Date: Fri, 24 Sep 1999 16:20:45 +0200 (MEST) From: Projekt Interkonti <inter-AT-zedat.fu-berlin.de> Subject: AUT: 384 ARRESTED IN NARMADA VALLEY, MANY BEATEN UP BADLY, DRAGGED, WITHOUT FOOD (fwd) ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Thu, 23 Sep 1999 21:32:51 +0530 (IST) ** please distribute widely ** Narmada Bachao Andolan Press Note 23 Sept. 1999 384 ARRESTED IN DHADGAON AS POLICE CLAMP SEC. 144 : MANY BEATEN UP BADLY, DRAGGED, WITHOUT FOOD Three hundred and eighty four people sitting on an indefinite dharna in Dhadgaon, (Maharashtra) were arrested today morning as the authorities clamped Sec. 144. (*) in the this tehsil HQ. The police behaved in a very bad manner, beating and badly dragging the people including women. Medha Patkar, who is also among those arrested, was also dragged by the police. Activists Ravi, Ashish were among those badly beaten. The arrested people were presented before the Magistrate after the arrest. The people unanimously refused to take personal bond for the release but demanded that the police release them unconditionally as they had committed no crime. The people have been charged under Sec. 144, 188 of the IPC and 37/1/35 of Bombay Police Act. It is not known what orders the magistrate has made after the people refused personal bond, but the police are taking them to some unknown place, possibly Dhule or Aurangabad. Just outside Dhadgoan, the police stopped for food but as there was not enough food for everyone, the arrested people moved on to the roads and blocked the road in protest. The people were still sitting on the road block as this note was being written. It may be recollected that Medha Patkar and 300 people were arrested and brought to Dhadgaon, by the police late Tuesday night after an intense fight by people of the Narmada valley, as the waters reached neck deep level of the Samarpit Dal at the Domkhedi Satyagraha House and as waters entered villages destroying fields and homes, for the third time this season. After these, hundreds of tribals started moving towards Dhadgaoan, and even as Medha Patkar and others were released, had starterd an indefinite dharna (sit-in) in Dhadgaon since yesterday evening. The dharna was started with a demand that the Government initiate a dialogue with the people and answer their questions and to protest against the suppression of the real issues through the police actions against the satyagrahis who have been challenging the increase in back water due to the Sardar Sarovar dam. In a statement Medha Patkar had said "When people have been raising the basic issues and have been challenging injustice, the response of the State Government was to trivialize it with the police actions. This is not at all a law and order problem but the situation has arisen due to the wrong policies and actions regarding the dam and displacement on the part of Maharashtra rulers. It is the question of tribals rights." The people arrested are demanding that the Government stop cat and mouse game with them of arresting and releasing and rearresting. People are serious on their demand and their resolve. The State Government cannot shrink from its responsibility by hiding behind the police. They demanded that the Chief Secretary or some such functionary of the State Government must come to Dhadgaon where the people were detained and answer their questions. OTHER ACTIONS Meanwhile, the water levels in the Jalsindhi Satyagraha centre in M.P. receded today even as the tribals had braved and stood in 1.5 feet deep water for 24 hours. About 50 people from Kerala, Bangalore and other places have reached the satyagraha centres today to express solidarity and support to the struggle. >From Thailand, the people affected by the Pak Mun dam, who have occupied the dam site since April this year, setting up de facto township with over 8000 people demanding that the dam be removed, have conveyed their solidarity to the Narmada struggle and have said that everyday at 7.00 pm, the people sitting at the Pak Mun dam are offering prayers in support of the Narmada struggle. (*) Sec. 144 is one of the vestiges of the British repression laws, a law that enables the police to arrest any group of more than 5 people who assembly publicly. ####################################################### PLEASE SEND PROTEST LETTERS TO THE FOLLOWING ADDRESSES: Mr Narayan Rane, Chief Minster, Mantralaya, Mumbai, Maharashtra Fax : +91-22-363 1446 or 202 9214 +++++++++++++++ Mr. Digvijay Singh Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Shyamala Hills Bhopal Madhya Pradesh, India Fax: +91 (755) 540 501 (often this fax does not work - telegraphs can be sent) +++++++++++++++ Dr. K. R. Narayanan, The Honorable President