From patrick@irn.org Wed Aug 7 21:15:02 1996 Received: from lucy.cs.wisc.edu (lucy.cs.wisc.edu [128.105.2.11]) by sea.cs.wisc.edu (8.6.12/8.6.12) with ESMTP id VAA08275 for ; Wed, 7 Aug 1996 21:14:36 -0500 Received: from igc7.igc.org (igc7.igc.apc.org [192.82.108.35]) by lucy.cs.wisc.edu (8.6.12/8.6.12) with ESMTP id VAA14698 for ; Wed, 7 Aug 1996 21:14:32 -0500 Received: from igc3.igc.apc.org (igc3.igc.apc.org [192.82.108.33]) by igc7.igc.org (8.7.5/8.7.3) with ESMTP id RAA13479; Wed, 7 Aug 1996 17:34:57 -0700 (PDT) Received: from [198.94.3.20] (patrick@ppp6-20.igc.org [198.94.3.20]) by igc3.igc.apc.org (8.7.5/8.7.3) with SMTP id RAA06093; Wed, 7 Aug 1996 17:24:02 -0700 (PDT) Message-Id: <199608080024.RAA06093@igc3.igc.apc.org> X-Sender: patrick@pop.igc.apc.org Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Date: Wed, 7 Aug 1996 17:26:54 -0700 To: horses@igc.org, pchatterjee@igc.org (Pratap Chatterjee), akothari@unv.ernet.in, G.Appa@lse.ac.uk, anandp@giasbm01.vsnl.net.in, sanj@leland.stanford.edu, L.Mehta@sussex.ac.uk, bittu@ecologist.ilbom.ernet.in, kamal@imsc.ernet.in, educserv@sojourn.com, fv016@cleveland.freenet.edu, narmada@cs.wisc.edu, ashah@dc.asce.org, budaraju@luther.che.wisc.edu, srrajan@violet.berkeley.edu (Ravi Rajan), jvaidya@netcom.com, alau@sirius.com, anitapd@aol.com, mdharmaw@gpu.srv.ualberta.ca, barot@violet.berkeley.edu, sudayagi@nature.berkeley.edu, jagdish@igc.org, twn@unv.ernet.in, AniD@aol.com, morarjik@elwha.evergreen.edu (Karuna Morarji), csedel@cse.unv.ernet.in (Himanshu Thakker), rrn@rrnpc.mos.com.np (Arjun Karki), ectadem@hk.net (Ed Tadem), e-law-sl@ef.is.lk (Ravi Alagama), energy@prayas.ernet.in (Girish Sant), kazimi@astral.magic.ca (ALI KAZIMI) From: patrick@irn.org (Patrick McCully) Subject: Narmada update Sender: patrick@igc.org =46rom: Alex Wilks, UK > >To: Key Narmada Contacts > >This is a brief fax from Shripad which I have just transcribed direct. I am >trying to call Shripad to find out if the Supreme Court has made any >decisions and will formulate this into a proper update and new specimen >letter for onward circulation to a wider set of groups when I have done so. > > > >NARMADA NEWS > >There have been some major developments since the Narmada alert circulated >at the end of July. > >A series of strong protest actions have taken place in the Narmada Valley i= n >protest against the arbitrary and unjust "agreement" between the state >Governments and the Centre (see last Update). The Valley observed a total >bandh =F3 shut-down of all shops, establishments, bar associations =F3 in t= he >Nimad area on 23 and 24 July in protest against the decision. More than 10 >major towns in the Valley remained closed. Support rallies were also staged >in other parts of the country. Then, the oustees of the Valley started a >series of mass actions. On 30 July a major demonstration took place in >Alirajpur (tehsil headquarters of submergence area) with about 1000 tribals >in protest calling for a complete cancellation of the agreement. On 31 July >600 oustees staged a demonstration in Bhopal (capital of Madhya Pradesh) an= d >asked the State government to pull out of the "agreement". > >On 1 August over 500 oustees from all three states began an indefinite >demonstration in New Delhi, calling on the Central Government to annul the >agreement and take the next steps only in consultation with the people. The >NBA also demanded that the Prime Minister meet them all. The pressure told >(letters from abroad helped), and the PM immediately agreed to meet all the >demonstrators. On 2 August the 500 oustees, Medha Patkar and others met the >Prime Minister of India. Also present were the Ministers of Environment, >Water Resources and Social Welfare (which looks after rehabilitation). Afte= r >listening to the people the PM immediately announced that he would convene = a >joint meeting of all the concerned four Chief Ministers (from Gujarat, >Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan) with the NBA to discuss all the >issues raised by NBA. The NBA could bring 15-20 representatives. > >This is a major and important development and implies that the Government i= s >willing to give the peoples' movement a role in the planning process. Of >course, we do not know if this will continue. Another implication is that >the decision to convene a new meeting should automatically mean tht the >decision of the 16 July meeting -- not to have any change in the original >project design -- stands lapsed. But