[Reader-list] jharkhand update

[Asit asitreds]

Dear Friends and  Handholders,
  I am genuinely sorry for the delay in  sharing the  update on Jharkhand
situation, specially about the development on NREGA activist Lalit Mehta's
murder which stirred the public  conscience in Jharkhand and outside. As you
are aware in Orissa in Posco battle field a bomb blast by the pro Posco
goons took another life And injured two others. The person killed was Dhula
Mandal. The story is same, the local people were opposing the Posco and they
were bombed.

*Update on Lalit Mehta's Murder and NReGA in Jharkhand*
**
I am writing the following note on behalf of the group which took and
performed the responsibility to mobilise the right people at the right time.
The list is long but I would take a few names for reference like Anne Raja,
Medha Patekar, Nikhil Dey, Aruna Roy, Anuradha and Kamal Mitra Chenoy,
Balram, Gopinath Ghosh, Vinay Ohdar, Ghanshyam, Asit Das, Tridib Ghosh, Babu
Mathew, K N Tripathi, RamDayal Munda and Swmi Agnivesh.

*Because of  our continuous struggle on this matter, the demand of the  CBI
enquiry into the Lalit Mehta's killing has been accepted on 18th June 2008
by the government of Jharkhand. *

   -   As you are aware that an Right to Food activist Lalit Mehtawas killed
   on 14th may 2008 while he was helping a social audit process on NREGA in
   Chatar Pur in Palamau, Jharkhand, India.
   - Daman - bhrashtachar virodhi sangharsh samiti was formed in Ranchi
   -  Local people and middle class in the state capital Ranchi launched a
   massive campaign against this murder and demanded CBI enquiry, they sat on
   fast, held sit-in protests, held candle light demonstration and on 10th June
   held a massive rally and mass meeting in Ranchi which was addressed
   by national level activists and leaders like Swami Agnivesh, D Raja, Aruna
   Roy, Ram Dayal Munda, Tridib Ghosh, Balram, Rose Kerketta, Juri Bardoloi and
   others. Swami Agnivesh met the CM and demanded CBI enquiry into the killing.

   - A signature campaign was launched with people like Arundhati Roy,
   Shabana Azmi, Medha Patekar, Aruna Roy, Sandeep Pandey and many more in
   support of the demand;
   - As member of the National Rural Employment Guarantee council Aruna Roy
   wrote to Rural Development Minister and the Central NREG council to
   intervin.
   - A meeting was called on 17th June 2008 at 7, Jantar Mantar, New Delhi
   to discuss the further strategy and plan;
   - On 18th june as per information Jean Dez and team held a social audit
   of NREGA work in a village in Giridih, jahrkhand, Dr B D Sharma of Bharat
   Jan Aandolan and others participated.
   - As decided in the abovementioned meeting a dharna (Sit-in Protest ) was
   held at Jharkhand Bhawan, New Delhi  on 20th june in which activists of
   various organisations icluding NFIW and IASA participated. Kuldeep Nayyar
   among other renowned  speakers addressed the Dharna.
   - Same day a delegation met the rural development minister and extended
   the demand to fair enquiry in all similar killings including Kameshwar Yadav
   in Giridih and special audit of all the charges of irregularities and
   corruption in the implementation of National Rural Employment Guarantee Act
   (NREGA) in Jharkhand, specially Palamau district. The delegation (comprising
   Anne Raja, Kavita Krushnan and Kiran Shaheen) also demanded for Panchayat
   elections in Jharkhand.
   - The signature campaign is on. Please send your endorsement and messages
   in solidarity and pass the appeal as our struggle is continued till the
   proper implementation of NREGA on the grounds is pending. Make it a mass
   activity with maximum participation of the people everywhere.
   - Gram Swaraj Abhiyan is holding a meeting in Ranchi on 25th June to
   discuss further state level plan and on the  issue of  safty and security
   for the activists working at the grassroots level.

 Friends, the implementation of NREGA on the ground is a task which seeks a
broadbased solidarity and continuous struggle. Please join in this struggle
and be a part of this campaign.
  Feel free to write if you seek any clarification or want to extend your
support in any form.
 Warm Regards and In Solidarity,
 Kiran Shaheen
On behalf of all