A local court in Saharanpur has ordered the release of eight persons, who were arrested for engaging in violence on June 10, during a protest against the remarks made by Nupur Sharma about Prophet Mohammed. The court ordered their release after police found no evidence against them, reported the Indian Express.

The CCTV footage submitted by the families of the accused revealed that they were not present at the site of violence on June 10. As a result, the police approached the court and submitted that they have no evidence against them.

Additional Superintendent of Police (Saharanpur) Rajesh Kumar reportedly stated, “We asked the investigating officer (IO) of the case to verify the claims made by the families of the eight accused. The IO examined the videos and photographs of the violence and found they were not present in any of them. We then moved an application in court under the section 169 of the CrPC (seeks release of accused when evidence is deficient). The court then ordered their release.”

Station House Officer (City Kotwali) Ashok Solanki reportedly stated, “During probe, it was found they (the eight accused) were not present at the spot when the violence took place. Since their innocence was proved, we requested the court on Saturday to release them.”

The mother of one of the eight accused persons (19 year old- Mohammad Ali) told the Indian Express, “After offering prayers at a local mosque, my son went to his sister’s house at Nadeem colony, which is far from the spot where the violence took place. To prove my claim, I submitted footage of CCTV cameras installed at places where Ali was present when the protests took place. The CCTV footage was collected from the houses of residents of the area. My son got released from jail this morning.” She reportedly claimed that her son was thrashed by a policeman with a stick inside a police station. She further added, “My son received fractures in his hand as a result of it.”

It has been reported that the police have arrested 85 people in Saharanpur so far, including the eight persons who are now released, and filed three FIRS in connection with the June 10 violence.

Related:

Friday protests: At least 325 arrests in UP alone!
Spontaneous pan-India protests against Nupur Sharma
Indians stand united, don’t allow Hate to prevail over Harmony
Saharanpur: Who were the ‘media men’ whose questions created tension during Friday prayers?

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A group of Muslim women were thrashed in a public place in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh on February 13. The video of the violence went viral on Wednesday, February 16 and the police have now claimed, after the outrage, that there was an altercation or scuffle between the two.

However, the clip that has gone viral shows Uttar Pradesh police personnel brutaly hitting Muslim women who were reportedly a part of a a protest against the “hijab ban” in colleges that started in Karnataka, and has now had a ripple effect in many other parts of the country. After facing criticism from the people, the police have said they are “investigating the video”. A first information report, or FIR, has also been filed by the police against the protesters over the Sunday incident.

According to news reports, in its FIR, the police stated they came to know that some 15 Muslim women had gathered in Ghaziabad’s Sani Bazaar Road with anti-government posters, and were protesting without taking necessary permission. Police stated that when its team reached there, the women protesters started shouting slogans.

Ghaziabad Police, in their statement issued on Wednesday, have also claimed that the protesters assaulted the police personnel who had reached the site. They said, “Inspector-in-Charge of Khoda received information about demonstration by some people on Shani Bazar Road. On getting the information, Inspector-in-Charge of Khoda reached the spot and it was found that some women were protesting on the road. When the women police personnel asked about the permission to protest from the protesting women, no permission was shown by the protesting women, and the women police personnel and other policemen were assaulted by the protesting women and other persons present on the spot.”

pic.twitter.com/UUY2HkdvPG

— GHAZIABAD POLICE (@ghaziabadpolice) February 16, 2022

However, while police claim that the women constables tried to persuade the protesters to return home, and that the cops were heckled, and that some men who were with the protesters also started verbally abusing the constables, the video clip shows that the protesters were hit by the cops. According to news reports, the police FIR also claimed some male protestors verbally abused the police women, and have identified one of the accused as Raees. In the video, the only time the burqa clad woman is seen reacting is when she attempts to deflect the police hitting her with a stick.

Related

Hijab ban case: Hijab in line with freedom of expression, submits petitioner
Hijab Case: Will action be taken against Karanataka BJP for sharing details of minor Muslim students?
Hijab controversy now hits schools!

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In a brutal crackdown on all citizenship law protestors, Teesta Setalvad had approached the National Human Rights Commission on December 20, 2019, to bring to the Commission’s notice, the alleged detention of 32 women protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) at Delhi Gate.