the Prime Minister did not clarify thi= s. >We will know only on 7 August when the Supreme Court again hears the NBA's >case and when the Government has to file a written statement that they have >resolved their dispute on the height of the dam. > >International vigilance will continue to be very important. People should >still continue to write to the Prime Minister, but should congratulate him >on agreeing to hold this new meeting. Rapid developments are expected all >this month. > >Fax from Shripad Dharmadikary, NBA, retyped by Alex Wilks, Bretton Woods >Project UK. > > >Bretton Woods Project (bwref@gn.apc.org) > > =3D*=3D*=3D*=3D*=3D*=3D*=3D*=3D*=3D*=3D*=3D*=3D*=3D*=3D*=3D*=3D*=3D*=3D*=3D*= =3D*=3D*=3D*=3D*=3D*=3D*=3D*=3D Patrick McCully, Campaigns Director, International Rivers Network 1847 Berkeley Way, Berkeley, California 94703, USA Tel. (510) 848 1155 Fax (510) 848 1008 =3D*=3D*=3D*=3D*=3D*=3D*=3D*=3D*=3D*=3D*=3D*=3D*=3D*=3D*=3D*=3D*=3D*=3D*=3D*= =3D*=3D*=3D*=3D*=3D*=3D*=3D*=3D From asundar@chass.utoronto.ca Thu Aug 8 13:21:24 1996 Received: from lucy.cs.wisc.edu (lucy.cs.wisc.edu [128.105.2.11]) by sea.cs.wisc.edu (8.6.12/8.6.12) with ESMTP id NAA27691 for ; Thu, 8 Aug 1996 13:21:12 -0500 Received: from bebop.chass.utoronto.ca (bebop.chass.utoronto.ca [128.100.160.4]) by lucy.cs.wisc.edu (8.6.12/8.6.12) with ESMTP id NAA25910 for ; Thu, 8 Aug 1996 13:21:09 -0500 Received: from chass.utoronto.ca by bebop.chass.utoronto.ca via ESMTP (951211.SGI.8.6.12.PATCH1042/940406.SGI) id OAA09663; Thu, 8 Aug 1996 14:20:51 -0400 Received: by chass.utoronto.ca (951211.SGI.8.6.12.PATCH1042/930416.SGI) id OAA26609; Thu, 8 Aug 1996 14:02:41 -0400 From: aparna sundar Message-Id: <199608081802.OAA26609@chass.utoronto.ca> Subject: Indian fishery strike - call for support To: kamat@vms.cis.pitt, fishfolk@mitvma.mit.edu, babinr@rigel.ci.umoncton.ca, s-asia-environ@columbia.edu, narmada@cs.wisc.edu Date: Thu, 8 Aug 1996 14:02:40 -0400 (EDT) X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL24] MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Length: 7508 Forwarded message: >From asundar@chass.utoronto.ca Wed Aug 7 18:55:07 1996 Date: Wed, 7 Aug 1996 18:55:06 -0400 From: aparna sundar Message-Id: <199608072255.SAA11133@chass.utoronto.ca> To: asundar@chass.utoronto.ca INDIAN FISHERS LAUNCH HUNGER STRIKE AND HARBOUR BLOCKADE TO DEMAND CANCELLATION OF LICENCES TO FOREIGN FISHING VESSELS. Today, 7 August, 8 million Indian fishers and allied workers launch the lates action in their two year long campaign against the licensing of foreign vessels to fish in India's deep sea waters. Thomas Kocherry, chairperson of the National Fisheries Action Committee Against Joint Ventures (NFACJV), begins a hunger fast in Bombay. The Central Trade Union Federations, the National Centre for Labour (NCL), and the National Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM), will carry out support actions across the country. On 10 August, fishers and dockworkers will begin an indefinite blockade of the major harbours. Their main demands are the cancellation of all licences issued to Joint /Charter /Lease /Test Fishing Vessels and implementation of the recommendations of the Murari Committee set up to review the Government's Deep Sea Fishing policy. India's 1991 Deep Sea Fishing Policy throws open deep sea fishing to joint ventures between Indian and foreign industry, with foreign firms being allowed up to 51% equity. Incentives for these 100% export oriented units include easy financing, the supply of diesel at international rates (a fourth of the rates Indian consumers pay), and reduced import duties on parts and machinery. The factory ships are not obliged to land the fish on Indian shores, but can process them on board and export them directly. This makes monitoring of catch volumes impossible and is likely to lead to rapid overexploitation, especially since destructive gears such as bull trawling, banned elsewhere and so forced to lie idle, have now been brought to India. The small and medium scale fishers, on the other hand, are well able, if the same incentives and facilities are offered to them, to harvest the deep sea using less destructive technology. Unlike big business, their communities are dependent on the fishery and are therefore more likely to harvest it sustainably. The policy thus threatens food security within India, where fish is one of the chief sources of protein for some 300 million people, the livelihood of small and