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[1] From: Sukla Sen <suklasen@yahoo.com> Date: Thu Jan 11, 2007 Subject: Nandigram: Buddha and Biman Buckle! I/II. Bose apologises to Patkar over Nandigram flare-up By Indo Asian News Service Kolkata, Jan 9 (IANS) Left Front chairman Biman Bose Tuesday apologised to Medha Patkar in a news channel for his comment that indirectly indicted the social activist for the flare-up in Nandigram in West Bengal. 'I am sorry for my statement. I apologise,' Bose told Patkar over phone in a live programme on Kolkata TV, a Bengali news channel. 'I did not say that she had gone there. I said she had perhaps gone there. I am sorry for the statement,' Left Front chairman said, eating an humble pie on his statement Monday. The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) politbureau member had earlier said the blueprint of the Nandigram violence was chalked out in a house, where Patkar had paid a visit Dec 3 last year. Patkar in the programme said she would sue Bose as she was in Singur that day. 'I will discuss the matter with my colleagues and legal advisors and will then decide about taking any legal action against him,' said the social worker. Patkar had spent the night of Dec 2 inside a jeep on Hungerford Street in Kolkata. She refused to enter the government guesthouse till the women arrested in Singur were released. The next day she had gone to Chandannagore, where several women activists from Singur were put behind bars. West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya, meanwhile, announced he would visit Nandigram soon. At least four people were killed and several injured Sunday in clashes between farmers and CPI-M supporters at Nandigram in East Midnapore district over a proposed SEZ the government proposes to set up in the area. II. http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/000200701092101.htm Nandigram: Buddhadeb announces withdrawal of land acquisition Kolkata, Jan. 9 (PTI): In a bid to cool tempers, West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee today announced withdrawal of the notification for land acquisition in Nandigram, which had triggered a violent agitation, and admitted 'major lapses' on the part of the local administration. "I have asked the East Midnapore district administration to tear up the notification about land acquisition by the Haldia Development Authority (HDA) as it was the root-cause of trouble that led to total confusion and cost several lives at Nandigram," the Chief Minister told reporters at Writers' Buildings. Stating that no land acquisition process had been initiated at Nandigram for a SEZ and the Indonesia-based Salim group's chemical hub, Bhattacharjee said his government will have to tread cautiously from now on, on the issue. A notification issued by HDA identifying areas for setting up a chemical hub by the Salim group had sparked violence by farmers in Nandigram on January three in which six persons were killed. The violence followed the agitation against acquisition of agricultural land for Tata Motors' small car project at Singur. In future, the Chief Minister said, all notifications would be given by the District Collector or the District Magistrate and none else. "It is our mistake. The HDA notification was absolutely wrong, and it led to confusion," he said. To a question, he said that he would visit Nandigram for an on-the-spot study of the situation, but did not give a date. The priority was to ensure return of peace and he would take steps towards it by speaking to political parties at the panchayat-level and villagers, he said. About total 25,000 acre of land was required for the Salim group's chemical hub at Nandigram, he said. The approach now would be through mapping and land-alignment together with rehabilitation in consultation with political parties, farmers and landless people, he said. Copyright Indo-Asian News Service ------------- [2] FDA Runs Protection Racket For Big Pharma By Evelyn Pringle http://countercurrents.org/pringle110107.htm Why would Americans trust the FDA to regulate the pharmaceutical industry? Since the Bush administration took office the FDA has become the industry's partner in crime. The most notorious protection scheme put in place by the FDA and Big Pharma is the preemption policy that bans private lawsuits against drug companies in state courts once a drug and its label have been approved by the FDA People's Movements in Orissa Face Political Repression By Saswat Pattanayak http://countercurrents.org/hr-pattanayak110107.htm Sitting pretty on his father and Orissa's ex-Chief Minister Biju Patnaik’s land-grabbing anti-people legacies, Naveen has been the most ruthless curse on a peaceful people. Enacting personality politics to project Biju as a savior, the current CM has been turning massive onslaughts on every form of criticism that exists in the state today, with an inherited arrogance that has rare parallel. He completes his troika of misfortunes, after Kashipur and Kalinga Nagar, with his approval of Vedanta Alumina Project at Lanjigarh --------- [3] From: Sukla Sen <suklasen@yahoo.com> Date: Thu Jan 11, 2007 Subject: West Bengal: The Orwellian World From: "Madhusree Mukerjee" Letter from Kolkata 7 January 11, 2007 --------------- Eleven students from Jadavpur and Presidency universities are in prison, charged with non-bailable offences. Their crime: trying to forcibly enter a CPM office. Medha Patkar is also under arrest, presumably also in Kolkata. Share croppers and day laborers from Singur, who have no land, aren't getting compensation. Instead they are being trained in "bush clearing, road repairing and construction-related jobs." For the moment they have no employment. What are they eating? To sign up for the training, they are lining up at a new office of the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation, which is doing all the land acquisition on behalf of the Tatas. The office building, in Singur, was until recently a small ceramics factory. It was shut down in order to hand over the land. Its 30 employees, now out of work, are not even getting trained in bush clearing. All is quiet in Nandigram, for