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.
There seems to be no end of anomalies in the HSLC and AHM examinations this year.
In yet another incident to make SEBA officials to hang their heads in shame, wanton cows destroyed hundreds of answerscripts inside a strong room in Golapara on Friday.
The incident took place at the Goalpara Govt HS School on Friday morning when examiners spotted a heard of wanton cows destroying many answer scripts inside the strong room.
According to information, the caretaker of the of centre left the strong room without properly shutting the door which is why, the cows managed to storm into the room. Investigation is going on.
Assam remains alert in view of the ULFA 'Raising Day' on Saturday.
Security forces have been deployed to thwart any attempt by ULFA in the vulnerable areas of Tinsukia, Sibsagar, Dibrugarh, Jorhat, Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Dhubri, Goalpara and Nalbari districts.
According to inputs available Commander in Chief Paresh Baruah has dispatched his wife Rinku Bhuyan and hardcore ULFA cadre Rajiv Das to carry out strike in Lakhimpur district.
Security forces have arrested a hardcore ULFA cadre from Kokrajhar district on Friday. Acting on a tip off, security men caught him from Fakiragram market area in the wee hours.
The ULFA cadre has been identified as Biju Roy and they also recovered one 9mm pistol, three rounds of ammunition and one mobile from his possession.
Police seized a hand made gun and 14 rounds of live ammunition from a residence in the Gohpur area of Sonitpur district on Friday.
The gun and live ammunition belong to the owner of the house, identified as one Lakhya Pegu, police said adding that Pegu was absconding.
In yet another development Aditya Baruah has safely arrived in his home ending a high voltage drama. He was missing since NIA raided his rented room in New Delhi in search of ULFA leader Aronodoi Dohotia.
Heartcare at affordable cost! courtesy Ayursundra. The Guwahati-based healthcare provider group is set to spread the concept of specialised heart care units in hospitals across the state.
This will provide the latest treatment at affordable price. The model is based on the concept of 'Hospital Within a Hospital' and consists of having a Cath Lab, an ICU, monitoring system and other associated machines for dealing with emergencies as well as comprehesive treatment of heart ailments.
Eight labourers are still remaining traceless even 24 hours after they were kidnapped from a construction site by KPLT militants in Karbi Anglong district.
Security forces are launching combing operation to trace out the workers. But there is no report of any breakthrough.
A group of about four heavily armed militants stormed into a hospital building at Rongbong Ghat on Thursday night and took away eight of them at gunpoint.
One person died on the spot and 31 others were injured, six of them seriously, in a road mishap in Barpeta district on Friday.
The driver of a passenger bus travelling from Barpeta to Barpeta Road lost control and overturned on the National Highway 31. While a passenger, Kamal Barma, died on the spot, 31 others were injured. Six of the seriously injured passengers were shifted to the Guwahati Medical College Hospital here.
Veteran CPI leader Pramod Gogoi is dead. He passed away at a private hospital in Guwahati where he was admitted two days back. The end came at around 10-30 in the morning.
Gogoi was born and brought up in Sivasagar. A bachelor Gogoi was elected to state legislative assembly from Sivasagar constituency for several time. More, he was flood control minister in the AGP led coalition government under the chief ministership of Prafulla Kumar Mahanta.
Political leaders across the state have condoled his untimely demise and conveyed their deep sympathies to his bereaved family members.
Three suspected GNLA militants were killed at an encounter with security forces in Golapara on Thursday.
The encounter took place in the wee hours at Mendipothar bordering Meghalaya where the armed GNLA cadres were moving despite alertness of security forces in the area. The cadres were yet to be identified. The Garo insurgent cadres have been unleashing terror in Mendipothar in the form of extortion, killing and kidnapping forcing the security forces to launch the operation.
The Centre sounds alert in Assam and its neighbouring states in view of ULFA Raising Day slated for April 8.
Dispur received the Home Ministry advisory on Wednesday with directives to tighten security across the region.
The Home Ministry asked the Assam government and the neighbouring states to be on alert in the run-up to the ULFA raising day on April 7 when the group usually tries to launch terror attacks.
The Centre advised the states to deploy adequate security personnel at sensitive locations, oil installations, railway tracks and stations, bus terminus, markets and religious places to foil any attempt by the insurgents to disturb peace.
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