In response to the complaint, the Commission received a report dated October 9, 2020 from the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Vigilance), Delhi. The Commission’s response read, “It is reported that on the date of incident the mob was raging, shouting slogans, and started pelting stones on the police officials. The mob was trying to break the barricades and became violent upon which water cannon was used to disperse the crowd but instead of dispersing the mob started vandalism and torched a car parked on road. FIR No. 250/2019 under section 147/148/1866/353/332/427/102-B/34 of IPC and 3/4 of PDPP Act was registered in the said matter. 43 persons were detained and relieved after the initial enquiry subject to verification of their role. The case is transferred to Crime Branch, Delhi.”

NHRC further said that it believed that the Police were taking appropriate action in the matter. The Commission also informed that the Police are expected to complete the investigation at the earliest, and take the case to a logical conclusion within reasonable time. As the Police are investigating the matter, the Commission said that there was no need for further continuance of the proceedings before it and hence, closed the case.

NHRC, in the past, has also provided an appalling response to the Jamia Millia Islamia University violence, that broke out in December 2019, amid raging Citizenship Amendment Act protests. SabrangIndia had reported on the Commission holding the students responsible for protesting without permission.

“If the protest was peaceful then there is no answer as to how a large number of private and government property were destroyed and many vehicles were burnt down. It is beyond doubt that students of Jamia Millia Islamia University, local residents, doubtful character, political leaders were actively involved in various violent protests in Jamia area”, concluded NHRC.

Teesta Setalvad, has approached the Commission again (46997/CR/2021), requesting it to disclose the report provided by the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Vigilance). NHRC’s response is awaited.

Related:

Students protested without permission; tear gas was “avoidable”: NHRC report on Jamia violence
SC defers plea against State Assemblies anti-CAA resolutions
Delhi Police agrees to release Safoora on humanitarian grounds; HC grants bail
Six months since Jamia violence, police brutalities not forgotten

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Few hours after booking 3,000 people on sedition charges, Dhandbad police had to revoke them after instructions from DGP K.N. Choubey. The news broke on Wednesday that Dhanbad in Jharkhand has registered a case of sedition and other related crimes against 3,000 unidentified persons and 7 identified persons for taking part in anti-CAA protests without permission and for raising inflammatory slogans. Few hours after this was reported came another news that DGP K.N. Choubey had instructed Dhanbad police to drop sedition charges against all, including the 7 identified accused.

The Jharkhand Chief Minister posted the letters sent by the Superintendent of Police to Dhanbad Police station. The letters instructed that section 124A (sedition) of IPC be removed from the FIR. It further stated that the inclusion on section 124A (sedition) in the FIR against the anti-CAA protestors was uncalled for and not justified. It also said that inclusion of the section was done without contemplation and that the police officer in doing so has demonstrated his negligence and arbitrariness. The SP also asked for a written explanation from the police officer in this regard within 3 days failing which he would have to face disciplinary action.

The Chief Minster, Hemant Soren’s tweet read as follows:

https://twitter.com/HemantSorenJMM/status/1214947760408944640

क़ानून जनता को डराने एवं उनकी आवाज़ दबाने के लिए नहीं बल्कि आम जन-मानस में सुरक्षा का भाव उत्पन्न करने को होता है।

मेरे नेतृत्व में चल रही सरकार में क़ानून जनता की आवाज़ को बुलंद करने का कार्य करेगी।

धनबाद में 3000 लोगों पर लगाए गए राजद्रोह की धारा को अविलंब निरस्त करने के 1/2 pic.twitter.com/Y0PMT84Vra

— Hemant Soren (@HemantSorenJMM) January 8, 2020

https://twitter.com/HemantSorenJMM/status/1214947763575652353

साथ साथ दोषी अधिकारी के ख़िलाफ़ समुचित करवाई की अनुशंसा कर दी गयी है।

साथ ही मैं झारखंड के सभी भाइयों/बहनों से अपील करना चाहूँगा की राज्य आपका है, यहाँ के क़ानून व्यस्था का सम्मान करना हमारा कर्तव्य है। 2/2

— Hemant Soren (@HemantSorenJMM) January 8, 2020

Translation: The law is not meant to instil fear or stifle the voices of the people instead it is to create an environment of security. The government under my leadership will strengthen the voice of the people. Not only has the charge of sedition against 3,000 people in Dhanbad has been cancelled but action is being taken against the police officer who included the charge in the FIR. I also appeal to people of Jharkhand that the state is yours and it is your responsibility to respect the laws here.

