`The coast and the sea belong to the Hindus,’ said Togadia recently in Kerala. The coastline of Kerala has a population of fisher folk who belong to the Hindus, Muslims and Christians on more equal proportions than most of other states in India. These communities have a traditional right to the commons: the sea and the coast. Apart from the fisher folk, there are also other people from all religions also settled on this coast. The state government has constructed sea walls on two third of the coast in Kerala, creating major disturbance for the fisher folk. The areas which are not walled are predominantly tourism areas. Tourism industry and the real estate lobbies have already captured vast areas of land that belonged to the traditional fisher people. It is in this context that Togadia’s communal statement has to be read by all. Fisher people’s organizations, left parties, trade unions, secular organizations, Muslim groups, Christian groups, secular journalists and all others have read this statement in leading newspapers. But they have all chosen to remain silent. Is it because they agree to this statement? Or do they have any other opinion? Is Kerala creating grounds for corporatization and communal fascism, consciously or unconsciously?
It was a relief to read a reaction in twocircles.net saying: `Social activists including Dr MS Jayaprakash, Prof TB Vijayakumar, Prof Raju Thomas, Harul Jafar, Kuttikada Ashraf, I Shanthakumar, Dr Bheem Jayaraj, Dr PK Sukumaran, Advocate Joshi, Advocate PR Suresh and Plavil K Devarajan in a joint statement observed that Togadiya’s declaration that sea belongs to Hindus, is not just communal and instead seditious. They noted that Togadia’s frequent visit to Kerala and such venom spitting speeches are part of Sanghparivar agenda to turn Kerala into another Gujarat’. But what do the Kerala Government and fisheries department have to say about this?
Who owns the coast and the sea? If the sea is a private property of the Hindus alone, then the Arabian Sea should be renamed as Hindu Sea.
K.P. Sasi
|
Showing posts with label Fishermen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fishermen. Show all posts
November 20, 2012
May 16, 2009
Marad fisher folk divided by religious identity
Magazine Section / The Hindu, May 17, 2009
A sea divided
by Harsh Mander
The story of how a community of fisher folk was split on the lines of religious identity and the State’s dubious role in the affair…
Today…they are only Hindus and Muslims, divided — some fear terminally — by identity...
File Photo: S. Ramesh Kurup
Strangers in their own land: A rehabilitated Muslim family in Marad.
Marad, a small coastal hamlet of impoverished fisher folk in Kerela, is ruptured and inflamed today by hate, suspicion and violence. For the greater part of the past decade, this tiny fishing village on the Arabian Sea, near the historic town of Kozh ikode, witnessed successive bouts of blood-letting, and the exodus, incarceration, severe jail sentences and boycott of minority populations.
It was a minor dispute between two young men of different religious persuasions regarding the alleged molestation of a minor Muslim girl at a New Year celebration in the fishing village, in 2002, which grew into a full blown communal clash. This culminated in the murder of two Hindu and two Muslim men. Bitterness grew further between the two communities, after a village elder, Aboobacker, was hacked when, alone in the tense atmosphere of the village, he went out to dig graves at the local mosque of the two Muslim youth who were killed. The properties of the Muslim residents of the village also were extensively destroyed at that time.
Escalating violence
The state administration dragged its feet in filing charge-sheets in courts to commence the trial of the accused, and in sanctioning permission to prosecute the guilty in this communal clash. Meanwhile, the relatives and friends of Muslim men who were killed, allegedly planned vengeance killings as retribution. These included the son and brother of Aboobacker, who returned from their employment in the Gulf to take revenge. Had the State government sanctioned and commenced prosecution on time, the men killed in this retributive attack may have been alive today, as they would have been in jail instead of free in their village. The gruesome revenge killings left dead nine men, eight Hindus and one Muslim, and 20 injured. The blood that drenched the beaches of Marad, engendered mass fury in the village against the Muslim inhabitants. Residents of the entire Muslim enclave of the fishing village were driven out, and more than 500 Muslim families were exiled to live in relief camps for around six months.
During the months that they spent in the relief camp, their homes were looted and destroyed by their neighbours, allegedly in the presence of the police. The village was barricaded and the entry of outsiders was seriously restricted. But the incendiary Bajrang Dal leader Praveen Tagodia was permitted to enter the village and freely address its Hindu fisher folk residents. He threatened darkly to unleash “Marad III” or a third round of retaliatory violence if the Muslim residents were allowed to return and be rehabilitated in the village. From the 1970s, residents of Marad testify that RSS shakhas, complete with drills in khaki shorts, had commenced in their village, and this contributed to ultimately rupture bonds so profoundly between the communities.