medium scale community based fishers and allied workers, and the sustainability of the resource beyond the short term. The two year long campaign has seen several national days of action, a national fisheries strike in November 1994, a hunger fast by the leaders in May 1995, and a harbour blockade in January 1996. Artisanal fishers and mechanised trawler operators, traditionally enemies, have come together under the NFACJV to deal with an enemy larger than both. A major achievement for these workers in the "unorganised" sector has been the collaboration gained from the central organised trade union federations. There has been strong international support from unions and other organisations and individuals. MPs across party lines have on several occasions raised questions in Parliament critical of the Government's policy. The growing national and international movement in support of the fishworkers led the Government to appoint a committee to review its policy. On 6 February 1996, the Review Committee submitted its recommendations which include the total cancellation of licences issued to foreign vessels under joint ventures, the provision of training and subsidies to enable small and medium scale fishers to work in the deep sea, and mandatory consultation with the fishing community on all fishery legislation or policy. The Committee gave the Government six months to implement its recommendations but it has shown no signs of doing so. The fishworkers' latest action is to protest this denial of their hard-won victory. Write in support of the hunger strike and port blockade to: The Prime Minister of India, and/or The Minister for Food Processing Industries Parliament House New Delhi 110001 India Fax: 91-11-301-9817 or 301-6857 saying the following: CANCEL ALL LICENCES ISSUED TO JOINT /CHARTER /LEASE / TEST VESSELS. IMPLEMENT THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE MURARI COMMITTEE. ENSURE FOOD SECURITY FOR INDIAN CONSUMERS, LIVELIHOODS FOR INDIAN FISHERS AND THE SUSTAINABLE HARVESTING OF THE DEEP SEA RESOURCE BY TRADITIONAL FISHERS. Or e-mail me with your name and address and I will add your name to the following letter. Please get signatures and send to India. Or e-mail me saying you are willing to sign it, and I'll add your name to it. The Prime Minister of India Parliament House New Delhi. Dear Prime Minister, RE: DEEP SEA FISHING POLICY We support the demands put forward by the traditional and small-scale fishworkers during the hunger strike of their leader Thomas Kocherry and the indefinite harbour blockade beginning on 10 August. Please implement the recommendations of the Murari Committee on Deep Sea Fishing and cancel all licences issued to joint/charter/lease/test vessels. We believe that the current policy is destructive for the following reasons: 1. The provision of licenses to foreign fleets entails a loss of control over national resources without any benefits in terms of increased employment: (i) The highly intensive and specialised technology required for Deep Sea Fishing means that the skilled jobs are occupied by foreigners and only a few jobs like deck hand and cook are open to Indian labour. (ii) The processing, grading and packing of the products is done on board so that shore based labour is not needed. Marketing jobs, too, are not opened up, as the markets are all abroad. 2. Since the Deep Sea Fishing units are 100% export oriented, there is a channelling away of fish supply from Indian people to foreign consumers. Many varieties of fish included in Indian diets are exported to make fish-meal and animal feed. This is unconscionable at a time when blindness caused by Vitamin A deficiency is being reported among children in fishing villages, a problem unheard of as long as fish was available to fishing families for domestic consumption. 