The FIR was filed on a complaint made by Dhanbad Circle Officer Prashant Kumar Laiq for allegedly blocking traffic jams and shouting slogans hurting religious sentiments, without permission. After going through the various videos and pictures of the protest march, the police were able to identify Haji Arif Zameer, Mohd. Sajid, Mohd. Saif Sajjad, Ali Akbar, Mohd. Naushad, Mohd. Saddam and Mohd. Maulana Ghulam Nabi.

Md Noushad said they had sought permission from the district administration many times and had got “some verbal assurance”. He said the march was peaceful and no inflammatory slogans were raised.

Related:

Sedition charge over CAA protest dropped
Anti-CAA protests: Jharkhand slaps Sedition cases against 3,000 people
Sadaf Jafar speaks to Sabrang India about her nightmarish experience in jail
Holding out anti-CAA posters renders 2 Delhi women homeless
Allahabad HC: Bombay lawyer’s email about situation in UP turned into PIL
Rajya Sabha MP writes heartfelt letter to JNUSU President Aishe Ghosh
Deepika goes for JNU protest meet; bhakts furious, call for her film’s boycott

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The governments at Dispur and New Delhi have been out on an offensive against the poor by riding on the slogans ‘Acche Din’ and ‘Parivartan’. They take away lands from the poor and given them to capitalists.” The demands are land survey in the State, providing land to landless people, immediate cancellation of the directive to evict 37 tribal villages in Chandrapur and Sonapur revenue circles by declaring Amchang Reserve Forest as an eco-sensitive zone, cancellation of the move to provide cash instead of food under the Food Security Act, inclusion of all poor under the PMAY and making the waiting list of beneficiaries public, declaration of Assam flood a national problem and immediate halt to the move to Saffronize the Panchayati Raj in the State.

Sharply condemning the all out offensive by the government of Assam against indigenous communities and a representative people’s movement Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti(KMSS), the National Alliance of People’s Movement(NAPM) has demanded an enquiry. NAPM has further said that the majoritarian character of the state government is at the root of the ongoing repression against various sections of the Assamese population including Muslims and Mising, Karbi, Rabha, Dimasa, Bodo, Koch, Kalita, Ahom and other indigenous communities. In addition, the aggressive crackdown on one of the strongest farmers’ movements of the country – Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti is an attempt to stifle any voice that is against ‘corporate resource loot’.

 
The state government’s moves are multiplied by central government’s brazen policy decisions to completely weaken environmental governance by diluting laws and using the MoEF as a clearance ministry for industries: while claiming to save the Amchang Wildlife Sanctuary, the state government is actually evicting indigenous communities who live in harmony with nature.
 
KMSS staged a protest at Panjabari on Sunday morning, demanding a halt in the eviction drive scheduled to resume inside Amchang wildlife sanctuary on Monday and submitted a memorandum to the Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal, calling for a solution to the settlement issue through discussions. Earlier, the eviction drive was launched in August, but was suspended after two days because of massive protests.

 
On Monday, November 27, 1,500 police personnel came with their guns, tear gas shells, 15 elephants, 20 excavators, 20 Executive Magistrates, and the entire Forest department, District Administration, Assam Power Distribution Corp. Ltd., State Disaster Response Force, Health and other emergency services and brutally demolished hundreds of homes in the Amchang area near Guwahati, Assam. It has been estimated that there are nearly 3,000 families inside the wildlife sanctuary, but some had shifted to other places before the eviction was launched.
 
What was the urgency for the government in this action that amounts to a wilful misinterpretation of the High Court order, which did not even specify a date for clearing ‘encroachments’? Clear violations of rehabilitation and others norms have been done. While the truth is that Cement companies AG Cement and Raksha Cement, Tea Gardens, coke calcination, brick kilns are the real encroachers who create havoc with the environment in this reserved forest area which was declared in 2004. Even total area and Eco-sensitive zones have not been clearly defined.
 