The chasm between villagers of different religious persuasions grew further because the Hindu villagers made it clear that they did not want their neighbours to return, in effect holding the entire Muslim community responsible for the killings executed by a few. Gujarat is the model the majority Hindu fisher folk emulate for reducing their Muslim neighbours to second class citizenship. I recall first visiting Marad just months after the exodus of the residents, and found activists of the Hindu community unforgiving of the Muslim villagers who were still in camps. Their leader declared, “Only if we repeat Gujarat here will ‘they’ learn their lesson”. I was stunned by how deep the divide had become.
Feeling let down
Not surprisingly, residents of the camps were angry and dismayed. One woman resident of the camp declared to a fact-finding team constituted by an organisation, Insaf, “It is better that the government evict the entire village, convert it into a large public toilet, and rehabilitate all villagers elsewhere. There is no point going back … (‘they’) have tasted victory and will not rest till all of us are exterminated.” In the end, many of the residents migrated permanently. Others returned, but they live segregated, boycotted and in submission.
Most worrying is the openly different standards that the State administration — under both political formations — as well as the criminal justice system, have adopted in the two successive episodes of communal violence in Marad. In the first, there was no compensation paid to the survivors, whereas in the second, they were paid at higher rates than probably in any communal riot in the country: 10 lakh rupees for every person who died and five lakhs for the severely injured. In the first, courts freely granted bail, and the accused — many of them leaders and activists of communal organisations which continue to foment hatred against the entire Muslim community and to threaten them with violence — still walk free many years later, even up to the time of writing. By contrast, 137 men were arrested for the second round of killings, and most were not granted bail for over four years. A special court was constituted to hear day to day the second case, whereas in the first, proceedings did not even begin until seven years after the crime. It is only after the sentencing of the accused in the second crime that the case has finally come up for hearing in recent months. It appears clear that even though the Constitution of India guarantees equal protection to all citizens regardless of their faith or caste, in practice entirely different rules apply when minorities are victims and when they are accused of crimes.
In his recent judgement, the judge of the special court sentenced a spectacular 62 persons to life imprisonment, all charged directly with the murder of eight men. It is very unusual for such a large number of persons to be charged directly with murder in a single crime. Public opinion was greatly incensed against minorities after the second phase of Marad killings all across Kerela, and people were convinced that this was more than a retaliatory killing: it was believed to be the outcome of efforts of extremist Muslim groups supported by Gulf remittances. But the court could not find evidence of the larger conspiracy that was so widely alleged.
Ruined lives
Another 76 men were acquitted, and I met some of the beaten men who were declared innocent after four years without bail in prison. They said their families had been reduced in these years to penury, since there were no men who could go out to fish, and they lived with the humiliation of charity. The Hindus in the village had broken all social connections with them. Boycotted, their homes and boats destroyed, their bodies weakened by years of incarceration and police beatings, they felt broken and hopeless, and did not know how to pick up the strings of their lives once again. Some had sons who were sentenced to life terms in jail.
There was a time when the people of Marad saw themselves only as a community of fisher folk. They were governed by multi-religious sea courts, which arbitrated their access to sea, parking of boats, auction rates and wages of labour. Today, they are still indigent fisher folk, their livelihoods threatened and risky, and their earnings meagre. But now they do not any longer stand shoulder to shoulder as a dispossessed fishing community; instead they are only Hindus and Muslims, divided — some fear terminally — by identity: sullen, suspicious and fearful. They dread today not the rigours of life and work in the sea; above all, they live with the trepidation of when the flame of hate will next be lit, scorching further their community, their livelihoods, their families, their trust and hope.
A sea divided
by Harsh Mander
The story of how a community of fisher folk was split on the lines of religious identity and the State’s dubious role in the affair…
Today…they are only Hindus and Muslims, divided — some fear terminally — by identity...
File Photo: S. Ramesh Kurup
Strangers in their own land: A rehabilitated Muslim family in Marad.
Marad, a small coastal hamlet of impoverished fisher folk in Kerela, is ruptured and inflamed today by hate, suspicion and violence. For the greater part of the past decade, this tiny fishing village on the Arabian Sea, near the historic town of Kozh ikode, witnessed successive bouts of blood-letting, and the exodus, incarceration, severe jail sentences and boycott of minority populations.