3. Deep sea fishing for export by foreign fleets and large Indian business houses has serious implications for the sustainability of the resource: (i) The fish trade in the high seas leaves the Indian Government with no information about the size and nature of the catch and catch values. Resource depletion is thus hard to monitor. (ii) Overfishing is already routine as deep sea vessels discard large quantities of `trawler by-catch' in the high seas. The reported catch thus does not indicate the full number of fish and plant life destroyed. (iii) Unlike small-scale fishworkers who are dependent on the fishery for their livelihood, big business is more mobile, and hence less concerned with the sustainability of the resource over the long term. The Murari Committee recommendations address these concerns and suggest policy measures that ensure greater food security for Indian consumers, livelihoods and development for Indian fishers, consultation with the fishing communitites on all fishery policies, and the long term sustainability of the marine resource. They should be implemented. From patrick@irn.org Tue Aug 13 15:15:49 1996 Received: from lucy.cs.wisc.edu (lucy.cs.wisc.edu [128.105.2.11]) by sea.cs.wisc.edu (8.6.12/8.6.12) with ESMTP id PAA15025 for ; Tue, 13 Aug 1996 15:14:56 -0500 Received: from igc7.igc.org (igc7.igc.apc.org [192.82.108.35]) by lucy.cs.wisc.edu (8.6.12/8.6.12) with ESMTP id PAA26369 for ; Tue, 13 Aug 1996 15:14:43 -0500 Received: from igc3.igc.apc.org (igc3.igc.apc.org [192.82.108.33]) by igc7.igc.org (8.7.5/8.7.3) with ESMTP id LAA17219; Tue, 13 Aug 1996 11:39:03 -0700 (PDT) Received: from [198.94.3.17] (patrick@ppp6-17.igc.org [198.94.3.17]) by igc3.igc.apc.org (8.7.5/8.7.3) with SMTP id LAA14698; Tue, 13 Aug 1996 11:30:04 -0700 (PDT) Message-Id: <199608131830.LAA14698@igc3.igc.apc.org> X-Sender: patrick@pop.igc.apc.org Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Date: Tue, 13 Aug 1996 11:33:46 -0700 To: horses@igc.apc.org (Lori Udall), ecologist@gn.apc.org, bwref@gn.apc.org, lee@peg.apc.org, urgewald@gn.apc.org, eprobe@web.net, fmartone@gn.apc.org, evb@access.ch, bothends@gn.apc.org, foejapan@igc.org, fisher@isr.harvard.edu, fivas@nn.apc.org, survival@gn.apc.org, roberto.ern@rivernet.org, wrm@gn.apc.org, nciucn@dds.nl, ssmaul@uta.fi, ngowg@gn.apc.org, foeitaly@gn.apc.org, eaip@gn.apc.org, olammers@igc.org, glen@nutecnet.com.br, csedel@cse.unv.ernet.in (Himanshu Thakker), sitnz@waikato.ac.nz, brackenr@btsales.bt.com From: patrick@irn.org (Patrick McCully) Subject: letter from Himanshu, cse Cc: pchatterjee@igc.org (Pratap Chatterjee), akothari@unv.ernet.in, G.Appa@lse.ac.uk, anandp@giasbm01.vsnl.net.in, sanj@leland.Stanford.EDU, L.Mehta@sussex.ac.uk, bittu@ecologist.ilbom.ernet.in, kamal@imsc.ernet.in, educserv@sojourn.com, fv016@cleveland.freenet.edu, narmada@cs.wisc.edu, ashah@dc.asce.org, budaraju@luther.che.wisc.edu, srrajan@violet.berkeley.edu (Ravi Rajan), jvaidya@netcom.com, alau@sirius.com, anitapd@aol.com, mdharmaw@gpu.srv.ualberta.ca, barot@violet.berkeley.edu, sudayagi@nature.berkeley.edu, jagdish@igc.org, twn@unv.ernet.in, AniD@aol.com, morarjik@elwha.evergreen.edu (Karuna Morarji), csedel@cse.unv.ernet.in (Himanshu Thakker), rrn@rrnpc.mos.com.np (Arjun Karki), ectadem@hk.net (Ed Tadem), e-law-sl@ef.is.lk (Ravi Alagama), energy@prayas.ernet.in (Girish Sant), kazimi@astral.magic.ca (ALI KAZIMI) Sender: patrick@igc.org >To: Patrick McCully, International Rivers Network, New York. patrick@irn.org >From: Himanshu Thakkar, CSE, New Delhi. csedel@cse.unv.ernet.in >Date: Aug 13, 1996. > > 1. Latest developments on Narmada. The Prime Minister has postponed the >meeting of Aug 16 (almost indefinitely as new dates are not announced). This >was done after the Gujarat CM first announced boycot of the meeting saying it >was a question of prestige for Gujarat and he cannot sit with NBA people. He >also requested his counterparts in Maharashtra and Rajasthan to boycot the >meeting. Then he and others from Gujarat also asked PM to cancel the meeting. >PM almost immediately relented and the announcement first came from Gujarat, >then on Television from centre and then a letter came to NBA. MP CM however >told press that NBA should have been invited for the meeting. Now it seems >the Centre is likely to say in the Supreme Court on Aug 14 that an agreement >has been made on July 16. However, MP Chief Secretary keeps telling us that >no agreement has been made, the four drafts from the centre has been returned >to them without approval and they will say so in the court. We have to wait >and see. The letters from international organisations and individuals should >continue to go to PM, with this new input. =*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*= Patrick McCully, Campaigns Director, International Rivers Network 1847 Berkeley Way, Berkeley, California 94703, USA Tel. (510) 848 1155 Fax (510) 848 1008 =*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*= From mathew@genius.rider.edu Mon Aug 19 18:55:44 1996 Received: from lucy.cs.wisc.edu (lucy.cs.wisc.edu [128.105.2.11]) by sea.cs.wisc.edu (8.6.12/8.6.12) with ESMTP id