Apart from the failure in securing environment, the BJP government is a complete failure when it comes to housing rights of the people. With the continuous chain of evictions from Dharamshala to Indore and Bhopal, from Mumbai to Delhi in the name of Smart Cities raises a serious question as to where will the people go if the only space you have is declared illegal! Same goes for the habitation rights of forest dwelling people and declaration of reserved forests.

7 protestors were injured or grievously hurt. 35 year old Malati Das is admitted to Guwahati Medical College in ICU with a live bullet injury. Amina Khatun and Rashida Ahmed are grievously injured and admitted to Guwahati Medical College in ICU. Gautam Baishya, Utpal Patgiri and 75 others were injured.
 
KMSS leader and advisor Bedanta Laskar, Joint Gen Secretary Dhaijya Konwar, and activist Gopi Saikia were arrested from various parts of the city. Bedanta and Gopi were not even present in the site, but picked up while coming in a motorcycle in the middle of the city. They were charged with sections 120C, 147, 148, 353, 333, 338, 325 and 188 of the IPC and sent to 14 days jail custody. On 28 November police release an arrest warrant for KMSS leader Dhasko Dey Saikia. On the same day, police even arrested people from outside the CJM court where the leaders were to be produced, including Bedanta Laskar’s father. The ‘witch hunt’ against KMSS is on and the police are trying to suppress any voice of resistance against this total failure of justice and human rights in the state of Assam.

 
KMSS leader Akhil Gogoi is already facing incarceration under the draconian National Security Act (NSA) for over a year now. Various human rights teams have failed to get him released. Perhaps, the BJP government is too afraid of people’s leader Akhil Gogoi and of KMSS, the voice of peasants.
 
Meanwhile, protests have spread into Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Sivasagar, Jorhat, Naganv, Mairiganv, Dhemaji, Dhokuwakhana, Darang, Kamrup, Goalpara, Dhubri, Barpeta and Bagaiganv. CM Sonowal has issued a statement that evictions will be halted but has not issued any written order.
We demand from the Assam government:

–          Release Akhil Gogoi and other leaders of KMSS immediately and unconditionally.
–          Protect forests from corporate loot, stop evicting people in the name of saving forests.
–          Ensure forest rights and housing rights of the people of Assam.
 

Photos from Navkiran Natt’s FB Post
 

The post Another Assam Govt’s Offensive Against Peaceful Protesters appeared first on SabrangIndia.

बड़कागांव में एनटीपीसी की परियोजना के लिए जमीन अधिग्रहण का विरोध कर रहे किसानों और उनके प्रतिनिधियों ने सबरंगइंडिया से कहा कि जान दे देंगे लेकिन अपनी खेती की जमीन नहीं देंगे। उनका कहना है कि ग्राम सभा, परियोजना के जमीन अधिग्रहण के बिल्कुल खिलाफ है।

इस जमीन अधिग्रहण का विरोध कर रहे किसानों पर पुलिस ने 1 अक्टूबर को सुबह चार बजे और साढ़े छह बजे के बीच फायरिंग की। फायरिंग में पांच आदिवासी किसानों की मौत हो गई। सरकार ने चार लाशों को पेश किया है लेकिन अभी भी तीन किसानों की लाशों का पता नहीं चल पा रहा है। पूरे इलाके को सशस्त्र पुलिस की सात बटालियनों, रैपिड एक्शन फोर्स और अदर्धसैनिक बलों ने घेर रखा है। धारा 144 लागू है और इलाके में क्या हो रहा है उसका बाहर से कुछ पता नहीं चल रहा है। झारखंड के हजारीबाग जिले के इस इलाके में इमरजेंसी की स्थिति है।

झारखंड नागरिक प्रयास और झारखंड अल्टरनेटिव डेवलपमेंट फोरम रांची के संयोजक पी पी वर्मा ने सबरंगइंडिया से एक बातचीत में इस क्रूर पुलिस फायरिंग की कड़ी निंदा की है और बड़कागांव के किसानों के संघर्ष में साथ देने का वादा किया है।  वर्मा कहते हैं कि झारखंडी इस दमनकारी शासन के खिलाफ संघर्ष में किसानों का साथ देने में पीछे नहीं हटेंगे। पुलिस फायरिंग की जितनी भी निंदा की जाए, कम है। जो सरकार अपने ही निहत्थे किसानों पर गोलियां चलवाएं उसे सत्ता में रहने का अधिकार नहीं है।

