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.
The Board of Secondary Education, Assam on Friday announced the results of the HSLC and AHM examination it conducted in February-March. Gyandeep Sarma from Shankardev Shishu Vidya Niketan in Bokakhat, Bhaswati Deka from St. Mary’s English High School in Maligaon and Stuty Khound from Shankardev Sishu Vidya Niketan in Biswanath Chariali topped HSLC examination this time leaving many reputed schools red-faced.
The percentage of successful candidates this year is 69.63 where altogether 2,78, 704 candidates appeared. Altogether 1,94,067 candidates have cleared the HSLC examination out of whom 26,203 have been ranked in first division and 68,180 candidates have secured second division....
Stunned by a number of anomalies and controversy, the Board of Secondary Education, Assam is prepared to announce the results of the HSLC and AHM examination on Friday it conducted in February. SEBA on Thursday dispatched the results to different centres and the result booklets would be available in all the 51 zones to be announced at 12 noon on Friday. Last year, SEBA declared the HSLC/AHM examinations on May 27. This time it was delayed because of a number of difficulties.
Security forces recovered a huge IED in Sonari bordering Nagaland on Thursday. The powerful IED was recovered in the morning at Teokhabi village which was kept beneath the ground at the backyard of the resident Tankeswar Kurmi. The IED was believed to have been planted by ULFA’s Paresh Baruah faction which was seized during a search operation by Army’s 299 Field Regiment. Later it was defused by army’s bomb squad.
Heavy presence of security forces seems to have proved a futile effort to ensure safety and security of the people. Valuable properties worth Rs 5 lakh was looted from the Ganesh temple by thieves in Dispur on Wednesday. The incident took place in the mid night when it was raining outside. The thieves barged into the temple breaking the shutters and looted gold and silver which kept inside the almirahs. The thieves also stole an umbrella installed with the idol.
The incident came to light on Thursday morning and the temple and committee and devotees called it an utter failure of the government to ensure safety of life and properties even in Dispur. Dispur police have already registered a...
Normal train services to and from Guwahati was left paralyzed on Thursday when over 500 people blocked a new Delhi bound train in Dudhnoi alleging government failure to rescue to teachers who were kidnapped from Assam-Meghalaya border last month.
Braving incessant rains, protestors representing altogether 8 local organizations blocked the train in the morning which forced the Northeast Frontier Railway to reschedule the trains in the morning session. Shouting slogans, the protestors alleged the government’s inaction to rescue the two teachers namely Sarit Rabha and Kameswar Rabha last month from the Assam-Meghalaya border.
In a unique step forward, Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) in association with Directorate of Information and Public Relations staged street plays in 10 different locations of Guwahati. The inaugural play was staged at the Regional Science Centre and consecutively it was staged in eight different locations in Guwahati. The final street play of this series was held at Assam Secretariat campus on June 13. The street play was organised in order to sensitize the staff and officials of Secretariat on key earthquake messages.
Prithvi Majhi Hon’ble Minister, Revenue...
Activists of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha on Wednesday took out protest in the various cities and towns across the state in protest against deteriorating law and order situation. The protestors burnt effigies of Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi at various places saying that the agitation was intended to highlight the law and order situation in the state and the government's failure to take any remedial measures.
A high-level meeting between Assam and Nagaland that took place in Wokha district decided to ease the prevailing tension in Merapani where three houses were burnt. Deputy Commissioners and senior CRPF officials discussed the law and order situation along the interstate border. Tensions escalated after three houses on the Assam side were torched by a group of armed Nagas from across the border on June 11.
The Wokha district administration has agreed to pay Rs 10,000 each to the affected families and the CRPF has also agreed to intensify patrolling along the border. Peace committees have been engaged in the disputed area and some police personnel would also be deployed there for a few days...
The Opposition AGP on Wednesday dared the government to take action on the Justice K N Saikia commission report on the alleged 'secret killings' which shook the state between 1998 and 2001. Addressing a press conference in Guwahati on Tuesday, party leaders said that the Congress government has taken no action on the report of the judicial commission headed by former Supreme Court Justice Saikia.
They said that the AGP government, which ruled Assam between 1996 and 2001, had formed a commission under Justice S Haque to investigate the killings when scores of people, including relatives of ULFA leaders, were killed by unidentified gunmen.
The Saikia commission had been formed in 2005 and...
Three persons were killed and another person was critically injured when a bus hit them in Sonitpur district of Assam on Wednesday. The mishap took place at Patgaon when the four persons were travelling in motorbikes who were hit by a bus on its way from Guwahati to Lakhimpur district. Three persons died on the spot and critically injuring another. The deceased were identified as Dhrubajyoti Saikia, Niraj Mishra and Gopal Mandal while the injured, Ananta Saikia, has been shifted to Guwahati Medical College Hospital.
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