Tucked inside the narrow lanes of Srinagar’s iconic Lal Chowk—known to be the epicentre for the resistance—is a community school being run in a small mosque of Dazgir Sahib. The Indian government has stated that normalcy has returned to the state with schools being opened and buses plying on the streets. “There is nothing, which is normal here. We don’t want this normalcy imposed on us by the state,” said Zakira, a teacher from the community school.

The school, which is essentially a two-room set up with 40 children across ages, was set up sometime after August 15. “The state wants our children to be illiterate and they want to push their future into darkness and take us back to the ancient times. This is unacceptable to us. To turn up at the schools and teach these children is a way of resistance for us,” said Zakira.

Zakira travels for over three hours every single day to reach the school. She says their futures are at stake and they are suffering enormously amidst the lockdown in the state with no access to a regular classroom setup. “I just have one other teacher along with me here for these children, but we can’t let them stay locked indoors and get depressed with all the suffering around them,” she said.

When asked about how difficult it was for them to set up the school, Zakira said that getting the children out of their homes was the biggest obstacle in the process. Another teacher added, “We went from door to door to ask parents to let their children come to the mosque and spend the day there learning and reading. It was extremely difficult to gain their trust, as they were frightened and fearing for the safety of their children. They asked us what if there’s a crackdown by the forces and something happens to our child? What will we do then?”

Finally being able to attend classes, Rashida* (name changed), a 16-year-old student at the community school, said, “It is liberating to come out here and to finally be able to learn and to talk to the people of my age. We take lessons and practice maths. Before this, it felt like we were prisoners in our own homes. I’m still scared to come out because the situation is not normal, but I come here every day to learn, as I want to become a doctor when I grow up to be able to save lives of the people and my state.”

The teacher told NewsClick, “They ask us to sit and we sit. They ask us to stand and we stand. We are tired of functioning at the whim of the Indian state and this crackdown is not acceptable to us. In Kashmir, all virtues of justice and equality enshrined in the Indian Constitution stand abandoned.”

This isn’t the first time that the teachers have opened up community schools dependent on voluntary contribution. In 2016, following escalation of tensions owing to the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen Commander Burhan Wani, similar schools had taken shape in various areas of the state. In Srinagar, too, more schools are being set up. “Another school is coming up in Gosaiya now to give more and more children access to education,” said Zakira.

After abrogation of Article 370—that conferred special status upon J&K—on August 5, the entire region has been witnessing a complete lockdown. Over the last few weeks, the Indian government has claimed time and again that normalcy is returning to the state with many schools offering teaching material in pen drives and conducting examinations. However, local have refuted the claims of the government.

Education has taken massive hit in the Valley with the atmosphere of fear restraining the movement of everyone including students. With colleges shut and in absence of communication and transport facility, students are left with no option but to stay home. Many of those who had paid hefty sums of money for coaching classes and state examinations are also left in a lurch with no immediate solution in sight—making community schools a temporary gateway.

Courtesy: News Click

 

The ongoing tribal agitation against bauxite mining by corporate giant Vedanta is intensifying across 22 villages in Odisha’s Kodingamali hill. The locals have been protesting for over five days to stop bauxite mining by the group, followed by a fresh hearing of the Gram Sabha. On the fifth day of protests, in a bid to suppress the growing resurgence, the Odisha government has now registered cases against 45 tribals and others on charges of disrupting law and order in the region.

Rabi Shankar, an activist and journalist who has been working with the tribals in the region, said, “There has been a notice that has come from the police that they are disrupting law and order. The list includes 45 names and others, which can be extended to include anyone else. This attempt has shown that the state is trying to scare off the tribals to give up on the resistance movement.”

The ongoing agitation has brought mining activity to a complete standstill as the villagers are currently blocking the road leading to the mines near Laxmipur that has suspended the transport of bauxite from Kodingamali to the Kakrigumma railway station. Shankar explained, “Over two hundred tippers carrying mining material have been parked now, those who were stationed at the mining camp have now all gone back home or are protesting.”

To pacify the locals, the Sub Divisional police officers and Tehsildars had come to visit the protesting tribals. However, they stated that they cannot do much, and also tried to convince the tribals to call off the protests. The locals are vehemently opposing all mining activities in the region alleging that the mines have ruined their lives, polluted their fields and rivers, and have failed to generate any employment. Issuing a demand charter, they stated that they require written assurances by the state and the district administration over the stopping of all mining activities. They are also seeking clarity over the periphery of mining activity. The locals are braving heavy rains to state that they will not leave their fields and have become security guards on their own lands.

