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.
Normal life in parts of the state has been thrown out of gear under the impact of the day-long bandh called by a minority organization to protest the BTAD violence. Shops, schools, business establishment and financial institutions remained closed. Skeleton transport services are in on the national highway. The bandh has been called by new outfit Muslim Yuva Parishad on Thursday morning which ends in the evening.
A CBI team grills Pradeep Kumar Brahma a d after the West Kokrajhar MLA was arrested from his residence in Dotoma in connection with the BTAD violence where 80 people lost their lives in Kokrajhar, Chirang, Baska and Dhubri districts during the last couple of weeks. Police have registered altogether seven cases against the BPF MLAs. Pradeep Brahma, alias Gara, who represents Kokrajhar (West) constituency, was arrested from his house at Dotoma near Kokrajhar town at about 1 AM as seven cases had already been registered against him in several police stations. Notably, a team of police led by Kokrajhar superintendent of police picked up Brahma and took him to the Circuit House where...
Peeved at Pradeep Kumar Brahma’s arrest in connection with BTAD violence, BPF on Thursdy threatened to withdraw support from the Tarun Gogoi government. BPF leaders have alleged that Brahma is a victim of political conspiracy and that his arrest was unwanted. They said that AIUDF president Badaruddin Ajmal is the main culprit of the entire gory episode. According to them, police could not produce any letter of consent from the Assam Assembly Speaker when Pradeep Kumar Brahma was arrested.
Pradeep Brahma would be produced before a lower court in Kokrajhar on Thursday a day after the BPF MLA was arrested in connection with the BTAD violence. A team of police picked up the West Kokrajhar MLA from his residence in Dotoma and was straightly taken to the Kokrajhar Circuit House where the interrogation is going. Meanwhile, Brahma’s arrest triggers a massive protest in Kokrajhar when the party workers came out early in the morning to block the National Highway.
The arrest of BPF MLA Pradeep Kumar Brahma triggers a massive protest in Kokrajhar when the party workers came out early in the morning to block the National Highway. Some others have blocked the trains in the district.
Immediately after police arrested the West Kokrajhar MLA from his Dotoma-based residents, BPF workers led by a few leaders took to the streets alleging that Brahma was arrested bereft of any reason. Notably, police have arrested BPF MLA Pradeep Kumar Brahma from Kokrajhar on Wednesday night. Brahma, the BPF MLA from West Kokrajhar was picked up by a team of police from his own residence in Dotoma.
Two more persons were killed and another injured in a fresh incident of violence in Dhubri on Wednesday.The incident took place when unidentified miscreants shot dead two laborers working in a brick kiln at Bangaldoba in Dhubri district.
Amid simmering violence police have arrested BPF MLA Pradeep Kumar Brahma from Kokrajhar on Wednesday night. Brahma, the BPF MLA from West Kokrajhar was picked up by a team of police from his own residence in Dotoma. He is likely to be produced in court Thursday. But the BPF workers are launching a massive protest against it in the form of National Highway 31 blockade.
Once again Merapani falls in the deep grip of tension when unidentified miscreants burnt down a house on Tuesday. The incident took place at Garhbasti along the Assam-Nagaland border where owner of the house Rabi Gogoi managed to escape. On the other hand, thousands of vehicles have been remaining standred on the national highway leading to Nagaland due to indefinite economic bandh against the state.
Police steps up efforts to stop exodus of Assamese people from Bangalore, Mumbai, Chennai and Tamil Nadu. Talking to Assam Times, top police officials said that it would be ensured that those who returned to the north east in panic from other parts of the country go back.
Karnataka deputy Chief Minister R Ashoka is set to visit north eastern states very soon to invite the people who left the state at the height of mass exodus. Ashoka said that there was no violence in the state and that the North-East people who fled the city for their home-towns following rumours of attacks should return. He said that the tight security cover deployed in the city, including deployment of Rapid Action Force, would continue for another week. He said that the leaders of Nagaland and Manipur have already invited me. If Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi invites him, he would be visiting that state very soon.
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