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.
Union Power Minister M Veerappa Moily on Monday assured Assam of extra power to help the state tide over the black-out like situation. Reviewing the state’s power situation in Dispur, he told reporters that the Centre would provide all possible help to the state to improve power scenario. Moily discussed with Chief Minister the possibility of tapping power supply from neighbouring Bhutan.
Two hand grenades and as many detonators were recovered from the house of a former NDFB insurgent at a village in Baksa district of Assam. Acting on a tip-off, police and SSB launched a joint operation at Kotabari village, under Tamulpur police station, and recovered the explosives hidden under a haystack in the house of cadre Rakesh Bodo. During interrogation, Rakesh told the police that the Bodoland Peoples Front party's Darangajuli vice-president Sanatan Sarania had asked him to keep the explosives in his house. Both Rakesh and Sarania were arrested.
ULFA on Sunday came down heavily on Rahul Gandhi alleging that the Congress leader his verbal certificate to the immigrants in Kokrajhar and Dhubri districts suggests a conspiracy to weed out the identity of the indigenous people. In a statement sent to media houses on Sunday, the outfit maintained that the indigenous people have knowledge of large-scale migration from the neighbouring country. According to ULFA, the government has gone ahead with describing the migrants as Indian which was indeed a matter of grave concern for the people.
ULFA’s anti-talk faction urges strongly backs agitation against illegal migrants to protect the interest of the indigenous people. In a statement e-mailed to media, the outfit’s chairman said that the state must be get rid of the immigrants to ensure that the overall interest of the indigenous people are allowed to remained secured.
The violence-hit people in BTAD areas ad Dhubri district are leaving the refugee camps even as the government steps up efforts to send them back to their homes. According to official sources, altogether 1,87,052 persons affected by the violence are still lodged in 206 camps even after nearly two months since trouble broke out in five districts. The refugees include 1,68,875 Muslims housed in 174 camps, 17,344 Bodos in 29 camps and 833 belonging to the other communities in three camps.
Dhubri has the highest number of 1,01,373 inmates in 129 camps followed by Kokrajhar with 55,760 inmates in 43 camps, Chirang with 23,609 inmates in 22 camps, Bongaigaon with 5554 inmates in nine camps and...
Flood situation in four districts remains grim. The waterlevel of the Brahmaputra and its tributaries continues to maintain a rising trend following incessant rainfall in the catchment areas. Over three lakh population have been affected in the districts of Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Sonitpur and Kamrup by the third wave of floods to hit the state this year. In Dhemaji Chamaong, Gainadi, Jiadhol, Kumotia and Lali are flowing above the danger level affecting 340 villages. Ranganadi, Rangajan, Dihing, Kakpoi and Tingra rivers are also overflowing flooding 100 villages in Lakhimpur.
SERS Public School organised a career cum motivational talk at its school premises on 15th September. It was organized to sensitise students on various career options and also how to be successful in life. Ranjan K Baruah of North East Youth Foundation (NEYF) was the resource person on the occasion. Students were told on various career options apart from effective time management, importance of attitude, life skills and importance of communication skill and other soft skills. Apart from the students, Biren Sarma, Managing Director of SERS Public School also attended the programme. NEYF is a Guwahati based youth organisation working with young people for vibrant civil society.
A protest meeting at Guwahati Press Club today demanded strict punishment to the killer and conspirators of Raihanul Nayum, a young reporter of Gana Chabuk- published from Dhubri-who was assassinated on September 8 by a mob generated after an incident of theft in a Kali temple.
Organized by Journalists’ Action Committee, the protest meeting also urged the government to pay a sum of Rs 10,00,000 as compensation to the family of Nayum.
Attended by the Guwahati based journalists, the meeting also resolved to pursues for a special protection law for the journalists on duty. They also urged the editorial heads of the media outlets in Assam to issue proper appointment letters/ identity...
A special event on the saint Sankaradeva was organised at Delhi on September 13 as part of the 'Srimanta Sankardeva Movement, Delhi Initiative, 2012' by the Assam Association of Delhi in association with Trend MMS in Delhi. The event was attended by Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, HRD minister Kapil Sibal, and union DoNER minister Paban Singh Ghatowar. Noted actress Shabana Azmi, Former Assam Governot Lt. Gen. S K Sinha were among the participants.
Noted actor Victor Banerjee was speaking as the brand ambassador of the initiative. Sanjib Sabhapandit's short documentary on the saint Sankaradeva was appreciated by the audience at Kamani Auditorium. The dance-dram Chor Dhara Jhumura was a...
KMSS leader Akhil Gogoi attended a huge rally organized by AJYCP on Saturday in Guwahati to show his solidarity with AJYCP. Talking to assamtimes, he said that KMSS stand was clear---to solve the issue of influx in a democratic manner. He said that the was no people conflict and we need a peaceful resolution. All district-level units of AJYCP joined the rally besides KMSS leader Akhil Gogoi and Chatra Mukti Sangram Samiti. The protesters formed a human chain to highlight their concern and to pitch for their demand. The rally was organized under the banner of Sargahiti Srinkhal Samabesh.
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