SAA28101 for ; Mon, 19 Aug 1996 18:55:37 -0500 Received: from GENIUS.rider.edu (genius.rider.edu [192.107.45.5]) by lucy.cs.wisc.edu (8.6.12/8.6.12) with ESMTP id SAA27172 for ; Mon, 19 Aug 1996 18:55:35 -0500 Received: from genius.rider.edu by genius.rider.edu (PMDF V5.0-4 #15764) id <01I8H05TF19A8Y61TG@genius.rider.edu> for narmada@cs.wisc.edu; Mon, 19 Aug 1996 19:54:11 -0500 (EST) Date: Mon, 19 Aug 1996 19:54:11 -0500 (EST) From: mathew@genius.rider.edu Subject: Medha Arrested - Gujarat BJP Disrupts Press Conference With Help of Partisan Police (fwd) To: narmada Message-id: MIME-version: 1.0 Content-type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT The true colors of the BJP state unit coming out at last... don't u think this is an ideal point to put poressure on the Prime Miniter to take decisive action? Any news from NBA directly on this or actions following the incident? Biju ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Mon, 19 Aug 1996 19:48:01 -0500 (EST) From: mathew@genius.rider.edu To: aip Cc: mathew Subject: Medha Arrested - Gujarat BJP Disrupts Press Conference With Help of Partisan Police From: Sekhar Ramakrishnan Subject: Medha Arrested - Gujarat BJP Disrupts Press Conference With Help of Partisan Police Medha Patkar arrested AHMEDABAD, Aug. 17. The Narmada Bachao Andolan leader, Ms. Medha Patkar, was arrested here this morning and was later taken outside the Gujarat borders under police escort to prevent her from addressing a press conference opposing the Narmada dam project. The arrest, which later the police clarified was a `preventive detention' under Section 151 of the Criminal Procedure Code, was preceded by high drama, a demonstration by a small group of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party workers, an attack on the police by the demonstrators and a police-press scuffle outside the venue of the press conference. Ms. Patkar, who arrived here last evening and was staying at the residence of one of the Andolan sympathisers, who also runs the office of the Ahmedabad bureau of a Gujarati-weekly published from Mumbai on the first floor of the same building, was scheduled to address a press conference at the same venue at 11 a.m. According to the owner of the house, Mr. Ashwin Bhatt, the police reached the venue around 8 a.m. and the assistant police commissioner, Mr. G. H. Ahuja, demanded Ms. Patkar to cancel the press conference. Ms. Patkar refused to concede the demand stating that in a democracy she had as much right to tell her side to the press as the Government to ``mislead'' the people. She was rudely snubbed by the police when she pointed out that she had not even issued a statement after reaching Ahmedabad and it was those who were demonstrating against her who should be taken under preventive detention as they threatened the law and order situation. ``Your very presence is a threat to the law and order situation,'' she was told by Mr. Ahuja. Even as Ms. Patkar locked herself in a room in the house, Mr. Ahuja summoned some lady police and forced her to come out and placed her under arrest. Just as she was being taken away in a police vehicle, about 50 BJP workers, led by Mr. Joitaram Patel, chairman of the standing committee of the Ahmedabad municipal corporation, and Mr. Amit Shah, a city corporator, arrived at the scene and shouted slogans against Ms. Patkar. The police had cordoned off the house and no one, particularly press reporters and photographers, was not allowed inside. The slogan-shouting BJP demonstrators squatted on the road in front of the jeep, in which Ms. Patkar was seated, and as police tried to clear the road, the demonstrators turned violent and attacked the police with the lathis they snatched from the uniformed men. The Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mr. B. D. Vaghela, was hit by a helmet while some policemen sustained injuries. The police resorted to a mild lathi-charge to clear the road but took no other action against the demonstrators. Instead they turned their wrath against the mediamen. The mediapersons were not allowed to enter the house even after Ms. Patkar was whisked away in the police jeep, and when some newsmen asked Mr. Ahuja the reason for her arrest, they were abused by the police official. The agitated newsmen later broke the police cordon and entered the house where they were handed over a press statement issued by Ms. Patkar just before her detention. To a pointed question by newsmen whether the