Kokrajhar Relief Camp, 14 September 2012, picture taken by Jiten Nandi

Me, Ramjiban, Helaluddin and kamrujjaman Khan yesterday visited several camps of Gosaigaon and Dhubri. Actually when day before yesterday we reached Kokrajhar we saw posters in the station and all over the town threatening people for boycotting ‘Bangladeshis’, otherwise they will be punished. So the situation was tense and fearful for non-Bodos.

Poster in Kokrajhar, Jiten Nandi, 14 September 2012

Yesterday we started from Srirampur station in the morning for visiting the camps of the victims. There we saw that the programme of taking photographs for those who have land pattas from the government. It created panic among the people in the camp. There are many who have no land patta, but they are staying in the villages for generations. Actually Assam govt. stopped giving registration of land pattas since 1986 and many people who have bought land but did not got any formal land record. Govt. is saying that they will rehabilitate people in the camps in three phases. Firstly, they will send back people holding pattas to their villages. But the people, the muslim community members, in the camps saying that they will go back to their home all at a time.

Today ABSU organised a meeting in Kokrajhar. In spite of rain, students from schools, colleges and localities are coming, many by foot, for joining the meeting.

Jiten Nandi

You come with arms in one hand,

sweet in another, bravo!! …..

After loosing 17 young boys and girls in CRPF firing in the night of 28th June, villagers of Sarkeguda refused government aid, to be provided via local administration on 7th July. Rejected and dejected, the officers went back packing up the tents erected for the dole ceremony. The whole incident took place in front of a fact finding team, who video-graphed it and uploaded on website. Here is a snapshot. Below is the video link along with a rough english translation. Villagers spoke in Hindi as well as in Gondi.

Once you killed our seventeen villagers, all hamlets were set on fire, and now you came with rations to give us? What do you think? We are sacrificing our lives to have alms from you? We don’t have food to eat? We don’t have anything to put on? Aren’t they citizens who were killed ? Aren’t those children? They are naxals. Isn’t it? Those children are real naxals, so they are killed first. Isn’t that so? That little girl, she was speaking in the ceremony. Thus she was killed first. She was real naxal. Isn’t it? She was not 12 even.

If we are naxals, why are you giving us these? Do you people come to provide rations to naxals? Kill us, set ablaze us. Don’t you see us, naxals. Bring a big car. Take our dead-bodies. You took our people in a car that night. Those who were still alive died in congestion.

See this naxal children. You come with arms in one hand, sweet in another, bravo!! …..

 

Video link sent by Prashant Halder, a member of Fact Finding team.

People all over the world are trying to get out of the money-based economy we have. This has led to experiments in community currency, local skill-sharing ( things which otherwise would need money to be performed) and simple barters. This aims to make commerce as a social transaction and a human transaction rather than a lifeless transaction. This also creates small spaces where rules of external market do not determine all kinds of internal dynamics and all aspects of people’s lives. In their small way, they are an inspiring challenge to the present system where capital is valued over everything and all human relationships become essentially devoid of emotion, and purely transaction.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-17680904

Shared by Garga Chatterjee

Ever since the disaster of 3.11, the ripple of anti-nuke movement has spread throughout Japan. The Japanese authority, after shutting down all the operating nuclear plants one by one, has now restarted one in Oi. Voices opposing to nuclear plant restart has gained power, and neighbour local governments began to speak out against restart of the Oi Nuclear Plant. These acts have delayed nuclear power to regain its original position, thus made No-Nuke day happen (if temporary, from 5th May to 30 June, 2012).

“But we must be honest that situations surrounding Oi Nuclear Power Plant is very fragile, and the government has not shown us how and when we are stepping out on nuclear power“, asserts The Metropolitan Coalition Against Nukes, an umbrella network formed in September 2011, among several groups and individuals hosting demonstrations of their own, in order to work together.

The first collaboration took shape as the “Rally for a Nuke-Free World in JAPAN” on October 22nd 2011, co-working with an American Ant-nuke coalition. On January 14th 2012, “GLOBAL MARCH FOR A NUCLEAR POWER FREE WORLD IN YOKOHAMA” took place with 4500 participants as an action linked with the “Global Conference for a Nuclear Power Free World“ which was held at Pacifico Yokohama Conference Center. On the first memorial of the Great Fukushima Disaster, March 11th 2012, the network held a demo with 14000 people, along with a candle demonstration surrounding the Japanese Parliament building.

The group says : “Even though we have achieved a nuclear free period, we still have to keep showing our thoughts to make nuclear disappear forever. … Ever since April 2012, we have kept calling for a protest in front of the Prime Minister’s Office. Every time we shoot this demo, more than a thousand people come and join us, gaining strength each time. … We will keep co-working with all kinds of groups and individuals in and out of Japan.”

The weekly rallies outside the parliament are being increasingly populated. People are coming along with their children. Organisers are trying maximum to keep the rallies as peaceful as possible, so that families can turn up. On 16th July, 170 thousand people participated, claimed the group. Some 7.5 million people signed so far against nuclear power in Japan.

