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.
Resentment is simmering among the small tea growers in Assam in the absence of a viable market to beat the downward trend of tea price. The planters on Saturday suspended plucking of leaves and dumped green tea leaves on the NH-52 at Biswanath Chariali blocking it for two hours alleging government indifference. About three thousand small tea growers and their supporters blocked the road, Jitu Saikia general secretary of Sonitpur Small Tea Growers Association said. According to Assam State Small Tea Grower Association executive member Krishna Sankar Hazarika, the price rate of raw tea grown by small tea gardens in the north bank has been reduced from Rs 21 to Rs 10.
Police claimed to have apprehended four top KNPF topguns in Karbi Anglong on Saturday. The arrested KNPF leaders have been identified as Mongol Tokbi, Chikandar Rongpi, Shankar Engleng and Mukhim Rongpi. They are president, secretary and chief adviser respectively. They were arrested on the basis of a telephonic conversation which was intercepted by police on Friday.
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Saturday the Indo-Myanmar pact signed on Friday would benefit the north-eastern states in terms of tackling insurgency in the region. Talking to reporters in Dispur, Gogpi said the pact is indded a good news for Assam and its neighbouring states. He said ULFA, NDFB and NSCN and other groups from the region have camps in the neighbouring country and that Myanmar would also launched an operation to flush out insurgent outfits camping on its soil.
He further expressed grave concern over the steep rise in the Maoist activities in Sadiya, bordering Arunachal Pradesh and Myanmar. The Chief minister hoped that the opening of the Stilwell Road would benefit...
Rich tribute was paid in memory of eminent veteran journalist Mr. Kamal Gogoi, who died on November 5th ,2011 last at the age of 87, at a meeting organized by Journalist Forum Assam (JFA) today in the premises of Guwahati Press Club. The meeting , presided over by senior journalist Jatindra Kumar Borgohain, was addressed by senior journalists Prafulla Barua, JP Saikia, Ranen Kumar Goswami, Hiten Mahanta, Rupam Barua, Sabita Lahkar, Jagadindra Raichoudhury Nava Thakuria etc. The speakers described about Mr. Gogoi’s value based and courageous journalism along with his strong personality. Besides his journalism, Mr. Gogoi was also a...
Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi on Monday reveiwed the volatile situation in Merapani where AGP and KMSS held rally in protest against deployment of Nagaland police force. Top ranked officials are monitoring the situation. Notably, Nagaland police asked the residents in Kolaijan to leave the area.
Journalists Forum Assam has organized a meeting in memory of veteran journalist and freedom fighter Kamal Gogoi at Guwahati Press Club on Tuesday (October 11) morning (11 am). Gogoi died recently at the age of 87.
Haling from a poor family of Narayanpur (Lakhimpur), Gogoi started his career as a journalist in ‘Dainik Asom’ and ‘Asom Bani’ from the Tribune group of publications in Fifties. Gogoi retired as the deputy editor to ‘Dainik Asom’ and later joined as the editor of ‘Sadiniya Prahari’ from the Sentinel group of publications. A man of principles, Gogoi also authored few books. JFA requests all journalists to attend the same.
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The gory shoot out took place at 2 at Besimari in the afternoon when security forces started firing at the protesters when they were staging road blockade demanding due price for jute. Initially, policemen tried to clear the national highway. When the farmers refused to go away. A section of the protesters clashed with the security forces the situation turned volatile where security forces resorted to firing to disperse the protesters. Four jute farmers died on...
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In a sensational shoot out, the wife of sitting opposition Asom Gana Parishad MLA, Bhupen Roy was allegedly shot dead by their personal security officer in Bongaigaon district on Sunday. The incident took place in the afternoon when Jeuti Roy, was travelling with the PSO Sanatan Das at Baithamari near Abhayapuri when the PSO started indiscriminate firing at the car where Jeuti died on the spot.
Immediately after the incident, PSO Das had allegedly fired at himself and was in a critical condition in the hospital. In a suicide note that was recovered from the vehicle, Jeuti wrote to her husband to take care of their two children. The police suspected that the PSO had an illicit...
Senior BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani is set to hold a huge rally in Guwahati on October 20. The Assam BJP leaders are finalizing the spot at Sonaram Playground to help the BJP heavyweight expose the misdeeds and failure of the Tarun Gogoi Government. This would be followed by his another rally at Itanagar.
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