Kidnapping charge against Patkar even though Madhya Pradesh official denied any such thing: Digvijay Singh

Digvijay Singh outside Dhar jail

By Our Representative
In a surprise move, senior Congress leader and ex-chief minister Digvijay Singh met Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) leader Medha Patkar in Dhar jail, Madhya Pradesh, describing her as a "great social worker who has dedicated her entire life to fight for the cause of Narmada dam affected people of the state."
Singh's move comes amidst the Congress high command wary of aligning itself with Patkar or NBA because of the sensitivity involved on Narmada dam in Gujarat, which goes to polls this December. Even though the Narmada dam oustees' problem is politically sensitive in Madhya Pradesh, the BJP is steadfastly taking the view that all of them have have been resettled, which is seen as a support to the BJP in Gujarat ahead of the polls.
Meanwhile, in two of the three cases -- pertaining to assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of duty (Section 353 of IPC) -- instituted against her, the local court granted Patkar bail. NBA now plans to move the Madhya Pradesh High Court over refusal to grant her bail in the third case, regarding alleged kidnapping of revenue department staff by the NBA activists (Section 365 of IPC) on August 1.
Coming out of the jail, Singh told reporters that the FIRs in the cases in which Patkar has been arrested don’t even bear her name, but still, warrant was issued against her. “She has been arrested for alleged kidnapping of government staff, despite the concerned government official telling the Dhar district collector over the phone that he wasn’t kidnapped,” he said.
The day Patkar and others broke their 17 day indefinite fast on August 12, the Madhya Pradesh police foisted cases of disturbing peace, kidnapping and charges on 55 named and 2,500 unnamed NBA activists and its supporters. An NBA source said, most of the cases are related to the incident on August 7 when 2,000 strong police force "violently attacked the fasting protesters, injured 42 and forcibly hospitalised 10 of them in Dhar and Indore Hospitals."

Patkar and her supporters, Dhurji Bhai, Vijay Bhai and Santu Bhai, have completed five days in different jails following their last arrest. NBA says, "All these fabricated cases have been imposed so that movement against the illegal and unjust forced eviction of 40,000 families in the Narmada Valley can be crushed."
In a statement, NBA says, "Police vehicles are roaming around the villages all day and is creating fear in the minds of people", adding, "According to the compiled information, FIRs have been registered against 72 people in 9 cases in Barwani, and FIRs have been filed against 94 people in 12 cases in Kukshi, District Dhar. There are also many other serious charges and non-bailable warrants pending."

"Today, the world recognizes the 32 years of non-violent struggle and Satyagraha of NBA. But the Madhya Pradesh Police, at the behest of the Government, is charging them in cases, such as under section 307, accusing them of being involved in murder and kidnapping", the statement alleges.
A video issued by NBA on August 15 of a song written by Patkar titled "Can we be proud of such independence?" (click HERE) wonders: "When the forests, the life and culture,/
Nurtured for centuries are destroyed forcibly/ Can we be proud of such independence?", insisting, "We shall fight, we shall win!"

Comments

Wakeup call? Rice, wheat 'being targeted' by GM crop big business. and its 'researchers'

By Bharat Dogra* A wake-up call before it is too late—the most important food crops—staple food of billions of people—rice and wheat are being targeted by GM crop promoting big business interests and the researchers allied to them. Their most important although undeclared goal is not just to increase profits but in addition to gain control and dominance over the world food and farming system.

Fostered by those in power, hatred 'hasn't been' part of Indian narrative

By Osman Sher* It is strikingly ironic that the current climate of prevalent hate in India is fostered not by a disruptive fringe of society, but by those in power—individuals entrusted by the citizens to promote their welfare and foster peace and harmony. It is their responsibility to guide and nurture the populace as if they were their flock.

Muslims 'reject' religious polarisation of Jamaat-e-Islami: Marxist victory in Kulgam, Kashmir

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak* In the international sphere, an orgy of imperialist violence and wars on multiple fronts is unleashed on the world's population to divide people on religious and nationalist lines, destabilise peace, deepen crises, and control resources in the name of nationalism and religion. Under the guise of fighting Islamic terrorism and exporting the so-called market-led Western democracy, imperialist powers are ghettoising Muslims to control natural resources in various parts of Asia, as well as in Arab and Middle Eastern countries.

Aiming to realize vision of Abua Raj in Jharkhand, campaign group unveils people's manifesto

By Our Representative The Loktantra Bachao Abhiyan has called on political parties committed to communal harmony and constitutional values to integrate the demands articulated in their manifesto, "Abua Jharkhand, Abua Raj," into their electoral platforms. The manifesto was announced at a press conference where the achievements and shortcomings of the Hemant Soren coalition government over the past five years were summarized.

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

NGO coalition criticises Odisha govt for 'abrupt closure' of PVTG nutrition programme

By Our Representative A coalition of non-governmental organizations has condemned the Odisha government's decision to abruptly end a vital nutrition program for children of Primitive Tribal Groups (PVTG) communities. The program, which provided community-based creches and feeding centers, has been a lifeline for thousands of young children in the state.

Will Bangladesh go Egypt way, where military ruler is in power for a decade?

By Vijay Prashad* The day after former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina left Dhaka, I was on the phone with a friend who had spent some time on the streets that day. He told me about the atmosphere in Dhaka, how people with little previous political experience had joined in the large protests alongside the students—who seemed to be leading the agitation. I asked him about the political infrastructure of the students and about their political orientation. He said that the protests seemed well-organized and that the students had escalated their demands from an end to certain quotas for government jobs to an end to the government of Sheikh Hasina. Even hours before she left the country, it did not seem that this would be the outcome.

Alan Border: Lifeline of Australian cricket, quintessential player to rely on in dire situations

By Harsh Thakor* Alan Border epitomized resilience and determination, becoming the quintessential player to rely on in dire situations. Time and again, he resurrected the Australian cricket team, demonstrating remarkable tenacity against formidable bowling attacks.

Ladakh to Delhi march: Arrest of peaceful protesters: alarm over 'diminishing space' for dissent

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* Issues highlighted by Sonam Wangchuk are of critical importance, particularly the push to include Ladakh in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. This measure is essential to shield the region from the encroachment of opportunistic outsiders driven solely by profit motives.

Search This Blog