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.
ULFA steps up strikes a week before its foundation day. A BSF man was injured when ULFA militants ambushed a patrol party in Goalpara district of Assam on Friday.
The ambush took place at Dudhnoi in the evening. The patrol party was attacked by the anti-talk faction of ULFA while on the way to the BSF camp. The injured BSF man was shifted to the Goalpara Civil Hospital.
Assam seems to have improved on a few vital fronts. According to the provisional census data released in Guwahati on Friday, 44.1% of households avail banking services, as against 20.5% as reported in the previous Census. In the rural areas, 38.3 % people avail banking services and figure in urban areas is over 75%.
Over 66 percent of households resided in homes having walls made of grass, thatch or bamboo. But, 74.2% houses had roofs made of GI, metal or asbestos sheets.
For 37.1 % households electricity was the main source of lighting, up from 25 % in 2001 Census. But kerosene remained the major source of light for 61.8 % households and 0.8% were using solar power.
Only 54.8% of...
The month long Assam Assembly’s budget session adjourned sine die on Friday a day after Speaker Pranab Gogoi met the Opposition party members to end the stalemate.
The opposition members joined the House proceedings as soon as the question hour began at 9 in the morning where panchayat and rural development minister Rockybul Hussain replied to the questions posed by the members.
The Assam police accountability commission has tabled its report on the floor on the last day of the session which began on March 1.
The Electronic Media Forum Assam (EMFA) has raised voices for more dignified space for working journalists on duty to cover the proceedings of State Legislative Assembly at Dispur. Submitting a memorandum to Pranab Gogoi, Speaker, Assam Assembly today (March 31, 2012), the organization argues that the journalists, photo-journalists and camera persons belonged to both print and television media have increased their number in recent years and often it is observed that ‘the assigned media persons have to cover the Assembly sessions’ with lot of difficulties due to ‘non-availability of any specified space for them inside the Assembly campus’.
The forum urges for a...
For the third consecutive day, the Opposition parties continue to boycott the proceedings in the Assam Assembly. But the House proceedings are going on in the absence of the Opposition members.
The House proceeding began at 9 in the morning. But the Opposition members staged silent demonstration outside the House demanding withdrawal of “unparliamentary” word slammed against AIUDF members by Speaker Pranab Gogoi.
The 500 hour long economic blockade continues to disrupt movement of traffic between Assam and Meghalaya through Boko for the second consecutive day.
Convened by a number local organizations, hundreds of protesters blocked Hahim where hundreds of coal laden trucks are remaining stranded.
The protestors alleged that the neighbouring state has been trying to occupy Langpih in view of its rich natural resources.
The Income Tax department continues to conduct raid on a section of private nursing hospitals across the state. Senior IT officials conducted raids at Aditya Hospitals in Dibrugarh and Sivasagar on Thursday morning.
Notably, they conducted similar raids at the GNRC Hospitals in Guwahati on Wednesday. The raid began at 2-30 in the afternoon and continued till midnight.
Good news for Assam. The state would soon have representation in the Supreme Court.
A panel of judges set up to recommend Supreme Court judge has recommended Justice Ranjan Gogoi’s name as judge in the country’s apex court.
Justice Gogoi, the son of former Assam Chief Minister Keshab Gogoi is now in a stint as Chief Justice with Punjab and Haryana High Court has been recommended by the Collegium of Judges — headed by Chief Justice of India S.H. Kapadia — for elevation to the Supreme Court.
Justice Gogoi, who became a permanent judge of the Gauhati High Court on February 28, 2001, was transferred to the Punjab and Haryana High Court on September 9, 2010. He...
The newly raised HQ 22 Sector Assam Rifles symbolically unfurled its flag at Haflong Assam Rifles garrison. The flag was hoisted by the DIG, Brig Gajinder Singh, the first Commander of the newly raised Sector in the presence of Addl DIG, Col R Nair, Officers, JCOs, WO s and other ranks of the Sector HQ.
Speaking to the media, Brig Gajinder Singh said that the newly raised Sector HQ would shortly take over the responsibility of Dima Hasao Dist. He emphasized that HQ 22 Sector Assam Rifles would work in close cooperation with the Autonomous Council, civil administration, Assam Police, and the media for creating a safe and secure environment for the people of Dima Hasao district. He...
Three city based journalists have been selected for the next GNRC Media Fellowship programme, who are expected to start their activities from early next month. Selected fellows namely Nituparna Rajbongshi (Asomiya Pratidin), Prafulla Kumar Das (Ajir Dainik Batori) and Azhar Alam (Pratah Khabar) will study and report about the healthcare facilities and its accessibility to common people in northeast India. “We are planning to start the fellowship program from the first week of April. The selected fellows will receive a monthly stipend of Rs 10,000 /- each for three months,” informed Dr NC Bora, CMD of GNRC Hospitals. The GNRC Media Fellowship programme is run by the management...
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