सरकार को अब यह समझ लेना चाहिए कि किसानों से जोर-जबरदस्ती कर उनकी जमीन नहीं ली जा सकती। किसानों की उपजाऊ जमीन पर बिजली प्लांट के लिए कोई जगह नहीं है। इस तरह की जमीनों पर बिजली संयंत्र स्थापित करना टिकाऊ विकास की नजीर भी नहीं है।

जमीन अधिग्रहण का विरोध करने वालों का कहना है कि इस लड़ाई में जीत आखिरकार ग्राम सभा की ही होगी और एनटीपीसी को बोरिया-बिस्तर समेट कर भागने को मजबूर होना पड़ेगा। एनटीपीसी ने बिजली उत्पादन के लिए जरूरी कोयला खदानों के लिए जिन जमीनों का अधिग्रहण किया है, किसान उसका विरोध कर रहे हैं। सार्वजनिक क्षेत्र की इस कंपनी का इरादा झारखंड के पूर्वी सिंहभूम जिले की कर्णपुरा घाटी में कोयला खनन शुरू करने का है। यह पूरा इलाका 47 वर्ग किलोमीटर में है।

परियोजना के लिए जमीन अधिग्रहण 2004 में हुआ था और लेकिन एशिया के सबसे बड़े कोल ब्लॉकों में से एक माने जाने वाले इस खदान में कोयला खनन का काम धीमा रहा  है। यहां के आम नागरिक और किसान कोयला खनन के लिए जमीन अधिग्रहण के खिलाफ हैं। दरअसल कोयला उनकी उपजाऊ जमीन से निकाला जाना है। साल में यहां तीन फसलें होती हैं और खेती से कम से कम 300 करोड़ रुपये की कमाई होती। है।

एनटीपीसी ने वन विभाग से 2500 एकड़ जमीन लेने के बाद इस साल काम शुरू किया। परियोजना के लिए कुल 17000 एकड़ जमीन का अधिग्रहण होना है। वन अधिकार कानून, 2006 के मुताबिक जब तक ग्राम सभा के 70 फीसदी सदस्यों की मंजूरी नहीं मिल जाती तब तक कोई परियोजना शुरू नहीं हो सकती। प्रशासन को अभी इसमें सफलता नहीं मिली है।
 
बैकग्राउंड
भारत सरकार ने 1 अक्टूबर 2004 में एनटीपीसी को हजारीबाग को पाकड़ी बरवाडीह कोल ब्लॉक आवंटित किया था। यहां की खदानों में 1600 मिलियन टन कोयला होने का अनुमान है। पूरा इलाका 12000 एकड़ में है। इसमें 40 गांव और 2500 एकड़ वन भूमि पड़ती है। आज से 12 साल पहले जिन किसानों की जमीन इस परियोजना के तहत आई थी, उन्होंने इसके खिलाफ जोरदार आंदोलन शुरू किया था। जमीन बहुफसली और उपजाऊ थी और किसानों की जीविका की एक मात्र साधन। किसान किसी भी कीमत पर जमीन देने के लिए तैयार नहीं थे।

छह जनवरी, 2007 को सरकार ने ऐलान किया कि उस दिन सुबह 11 बजे इस मामले पर जन सुनवाई होगी। लेकिन घोषणा के उलट प्रशासन ने चोरी-छिपे इसके एक दिन पहले ही रात 11 बजे जन सुनवाई की रस्म-अदायगी कर डाली। जब किसानों को पता चला तो कुछ इस गैरकानूनी जनवाई में आ पहुंचे और उन्होंने प्रस्तावित जमीन अधिग्रहण का जोरदार विरोध किया। और जैसा कि होना था, किसानों के खिलाफ इस विरोध के आरोप में झूठे मुकदमे लाद दिए गए। इसके बाद प्रशासन ने यह दिखा दिया कि किसानों ने जमीन अधिग्रहण की सहमति  दे दी है। इसके बाद विरोध कर रहे किसानों को प्रताड़ित किया जाता रहा।