From www.coalitionagainstnukes.jp

A recent PUCL fact finding team found that the Nuclear Emergency Drill, claimed to have been done in Nakkaneri village in Koodankulam on 9th June 2012 is a total fraud. PUCL team took testimonials and documented it and published a report on that event. The report in full can be found here. Below is the excerpt of the report.

An old woman from Nakkaneri village. Picture from the report.

Reconstruction of the event from the testimonies of the people of Nakkaneri
“At about 9.30 – 10 o’colck in the morning of 9 June 2012 a group of 40-50 policemen, officials including the subcollector came to Nakkaneri. The policemen that included the traffic  police formed a barricade in the Radhapuram  –Anjugramam road. Then they started checking the vehicles that were passing. The vehicle checks was conducted in the usual way as they check anywhere else.They did not carry any specific equipment. (H.Ayyappan, Auto Driver, Nakkaneri Road Junction; Selvi, Tea Shop Owner, Nakkaneri Road Junction; Velu, Tea Shop  Owner, Nakkaneri Junction).  The elected representative of Nakkaneri  -  Esakkiammal, Panchayat President Vijayalakshmi, Valliyur Counsilor Suyambulingadurai were informally aware of the officials visiting the village. However they were neither informed about the purpose of their visit nor were invited to accompany them. (Esakkiammal, Vijayalakshmi, Suyambulingathurai testimomies).
The officials and a few policemen went into the Nakkaneri village. They came out of the Thanakkarkulam road after sometime (H.Ayyappan). Some of the policemen went to  the  teashops  at the road junction and consumed tea and vadai. They were talking about some robbery in the nearby vi llage. They did not tell the people in the teashop or its owner that they had come to train them for an offsite emergency preparedness plan for the KKNPP (Selvi).
They were asked by the people living in houses located at the junction about the cause of th eir visit. They replied to them that they had come for providing them safety. They however did not reveal that they had come for the offsite emergency exercise. (Anthoniammal, Old woman at the house located at Nakkaneri junction).

The village has about 150 houses with about 500 people. Most of them belong to the Dalit Parayar Caste and are manual laborers working in wind mills, farms, fish work, construction work and central government’s 100 day work program. They leave the village for work by 9 am and return by 5 pm. So, when the officials and  policemen came to the village at about 9.30-10 am, almost all the people excepting the very old men and women have left for work. The village was literally empty. (Balasubramaniyam, Arumugam, Selvi).
However the few  elders present at homes were curious to know the reasons for the officials’ visit. They were deeply frightened about the presence of a large number of policemen, some of whom were found taking photographs of the empty road. They had felt that these offici als had come to survey the village in order to make way for a large road that will go to Kudankulam. (Sellamma). While at the main road of the Nakkaneri hamlet, the policemen and the officials were talking only among themselves. They did not interact voluntarily with the old people who were present. Some of the policemen were seen taking photos at a few places of the village. They were seen taking photos of the empty village  road with  no people around. The men and women  enquired them the reason for their presence. They either did not answer and chased them away or they said they have come to sanction the roads for the village. When one old  man, on hearing this reply said, why should the police be entrusted with laying of roads when in fact it was the duty of the Panchayat, he was immediately chase away. (Arumugam, old man, present at his house when the officials and policemen came to the village ).
The village health nurse Mrs.Manonmani was present in the village when the officials had come. She was applying  larvicide in water tanks as a part of prevention of the mosquito that is responsible for dengue fever. However, she was not informed about the officials’ visiting the place. She heard from the
people that the health officials had also come. She was not called by the officials to accompany them. Even though the Kudankulam Power Plant officials had given training and had told them about the importance the Iodine tablets, she was not asked by them or others that she should have a stock of them. She also said that the villagers were not distributed with Iodine tablets.” ( Manonmani, VHN).

