[Reader-list] Arrest of Sebastian Rodrigues and other activists in Goa at Quepem Poilice Station

[Asit asitreds]

On Sat, Oct 11, 2008 at 9:20 PM, Asit asitreds <asitredsalute at gmail.com>wrote:

>  Dear Friends
>
>
>
> Today, ten activists including Sebastian Rodrigues of Mand Adivasi Resource
> Centre struggling against mining activities in the area for the past two
> decades have been arrested at Quepem Police Station. It is to be noted that
> the police shamelessly watched the activists being beaten up by local mining
> mafia at the site of struggle clearly exposing the nexus between the mining
> mafia-corrupt politicians, bureaucrats and local police.
>
>
>
> Mining activities in the area will create a devastating impact on the
> ecology and livelihoods of the farmers. People in the area have been
> resisting against forcible evictions, release of toxic wastes into local
> waters and springs, release of waste water into agricultural fields which
> created huge losses for farmers in the past and initiating mining
> activities in rich buffer zones of sanctuary areas. It is clear in the
> Wildlife Protection Act that no such activities should be allowed in the
> area. It is shocking to hear that clearances have been given even though in
> the public hearing for the mining activities in Maina, Cowrem and Rivona
> majority of the people had said 'no to mining' making its clearance against
> the will of the people , undemocratic and anti people. The mining
> authorities, here Tarcar Mines have been consistently using their nexus with
> politicians, police to get easy clearances for their activities making a
> mockery of all the environmental laws.
>
>
>
> The protests at Maina today is a sign of the kind of atrocities being meted
> out to people resisting mining terrorism in the Goa. Cheryl D'Souza, her
> daughter and mother have refused to be compensated for their farmlands to
> allow mining in the area and yet have been facing continuous threats from
> the mining mafia. Cheryl had approached the Goa Chief Minister two days ago
> to act on the issue but he could not promise anything. Her family chained
> themselves to the trucks today with support from activists from  Mand
> Adivasi Resource Centre and resisted transportation of ore of 200 trucks
> from the area. The protests turned ugly when the local mafia beat them up,
> destroyed their cameras and the police watched the situation. They have been
> arrested by the police and we demand their immediate release from Quepem
> Police Station.
>
>
>
> We appeal to you to kindly send letters to the Chief Minister and Governor
> of Goa
>
> for immediate release of the arrested activists, arrest and initiate police
> action against the goons who physically assaulted the activists and
> immediately halt mining in the area.
>
>
>
> Their phone and fax numbers are
>
>
>
> *Goa** Chief Minister*
>
> *Digambar Kamat*
>
> *Office:* 2419841,2411049, FAX-2419846
>
> Residence : 2730432, FAX-2223648
>
> Goa,Pin:-403601
>
> Email: mla-marg.goa at nic.in
>
>
>
> *Goa** Governor *
>
> *S C Jamir*
>
> Telephone (Off) : (0832) 2453506, 2453507, 2453508
> Fax : (0832) 2453510
> Email : gv.goa at nic.in
>
>
>
>
>
> We request you to immediately write to the Chief Minister and Governor and
> express solidarity with the struggle.
>
>
>
> In Solidarity,
>
>
>
> Vijay Pratap, Convenor, Lokayan/SADED-CSDS, Kuldeep Nair, Asit Das,
> People's Political Front, Sayantoni Datta, SADED-CSDS, Shaweta Anand
> SADED-CSDS
>
>
>
>
>
> *Note:* For more details please visit mandgoa.blogspot.com
>