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.
Amarjyoti Kalita has been sent to jail after police produced the prime accused in the gory GS Road molestation incident before a lower court on Tuesday. Amarjyoti’s police custody ended on Monday. He was produced before the Kamrup CJM court on Tuesday where he was remanded to judicial custody. Notably, police got remand of Kalita after he was brought back to Guwahati from Vanarash where he surrendered.
Much to a major concern grew about the healthcare of the displaced people, there is report of death of three persons in relief camps in Dhubri. According to officials, a 32 year-old person died of fever at the Belapara school camp at Tamaharhat in the district. This was followed by the death of a 72-old-year women at the Kamadanga HS Madrassa relief camp. This is apart from the death of an infant died within minutes of its birth at Tilapara ME Madrassa at Suparighat. Inmates at the camp alleged that the trio were not provided any medical assistance.
Law and order seems to have improved in BTAD areas. Curfew was relaxed in Kokrajhar for two more. But night curfew continued in Chirang and Dhubri district. There was no fresh incidence of violence anywhere and curfew in Kokrajhar would be in force between 8 evening and 6 in the evening. Health and Education minister Himanta Biswa Sarma also visited Kokrajhar and assured that adequate medical facilities for relief camps inmates would be ensured. He said free text books and other educational materials would be provided to students.
Union Home Minister P Chidambaram on Tuesday faced slogan-shouting refugees at one of the three camps he visited this morning in Dhubri district, which had witnessed ethnic violence. Chidambaram, who left for Dhubri early in the morning from Guwahati in a special chopper and landed at the Panbari BSF camp, visited two other camps - Borkanda and Takimari. In Lakhiganj, the refugees shouted slogans against the administration and demanded that the government act fast to confiscate arms of the former Bodo Liberation Tiger militants. They also alleged that basic facilities like healthcare were inadequate in the camps. The Home Minister, who arrived in Guwahati, is on a two-day trip to the lower...
ULFA’s anti talk has claimed responsibility of the Goalpara the blast that killed an army jawan. In an email statement, assistant information and publicity secretary of the outfit said that the blast was carried out by its members. He also claimed that three Army personnel were killed and nine others injured in the attack.
An Army jawan was killed and six others were injured when a powerful IED exploded in Goalpara district on Tuesday. The blast took place near the Naranarayan Setu at Jugigupa at around 10.20 in the morning when an Army convoy was passing.
A vehicle in the convoy, which was on its way from Kokrajhar to Agia, was also blown off in the explosion. The injured jawans have been shifted to the Basistha Army Hospital in Guwahati.The blast exploded when Union Home Minister P Chidambaram and senior BJP leader L K Advani are on a stock taking visit to the BTAD areas.
Normal life in Assam remains heavily disrupted following large scale power cuts after the regional grid tripped because of heavy load. It took place following the collapse of Northern and Eastern grids.
According to sources, there was heavy load and power frequency came down from the normal 49.9 per cent to 38.34 per cent leading to the collapse of the grid.
The collapse led to power cuts throughout the state. But the situation is likely to improve with additional power inputs from Samaguri, Kathalguri and Namrup Thermal Power Plants which has so far been unaffected by the grid failure.
BJP veteran L.K. Advani on Tuesday said took on Delhi nd Dispur alleging inaction in dealing with the influx problem that has resulted in the on going ethnic clash in BTAD areas. During his visit to the refugee camps in Dhurbri on Tuesday, he said that the situation has arisen mainly because of criminal delay in dealing with the situation.
Advani hoped that no other community is made a refugee in their own country like Kashmiri Pandits.He urged Prime Minister, the Congress president and Assam Chief Minister to introspect on how this situation arose.
BJP veteran L K Advani on Monday blamed border influx for the on going ethnic clash in BTASD areas. Advani, who is here on a two-day visit, said that its not a group clash. According to him, the problem arose due to large scale infiltration of illegal immigrants. He called distressing that in 2012 these kinds of things are happening. He said that if the situation was not taken care of in time it could deteriorate. His visit follows a fact-finding tour by a BJP team led by party's national general secretary Vijay Goel.
The government has shunted out Kokrajhar and Chirang deputy commissioners just before Union home minister arrived in the violence hit BTAD areas. Kokrajhar DC D Gilfilon and Chirang DC U N Bora have been moved out in the name of administrative reshuffle following the violence in the Bodoland Territorial Areas Districts. Rastriya Madhyamik Siksha Abhiyan Mission director Jayanta Narlekar has been named as the new DC of Kokrajhar. Commissioner of the Guwahati Municipal Corporation Puru Gupta been named as the new DC of Chirang.
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