Previously, women resisting the administration and Panchayati Raj representatives, had clashed with a local BJD leader who was urging them to stall the protests.

The Vedanta group is running the project on a lease given by the Odisha Mining Corporation to a private firm Mytri infra. The project had started in February 2018. Soon after obtaining clearances for the Kodingamali bauxite mine, the government of Odisha had introduced a new bauxite linkage policy. The Odisha Mining Corporation signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Indian mining company Vedanta to supply 70% of the bauxite obtained from Kodingamali to Vedanta’s refinery situated about 150 km away at Lanjigarh in Kalahandi district. Vedanta had earlier been importing bauxite from countries like Brazil and Guinea as well as neighbouring states like Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh to feed its 2 million tonnes per annum refinery. In 2017, the Odisha Mining Corporation received forest clearance for developing a new bauxite mine in 435 hectares of forest land in the Kodingamali hill region.

The tribals living in the fringes of the Kodingamali hill have also alleged that their land was taken away on the promise of infrastructural development and job generation. However, nothing on the ground has materialised, therefore, they are now resolving to put an end to all mining activity.

*This is a developing story

Courtesy: Newsclick

The Adivasis of Burhanpur have launched an agitation against the forest department’s illegal firing and the violations of the Forest Rights Act in the state.

 

 

Over 85 years in age, Kamdev Prasad from Nalanda entered the Anand Vihar station in Delhi, in anger and disillusionment with the Narendra Modi government but also a resolve–The fight for the justice for farmers of India is far from over. Speaking to Newsclick, he said, “I have seen way too many people succumb to pressure and commit suicide, but now is the time to take on the government and make our voices heard.”

The very essence of this sentiment is shared by lakhs of other farmers, who, like Prasad, travelled across the length and breadth of the country to make their voices heard. The farmers have reached the national capital and are congregating at four major points of Delhi and are  gearing up to flood Parliament street tomorrow.

The historic march is setting an agenda against the Modi government ahead of the 2019 elections, Under the BJP government, farmers protests have witnessed a significant increase. Starting with the massive struggle for protection of land rights and against unjust land acquisition within a year of the formation of the Modi government, the movements of farmers have burst out repeatedly in several states, mostly on the twin issues of low prices for produce and consequent indebtedness.

Highlighting the plight of her debt, Sushila Devi, showed Newsclick her wounds from regular scuffles with the moneylenders. She said,“As a wage worker, I get regularly beaten up, they wreck my home and demand that I pay up the dues by hook or by crook.” Sushila has taken a loan worth Rs 50,000 after she failed to receive the desired MSP (minimum support price) for her crops.

Marching with inflamation on her feet, Rakhi Devi, said, “my swollen feet show my struggle. The price of rice, petrol all the commodities have shot up during the Modi government’s rule. There is so much money I have to spend on the produce, the prices of all the commodities have fallen under the Modi sarkaar, I don’t get the MSP for my produce, how will I feed my children? I am struggling to make ends meet.”

Crumbling under increased agrarian distress which has led to over three  lakh farmer suicides and ruination of many more, the farmers through the symbolic march are hoping to break free from the vortex of poverty, debt and political apathy. The cause of the farmers is being led by an umbrella body, All Indian Kisan Coordination Committee, which  includes All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), Swaraj Abhiyan, Swabhimani Shetkari Sangathana, and is supported by over 208 organisations across the country, including workers, students, artistes.

Speaking to NewsClick, Tapan Sen, the General Secretary of Centre of Indian Trade Unions,  said, “The farmer community is deep in crisis. The  only positive thing is the fact that the farmers are gradually realising that commiting suicide is no longer an option, so rather be on the street and fight against the fraudulent Modi government and bring it on its toes to change the whole policy regime.”

In the expression of unity the farmers collectively expressed their resentment towards the BJP government. Rakesh Yadav a farmer from  Fatehpur, Uttar Pradesh said, ‘Hum sab kisan Modiji ke virodh main aaye hain, Modi apne saare vaadon ko lekar viphal rahe hain, ye kisanon ka jan saelab Modi ke khilaaf umad raha hai, ye iss baat ka saboot hai, ki desh ka kisan poori tarah se toot chuka hai.