It was a minor dispute between two young men of different religious persuasions regarding the alleged molestation of a minor Muslim girl at a New Year celebration in the fishing village, in 2002, which grew into a full blown communal clash. This culminated in the murder of two Hindu and two Muslim men. Bitterness grew further between the two communities, after a village elder, Aboobacker, was hacked when, alone in the tense atmosphere of the village, he went out to dig graves at the local mosque of the two Muslim youth who were killed. The properties of the Muslim residents of the village also were extensively destroyed at that time.
Escalating violence
The state administration dragged its feet in filing charge-sheets in courts to commence the trial of the accused, and in sanctioning permission to prosecute the guilty in this communal clash. Meanwhile, the relatives and friends of Muslim men who were killed, allegedly planned vengeance killings as retribution. These included the son and brother of Aboobacker, who returned from their employment in the Gulf to take revenge. Had the State government sanctioned and commenced prosecution on time, the men killed in this retributive attack may have been alive today, as they would have been in jail instead of free in their village. The gruesome revenge killings left dead nine men, eight Hindus and one Muslim, and 20 injured. The blood that drenched the beaches of Marad, engendered mass fury in the village against the Muslim inhabitants. Residents of the entire Muslim enclave of the fishing village were driven out, and more than 500 Muslim families were exiled to live in relief camps for around six months.
During the months that they spent in the relief camp, their homes were looted and destroyed by their neighbours, allegedly in the presence of the police. The village was barricaded and the entry of outsiders was seriously restricted. But the incendiary Bajrang Dal leader Praveen Tagodia was permitted to enter the village and freely address its Hindu fisher folk residents. He threatened darkly to unleash “Marad III” or a third round of retaliatory violence if the Muslim residents were allowed to return and be rehabilitated in the village. From the 1970s, residents of Marad testify that RSS shakhas, complete with drills in khaki shorts, had commenced in their village, and this contributed to ultimately rupture bonds so profoundly between the communities.
The chasm between villagers of different religious persuasions grew further because the Hindu villagers made it clear that they did not want their neighbours to return, in effect holding the entire Muslim community responsible for the killings executed by a few. Gujarat is the model the majority Hindu fisher folk emulate for reducing their Muslim neighbours to second class citizenship. I recall first visiting Marad just months after the exodus of the residents, and found activists of the Hindu community unforgiving of the Muslim villagers who were still in camps. Their leader declared, “Only if we repeat Gujarat here will ‘they’ learn their lesson”. I was stunned by how deep the divide had become.
Feeling let down
Not surprisingly, residents of the camps were angry and dismayed. One woman resident of the camp declared to a fact-finding team constituted by an organisation, Insaf, “It is better that the government evict the entire village, convert it into a large public toilet, and rehabilitate all villagers elsewhere. There is no point going back … (‘they’) have tasted victory and will not rest till all of us are exterminated.” In the end, many of the residents migrated permanently. Others returned, but they live segregated, boycotted and in submission.
Most worrying is the openly different standards that the State administration — under both political formations — as well as the criminal justice system, have adopted in the two successive episodes of communal violence in Marad. In the first, there was no compensation paid to the survivors, whereas in the second, they were paid at higher rates than probably in any communal riot in the country: 10 lakh rupees for every person who died and five lakhs for the severely injured. In the first, courts freely granted bail, and the accused — many of them leaders and activists of communal organisations which continue to foment hatred against the entire Muslim community and to threaten them with violence — still walk free many years later, even up to the time of writing. By contrast, 137 men were arrested for the second round of killings, and most were not granted bail for over four years. A special court was constituted to hear day to day the second case, whereas in the first, proceedings did not even begin until seven years after the crime. It is only after the sentencing of the accused in the second crime that the case has finally come up for hearing in recent months. It appears clear that even though the Constitution of India guarantees equal protection to all citizens regardless of their faith or caste, in practice entirely different rules apply when minorities are victims and when they are accused of crimes.
In his recent judgement, the judge of the special court sentenced a spectacular 62 persons to life imprisonment, all charged directly with the murder of eight men. It is very unusual for such a large number of persons to be charged directly with murder in a single crime. Public opinion was greatly incensed against minorities after the second phase of Marad killings all across Kerela, and people were convinced that this was more than a retaliatory killing: it was believed to be the outcome of efforts of extremist Muslim groups supported by Gulf remittances. But the court could not find evidence of the larger conspiracy that was so widely alleged.