police intended to take any action against the demonstrators who attacked the police on duty, Mr. Vaghela gave a firm ``no.'' There was no instruction from the top, he said. Later the journalists submitted a joint petition to the Chief Minister, Mr. Suresh Mehta, demanding action against the guilty police official. The Chief Minister assured that he would inquire into the matter. A petition challenging Ms. Patkar's ``illegal detention'' in violation of the Constitutional guarantee of freedom of expression would be filed in the Gujarat High Court next week, a senior advocate, Mr. Girish Patel, an Andolan activist said. Ms. Patkar, in her statement, claimed that the Supreme Court had further extended the stay on the construction of the Narmada dam and described the reported understanding reached between the Chief Ministers of the four States concerned to construct the dam up to 436 feet pending a hydrology review as a ``fraud.'' From patrick@irn.org Tue Aug 27 21:05:29 1996 Received: from lucy.cs.wisc.edu (lucy.cs.wisc.edu [128.105.2.11]) by sea.cs.wisc.edu (8.6.12/8.6.12) with ESMTP id VAA06159 for ; Tue, 27 Aug 1996 21:04:53 -0500 Received: from igc7.igc.org (igc7.igc.apc.org [192.82.108.35]) by lucy.cs.wisc.edu (8.6.12/8.6.12) with ESMTP id VAA15244 for ; Tue, 27 Aug 1996 21:04:51 -0500 Received: from igc3.igc.apc.org (igc3.igc.apc.org [192.82.108.33]) by igc7.igc.org (8.7.5/8.7.3) with ESMTP id RAA25302; Tue, 27 Aug 1996 17:09:38 -0700 (PDT) Received: from [198.94.3.7] (patrick@ppp6-7.igc.org [198.94.3.7]) by igc3.igc.apc.org (8.7.5/8.7.3) with SMTP id QAA11740; Tue, 27 Aug 1996 16:37:38 -0700 (PDT) Message-Id: <199608272337.QAA11740@igc3.igc.apc.org> X-Sender: patrick@pop.igc.apc.org Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Date: Tue, 27 Aug 1996 16:39:23 -0700 To: pchatterjee@igc.org (Pratap Chatterjee), akothari@unv.ernet.in, G.Appa@lse.ac.uk, anandp@giasbm01.vsnl.net.in, L.Mehta@sussex.ac.uk, bittu@ecologist.ilbom.ernet.in, kamal@imsc.ernet.in, educserv@sojourn.com, fv016@cleveland.freenet.edu, narmada@cs.wisc.edu, ashah@dc.asce.org, budaraju@luther.che.wisc.edu, srrajan@violet.berkeley.edu (Ravi Rajan), jvaidya@netcom.com, alau@sirius.com, anitapd@aol.com, mdharmaw@gpu.srv.ualberta.ca, barot@violet.berkeley.edu, sudayagi@nature.berkeley.edu, jagdish@igc.org, twn@unv.ernet.in, AniD@aol.com, csedel@cse.unv.ernet.in (Himanshu Thakker), rrn@rrnpc.mos.com.np (Arjun Karki), ectadem@hk.net (Ed Tadem), e-law-sl@ef.is.lk (Ravi Alagama), energy@prayas.ernet.in (Girish Sant), kazimi@astral.magic.ca (Ali Kazimi) From: patrick@irn.org (Patrick McCully) Subject: UPDATE FROM NBA, BARODA, INDIA Cc: conf!env.dams@spool.cs.wisc.edu, conf!reg.sasia@spool.cs.wisc.edu, conf!ax.ambiente@spool.cs.wisc.edu Sender: patrick@igc.org >>21 Aug. 1996 >>Subject: UPDATE FROM NBA, BARODA, INDIA >> >>>From : Shripad Dharmadhikary, NBA Baroda 21 Aug. 1996 >>Dear Paddy, >> >>1. Arrest of Medha Patkar and Forcible Prevention of her Press Conference >>With The Use of Police Force by the Government of Gujarat >> >>We wish to bring to your urgent notice the serious violation of our >>fundamental right to speech and communication as well as the support to >>violent elements by the Government of Gujarat. Both refer to a series of most >>reprehensible incidents that have taken place yesterday, i.e. 17 August 1996 >>in Ahemdabad. >> >> Medha Patkar was visiting Ahemdabad on 16,17 August 1996 to meet various >>people, organisations and the members of the press. We had arranged a Press >>Conference on the morning of 17 August 1996 at the residence of one of our >>supporters in Ahemdabad. The Conference was to be addressed by Medha Patkar >>and senior advocate and human rights activist Girishbhai Patel, among others. >> >>However, around 9.30 in the morning, a lot of police assembled near the >>house, and soon the ACP (Assistant Commissioner of Police) Mr. Gyan Ahuja >>entered the house and asked Medha Patkar to cancel the press conference. He >>did not give any reasons, except to say that they would not allow the >>conference to take place. When we refused to cancel the Press Conference, >>saying that it was our right to talk to the Press, he threatened to arrest Ms. >>Patkar. Since she did not agree, he asked his deputy Shri Chavda to >>physically take her away. She asserted that she should be physically >>arrested only by women police and that the male police had no right to touch >>her. It was only by effort that she could assert this and get