[Reader-list] Statement Against Police firing on Protestors in Jaitapur, Maharashtra

[Prakash K Ray]

*Several citizens groups and people’s organizations will be demonstrating
against the police firing and the myopic promotion of nuclear energy on 21st
April at 11.30 AM at Jantar Mantar. *

*Statement Against Police firing on Protestors in Jaitapur, Maharashtra*

*New Delhi, Dt. 19th April, 2011*

***-*

We, the undersigned individuals and organizations condemn the Maharashtra
Police firing on protestors who were demonstrating against the proposed
Nuclear Power Park at Jaitapur, Ratnagiri, Maharashtra.

-

The corrupting influence of the nuclear companies over the political parties
has been revealed in the Indo-US nuclear deal. These are the same political
players who had played dubious roles during struggle against Enron power
plant.

This incident happened at the protest which was organized against the Union
Environment Minister’s statement saying, come what may the Nuclear Park will
be built in Jaitapur and Prime Minister’s consistent advocacy for nuclear
energy unmindful of the tragic incident in Japan.

-

In the police firing on 18th April, 2011, one person died and 8 others were
seriously injured. This firing should not be seen in isolation. For the past
one year, the government of Maharashtra has unleashed a reign of terror in
the entire Jaitapur area against farmers, fishing folks and other rural
artisans who have launched a non-violent and protracted democratic struggle
against snatching away of their land, livelihood and the imminent
catastrophe from the proposed Nuclear Power Park.

-

We oppose any forcible acquisition of land against the wishes of the local
farmers.

The high-handedness of Maharashtra State Government has been evident for the
last four years. A local Konkani activist Vaishali Patil and even other
prominent Konkan and Maharashtra residents like Retd. Admiral L. Ramdas and
Retd. Supreme Court Justice P B Sawant were arbitrarily declared out of
bounds from Ratnagiri District.

-

This is a flagrant violation of democratic rights. This is clear example of
stamping out the right to protest which is one of the sacrosanct
constitutional rights in the country. It should be noted that Mr. Narayan
Rane, the State Revenue Minister who also hails from the Konkan region has
been going around Jaitapur area and threatening everyone who protests
against the proposed Nuclear Power Park. Mr. Rane has also openly given a
call to local Indian National Congress cadres to forcibly drive out the
activists who are protesting against the Nuclear Power Park.

-

We are seriously concerned about Shiv Sena’s role in provoking the tragic
incident. Motivated hooliganism and strong arm tactics of Shiv Sena is a
well known phenomena which often dissipates the possibility of peaceful
democratic protests. This provides the logic to the administration for
Police repression and vilifying peaceful mass protests. Shiv Sena’s
opportunism in the Anti- Enron Struggle in the 1990s is well known.

-

We disapprove of such rank opportunism of these political outfits which
attempts to divert the studied pace and direction of the ongoing struggle
against the Nuclear Power Park in the Ratnagiri district against the
proposed Nuclear Power Park for the past 4 years, but Congress Party’s
partisan role and Shiv Sena’s unwarranted entry into the struggle has
vitiated the atmosphereThe people of Jaitapur are carrying out .

-

In the aftermath of the nuclear accidents in Three Mile Island, Chernobyl
and Fukushima, a stark rationale for the abandonment of nuclear energy has
emerged. In a situation where admittedly public health infrastructure is
non-existent to deal with the inevitable event of nuclear emergency,
promotion of nuclear commerce cannot be approved.

We disapprove of nuclear energy in such a context where countries after
countries are abandoning or doing a rethink about this option.

* *

*-*

*Therefore, we demand*

   - *Scrapping of the proposed nuclear plant in the Ratnagiri district and
   other states in the country*
   - *Judicial Enquiry into the incident of police firing on 18th April  *
   - *Strong action against the district officials and the Police officers
   who ordered the police firing on the protesters*
   - *Immediately withdraw the false cases against the activists, the
   villagers and rescind the externment orders *

*Several citizens groups and people’s organizations will be demonstrating
against the police firing and the myopic promotion of nuclear energy on 21st
April at 11.30 AM at Jantar Mantar. *

* -*

*Endorsed by *

Chittaranjan Singh, INSAF/ PUCL

Anil Chaudhary

Gopal Krishna, ToxicsWatch Alliance

Kiran Shaheen, Media Action Group

Susan Abraham, FORRAD

Prakash K. Ray, www.bargad.org

P T George, Intercultural Resources

Benny Kuruvilla, Focus on the Global South

Preeti Sampat

Prem Piram, JAGAR

Amit Mahanti, Frame Works Research & Media Collective

Asit, Delhi Platform

Shree Prakash, MISAAL

Sandeep Singh, AISA

Wilfred D’ Costa

Soumya Dutta, Bharat Jan Vigyan Jatha

Priya Pillai, Greenpeace

Sundaram P.

Prafull Bidwai, CNDP

Kavita Krishnan, Central Committee Member, CPI (ML) Liberation

Mona Das

S. Lahiri, NFFPFW

National Alliance of Peoples’ Movements (NAPM)

Popular Education and Action Centre (PEACE)

Indian Social Action Forum (INSAF)

Coalition on Nuclear Disarmament and Peace (CNDP)

Delhi Forum

Programme for Social Action (PSA)

Aruna Roy

Nikhil Dey

Rajendra Ravi, IDS

*
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*

*Contact detail:*

*A-124/6, Katwaria Sarai, New Delhi-110016*

*Ph: 011-65663958, 26517814,*

*9212587159 (Seela), 9818111562 (Ramesh)*