of India Rashtrapati Bhavan New Delhi India Fax +91 (011) 3014570, +91 (011) 3017290 Email: pressecy-AT-alpha.nic.in as well as to the Indian Ambassadors in your country. Below you will find an appeal to send protest letters signed by several Indian movements. ********************** September 23, 1999/ Mumbai MAHARASHTRA GOVERNMENT MUST TALK WITH NARMADA PEOPLE ORGANISATIONS CONDEMN THE POLICE ATTACK IN DHADGAON We condemn the brutal attack on the peaceful adivasi men and women by the Maharashtra police at Dhadgaon (Dist. Nandurbar), on Thursday, September 23, 1999. The police attack was totally unprovoked and unwarranted. It was ironical that the people from the Narmada valley have been on the indefinite dharna (Sit-in) in Dhadgaon, with the demand that the state government must deal with the serious issues regarding the people's peaceful satyagraha (struggle for truth) with a dialogue through a suitable high level official of the rank of the Chief Secretary and should not use the police as a shield. The state government headed by Mr. Narayan Rane, has instead chose to respond to the people in the valley with the brutal police action. On September 23, the Police has beaten, dragged the women, mercilessly dragging them by hair; the young activists like Ashish Mandloi, Ravi were mercilessly beaten, activists including Medha Patkar was dragged, scuffled. It seems that the Government of Maharashtra wanted to teach the people in the Narmada valley a lesson for their peaceful and tedious struggle for their rights and for justice. As it is, it was criminal on the part of Maharashtra to neglect and trivialise the Satyagraha of the people against the unjust submergence and displacement. It was due to the false affidavits regarding the resettlement submitted by the Maharashtra government that the Supreme Court had permitted the increase in the height of the dam from 80.3 mts. to 85 mts. plus the three meters of the humps, thus effectively taking the height upto 88 meters. This submerges the farms and houses of about 2500 adivasi (indigenous) families from 50 villages in Maharashtra, M.P. and Gujarat. The entire tribal belt is severely affected by this step. The Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) had held many discussions with the Chief Minister, the Rehabilitation Minister about this and brought forth the chicanery by the bureaucrats and politicians regarding the displacement process. It also appealed the Government to review the Sardar Sarovar Project (SSP) in the interests of the tribals and economy of the state. However, despite the oral assurances the state government had continued with its adamant attitude in and out of the apex court. The Satyagraha by the people in the Narmada valley against this imposed submergence and the unjust displacement through the threat of submergence has been a glorious chapter in the history of the people's resistance to injustice in this country. The people braved the swirling waters of Narmada, in Pipalchop, Domkhedi, Bharad, Sikka and Jalsindhi. They did not move out even when the waters were flowing upto to their necks and lips, before they were forcibly taken in custody by the police. The state government failed to respond to the serious issues raised through this unique Satyagraha. It tried to neglect, trivialise the people's resolve. Secondly, when the people demanded the civil solutions, by demanding the presence of the responsible government functionary, the state government chose to respond with the force. We condemn this highhanded and insensitive approach towards a people's peaceful movement in the state. We are apprehensive of the fate of the tribals' rights at he hands of such people who do not recognise the relevance of the movements like NBA and instead issue threats to 'deal firmly' with them. We oppose this fascist trend, suppressing the depressed people's rights. We warn that we would be a part of the intense struggle by the people of Narmada valley against such suppression and atrocities. We appeal to all democratic minded people and organisations all over India to restrain Government of Maharashtra and make to see the truth of protecting its own adivasis and their interests. SAMAJWADI JAN PARISHAD BAND GIRNI KAMGAR SANGHARSHA SAMITI SAVE WESTERN GHAT MOVEMENT MUSLIM INTELLECTUAL FORUM FOTPATHWASI NAGRIK SANGHATANA MANAV MUKTI MORCHA STREE MANCH SACHETAN YUVA SETU SALOKHA NIRMAN RASHTRA SEVA DAL AID-India SHOSHIT JAN ANDOLAN NATIONAL ALLIANCE OF PEOPLE'S MOVEMENTS ********************************************* Sergio Oceransky sergio-AT-artamis.org --- from list aut-op-sy-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---
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