Modiji ka shasak jungle raaj hai, aur vakt aa gaya hai ise badalne ka.” (The farmers have united against Modiji. This is proof of the fact that the farmer under the current system has completely broken down, his rule of governance is that of a jungle raaj and it is time we change it.)

The Kisan Mukti March is witnessing enormous participation from farmers across the country, whose main demand is that a 21-day special session of Parliament be called to discuss the agrarian crisis. The special session should discuss and pass the two Bills prepared by a Kisan Parliament last year to ensure liberation from debt and assured remunerative prices. Two Bills have been introduced as private member bills in Parliament by K.K. Raghesh, a CPI(M) MP and Joint Secretary of AIKS in Rajya Sabha, and by Raju Shetti, MP from Maharashtra in the Lok Sabha and leader of the Swabhiman Shetkari Sangathana. The farmers have also been demanding the implementation of the recommendations of the MS Swaminathan Commission.

 
 

The children of families denied benefits due to lack of Aadhaar, with poor education, negligible access to health services and employment, are staring at a bleak future.
 

As the fear of drought looms large in the state, Jharkhand has reported two new cases of starvation deaths in the last one month. The latest fact- finding report by the Right to Food ( RTF) campaign in Jharkhand highlights the grim reality of food security on the ground which has led to the death of over 17 persons since September 2017.

Speaking to Newsclick, Ashrafi Nand Prasad of the RTF campaign said,”The starvation deaths that have gripped the state need to be understood in the context of biometric linking. Workers, primarily wage workers and older, marginalised sections, are bearing the brunt of the Aadhaar project.”

The most recent victim of the politics over food security was 45-year-old Kaleshwar Soren, who died of hunger and destitution on November 11, in Mahuadanr village of Jama block of Dumka district. Nand Prasad said, “The ration card of Kaleshwar’s family, along with those of 27 others were cancelled in 2016 following their failure of linking the ration cards to Aadhar.”

Twenty-six households were reinstated on the ration list a year after their card was cancelled and after they submitted their Aadhaar and bank account details. Jian Kisku of the same village, whose ration card was also cancelled in 2016, is yet to get back on the ration list as neither he nor his wife has Aadhaar.

Similarly, after  the cancellation of the card, Kaleshwar was struggling to survive on the food given by his neighbours, his family was not receiving any grains under the public distribution system (PDS) as their ration cards were not linked. According to the ration dealer, after the cancellation of the ration card, when Kaleshwar was asked to submit his Aadhaar to get back on the ration list, he could not submit it as he had misplaced it.

Living in extreme deprivation, multiple families like that of Kaleshwar’s, are currently suffering from the lack of availability of food and social support from the state, the RTF campaign said.
Prasad added,”With the slew of deaths in 2017, the government came up with a “solution”in the form of Khadyan Kosh (grain bank) Yojana, where the mukhiya (Head) of the Gram Panchayat can give grains to vulnerable families, in the case of Kaleshwar, the claims of the Mukhiya of providing Kaleshwar with support cannot be verified.”

Kaleshwar’s death comes close on the heels of the deaths of Moti Yadav of Margomunda block (Deoghar). Yadav was visually impaired, despite this he did not receive disability pension.
Another death–Of the 75-year-old Sita Devi points towards the failure of the Aadhaar project, despite having a ration card, due to her age and illness Devi could not authenticate her identity which led to the denial of foodgrains to her. She was also living in destitution as she could not receive her pension because her bank account was not linked with the Aadhaar card.

The 17 starvation deaths, since September 2017, include eight adivasis, four Dalits and five of backward communities. Contrary to the government’s claims, the immediate causes of these deaths include denial of foodgrains due to absence of a ration card, cancellation of ration cards not linked with Aadhaar, or Aadhaar-based biometric authentication failures, the RTF campaign said.

Denial of social security pensions and absence of work under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act further contribute to the destitution of the starvation victims and their families. At least seven victims were eligible to social security pension, but were either not issued a pension or did not receive their pension due to administrative lapses or Aadhaar-related issues. Not to mention the children of these families, with poor education, negligible access to health services and employment, are staring at a bleak future.

The deaths also highlight the inadequate coverage of the Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY). Most of these families, despite living in acute poverty, did not have a AAY ration card. Prasad said,”The deaths will only increase if our demands are not paid any heed to, we have been demanding the universalisation of PDS, regular ration and increment of NREGA wages.”

