Long Live Anti-POSCO Struggle! Memorandum of Protest
Oppose the Nandigram style attack in Orissa and appeal send relief to the struggling farmers of Orissa
Palash Biswas
Contact: Palash C Biswas, C/O Mrs Arati Roy, Gosto Kanan, Sodepur, Kolkata- 700110, India. Phone: 91-033-25659551
Email: palashbiswaskl@gmail.com
Situation at proposed Posco plant 'volatile': Orissa govt
Bhubaneswar : Describing the situation at the proposed plant site of Posco near Paradip as "volatile", Orissa government today said it was apprehensive of possible infiltration by Left wing extremists (LWES) into the area.
"We cannot rule out possibility of red radicals bid to take advantage of the prevailing situation in Posco area," state's Home Secretary T K Mishra said, a day after deployment of armed police force in the villages located on the proposed plant site.
Mishra said this while replying to queries on newspaper reports claiming that a number of Maoist cadre had already entered into the "trouble" area. He said "anti-socials" always try to take benefit out of the situation. Therefore, the possibility of LWES attempting to make their presence felt in the area could not be ruled out, he said.
The Home Secretary, however, did not confirm whether the red radicals had already entered into the area or not.
"We are fully prepared to face the eventuality and have been keeping a close watch on the situation at the area," he said adding the government would not sit silently, if the LWES try to mislead the people who were agitating against displacement.
He said that displacement was a "sensitive" issue and the state government had been talking to the affected people. "We are sure that the issue will be settled through negotiation," Mishra said adding district administration and the police were working in tandem to solve the problems.
See the hypocrisy of the Leftists. They are the front leaders of this movement against POSCO and what is their policy in W.Bengal, diametrically opposite. I will not be surprised if this movement is being financed by a competitor or group of competitors to stall a formidable player in Steel Industry to snuff out all competition.
s.asim
Sukla Sen <suklasen@yahoo.com> wrote:
At a spirited and vibrant protest at the Orissa Nivas in Orissa, a wide range of activists and organizations, presented a memorandum to the Governor of Orissa that we are sharing with you for further wide circulation. The dharna was represented not only by democratic organizations from Delhi but also from the anti-POSCO struggle in Orissa and from Nandigram in West Bengal. Given below is the memo as well as some slogans and placards. There were many songs too.
To
The Governor
State of Orissa,
Through the Resident Commissioner
Orissa Bhavan
New Delhi
4 December 2007
Subject: Memorandum of Protest against violence on
POSCO Pratiodh Sangram Samiti
Honourable Sir,
We are shocked and outraged at the brutal attack at Jagatsingpur on Thursday the 29th of November on those opposing the entry of the Korean corporation POSCO, including supporters and members of POSCO Prati odh Sangram Samiti (PPSS). On that day, thugs owing allegiance to Damodar Raut, MLA from that region, with the connivance of the local administration and other vested interests, attacked protesting tillers with bombs and other weapons. Following this heinous attack, 16 platoons of police personnel have moved into the area; the prevailing situation is volatile and we are deeply concerned about the safety and lives of the hundreds of people trapped in the region.
The proposed POSCO steel plant has been meeting with continuous resistance from the people of the area for the past several months. This POSCO project is a clear attack on people's subsistence economy and livelihood. The people depend on this land for agriculture especially betel cultivation. Recorded as 'government land', we are deeply concerned about the State Government's decision to cede such to a steel company (and that too by forcibly taking from the tillers) when it refuses to hand it over to its tillers even when mandated by land legislations of Orissa.
On 29 November at 4.30 pm about 300 goons hired by Damodar Raut and POSCO attacked the camp of PPSS at Balitutha and set them on fire. They also set off five country-made bombs, destroyed about 100 bicycles and injured about 30 protestors.. Orissa state police immediately entered the area and occupied the place that was previously being used by PPSS indicating that the attack by goons was done with full knowledge of the police and state administration. The goons are now harassing and penalizing people for joining PPSS in Nuagaon and Govindpur. The police are not allowing people off Dhinkia, Patna and Mahala to move freely in and out of the villages creating a supply crisis.
The current situation is a result of the government's insistence to meet POSCO's demand of 6,000 acres of land, which is deeply threatening to the lives and livelihoods of the people of the area, besides being ecologically destructive.
