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.
Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi Gogoi asked his ministers and officials to prepare district-level plans to deal with the draught-like situation in the state.
The instruction came up when Gogoi held a meeting of senior members of his ministry to deal with the drought-like situation in Assam. He stressed the need for taking water conservation efforts in all commercial and residential areas in view of the lack of proper rainfall.
The meeting was attended by Labour Minister Prithibhi Majhi, Agriculture Minister Nilamoni Sen Deka, Environment and Forest Minister Rokcybul Hussain, PWD Minister Ajanta Neog, Water Resources Minister Rajib Lochan Pegu.
Education minister Dr Himanta Biswa has been included in the 10-member committee set up by the Centre to give shape to the government's ambitious plan to roll out community colleges in the country from the 2013 academic session.
To be headed by Madhya Pradesh School Education Minister Archana Chitnis, the team will submit its report within two months, spelling out the concept and arriving at an appropriate milestones for its launch. The panel could also undertake a trip to the US.
Other members include Brij Mohan Agrawal, P K Shahi, Sikander Singh Malooka and Abdul Gani Malik, Daya Ram Parmar, P Palaniappan and Rajesh A Tope. Joint secretary in HRD Ministry A K Singh would be the...
Defence laboratory unit in Assam is currently focussing the research and development studies on Nanotechnology, Agro biodefence, herbal medicines and identification of malaria-risk zones.According to information, as part of the year-long golden jubilee celebration several programmes have been chalked out which include orations, national seminar, peace expedition, quiz competition among school children, health and hygiene awareness camps.The Defence Research Laboratory was set up after the 1962 Chinese aggression to address the problems faced by troops in forward areas, is celebrating its golden jubilee.
Police arrested two persons on their way to Kaziranga National Park, along with arms and ammunition have been arrested in Assam's Jorhat district.
The duo, who were travelling on a motorcycle, were arrested during a routine check at Jorhat Bye-pass on National Highway-37 on Monday midnight and a rifle, a magazine, 12 rounds of live cartridges, a silencer and mobile phones have been recovered from their possession.
Identified as Bishnu Pegu and Nagen Pegu, they were on the way to Kaziranga National Park (KNP) after procuring arms and ammunition from Nagaland. They have been booked under Arms Act and Wild Life Protection Act.
Assam water resources department has accepted a proposal to implement an indigenously developed cost effective anti-erosion technology using plastic nets. The technology was developed under the guidance of Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, and a pilot project was carried out in 2007-10 under the sponsorship of North Eastern Development Finance Corporation.
According to Polygon Foundation General Secretary D Hazarika, the technology relies on the use of plastic nets tied to concrete blocks fitted into the soil near river banks to check erosion. He said they proposed to use the technology for anti-erosion measures in some of Brahmaputra's tributaries like Jiyabharali and...
Dilemma over selection of the Chef de Mission of the Indian Contingent for the London Olympic for last few months ended on Monady as the selection committee of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has named Olympian Ajit Pal Singh for this post. The IOA constituted a seven member panel to decide on this subject unable to come to conclusion between vice-President IOA Tarlochan Singh and the President of Indian Weightlifting Federation Birendra Prasad Baishya. With an unexpected step IOA has decided to appoint the captain of the hockey team that won the World Cup in 1975, and keep both Tarlochan Singh and B P Baiahya as observer. There will be three observers for Indian delegation to London...
Veteran civil rights activist P V Rajagopal on Sunday urged Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi to take steps in land reform in the state at an earlier date.
Talking to reporters in Guwahati he said that it was urgent to work for land reform by Gogoi as he was a member of the National Land Reforms Commission. Rajagopal, also a member of ofthe NLRC, is now in Guwahati as part of a nationwide land rights yatra. He said that not a single meeting of NLRC was held in the past five years.
A hardcore anti-talk ULFA cadre was killed at an encounter with security forces on Sunday in Tinsukia district. But the banned insurgent outfit has denied death of any cadre in the encounter.
Sunday’s encounter took place at Dikak Sonjan in the afternoon. The incident took place when policemen on checking duties on the street asked a group of ULFAmen to halt when they were riding on a Tata Sumo.
One of the armed cadres started firing at the police team. When police retaliated, the armed youth died on the spot. Police seized a pistol from the vehicle inside the vehicle. Meanwhile, ULFA has denied any encounter with security forces in Tinsukia district.
Two policemen were injured when ULFA militants triggered a powerful grenade at Doomdooma in Tinsukia district on Saturday.
The incident took place when a group of security personnel went to Doomdooma market at night and found a suspicious packet at a vegetable shop. The beg exploded with a huge sound when the policemen were inspecting the packet. They were identified as Anil Nath and Prabodh Sonowal. Meanwhile, in an e-mail to the media, ULFA anti-talk faction's publicity department member Joy Asom claimed responsibility for the bomb blast.
ULFA’s anti–talk faction steps up activities a week ahead of their Foundation Day slated for April 7. The outfit claimed to have killed three Assam Rifles jawans at an encounter in Sivasagar district of Assam on Saturday.
But the security forces claimed that a hardcore ULFA cadre belonging to the Paresh Baruah led faction was seriously injured during the encounter with security forces along the Assam-Nagaland border in Sivasagar district. The encounter took place at Takubasti under Charaideo police station bordering Nagaland. The heavy exchange of firing took place in the evening when a five-member group of the outfit opened fire on an Assam Rifles patrol party. A hardcore...
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