Report by Shamik Sarkar

In a writ petition to Calcutta High Court, Tapan Dutta’s wife demanded CBI inquiry as CID failed to file charge-sheet against the accused persons and didn’t investigate the main culprit, the Real Estate Corporate ANMOL who, along with other land-shirks is responsible to filling out the water bodies in Howrah district, West Bengal.
Pratima Dutta said that on 12 May 2011, she handed over a statement to CID with many important facts and made the specific complaint against some influential Trinamool Congress leaders namely Mr. Shasti Gayen, Ashit Gyen, Kalyan Ghosh, Gobinda Hazra, Amit Pal Chowdhury, Ajay pal Chowdhery Moloy Dutta , Pachu Bagani, Lakhikanta Halder, Babu Mondol, Paritosh Bor, Ramesh Mahato and his associates. She also stated that her husband was killed, as a conspiracy led by Mr. Arup Roy ,the Howrah District President of All India Trinamool Congress, currently an important cabinet Minister of Government of West Bengal.
Pratima devi said that the movement against the illegal filling of water bodies was started taking consent from Arup Roy, but when his husband moved to High Court and made a PIL in 2009 against filling of the water body, Mr. Arup Roy and others became hostile. In an informal conversation with Tapan Dutta, Mr Arup Roy said that he has been appointed ANMOL’s lawyer. An illegal syndicate called GUILD was also formed with active participation of notorious criminal like Ramesh Mahato and his associates with the support of above named AITMC leaders including Mr. Arup Roy.
Some of the accused came to Mr Dutta’s house and offered him Rs. 25 lakh and a flat in Kolkata in order to take him down in March 2011. Tapan refused the bribe and on 6th May he was murdered. He has developed enmity with some comrades in Trinamool Congress over ash filling in water bodies in Howrah, like Suti canal, Haral canal and other two Canals for Anmol South City Project, a joint collaboration with W.B Government.
CID made inquiry and filed a primary charge-sheet where accused persons were properly named. Arup Roy was also named there. But when Arup Roy was made a minister, CID filed a supplementary charge-sheet with all names annulled off. Also, there is no reflection of any inquiry in the said purported incomplete charge sheet /or supplementary charge sheet regarding the activity of the actual promoter of the Bengal Anmol South City Infrastructure Pvt. Limited.
Pratima and other members of Tapan Dutta’s family appealed for a CBI inquiry. An environmental activist, who is assisting Pratima Devi in this case, Mr. Kunal Guha Roy said this is the first time an environmental activist’s bereaved family came to the High Court for justice. Environmental activists are panicked in West Bengal. If Tapan Dutta’s family gets justice, that will strengthen environment movement in West Bengal.

Report from Songbadmanthan fortnightly

The Fukushima Nuclear disaster is a man made disaster, concluded a High Power parliamentary commission after six months of review. They also argued that the disaster may have been caused by earthquake itself and not due to tsunami as claimed by TEPCO, the plant owner energy corporate. They said, “We believe there is a possibility that the earthquake damaged equipment necessary for ensuring safety, and that there is also a possibility that a small-scale LOCA occured in Unit 1.” While the commission didn’t say anything regarding the abolition of Nuclear Power, as it was beyond their mandate (they said, “We did not study matters related to the future energy policies of Japan, including the promotion or abolition of nuclear power”), the earthquake driven disaster revelation may have been taken as a slapping on the world nuclear proponents as they claim that the nuclear power plant is designed to be earthquake resistant.

Click here to find the the executive summary of the report.

Here are the conclusions of their findings :

a) In order to prevent future disasters, fundamental reforms must take place. These reforms must cover both the structure of the electric power industry and the structure of the related government and regulatory agencies as well as the operation processes. They must cover both normal and emergency situations.

b) The TEPCO Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant accident was the result of collusion between the government, the regulators and TEPCO, and the lack of governance by said parties. They effectively betrayed the nation’s right to be safe from nuclear accidents. Therefore, we conclude that the accident was clearly “manmade.” We believe that the root causes were the organizational and regulatory systems that supported faulty rationales for decisions and actions, rather than issues relating to the competency of any specific individual.

c) We conclude that TEPCO was too quick to cite the tsunami as the cause of the nuclear accident and deny that the earthquake caused any damage. We believe there is a possibility that the earthquake damaged equipment necessary for ensuring safety, and that there is also a possibility that a small-scale LOCA occured in Unit 1. We hope these points will be examined further by a third party. Read more »

From a Bijoya Dashami mail by an expatriate Bengali

As far as Bongs (Bengalis) are concerned, there are only three kinds
of people on earth:

Bongs: They inhabit the Middle Kingdom and are the only people who really matter. We probashi Bongs or expatriate Bongs are cousins thrice removed, acknowledged only when we make it good in Bollywood.

Non-Bongs: Everybody else on earth, and they really don’t matter. Of course, we cannot afford to say it in as many words, now that we have fallen on such hard times and have to queue up before the non-Bongs for all the jobs.

and,

Hon-Bongs or honorary Bongs: (a term coined by Jug Suraiya, an eminent journalist and humourist and an hon-bong himself): They are a small breed of non-Bongs, who have lived in Bengal for a long time and love to eat rashogolla and mishti doi. They may or may not speak Bengali; that does not matter as long as they love (or profess to love) rashogolla and mishti doi. Spouses, domestic partners, or good friends of Bongs are also welcome to this privileged club as long as they love rashogolla and mishti doi. So much the better if the jamaai or bou-maa happens to be an Ivy League-academic or a Nigerian footballer. Others are not so welcome even if they love rashogolla and mishti doi. Read more »

S. P. Udayakumar

Another set of trees are eliminated in Eastern Metropolitan Bypass, Kolkata last week to make a space for overhead Metro Railway. Hundreds of trees, most of them had been planted by Government of West Bengal some years back to make this increasingly polluting city greener, have been cut down for several months now to pave the way for Metro Rail projects. Environmentalists have expressed concern for this several times before.

Photo and news by Shamik Sarkar