away into >>another room where she stayed till women police arrived. >> >>The police told her that she was being "detained" under Section 151 and >>started taking her away to Vatva Police Station, a few miles outside the main >>city. No one was allowed to accompany her. >>Earlier, even as the police were inside preparing to arrest Ms. Patkar, >>journalists had assembled outside, but were not allowed to enter by the >>police. They were abused and even manhandled. >> >>Meanwhile, in what was obviously a pre-planned move, about 20 -25 of what can >>only be termed as political- hooligans assembled near the house and started >>shouting slogans of "Medha Patkar hai hai (A derogatory slogan) and Videshi >>Agent Go back (Foreign agent go back)". It was soon discovered that these >>included the Chairperson of the Ahemdabad Municipal Corporation Standing >>Committee Shri Joitaram Patel and few other BJP corporators including one Amit >>Shah. It is said that some of those present were also involved in the Atmaram >>Patel incident. (Where the senior cabinet minister of Gujarat was stripped and >>beaten by BJP members of rival factions). >> >>When Ms. Patkar was brought out in the police jeep, these people surrounded >>the jeep and started hitting on the windscreen and doors with sticks and >>helmets. One of them got on the top of the vehicle and started dancing on it. >>When the police started to control them, they were seen to be freely beating >>the policemen also. One of them swung his helmet and hit the DCP Shri Wagela >>on his head. Yet, such is the protection that the Government is giving to >>these people that while agreeing that he was beaten, DCP Wagela pleaded his >>helplessness and said that he was not able to and would not take any action >>against these people. All this happened in the full view of the press which >>had already assembled for the Conference, and most events are also on the >>video of TV journalists. >> >>The harassment of Ms. Patkar continued as she was made to wait in the police >>station for over two hours. Then, she was given a written notice stating that >>she was arrested under Sec. 68 of the Bombay Police Act. The police then >>agreed to release her - but at the town of Godhra - about 3 hours drive from >>Ahemdabad. Her repeated requests to be released at Ahemdabad itself, or at >>Baroda, where our office is located, and from where she had to catch a train >>that night, was flatly refused by the police, again without reason. She was >>taken to Godhra, again, without allowing anyone to accompany her. At Godhra, >>she was given in custody of Godhra police, who finally dropped her at Baroda >>and released her there at 8.30 p.m. in the night. Clearly, the purpose was to >>put her to as much harassment as possible, and take her away from areas where >>she could communicate to the press, other people. >> >>Three important conclusions emerge from these happenings. (And supported by a >>series of other recent happenings). >>The Government of Gujarat wants to gag and stifle the voice of the people's >>agitation on the Narmada issue - and does not care what means are used to do >>so. This is clearly because of their inability to face the real facts in the >>case of the Sardar Sarovar Project and the dismal failure on all the fronts. >>The use of the State police apparatus to suppress and stifle people's >>movements, (and indeed other mass organisations like Trade Unions etc.) is a >>most reprehensible character of this Government emerging out of these events. >>The Government of Gujarat does not want the people of Gujarat to know the >>truth about the Sardar Sarovar Project, and hence the ruthless attempts to >>stop the press conference of the Andolan. The pressure by the Gujarat CM Shri >>Sureshbhai Mehta on the Prime Minister to cancel the meeting of 16 Aug. 1996 >>clearly is a part of this desire to suppress the truth. >>The Government of Gujarat is actively encouraging, and providing overt and >>covert support to violent elements in a bid to suppress the Andolan. In past >>too there have been veiled indirect threats that the "Bajrang Dal will take >>care of NBA" (the bajrang dal is a particularly aggressive religious front >>organisation of the RSS group, which includes the ruling BJP party) and hints >>at demonstrations/gherao of NBA's office in Baroda (a previous >>"demonstration" in March 1994 had in reality been a mid-night attack by 20-25 >>political goons, ransacking of the office and burning up