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.
Massive water logging disrupts normal life in Guwahati following a heavy downpour that lashed the city on Friday. Rains and storm lashed the entire city at around 3-30 which continued till 4-30 in some areas inundating the city’s G S Road and RG Baruah road in the evening.
Hours after the heavy downpour, Ganeshguri, Zoo Road, Chandmari, Bhangagarh, Lachitnagar, Anil Nagar and Nabin nagar area came under the raibn waters. There are reports of land slips in Ganeshguri and Kahilipara area in the city where traffic snarls adds to the woes of the pedestrians. Power cut has made the life more miserable in the evening.
Aaranyak is organizing a series of awareness programme as part of its ‘Brahmaputra River Dolphin Day, 2011’ on the occasion of the International Fresh Water Dolphin Day, i.e. 24th October. The programme is focused on spreading information and knowledge among the general public including students about Gangetic Dolphin (called “Xihu” in Assam), the National and State Aquatic Animal.
The programme is being organized in association with Zoological Society of London (ZSL), UK, for the first time in Assam. The programme will begin at 9.30 A.M on October 23rd at Sudmersion Hall, Cotton College with an interaction of children/ students. Interaction with experts on...
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Friday strongly criticised L K Advani a day after the senior BJP leader slammed Congress government for corruption and mis-governance.
Addressing a press conference in Guwahati on Friday, Gogoi said it is only BJP which has institutionalized corruption. Gogoi said time and again BJP has been facing corruption charges in the country.
Gogoi also criticised Advani for opposing the land deal with Bangladesh saying that the senior BJP leader does not know how the deal would benefit the north eastern region.
He charged the erstwhile NDA government with not doing enough to Assam and its neighbouring north eastern states.
Train drivers in Barak valley are holding road blockade on Friday demanding immediate release of two drivers who were abducted by suspected Reang militants. The militants kidnapped the train drivers Tarun Kumar Bhattacharjee and his assistant S K Sarmah after stopping it at Ramnathpur in Hailakandi district bordering Mizoram early in the morning. They were kidnapped on their way from Badarpur in Karimganj district to Bhairavi in Mizoram. Security forces have launched an operation to trace the two men. Efforts are also on to run the train by sending new drivers at the spot.
The Kaziranga National Park will open for the tourists on November 1. The abode of one horned rhinoceros along with some species of birds and animals are have been remaining closed from May 1. It was closed for the annual four month monsoon break.
As the date of the reopening comes closer, the park authorities gearing up to welcome the tourists with improved communication measures.
The KNP officials are visiting the various ranges to oversee the preparations.
The Kaziranga National Park attracts the maximum number of visitors along with Manas National Park, Rajiv Gandhi Orang National Park and Porbitaro Sanctuary.
The Kaziranga National Park earned a revenue amount...
Liberal Youth Forum (LYF) had organized a one day seminar on Transparency, Campus Governance and Role of Youth on 19th October at Darwin School of Business. The seminar had focused on topics like Right to Information Act, Transparency and Campus governance. Speaking on transparency and campus governance, Ranjan K Baruah, National Core Team Member of LYF said that transparency in the campuses is must if we have to root out corruption. Talking about the importance of transparency he said that colleges or universities publishes annual magazine with various reports which are available for the students but financial statement or the audit statement are hardly seen by any students.
“For...
The Tarun Gogoi government comes in for sharp criticism for the land deal with Bangaldesh as the Assam Assembly is debating the issue on Monday. The day long special session began at around 9 in the morning. Initiating the discussion, minister Nilamoni Sen Deka defended the deal and said that it will help the region restore good relation with Bangladesh. He said it will mark the end of a number of issues confronting Assam.
BJP member Prasanta Phukan said that the deal was signed keeping the state and its people in dark. He demanded a clear cut reply from chief minister Tarun Gogoi what forced him to keep it secret. He further asked why the government failed to come out with a white...
The Assam Assembly holds the special session on Monday to discuss the recent land deal with Bangaldesh. The House proceedings are set to begin at nine in the morning. The ruling Congress and BPF are gearing up to defend the Tarun Gogoi government which struck the land deal despite a storm of protest. The Opposition AGP, BJP, AIUDF are set to stand united against the government citing the land deal.
Meanwhile, Dispurs turns into a security fortress where police bring huge barricades at the Last Gate to ensure normalcy on Monday. The opposition parties held talks to finalized the strategies on the floor. Notably, various political parties criticized the government after the country inked...
AGP leader and former chief minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta on Sunday said that the land deal must be scrapped at any cost a day before the Assam Assembly debates the controversy. Addressing a press conference in Guwahati on Sunday, Mahanta said that the government betrayed the people and the political parties. “The Centre asked for the state’s opinion before the deal was signed. But the government failed to take the House in confidence, ” he said.
He said,” Karimganj deputy commissioner wrote to Dispur complaining that NBCC and NPCC left a huge plot to Bangaldesh when they were erecting border fencing. But I d’nt understand why the government...
Security forces seized a huge cache of explosives, including RDX, were recovered on Saturday in Sonitpur district on Saturday. According to Sonitpur superintendent of police Anand Prakash Tiwari, acting on a tip off, security forces recovered 10 RDX, 44 detonators, 200gm of gun powder, 18 meters of cortex wire, 14 safety fuses along with 500 gm of other explosive powder.
The explosives were kept at a hole near the railway track connecting Balipara with Bhalukpung bordering Arunachal Pradesh. The explosives were believed to have belonged to NDFB. No one has been arrested in this connection.
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