Ruined lives
Another 76 men were acquitted, and I met some of the beaten men who were declared innocent after four years without bail in prison. They said their families had been reduced in these years to penury, since there were no men who could go out to fish, and they lived with the humiliation of charity. The Hindus in the village had broken all social connections with them. Boycotted, their homes and boats destroyed, their bodies weakened by years of incarceration and police beatings, they felt broken and hopeless, and did not know how to pick up the strings of their lives once again. Some had sons who were sentenced to life terms in jail.
There was a time when the people of Marad saw themselves only as a community of fisher folk. They were governed by multi-religious sea courts, which arbitrated their access to sea, parking of boats, auction rates and wages of labour. Today, they are still indigent fisher folk, their livelihoods threatened and risky, and their earnings meagre. But now they do not any longer stand shoulder to shoulder as a dispossessed fishing community; instead they are only Hindus and Muslims, divided — some fear terminally — by identity: sullen, suspicious and fearful. They dread today not the rigours of life and work in the sea; above all, they live with the trepidation of when the flame of hate will next be lit, scorching further their community, their livelihoods, their families, their trust and hope.
September 26, 2007
Text of Petition - Condemning Communalisation of Sethuraman Project
COASTAL STRUGGLE SOLIDARITY
A124/6, First Floor, Katwaria Sarai, New Delhi-16
Ph, +91 9871880686 Email: css@movingrepublic.org
With the recent debate on Sethusamudram and the subsequent violence in Bangalore, we feel that there is a conscious attempt to take over a genuine issue concerning environment and fisherpeople's lives by the communal forces. The secular forces and fisherpeople's organisations in this country have expressed their strong dissent against these developments. We are enclosing a statement by a large number of concerned people, fisherpeople's organisations and civil society groups on the recent debate on Sethusamudram Project. We request you to provide adequate coverage in you pubication and support the spirit of secularism, ecology and coastal people's lives.
Thanking you,
Shree Prakash,
For Coastal Struggle Solidarity,
New Delhi
Mobile: 9871880686
--
CONDEMN KILLINGS!!
CONDEMN COMMUNALISATION OF SETHUSAMUDRAM PROJECT!!
We, the undersigned civil society groups, people's movements, human rights organisations and concerned individuals condemn the killings of innocent people and destruction of public property by Hindutva-inspired communal forces recently. A mob, now identified as members of Sangh Parivar organizations, attacked a Tamil Nadu public transport bus in Bangalore recently and burned down the vehicle that was carrying 26 passengers. Two passengers were killed and their bodies were charred beyond recognition. This attack was a part of conscious and systematic efforts of the religious fundamentalist forces to undermine the real issues concerning Sethusamudram Project and to make political capital by flaring up the emotions of the people and dividing them on religious and provincial lines.
The Sethusamudram Project was introduced by the BJP while they were in power at the centre without considering the ecological and human problems. The Sethusamudram Project will endanger a rich biosphere reserve with 400 endangered species, including sea turtles, dolphins, dugongs and whales. The project will destroy the livelihood of 15 Lakh people who depend on fishing and allied areas in the waters where the canal will be dug. Several fisher people's organisations and human rights groups had protested against the project for a long time without getting any recognition from the mainstream political parties. Today the effort by the communal-fundamentalist forces is to divert the real issues concerning the project and generate political gain in view of the forthcoming elections.
We feel that there is an immediate need to stop any further violence &
communalisation of this issue. Hence we call upon all secular forces and social
movements to take a strong stand to condemn these efforts of communal
forces and recognise the real struggles of fisher people. We call upon the civil
society to support the fisher people's struggles to protect the coast from all
destructive developmental projects including Sethusamudram project
The Undersigned
1. Just. H.Suresh, Formal Judge, High court Mumbai
2. Praful Bidwai, Journalist & Writer
3. Arundhati Roy, Activist, Writer
4. Aruna roy
5. Vinod Raina, BGVS, New Delhi
6. Gabriele Dietrich, NAPM
7. Shripad Dharamadhikary, Manthan
8. Bruce Rich, Environmental Defense
9. T.Peter, President KSMTF & Secretary, NFF
10.Gilbert, Tamil Nadu – Pondicherry Fisher people's Forum
11.Anton Gomez, National Union of Fisherpeople
12.R. Mangaiyarselvam, Founder, Meenavar Viduthalai Vengaigal
(Fisherpeople Liberation Tigers)
13.V. Gowrilingam, President, Kancheepuram District Fisher people
Federation,
14.Dr. M. E. Raja, Ph D, General Secretary, National Union of Fishermen,
15.J. Kosumani, President, Tamilnadu Fisherpeople Progressive Assoociation,
16.K. Bharathi, President, South Indian Fishermen's Welfare Association,
17.B. Maran, President, Tamilnadu Fisher People Movement.