This ushering of violence to an otherwise peaceful region by such heinous acts, bodes ill for the future, not only of the region but also, the entire humanity. And how can we build on democracy if we have administrative machinery that shuns all democratic processes of dialogue and other methods and is too eager to gratify a corporate house by inflicting violence on its own people? This is not the first time that violence has been inflicted on those protesting against industrial projects in Orissa, as the violence on those opposing UAIL in Kashipur, and Vedanta in Lanjigarha indicate. Your intervention is crucial because the state government of Mr Naveen Patnaik is complicit in the violence being inflicted on the people of the state. This alarming spate of events signals a systemic erosion of, a beginning to the end of democracy and dialogue and absolute denial of space for dissent. We cannot force thousands of people to lose their land and livelihood by the sheer use of violence and coercion.
To put democratization back on the rails, Sir, we urge you to take immediate steps to:
1. Annul the MOU with POSCO.
2. End the repression of the villagers in Dhinkia, Gadkujang and Nuagaon, and ensure that company-backed goons and miscreants are prevented from harassing people of the area. Allow the local people free movement in and out of the villages.
3. Withdraw the police from the region.
4. Withdraw all false cases against all activists and supporters of the POSCO Prati odh Sangram Samiti struggling for justice for the people.
5. Start a transparent and democratic dialogue on the SEZ policy instead of imposing it on people.
6. Withdraw all environmental clearances and permission given to POSCO.
Address: 10 A, Pocket C, Mayur Phase II, Delhi 110091
Signed by/-
Harish Dhawan……………..People's Union for Democratic Rights
D Manjit ……………………Pratidhwani
Ranjana Padhi………………Kashipur Solidarity Group, Delhi
Mamata Dash……………….NFFPFW and Delhi Platform
Dr Rakesh Rafiq…………….Yuva Bharat
Alok Kumar…………………Krantikari Yuva Sangathan
Rajendra Ravi……………….NAPM
Uma Kant……………………AIFTU
Upendra Singh Rawat............Jan Sangharsh Vahini
Prasant Paikray…………...POSCO Pratishodh Sangram Samiti, Orissa
Prafulla Das………………..POSCO Pratishodh Sangram Samiti, Orissa
Vasundhara ………………..Indian Social Institute
Manoranjan Mohanty……..Delhi University
Arjun Sengupta…………….Mazdoor Mukti, Kolkatta
Arya Krishnan……………….CACIM and Voices Against 377
Chandrashekhar……………..Democratic Students Union
Neelam…………………………Institute for Social Democracy
Jagmohan Rawat……………..NAPM
Deblina Chakraborty…………Matangini Mahila Samiti, Nandigram
Gauranga Mandal…………….BUPC, Nandigram
Maya John…………………….Centre for Struggling Women
Asit……………………………Left Forum, Delhi
Sourabh…………………………Pratidhwani
Raja……………………………..GPM, West Bengal
Kalpana Mehta ………………..Saheli, Delhi
Sumit Chakraborty…………….Editor Mainstream
Ashok……………………………Delhi Solidarity Group
Souparna Lahiri………………. NFFPFW
And many others…
Placards and Slogans from Today's Dharna:
Bik gaya re bik gaya; Orissa Sarkar Bik Gaya
Kharid liya re kharid liya
Naveen ko POSCO kharid liya
POSCO Orisss Chhod Kar wapas Jaao
wapas Jaao, wapas Jaao
Orissa Police ki Khuni Panjon ko
Tod do, Marod do
Samrajya waad ho barbaad;
Ho barbaad; ho barbaad
Har Jor Juloom ke Takkar mein
Sangharsah Hamara Naara Hai!
Jab tak bhookha insaan rahega,
Dharti par Toophan Rahega
Our land Our Resources
POSCO Don't Steal It
Today POSCO brought in Bombs
Tomorrow what??
No compensation; No negotiation
We want POSCO's Termination
We will not succumb to State and POSCO's Repression
Jangal hamara aapke; Nahin kisi adalat ke
Vedanta ho ya POSCO
NALCO ho ya BALCO
Nahin Bechne Denge
Hamar Sampada Ko
Jail mein kitne jagah he tere
Dekh liya he dekhenge!
Delhi Police Sharam Karo
Sharam Karo Doob Maro
Orissa Sarkara Dar Gaya
Police ko kaise Bula diya!!!
SEZ Niti Wapas Lo
Wapas lo; wapas lo!!
Peace is doable.