of huge numbers of >>files and records of the Andolan). There have also been the ridiculous but >>shrill calls from a section of the aggressive / violent political leaders >>that Medha Patkar/NBA should be banished /banned from entering Gujarat. >> >>This incident has been severely condemned by people's organisations in Gujarat >>and elsewhere. The NBA has written strong letters to the home Minster of India >>and the senior leaders of the BJP - Mr. LK Advani and Mr. Atal Behari >>Bajpayee. NBA may also file a public interest petition in the Gujarat High >>Court in this matter. >> >> >>2. The Supreme Court continued the hearing of the case on 14 August >>1996. It >>may be recollected that in its last hearing on 12 March 1996 , the S.C had >>"deferred" the hearing till the State Governments resolved their disputes >>among themselves. They had asked for three months for this. In the hearing on >>14 August, the Central Government submitted that all the four states had come >>to a "complete" agreement on the dispute. M.P. 's advocate however stated that >>they had "some differences", which they did not present then, but will be >>expected to do so in writing. The agreement that the Government of India >>submitted said : "Construction of the Sardar Sarovar may proceed as planned, >>limiting the full reservoir level to 132.68 m (436 feet) in the first >>instance. Thereafter the data for the actual flow of water in the dam will be >>observed for a period of five years. If during any three out of these five >>years, the flow of the water-discharge is adequate as assessed in the award, >>the decision regarding raising the reservoir level to 138.68 m (455 ft.) could >>be considered. >> >> "Construction of the dam will proceed pari-passu with the resettlement >>and >>rehabilitation of the project affected persons as per the terms of the award >>and relief and rehabilitation policies laid down by the States in this regard. >>The States shall ensure speedy and proper implementation of the relief and >>rehabilitation measures". >> >> After presenting this, the Attorney General argued very strongly, >>desperately for almost half an hour for lifting the stay on the construction. >>But the Judges were completely disinclined. They said that the Central >>Government should file an affidavit if it wants the lifting of the stay, since >>the other side too would be having a lot of things to say and must be allowed >>to reply. Finally, it was decided that the Central Government will file an >>affidavit in a week, the States shall reply to it in another week, and the NBA >>will file its reply in 2 weeks. The date of the next hearing will be fixed >>after this. It is likely to be in the last week of September 1996. >> >> >>3. Arrest of Medha and Others in Bargi Dam Area in Jablapur (M.P.) on 20 >>Aug. >>1996. >> >>Since July 21, 1996, the oustees of the Bargi Dam (built on the Narmada in >>1987) have been on satyagraha (sit in) at Bijasen village asking the >>Government to keep the water level of the dam at 418 m (Full Reservoir Level >>422 m) and thus allow them to cultivate in the 5000 hectares of land which >>will be saved from submergence. These are the people who were not >>rehabilitated by the Government till now for their displaced in 1987. The >>Government is saying that they will not be able to generate full electricity >>as per their plan if the water level is maintained at the lower 418 m. >> >>The peaceful satyagraha was taken by surprise when on 18 August the police >>brutally lathi charged (caned )over 200 people at the Bijasen village, >>injuring badly even small children. Hundreds of police came with he District >>Collector and Superintendent o Police and arrested 13 people, including core >>activists. Only 11 were produced in jail, the other two, believed to be >>brutally injured are not yet located. The District Collector himself initiated >>the caning, and the police even pelted stones. >> >>Medha Patkar, who reached their later, has also been arrested yesterday (on 20 >>Aug.) and is as of now still under arrest. The police totally ransacked the >>place of the satyagraha and took away people's vessels, sheets etc. >>More news is awaited. >> >>End of Update >> =*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*= Patrick McCully, Campaigns Director, International Rivers Network 1847 Berkeley Way, Berkeley, California 94703, USA Tel. (510) 848 1155 Fax (510) 848 1008 =*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=