Fwd: [OrissaConcerns] Statement for Endorsement about Police Lathicharge on Anti-POSCO Protesters Odisha

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Anivar Aravind <anivar.aravind@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, Jul 16, 2011 at 5:25 PM
Subject: [OrissaConcerns] Statement for Endorsement about Police Lathicharge on Anti-POSCO Protesters Odisha
To: connect <connect@lists.orissaconcerns.net>

(Pease  Send your Endorsements to asit1917@gmail.com and circulate this statement widely) 

JOINT STATEMENT CONDEMNING ATTACK ON PEACEFUL PROTESTERS OF NUAGAON

(Anti-POSCO Struggle Area Odisha)

Today eight platoons of police attacked and lathi charged peaceful protesters in the village of Nuagaon, Jagatsinghpur District, Odisha. The protesters, despite being mainly women, were attacked by an entirely male police force, resulting in injuries to several and serious injuries to one woman, who has now been hospitalised. The protesters were seeking to protect their forests and trees from being cleared by the police as part of the government's land grab for the POSCO project. After the lathi charge the entire village joined the protest, eventually driving the police back and forcing them to retreat. 

We strongly condemn this brutal attack on a peaceful protest by people seeking to protect their legal and democratic rights. This attack disproves the Odisha government's brazenly false claims that "no force is being used" to take land for POSCO. Nuagaon, one must remember, is also one of the villages where the government claimed that "land takeover is proceeding peacefully" - a result not of consent by the people but of the overwhelming threat of force from the government. Today, when people have actually shown their will, the government has shown its true intent.

One must remember that the people of Nuagaon, like all those affected by the POSCO project, have legal rights to their forest and also enjoy the legal power to protect these forests when they wish. This was upheld by three different committees of the Environment Ministry, which went on to, in an act of brazen illegality, clear the takeover of land anyway. Both the Odisha government and the Centre are engaged in a gross violation of law, a resource grab of land and forests that belong to the people for a private multinational company. This attack further comes at a time when the Odisha High Court is hearing, on a daily basis, the petition filed by the villagers against this illegal land grab.

We demand:

·  An immediate halt to all police operations in the proposed project area and the withdrawal of the police from the area;

·  The cancellation of the illegal forest and environmental clearances granted to the POSCO project;

·  The implementation of the Forest Rights Act and all other pro people laws in the area;

·  Prosecution and punishment of the officials and police responsible for the atrocities and violations of law in the area;

·  A cancellation of the POSCO project and an end to the six year long attack on the people of the area for the purposes of this project.

Sincerely

 

Socialist Front

Dr. Sunilum (Kishan Sangarsh Samity M.P.),

INSAF

Shankar Gopal Krishnan

Asit Das (POSCO Pratirodh Solidarity Delhi)

Anivar Aravind (Moving Republic)

Orissa Concerns.org

 

 

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