Noted environmentalist Medha Patkar on Wednesday opposed construction of big dams in the North East to save the region from complete destruction. Addressing a huge rally in Guwahati, organised under the aegis of the Kisan Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS), she said the rivers must be saved at any cost.
She said the government divided people on the lines of caste and religion but now they are taking the name of development.
According to Patkar, "People want development of rivers, power, aquatic life and people of living on river banks and not just of corporate houses and a section of politicians."
The construction of dams involved scams amounting to several thousands of crore and some corporate houses and politicians were allegedly involved in this, she claimed.
She appreciated KMSS leader Akhil Gogoi for organising the rally and giving a voice to the farmers who would be the worst affected if dams are constructed on the Brahmaputra and its tributaries.
Patkar, later, fell ill and was rushed to a hospital, while leading a protest march from the Sonaram Field to the Kamrup (Metro) Deputy Commissioner's office but her condition was stated to be stable.
Meanwhile, tense situation prevailed near the Deputy Commissioner's Office when more than five thousand protestors gathered to submit a memorandum to the Prime Minister through the Deputy Commissioner. The district authorities declared the gathering illegal and asked the crowd to disperse within ten minutes. Akhil Gogoi pointed out that they had applied for necessary permission for holding a dharna at the Dispur Last Gate but was denied following they had sought permission for holding a rally at Sonaram Field and a protest march which was subsequently granted.
PermalinkSubmitted by kkp on Fri, 23/07/2010 - 20:24
@Rongmon Pegu: may be there are less money involves in wind and solar energy than in river and dam to fill the butty of our politicians and corporate houses and dalals.
PermalinkSubmitted by Himadree Buragohian on Fri, 30/07/2010 - 16:37
It is really appreciating for renowned environmentalist Medha Patkar and KMSS leader Akhil Gogoi to come out and protest for the greater welfare of the general masses who are a neglected lot by the Govt as their cries carry no meaning for the politicians and the bureaucrats.Kudos to such leaders pleading for the poor citizens.
PermalinkSubmitted by Molokhu on Sun, 08/08/2010 - 16:11
IN THE NAME OF 'USER RIGHT'
I read the news story “Chinese move on Brahmaputra: Govt action plan on user right”, reported by noted journalist Kalyan Barooah from New Delhi (‘The Assam Tribune’, Page 1; Saturday, July 24, 2010). While being in the Indian Union any small entity, be it a state, a group of people have to be vigilant against powerful forces which influence policy makers and decision takers. Unlike the fringe territories, the central mainland has a huge homogenous population, where from springs a powerful lobby which exhorts power overtly in politics and covertly in economic matters. The scene hasn’t changed much down the centuries.
When Buddhism was gaining popularity in India, the Brahmans came up with an interesting idea to retain power in the socio-economic-political and religious spheres. Gautam Buddha was shown as the ninth avatar of the Hindu mythical god of protection, Vishnu. By inducting such a tricky clause in the Purans and related religious scriptures, the identity of Buddhism as an independent religion was destroyed. Slowly Buddhism lost its grip in ancient India. Persons who constitute different policy making structures like the Committee of Secretaries (CoS) are the neo-Brahmins of modern India.
At a time when anti-dam agitation is taking the form of a mass movement, the CoS has come up with a strategy of major storage project in the three basins (which includes Subansiri, Siang and Lohit) under the disguise of a concept aptly named ‘User Right’. Whether China wants to dam or divert the Brahmaputra is not known. Whether China will or can divert the Brahmaputra is not known. Whether the story of a dam to divert the river by China is a propaganda by a section of Indian media in connivance with the Central and Corporate lobby is not known. But that the Central Governement is hand in gloves with giant corporations to exploit the hydro-power of north-eastern states is an open secret now. These power groups with an eye on profits worth billions and trillions would never sit idle over a so called storage project. Any conscious and thinking person would know what the storehouse would hold for power generators and the massive devastation that a minimal gush of water from such projects can cause downstream.
In the name of major storage project alias ‘User Right’, now India and its corporate masterminds will generate power even more than the stipulated 70,000 MWs to feed its evergrowing greed. In the national forum, mega dams are projected as ‘multi-purpose hydro-projects’. In the international forum, major storage projects will be showcased in the name of ‘User Right’ of India. It’s the formula of “Old wine in New bottle”, to fool north-eastern states and the world.
Rajya Sabha member Birendra Prasad Baishya on Wednesday sought Centre’s assistance help to modernize ferries in Assam two days after around 250 people were believed to have met watery grave when an overloaded boat capsized on the river Brahmaputra in Dhubri.