इसके बाद एक दिलचस्प घटना घटी। 23 जून, 2011 को चट्टी बरियातू कोल ब्लॉक का आवंटन सरकार ने रद्द कर दिया। लेकिन नवंबर, 2011 को हजारीबाग जिला प्रशासन ने इस कथित कोल ब्लॉक को एनटीपीसी को लौटा दिया। 

2013 के जमीन अधिग्रहण के तहत जमीन अधिग्रहण के लिए ग्राम सभा के 70 फीसदी लोगों की मंजूरी जरूरी है। इस नियम का पालन नहीं हुआ। वन अधिकार कानून 2006 के तहत की शर्तों का भी पालन एनटीपीसी ने नहीं किया।

इस बीच, 2016 में अचानक एनटीपीसी ने दावा किया कि उसने 3000 एकड़ वन भूमि और किसानों की 435 एकड़ जमीन का अधिग्रहण कर लिया है और अब वह वन भूमि के दायरे में आने वाली जमीन पर कोयला खनन शुरू करेगी। एनटीपीसी का दावा सामने आते ही कुछ किसानों और स्थानीय नेताओं ने खनन कार्य का विरोध शुरू कर दिया। प्रशासन ने तुरंत कुछ किसानों और नेताओं को जेल में डाल दिया और उन्हें दो महीने तक बंद रखा। इन लोगों के खिलाफ अब भी अदालत में फौजदारी के मुकदमे चल रहे हैं।

The post हजारीबाग में एनटीपीसी परियोजना का विरोध कर रहे किसानों को गोलियों से भूना appeared first on SabrangIndia.

झारखण्ड में ये आदिवासी/पिछड़े/दलित घमण्ड में चूर होकर जमीन पर हक जताने चले थे।उन्हें लग रहा था कि हजार वर्ष बाद वे असुर श्रेणी से बाहर आ गए हैं और सभ्य समाज के अंग हो गए हैं।उन्हें शायद यह भूल गया था कि वे जहां हक मांगने के लिए जा रहे हैं वे दुर्गा और राम के भक्त लोग हैं जिन्हें उन आदिवासियों की असलियत पता है।सुप्रीम कोर्ट के जस्टिस मार्कण्डेय काटजू जी और ज्ञानसुधा मिश्र जी पहले ही एक फैसले में कह चुके हैं कि "इस देश के आदिवासियों को हजारो वर्ष पूर्व असुर,राक्षस,दानव कह मारा गया था और आज भी मारा जा रहा है जबकि इस देश के मूलनिवासी वे ही हैं।"ये असुर मारे जाने के लिए ही पैदा हुए या किये गए हैं।भगवान ने इन्हें इसी निमित्त बनाया है कि ये अधिकार बिपन्न रहें और जब अधिकार मांगे तो इन्हें मारके हम उस पंक्ति को चरितार्थ करें कि-

"जब-जब होहि धर्म की हानि,
बाढहि असुर अधम अभिमानी।
तब-तब धरि प्रभु बिबिध शरीरा,
हरहिं शोक सज्जन दुःख,पीड़ा।।"

झारखण्ड में वही हजार वर्ष पुरानी परम्परा नवरात्र में दुहरायी गयी है और जल,जंगल,जमीन से च्युत इन मूलनिवासी आदिवासियों को हक मांगने पर मौत के घाट उतार दिया गया है।ये अपने प्रिय मोदी जी राम जी के अनन्य अनुयायी और भक्त हैं।इन्हें रामराज्य लाना है।रामराज्य का मतलब ही "अच्छे दिन"होता है।तुलसी दास जी ने रामराज्य के अच्छे दिनों के बारे में कहा है कि

"दैहिक,दैविक,भौतिक तापा,
रामराज्य काहू नहिं ब्यापा।"

रामराज्य में किसी तरह का कष्ट नही होता है और जो किसी तरह का कष्ट पंहुचाता है,वही राक्षस है।ये आदिवासी वहां की रामराज्य वाली सरकार को घेर रहे थे,सत्याग्रह कर जमीन पर हक जता रहे थे जबकि इन असुरों को कोई अधिकार नही इन जमीनों पर इसलिए इनका वध जरूरी था।दुर्गा जी और रामजी के प्रताप से शुभ नवरात्र में भारतीय जनता पार्टी की रामराज्य वाली सरकार ने झारखण्ड में सत्याग्रही आदिवासी असुरो का वध कर झारखण्ड को सुरक्षित कर लिया है।