Oppose the Nandigram style attack in Orissa and appeal send relief to the struggling farmers of Orissa
Friends,
The Nandigram pattern has been shamelessly copied by the ruling classes of the other states. Like Nandigram, in Orissa too, the BJD goons with active support from the police and state machinery has attacked the farmers who are opposing the proposed Posco SEZ. After the 29th November attack by the BJD goons under the leadership of Damodar Rout (local MLA of BJD), things are getting worse and the situation has become explosive in Dhinkia, Gadakujanga and Nuagaon. Kindly go through the attachments that are attached herewith.
We appeal all the forces to express their solidarity and sharpen the ongoing anti-SEZ, anti-land grabbing and anti-displacement struggle in the country.
We also appeal to all to mobilise relief material to the struggling farmers of Dhinkia.
For sending relief and coordinating support, kindly contact Com.Rajendra Sadangi.
Rajendra Sadangi
Convenor, Loka Pakhya
2510(J) Kedargouri Area, Bhubaneswar,
Mob.- 9337112265.
MahaMumbai Shetkari Sangharsh Samiti that has been fighting against the proposed SEZ of Mukesh Ambani's Reliance in Pen, Uran & Panvel of Raigad district in Maharashtra, Lokshashan Andolan and Yuva Bharat condemns the Nandigram pattern followed by the Orissa Govt. and BJD's goons.
In Solidarity,
Justice B.G. Kolse-Patil (retd.) (President - Lokshashan Andolan, Advisor - MahaMumbai Shetkari Sangharsh Samiti, Raigad - Maharashtra)
Adv. Datta Patil (President - MahaMumbai Shetkari Sangharsh Samiti, Raigad - Maharashtra)
Com. Vilas Sonawane (Working President - Lokshashan Andolan, Advisor - MahaMumbai Shetkari Sangharsh Samiti, Raigad - Maharashtra)
Adv. Dhananjay Patil (Working President - MahaMumbai Shetkari Sangharsh Samiti, Raigad - Maharashtra)
Adv. Meghnath Patil (General Secretary - MahaMumbai Shetkari Sangharsh Samiti, Raigad - Maharashtra)
Shashi Sonawane (National Convenor - Yuva Bharat)
--
Yuva Bharat
Stri-Dasya, Jati-Varga Vyavastha Anta Ke Liye Samarpit Naujawanon ka Akhil Bhartiya Sanghatan
From: Bharath <mbbhushan@gmail.com>
Date: Dec 5, 2007 5:34 PM
Subject: CPI tribal appeasement program & fight for better rehabilitation under Polavaram dam
To: polavaram@yahoogroups..co.in, Madhoo < madhoo.n@gmail.com>,
Dear All
Find the report of CPI's program on tribal issues including the problem of Polavaram dam. It demands reduction in dam height, pattas to podu lands, amendment to 1/70 legislation on tribal land transfers among others
CPI condemns the current compensation package
All in all tribal appeasement posture with green signal to enmasse eviction under the Dam
Report FYI
Bharath
Polavaram: CPI seeks hike in compensation
Wednesday, 05 December 2007
Khammam, December 05: The CPI district committee wants the government to enhance the scale of cash compensation being offered to the families affected by the Polavaram project in Khammam, East and West Godavari districts.
Addressing a news conference here on Tuesday, party district secretary K. Sambhasiva Rao said that the tall claims being made by the State government about the attractive rehabilitation package had, in fact, failed to make the farmers happy. They were ready to sacrifice their lands and ancestral properties for construction of the project, but they should not me made to regret and repent in future for having done so.
Pattas
He said that the cash compensation of Rs. 1.30 lakhs per acre being offered to the farmers would not fetch them at least a house site, not to speak of the same extent of land, in the command area of the very project .
He also appealed to the government to consider the demand for modifying the project design by lowering the height of the dam. He also urged the government to issue pattas for the podu lands in the occupation of tribal communities in Bhadrachalam and Palvancha divisions of the district.
The party would continue its fight for the rights of the tribal communities on the lands they had been tilling for over 50 years.
The party adopted as many as 35 resolutions at its district conference held in Manuguru this week.
They included an appeal to the government to amend the scheduled area regulation 1/70 without affecting the interests of the tribal communities.
District secretary stressed the need for steps to facilitate establishment of more industries in the district to create employment opportunities for youth.
The party decided to take up the cause of workers in the unorganised sector in coordination with the AITUC.
--Agencies
http://www.siasat.com/english/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=225432&Itemid=63&cattitle=Andhra%20Pradesh
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