Raising the issue in the zero hour session of parliament, Baishya expressed grief over the accident. He called it one of the worst disastes in the country. He said that there was an urgent need to modernise these ferries.
He said that the ill-fated boat had sold 350 tickets and around 400 passengers were expected to be on board when it was struck by a storm in the Brahmaputra river.
BSF officials are set to hold a crucial meet with their Bangladesh counterparts to discuss the recovery of the victims on the river Brahmaputra in Dhubri.
A flag-meeting would be held on the Indo-Bangladesh border somewhere along the Indo-Bangla border. Besides officials of the BSF and Border Guards Bangladesh, the meeting would be attended by the District Commissioner and Superintendent of Police of Dhubri and their counterparts of Bangladesh.
The Centre has been in touch with the Bangladesh government to recover bodies of victims of the Brahmaputra boat tragedy that may have been washed downstream to the neighbouring country.
Over 3,700 bottles of Phensedyl, a cough syrup, valued at Rs 3 lakh were today seized from the possession of a person at Guwahati railway station on Wednesday.
Acting on a tip off, the police arrested one Sanjay Singh, who was travelling in the Awadh-Assam Express, and recovered the cough syrup bottles from his posession which were being illegally brought into the state. Singh hails from Katihar in Bihar and was bringing the phensedyl for selling.
The Assam government pulls up its sleeves to modernize the ferry services.
Opening the conference of DCs and SPs in Dispur on Wednesday, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi admitted that the boat tragedy in Dhubri took place because of an old ferry service. He said that the government would lay emphasis on development of river transport to check recurrence of such incidents in the future.
Addressing the DCs and SPs, Gogoi said emphasis has to be given on developing river transport in a big way.
He urged the DCs and SPs to take strong action against those who carry excess load in boats and buses beyond their permissible limits.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi visited Medartary on Wednesday two days after the tragic boat mishap claimed over 200 lives.
Accompanied by Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and APCC president Bhubneswar Kalita, the AICC general secretary took stock of the search operation. During his stock-taking visit, Gandhi talked conveyed his deep sympathies to the bereaved family members. He further instructed the authorities to expedite the search operation on the river Brahmaputra where over 200 people were believed to have met watery grave when an overloaded boat capsized on Monday.
Earlier, the AICC general secretary landed at the Gopinath Bordoloi International...
Bodies of three more children were fished out of the river Brahmaputra in Dhubri early in the morning on Wednesday.
BSF and NDRF jawans are still on the search operation on the river bed two days after an overloaded boat sank in Dhubri. Over 150 people are believed to have been remaining traceless.
According to police, the search operation would continue through the day and did not rule out the possibility of many bodies being washed downstream to Bangladesh.
AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi, along with Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi the mishap site on Wednesday afternoon and took stock of the situation.
Assam on Wednesday approached Bangladesh to help the state trace the bodies of Monday’s boat mishap on the river Brahmaputra in Dhubri.
According to official sources, the neighbouring country has received the message for help even as BSF and NDRF jawans resumed search operations for the third day on Wednesday.
It was widely believed that strong river currents may have washed away the bodies of over 100 victims downstream to Bangladesh.
The number of casualty is yet to be ascertained although it is estimated that about 270 died in the worst ever boat mishap.
According to information available with the district administration, there were about 350 people on board and only...
Bodies of three more children were fished out of the river Brahmaputra in Dhubri early in the morning on Wednesday.
BSF and NDRF jawans are still on the search operation on the river bed two days after an overloaded boat sank in Dhubri. Over 150 people are believed to have been remaining traceless.
According to police, the search operation would continue through the day and did not rule out the possibility of many bodies being washed downstream to Bangladesh.
AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi, along with Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi the mishap site on Wednesday afternoon and took stock of the situation.
Tezpur Central University will get the Srimanta Sankaradeva Chair. The University Grants Commission has cleared the establishment of the Chair in the varsity to familiarize students with the values of secularism and non-violence expounded by the saint-scholar.
The confirmation came from DONeR minister Paban Singh Ghatowar who called it a matter of immense pleasure.
SK Srivastava on Tuesday has taken over as the chairman cum managing director with the Oil India Limited.
The upstream petroleum professional with experience and expertise in exploration, drilling and production in oil and gas sector.
He joined OIL in 1977 and has since served in various capacities.
Before taking up his current position, Srivastava was holding the position of Director General, Directorate General of Hydrocarbon, Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas, Government of India.
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