अब तो इस नवरात्र में मैं भी महिषासुर मर्दिनी दुर्गा जी की जय बोलूंगा ही,मर्यादा की रक्षा हेतु रावण वध करने वाले राम की जय बोलूंगा ही और राक्षस योनि के रावण और महिषासुर की कुल परम्परा के आदिवासियों का वध करने के लिए मोदी जी की जय बोलूंगा ही।

हम तो रामराज परिषद वालों के बारे में यही कहेंगे कि-
"हम आह भी भरते हैं तो हो जाते हैं बदनाम।
वो कत्ल भी करते हैं और चर्चा नही होती।।"

अब श्रद्धांजलि किसे अर्पित की जाय,महिषासुर को,रावण को,अभी-अभी कत्ल हुए झारखण्ड के आदिवासियों को या गांधी जी को?दुखद,घोर दुखद…

वरिष्ठ चिंतक

The post रामराज्य लाने के लिए झारखण्ड में 7 ‘राक्षस’ मारे गए appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Image: Hindustan Times
 
The protesting farmers and their representatives have told Sabrangindia that they are willing to lay down their lives but will not give up rich and arable land. They say also that the Gram Sabha is totally opposed to the acquisition. In the brutal police firing that took place between 4 a.m. and 6.30 a.m. on October 1, five tribal farmers have died. The Government has released only four dead bodies but the bodies of three more farmers are still unaccounted for. The whole area has been cordoned off by 7 battallions of armed police, Rapid Action Force and paramilitary personnel.  Section 144 is in force and what is happening inside the area is not fully known. This part of Hazaribagh district in Jharkand is functioning as if in a state of emergency.
 
P.P.Verma, convenor of the Jharkhand Nagrik Prayas and the Jharkhand Alternative Development Forum, Ranchi speaking to Sabrangindia has strongly condemned the brute police firing and vowed to support the just struggle of the Barakagaon farmers. "Jharkandis will not hesitate to stand beside them against this repressive regime, he says. “The firing by the administration on unarmed people is worthy of severe condemnation and any Government that kills its own citizens has no right to exist. The time has come for the Government of the day to realize that forcible acquisition of land from farmers is not possible and Power Plants that are built on the rich lands of farmers, have no place and neither is this sustainable development,” Verma adds.
 
The Gram Sabha will be victorious in the end and NTPC will have to pack up and go, say protestors. Residents have been protesting the acquisition of land by the NTPC (formerly, the National Thermal Power Corporation Ltd) for their coal mines. The public-sector firm had proposed to start mining coal in the Karanpura valley, in the east Singhbhum district of Jharkhand, over an area of 47 square kilometers.

The land acquisition for the project began in 2004, though slow progress was made on the proposed mines in what is claimed to be one of the largest coal blocks of Asia. Residents and farmers have resisted the acquisition of their land in an agriculturally rich zone, which has three annual crop harvests, employing the villagers throughout the year, and generated agricultural revenue upwards of Rs 300 crore.

The NTPC only broke ground this year, after successfully acquiring about 2,500 acres of land from the forest department, out of a proposed 17,000 acres. The Forest Rights Act, 2006, however, requires approval from 70% of the members of the Gram Sabha members in order to acquire forest land which has not been obtained.
 
Background
On October 11, 2004, NTPC was allocated mines by the Government of India; the Pakri Barawadih Coal Block in Hazaribagh district containing an estimated 1600 MT of coal lay beneath the allocated land. The total land area was 12000 acres, covering 40 villages and 2500 acres of forest land. Strong opposition to the land acquisition started at the time, twelve years ago, by the farmers whose land fell under this allocation. The farming area was a multi-cropping area and the fertile land was used by the farmers as their sole source of livelihood. At no cost the farmers were willing to give their land.
 
