termed as the arrogance of power? Yet another shame is the role of the 'legendary' Ananda Bazar Patrika Group. We are in favour of the freedom of press. But the freedom of the press-owner should not compromise the freedom of the readers. The readers have the right to know and the ABP has chosen to mislead. Is this what freedom of press is all about? We categorically state that the LF and the ABP, old foes, are now working in partnership. We denounce the role of ABP and call upon all those to whom freedom of press is dear, to suitably denounce it. Will we be mere bystanders? We must warn well in advance that one should not look at Singur in isolation. It is not just about paving the way for further acquisition in Nandigram, Haripur, Barasat, Bhangar, Baruipur which, and many more, are all on the anvil. Beware, the hound-like state repression is being unleashed. We should not allow this juggernaut to roll. We must condemn and protest. Wherever we are, whoever we are, irrespective of party affiliations or non-partisan positions. We must organise and/or participate in protests. In whatever manner we deem fit. With warm regards Naba Dutta General Secretary, Nagarik Mancha Please send protest letters to: His Excellency, The Governor of West Bengal, Raj Bhavan, Kolkata 700 062 Phone: 033-2200 1641,Fax: 033 – 2200 2444 / 2200 1649 Email id: govsec@wb.nic.in / governor@wb.nic.in -------------------- [4] From: Sukla Sen <suklasen@yahoo.com> Date: Tue Dec 5, 2006 Subject: Two Statements on Singur [Pls. visit <http://petitions.aidindia.org/singur/>;] Dear friends, The West Bengal government has began an undeclared war against the toiling masses of Singur from 2 December, 2006. The police has indiscriminately charged lathi and teargas and beaten entering the house of the local people. The police also set fire on the paddy mounds of the locality. The local people have been resisting in their own way. The police has arrested more than fifty persons from the area. Some of the protesters are seriously injured and have been admitted to hospital. The govt. has already imposed section 144 from 30th November in the extended area of Singur and arrested whoever boarded down from the train or moving towards Singur. The government has prohibited all assemblies in the Singur area. While trying to visit the disturbed area several times Medha Patkar has been intercepted by the police and sent back to Kolkata. The government who has been propagating that the peasanty of Singur voluntarily gave more than 90 % land, has been erecting fence around the disputed land with the presence of more than 10 thousand armed police. It is nothing but a fraud of democracy. Several organizations and eminent personalities of West Bengal has unequivocally condemned police atrocities at Singur. In different parts of West Bengal road blockade, There have been several rail roko, dharna, protest rally etc to express solidarity towards the protesting people of Singur.. Please intervene positively Gautam Sen <sengautam@hotmail.com> on behalf of Joint Forum against Eviction II. National Hawker Federation 16/17 College Street, Kolkata-700012, Ph/Fax: 91-33-22196688 E-mail: nationalhawkerfederation@gmail.com / saktimghosh@yahoo.com --------------------------------------------------- Respected Sir/ Madam, Smt. Medha Pathker along with Smt. Anuradha Talwar and Smt. Rakha was forcefully hijacked when she was entering singur (Monday, 04/12/2006, 11:00 AM ) to visit traumatized and injured farmers, who are resisting the barbaric police forces to taking over their lands forcefully. A huge police force was present at Purushuttampur 5 km away from Sinngur. They suddenly and forcefully stopped Medha Patker and other 5 Activists who were also going to Singur with her. Then she was told that no out-siders can enter at Singur and they can not allow them because of Law & order problems. Then She has along with other three women activists have been hijacked from Purushottompur near Singur and their after has been detained to the coal India Guest House at Dankuni with a huge police guard, total 15 to 18 police Jeeps along with 4 matadors full of Combat Commandos and more then 150 armed Police personnel and some high rank police officials. She was badly harassed by Police. No body even if reporter also was able to visit with her till evening but at the evening she had a talk with the Press , she said to the press that she want to visit Singur but the police was not allowing her and they are ill-behaved with her. Until the police allow her to go to Singru, she would stay at Dancuni Coal India Guest House and she would not return to Kolkata. She was denied to take any food from the authorities and for the whole day they all were fasted. It is the utter-shame for a democratic left ruling State to continue this type of barbaric atrocities on their citizens and activists. This type of brutal and barbaric acts of the West Bengal State Government should be condemned by every individuals and organizations who believe in democracy and justice and when a state is willing to change their character from welfare state to a Fasist State then the responsibility of conversion the Ahimsa or non-violence people movement to a violent extremist movement is laying on the State. Please send an appeal to immediately allow Medha Patkar and others to enter Singur, immediately stop the land acquisition work and remove the police force from Singur by e-mail & fax to the Governor of West Bengal, Chief Minister of West Bengal, Prime minister of India and President of India on the name of your respective Organisations. With Regards Sudipta Moitra National Hawker Federation ------------- |
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| << December06, 2006 - [India Thinkers Net] MASUM 's fact finding report on Singur |
December07, 2006 - [India Thinkers Net]Assam ,Kashmir,Mahabaharata etc >> |
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