Along with these concerns the Right to Food campaign has also highlighted issues of the inclusion of pulses and edible oil in PDS and doing away with the mandatory requirement of Aadhaar in welfare programmes.

The deaths of the five persons come after the government’s announcement of the Khadyan Kosh, which is now rendered as merely a token scheme. The deaths also point to the failure of the Jharkhand government exposing their lack of commitment for social security and right to food.

Courtesy: Newsclick.in
 

 

A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi picked up a broom and launched the ‘Swachhata Hi Sewa’ campaign, the national capital witnessed the death of yet another sanitation worker on Sunday, who fell into the sewer of a building in Dwarka’s Dabri area. Anil (27) suffocated to death, according to preliminary reports.

This incident follows a week after five men died after entering a sewage treatment plant in Moti Nagar,  Delhi, and three more lost their lives in neighbouring Ghaziabad after having inhaled toxic fumes in a water tank in July. In yet another instance reported from Chhattisgarh, five people suffocated to death inside a septic tank in the Jashpur district over the weekend.

The series of deaths do not seem to stop, owing to the brazen flouting of basic safety norms as well as widespread exploitation of workers. The caste stigma intertwined with poverty is glaringly evident across these incidents as a majority of the dead belong to the lower castes. The documents accessed by the Safai Karamchari Andolan (SKA) in Anil’s case show that he decided to take the plunge into the 20-feet-deep tank, as he had already taken money from the contractor he had no choice but to enter the tank.

Speaking to Newsclick, Bezwada Wilson of the SKA said, “There is a need to shake up people who are oblivious to the open flouting of norms that takes place.” The SKA is currently organising marches across the city in multiple areas to create awareness on this issue. The pattern of the deaths has also been criticised by the Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS). In a statement, the organisation highlighted that such instances point to the continuing blight and shame, and are an indictment of the Indian government.

One Death Every 5 Days
The gross under-representation of these deaths becomes clear with the latest data compiled by The Indian Express. The data suggests that the frequency of such incidents is one manual scavenging death in every five days. Compiled by using newspaper reports and limited state records, the report shows that 109 districts could identify only 62 manual scavengers. The Indian Express had sent its survey to over 170 districts; only 109 filed their response. The numbers mentioned in the report were collated by the National Commission for Safai Karamcharis (NCSK), the statutory body that was set up by an Act of Parliament for the welfare of sanitation workers.

Earlier, the records of NCSK had shown that 123 people had lost their lives since January 2017. Officials involved in the exercise admit, however, that even this number could be a gross under-estimation, considering the lack of data, as out of 28, only 13 Indian states have filed their records. Wilson added, “The data is extremely under-represented, the truth of the extent of the problem cannot be made out currently.”

Under the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, an amendment to the law in 2003 brought cleaning of septic and sewage tanks under its purview. Section 7 of the law prohibits local authorities or agencies from employing a worker to clean sewers and septic tank. Despite these provisions, the situation on the ground remains dire. Newsclick had previously reported on problems with the collation of this data, when the Delhi government had found only 32 manual scavengers in its survey in August this year. In a previous attempt in June this year, it was reported that more than 53,000 manual scavengers are employed in 12 states, including Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Haryana.

As the data collation exercises pick-up pace, the fight to change the realities of the workers on the ground is finding renewed voice, with a major protest march scheduled on September 25 in Delhi.

Courtesy: Newsclick.in

 

Nationwide protests against record high petrol and diesel prices are bringing India to a halt as the call for protest given by the left parties is now joined by twenty one others. As opposition unites, the BJP has gone in damage control mode.

Seven Left parties, including CPI (M), CPI, RSP, Forward Block, CP(ML), Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist) and Communist Ghadar Party of India, staged a demonstration, alleging that the rise in fuel prices has a cascading inflationary effect. The Left parties, led by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)], had called for the all-India bandh to protest against the slowdown of the economy due to rising fuel prices, agrarian crisis, inflation and unprecedented fall of the rupee. “We all must protest in the strongest manner to force this callous Narendra Modi government to reduce fuel prices by cutting excise duty drastically,” said Sitaram Yechury, general secretary of the CPI (M). Yechury and D. Raja of the CPI have been taken into custody by the Delhi Police over the protests.

