[Reader-list] Irrational development projects lead to rights violations: Medha Patkar

[T Peter]

‘Have some rationale while planning projects'
Staff Reporter

http://www.thehindu.com/2010/08/08/stories/2010080853400300.htm

Irrational development projects lead to rights violations: Medha Patkar

Thrissur: Irrational development programmes have led to violation of
human rights of the under-privileged, social activist Medha Patkar has
said.

Addressing a meeting of the National Alliance of People's Movements
(NAPM) here on Saturday, Ms. Patkar, national convener of NAPM, urged
the Union and State governments to have some rationale while planning
projects and deciding sites for industries.

“Farm lands and even densely-populated areas have been evacuated for
infrastructure. No ruler is bothered about the problems of the
displaced people.”

The nexus between politicians and land mafia had resulted in loss of
precious land belonging to the common man, she said.

“On one side, there are wide national highways and huge flyovers and
on the other are the Adivasis, who have been denied all basic rights.”

People had to raise their voice for survival as the State failed to
protect people's Constitutional rights, she said. People's movements
had been trying to voice the agony of the marginalised sections in a
democratic manner, she said. Ms. Patkar said that State-sponsored
violence should be stopped to bring back peace to the tribal belt of
the country.

“The rulers want to evacuate the tribals from the resource-rich belt
to enable the corporate giants to occupy their land. Even the peaceful
struggles of people's movements are branded insurgence,” she said.

She appealed to all democratic forces to unite and fight the brazen
attempts to grab the land of tribals and farmers.

Senior journalist B.R.P. Baskar delivered keynote address. Leaders of
various people's movements, including Laha Gopalan (Chengara land
struggle); T. Peter (Fish worker's struggle); Vilayodi Venugopal (Anti
CocoCola struggle, Plachimada); Hashim Chennampilly (Movement against
land acquisition for NH-17 and NH-47 widening); A. Latha (Athirappilly
hydel project issue); C.F. George (Chakkumkandam sewage issue) and
T.K. Vasu (Lalur Makineekarana Viruddha Samara Samithi) also spoke.

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