On January 6, 2007, the government announced that a Public Hearing would take place at 11 am to resolve the issue. Instead of adhering to the announcement, the Administration stealthily held the Public Hearing the previous night at 11 pm. When the farmers came to know of this, some of the farmers had even attended the illegal hearing, voicing their total opposition to the proposed land acquisition.  Predictably, false cases were filed in the courts on some of the farmers for this opposition. Shockingly, the outcome of the Public Hearing that was put out by the Government showed that the farmers had given their consent which was a total lie. The harassment of the opposing farmers continued.
 
An interesting event took place on June 23, 2011 whereby the Chatti Bariatu Coal Block was de-allocated by the Government of India but in November 2011 the Hazaribagh District Administration transferred the said Coal Block back to the NTPC!
 
Under the 2013 Land Acquisition Act, 70% consent was required from the Gram Sabha which procedure was also not followed. Also, under the Forest Rights Act passed in 2006, acquiring of Forest Land laid down certain conditions which, too, protesting farmers have alleged, the NTPC did not follow.
 
It was in these circumstances that, in 2016, the NTPC claimed to have acquired 3000 acres of forest land and 435 acres of farmers' land and decided to go ahead with the mining project within the area that fell under forest land. Several farmers and the local leadership opposed this start of mining operations for which farmers and some leaders were even jailed for over two months or more. These criminal cases are still pending in courts even as the harassment continues, it is alleged.

The post Behind the Killing of 5 Tribals, the Illegal Acquisition of Land by NTPC: Hazaribagh appeared first on SabrangIndia.

An injured tribal

In a gruesome incident, early morning on Saturday, the Jharkhand police is said to have left five persons dead and many injured as it opened fire on the villagers protesting “forcible land acquisition” for a thermal power plant being built by the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) in district Hazaribagh, Chirdudih area. 

The firing, according to independent sources, has left five people dead, 12 critically injured and nearly 50 injured. There is a curfew in the area, and outsiders can’t go, and many missing are yet to be traced, these sources added.

While protests against the NTPC plant have been going on since 2010, when the project was announced, critics says, till date far acquired 8,056 acres of land acquired, most it “forcibly and fraudulently.”

This has happened despite the fact that, it is suggested, many issues even on the acquired land remains to be resolved, including higher compensation, employment and so on. 

“Without meeting any of the promises and resolving the outstanding issues, attempts continue to be made to forcibly acquire more land, completely violating many provisions of the Land Acquisition Act (LAA)”, 2013, says National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM), a network of tens of civil rights organizations, in an early statement. 

The latest round of protests began at the site about 10 days days ago, with thousands from different villages staging “kafan” (shroud) satyagraha at Badkagaon village.
“Government rather than trying to resolve the situation tried to arrest one of the leaders and after resistance from the villagers resorted to police firing leading to death of five people”, NAPM has contended.

Condemning the incident as a “dastardly act of terror and unprovoked firing on the long resistance against the forcible acquisition of land”, NAPM has said, “This incident comes barely few months after a police firing on villagers protesting ill impacts of thermal power plants left two dead in Ramgarh district.”
It adds, “The impunity with which the Jharkhand government has been dealing with peaceful protests and several instances of opening fire on the peaceful protesters raises serious questions of violations of human rights and complete disregard for the law and order.”

“The incident also exposes the continued repression and exploitation of the adivasis and the land despite Jharkhand becoming a separate state in 2001. In 15 years, the Indian State and political class has only colluded with the private corporations for exploiting the natural resources”, the statement says.
It adds, “This has often faced stiff resistance from the people and led to manifold instances of police firing, imprisonment and torture.” 

In a letter written to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), NAPM convener, well-known social activist Medha Patkar and her colleague Madhuresh Kumar, have sought immediate “stop to this reign of terror”, adding, the police should be immediately “withdraw from the area” injured be “treated”.

Asking in the letter to NHRC chairman HL Dattu to ensure that the state government does not to begin “witchhunt and arrest of the villagers as we have witnessed in numerous instances in past”, the letter says, the government should take “immediate action on the police officials who ordered firing.”

Seeking the NHRC intervention to “to stop an end to the forcible land acquisition, which is rampant in the state and often has led to the death and imprisonment of the adivasis and farmers there”, the letter says, all “outstanding issues” with the tribals should be settled immediately.

 

 

The post 5 Tribals Killed as Jharkand Cops Fire on Protestors appeared first on SabrangIndia.