The protests were kickstarted by the Congress President Rahul Gandhi from Ram Lila Maidan in New Delhi. He said “The opposition is coming together to defeat the BJP government.” He added, “Narendra Modi ji is silent, he has not spoken a word on the rising prices of fuel, or condition of farmers, neither on atrocities against women.” Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh also added, “Modi government has done a number of things that were not in the interest of the nation. The time to change this government will come soon.” The Congress leadership was joined by NCP chief Sharad Pawar and former JD(U) chief Sharad Yadav (now leader of the Loktantrik Janata Dal) in slamming the government. AAP MPs Sanjay Singh and Manoj Jha were part of the protests at Ramlila Maidan while other activists of the party held protests at Jantar Mantar.

Fuel prices had been constantly rising in several states across the country over the past few weeks, burning a hole in the pocket of common man. As such the call for bandh had elicited widespread response as visible from the impact of the bandh across the states. Speaking with NewsClick, Subhashini, a Political Bureau member of the CPI (M) said, “The protest marches and the juloos taken out by the opposition show a clear picture of people’s anger towards the government.” Currently on ground in Lucknow, she added, “The people are now protesting using tangas (horseback carriages) to show that under this government we cannot afford to ride in fuel run vehicles.” Kavita Krishnan, Secretary of the All India Progressive Women’s Association (AIPWA), also confirmed the success of the call for protests.

Meanwhile, the BJP has chosen to ignore the widespread impact of the bandh. “People are against Bharat Bandh because they understand that rise in fuel prices is temporary and due to factors beyond the control of government,” said Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, showing a complete lack of understanding of the situation on the ground.

Orissa and Karnataka have also announced a complete shutdown. The dawn-to-dusk hartal, called by the ruling CPI(M)-led LDF and Congress-headed opposition UDF to protest the rising fuel prices, has led to halt in the daily life in Kerala, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal. Both public and private transport buses and auto rickshaws are keeping off the roads, and with shops and schools remaining shut, the impact of the bandh shows the support it has from the public.

A major impact of the bandh was also visible in Bihar, which witnessed several instances of violence and multiple rail rokos were organised by the workers of Jan Adhikar party. Vandalism, including setting tyres on fire, and breaking of the windows of cars and buses gave the political protests a violent color. Instances of vandalism were also reported as the protests turned violent in Gujarat’s Bharuch district and Maharashtra’s Pune. While MNS workers vandalised buses in Pune, protesters burnt tyres and halted the traffic in Bharuch.

In Gujarat, 50 members of the CPI (M), including Central Committee member Arun Mehta was arrested.

In Arunachal Pradesh, several Congress activists including Mahila Congress workers and Youth Congress president Geli Ete were arrested. Even though an official call for protests was not given by the TMC in West Bengal, however, the impact of the protests was visible across Kolkata and other parts with multiple rallies being taken out.

While protests continue in full swing, the BJP lashed out at the Congress at multiple fronts. In a press conference, BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said, “Everyone has a right to protest but what is happening today? Petrol pumps and buses being set ablaze, putting to risk lives. A child died after an ambulance was stuck in the protests in Bihar’s Jehanabad. Who is responsible?” Initial reports had indicated that a two year old girl had died awaiting the ambulance amidst the bandh, but it was later confirmed that the death did not have anything to do with the bandh. Attacking the Congress, Yogi Adityanath also stated, “They represent the frustrated Opposition which doesn’t have strategy and leadership,what else can be expected from them. I hope God gives them sense so they can differentiate between positive and negative, otherwise in future they will lose their position as Opposition as well.”

The free fall of the rupee has worsened the situation. On the day of the protests, the rupee hit an all time low of 72.50 against the dollar. The hike has fueled angst amongst the Opposition and citizens alike. Despite the scale of the protests and the ongoing crisis with the high fuel prices, Prime Minister Modi has not broken his silence on the issue. The opposition has clearly indicated that this show of unity will be used in paving the way for the 2019 elections.

Reacting to the bandh, Akhilesh Yadav took to Twitter, saying that the BJP government is arrogant and autocratic, and the people of the country will teach the government a lesson. Echoing a similar sentiment Tejashwi Yadav questioned the government over the soaring prices of fuel, he tweeted, “If the government cannot regulate the prices then, who will?” The opposition is capitalising on the bandh, to raise larger issues of GST, demonetisation, and communal politics against the government.

Courtesy: https://www.newsclick.in/