18.Dunu Roy , Hazards Centre
19.Kamala Bhasin, SANGAT, New Delhi
20.Harsh Kapoor, South Asia Citizens Web
21.Dr. T.T Sreekumar, Academic, National University of Singapore
22.Madhumitha Dutta, Corporate Accountability Desk
23.Nityanand Jayaraman, Corporate Accountability desk
24. Anivar Aravind, moving Republic, Kerala
25. Wilfred D'Costa, INSAF
26.Benny Kuruvila, FOCUS on Global South Mumbai
27.Mohaji BHAP, Chandigad
28.Prasad Chacko, Action Aid
29.Jacob Nellithanam, Richaria Campaign
30.Mahendra Kumar Rauson, NCDHR, Bihar
31.K.P. Sasi, Visual Search
32.Jai Prakash, PEACE
33.I.K.Shukla, Writer, Los Angeles
34.Himanshu Upadhyaya, Intercultural Resources
35.P.T. George, Intercultural Resources
36.Abhishek Srivastava, Freelance Journalist
37.Navin Kumar, Star News
38.Lalit Batra, researcher
39. Hitendra, Human Rights Law Network
40.Amarjit Singh,
41.S. Majumdar, HRLN
42.Nandini Oza , Manthan, Badwani
43.Praveen, Delhi University
44.Anja K , Researcher
45.Geetanjali, NBA
46.Supriya , DU student
47.Ankitha, DU student
48.Amit , JNU student
49.Harsh Dobhal , Combat law
50.Renu Khanna , PUCL, Baroda
51.Debaranjan, PSSP, Kashipur
52.J.John, Centre for Education & Communication, New Delhi
53.Badar, PEACE, Delhi
54.Surekha, HRLN
55.Andrea Wright, TISS.MADS
56.Lalhlieupuii , JNU student
57.Lalrindiki , Student, Mizoram
58. Nima Lamu Yolmo, JNU student, Darjeling
59.Preeti, Activist
60.Rajesh rangarajan, Activist
61.Vidya Rangan, Activist
62.Sunayana JNU student
63.Simpreet Singh, NAPM
64.Sheena kanwar, Activist
65.Swastika Sanghmithra, Activist
66.Subir Dey , JNU Student
67.Kasturi Sharma, JNU Student
68.Shrikanth , HRLN
69.S. Hussaini, IT consultant
70.Sanja Sharma, HRLN
71.Sarojini, Samad
72.Ritwik
73.Anshu Malviya, poet, Activist, UP
74.Grace Pelly, HRLN
75.HR Hiramat, NCPNR, Karnataka
76.Smriti, HRLN
77.E.P Menon, IDF , Bangalore
78.Pradeep Kumar, SVP, UP
79.Jharna Jhavera, Janmadhyam
80.Mihir Engineer , BOSS institute Kolkotta,
81.Sulak Sivaraksa, SEM, Tailand
82.Irfan Ahmed, Lokmach, Insaf
83.Kousal K, Activist Bihar,
84.Binod Tyagi, Lok Manch, Bihar
85.Rakesh, PEACE
86.Jitendra C, PEACE
87.Anant Deo N, INSAF Bihar
88.Ganesh Prasad, INSAF, UP
89.Ranjeet Kumar Singh, PUCE, INSAF, UP
90.Chittaranjan Singh, PUCL, INSAF, UP
91.Raghavendra kumar Advocate MP
92.Jithendra Kumar, Journalist
93.Umpiliha DSW
94.Mohan Rao, JNU
95.Beena, SAMA
96.Sarojini, SAMA
97.Riwik, SAMA
98.Pakhi, SAMA
99.Jacqulin J, NAPM
100.Deepa Naveen, Activist
101.Swathi Mukharji, JMIICR
102.Mallika Virdi MAATI, Utharghand
103.Jasamia Sarma, Student
104.Anil Tharayath Varghese, NCAS, Pune
105.Ajay, People's watch, Kerala
106.Pradeep Esteves, Activist, Bangalore
107.Savad Rahman, Journalist, Kerala
108.Satyajit Roy
109.Pritham K Chakravarthy- Theatre Activist
110.Sukla Sen, EKTA (Committee for Communal Amity), Mumbai
111.Satya Sivaraman, Journalist
112.Nilanjana Biswas, Freelance Writer, Bangalore
113.Gaurav Dwivedi, Manthan, Badwani, MP
114.Shrish Khare, Manthan, Badwani, MP
115.Edwin, Openspace, Bangalore
116.Manohar.R, South India Cell for Human Rights Education &
Monitoring(SICHREM), Bangalore