now. The government is rethinking its strategy, which will involve "educating" the locals about the projects to come, and no doubt some measured doses of coercion and persuasion. I still haven't heard from Chittobabu. Tomorrow the Jindals (yes, a new party) are expected to sign a deal for "a steel plant, a dedicated port, a coal mine and a power project," also in Midnapore. This venture, announces the Telegraph, "will elevate Bengal to the big league of other eastern steel states like Orissa and Jharkhand." Oh brave new world! The knockout punch of the Land Acquisition Act makes it easier to enter the Big League. The law dates from 1894 but was amended in 1984 to give it steel knuckles--to outlaw legal challenges. Does the date remind anyone else of a book? ------------- [4] From: Sukla Sen <suklasen@yahoo.com> Date: Thu Jan 11, 2007 Subject: Economic Growth in China: A Report http://www.conference-board.org/utilities/pressDetail.cfm?press_ID=2432 Press Release / News China Losing More Manufacturing Jobs Than U. S. But Adding Service Jobs at a Rapid Pace July 8, 2004 China is losing more manufacturing jobs than the United States. For the entire economy between 1995 and 2002, China lost 15 million manufacturing jobs, compared with 2 million in the U. S., The Conference Board reports in a study released today. “As its manufacturing productivity accelerates, China is losing jobs in manufacturing – many more than the United States is – and gaining them in services, a pattern that has been playing out in the developed world for many years,” concludes The Conference Board study. According to Robert H. McGuckin, Director of Economic Research at The Conference Board and co-author of the study: “Increased unemployment has also accompanied the restructuring of the industrial sector, but per capita income has risen over the period.” ----------- [5] From: Pradip Kumar Datta <pradip200@yahoo.com> Date: Thu Jan 11, 2007 Subject: Doors still open for talks with ULFA: CM Doors still open for talks with ULFA: CM By A Staff Reporter GUWAHATI, Jan 10 – Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today said that while the offensive against the ULFA was being intensified following its dastardly killings, doors were still open for talks provided the ultras gave up violence. “We are ready to even release the prisoners if the ULFA comes forward for a negotiation. But its response has been negative. Also, we are interested in having talks directly with the outfit’s leaders,” Gogoi said at a press conference. Accusing the ULFA of being under Pakistan’s ISI, Gogoi said that forces inimical to the interests of Asom had been working overtime to destabilize the State. “These forces want Assam to remain disturbed and backward, but they will not be allowed to exploit the situation,” he asserted. The Chief Minister revealed that 140 companies of security forces had been pressed into service following the bloodbath indulged in by the ULFA in upper Asom. The death toll since January 5 has reached 61, with Tinsukia district accounting for 33 casualties, followed by Dibrugarh with 13. Sivasagar and Dhemaji witnessed seven and six deaths. The number of the injured stood at 48. Claiming that the situation was improving in the State, Gogoi said that no violence by the ULFA was reported except the blast near Dispur police station last night, Gogoi said that the top priority with the Government was to prevent incidents of violence and boost the confidence of the people. “The situation is definitely improving, and action will be taken within 24 hours on those responsible for the lapse resulting in the city blast last night,” he said. Gogoi was critical of the role played by ULFA mediator Dr Mamoni Raisom Goswami, saying that she was rather late and not forthright in condemning the heinous killings by the outfit. “She was unduly blaming the State Government for the developments but gave only a qualified condemnation of the ULFA’s mayhem,” he said. On former Defence Minister George Frenandes’ offer for mediation, Gogoi said that it was not the proper time to make such a gesture. “Anyway, I do not want to comment much on his statement. However, as Defence Minister, he had done nothing on the issue,” he said. Appealing to all to cooperate with the Government in restoring normalcy in the State, the Chief Minister said that more recruitment, including ex-servicemen, would be made in the police force. “In addition, we would be forming peace committees and conduct awareness campaigns against terrorism so that the common people understand the debilitating effects terrorism has on the economy,” he said. The State Government is also likely to enhance the remunerations of the village defence party (VDP) member as part of its efforts to strengthen the organisation, Gogoi said. ------------- [6] From: Pradip Kumar Datta <pradip200@yahoo.com> Date: Thu Jan 11, 2007 Subject: ULFA chief's mother for immediate peace talks ULFA chief's mother for immediate peace talks NET News Network Guwahati, Jan 10: ULFA commander-in-chief Paresh Baruah's mother Milliki, believes it is imperative for the government to immediately begin talks to solve Assam's insurgency problem. I know Paresh will get killed the moment he comes out but I am not concerned about that. Like me thousands of mothers (of ULFA militants) are crying and that is important," she said with tears in her eyes. As journalists flocked to this sleepy hamlet in Dibrugarh district ahead of a visit by NDA convenor George Fernandes, Milliki asked, "Why this activity now after the violence? Why are all these ministers and so-called VIPs coming now?” Milliki held the Centre responsible for the massacre of 70 Hindi-speaking migrants since Friday though she is not sure of ULFA's involvement in the killings. "The Centre has failed to bring them (ULFA) for talks and so they have to share the blame," she said. ---------- |
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| << January11, 2007 - [India Thinkers Net]Medha Patkar ,Assam ,Arundhati Roy etc.. |
January13, 2007 - [India Thinkers Net]DNA report ,Nandigram ,Rural India,Tiger pics,Lanka etc >> |
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