117.Rohan D'Souza
118.Nasiruddin Haider Khan
119.Deepak Roy, Film Maker
120.Ranjana Padhi, Activist, Delhi
121.Renu Ghosh, Film maker, Kolkotta
122.K.C. Santhosh Kumar, Activist, Kerala
123. Anuja Jain, Student, New York University
124.Ranjit Thankappan
125.Madhuresh Kumar, CACIM, New Delhi
126.Ashim Jain, Bangalore
127.Souparna Lahiri, NFFPFW
128.K.M.Venugopalan. Writer & Activist, Kerala
129.Carol Geeta, SAMEEKSHA, Ajmeer
130. Raja Swamy, Bangalore
131.Soman Nair, Delhi
132.KH Hussain, Kerala Forest Research Institute
133.Rakesh Sharma, Filmmaker
134.Sushovan Dhar, Vikas Adhyayan Kendra, Mumbai
135.Bobby Kunhu
136.Tapas Ray, Researcher, Urban Affairs and Public Policy, University of
Delaware
137.Asmita Collective, Secunderabad, A.P.
138.Prathibha Ganesan , JNU Student
139.Ranjan Panda, Journalist and Social Worker
140.Ullash Kumar R K, Bangalore
141.Monica Narula, Sarai
142.Benny Francis, Journalist, Chennai
143.Ranjit Panicker, Centre for Post Graduate Studies, Thrissur
144. Raktim Mukhopadhyayu, Bangiya Unnayan Parishad
145.Rosemary Viswanath, EQUATIONS
146.Sukanya Kanarally, Gelathi e-monthly, Karnataka
147.Anindo Banerjee, PRAXIS
148.Aditi Chandra , University of Minnesota
149.Alpana Kannabiran – ASMITA
150.Dr.Pratiksha Baxi - Associate Prof Center for the Study of Law and
Governance, JNU
151.Aanchal Kapur – Kriti
152.Suman Bisht – Kriti
153.Priya Bajpai - Human Rights Law Network
154.Ram - Intercultural Resources
155.Mira Shiva - Initiative for health equity and Society
156.Rahul Chowdhary - Advocate, LIFE
157.Dr. Tapanj Kalita - G B Pant Hospital
158.Dr. Harish Chandra - G B Pant Hospital
159.S A Joshi - Chartered Accountant
160.Anil Patwal - Chartered Accountant
161.Vinay - All India Drug Action Network
162.Mukesh - Hazard Center
163.Niteesh Vikram
164.Priyanka Pandey
165.Rameeta Sagar
166.Sonal
167.Saharsha Sabharwal
168.Umaira Rizvi
169.Huma Maqsood
170.Dr. Yasir
171.Sivija Singh
172.Jagpreet
173.Himmat Singh
174.Reva Dutta
175.Shashvat Pandit
176.Shreya Kumar
177.Varun Tandon
178.Nanaki Singh
179.Phea Suri
180.Shalini Sharma
181.Sreejitha PV , Translator ,New Delhi
182.Sudeep.K.S , New delhi
183. V. Kumaravel, Vangakadal Meen Thozhilalar Sangam, TN
184.Biji, M.phil scholar, Mahatma Gandhi University
A124/6, First Floor, Katwaria Sarai, New Delhi-16
Ph, +91 9871880686 Email: css@movingrepublic.org
With the recent debate on Sethusamudram and the subsequent violence in Bangalore, we feel that there is a conscious attempt to take over a genuine issue concerning environment and fisherpeople's lives by the communal forces. The secular forces and fisherpeople's organisations in this country have expressed their strong dissent against these developments. We are enclosing a statement by a large number of concerned people, fisherpeople's organisations and civil society groups on the recent debate on Sethusamudram Project. We request you to provide adequate coverage in you pubication and support the spirit of secularism, ecology and coastal people's lives.
Thanking you,
Shree Prakash,
For Coastal Struggle Solidarity,
New Delhi
Mobile: 9871880686
--
CONDEMN KILLINGS!!
CONDEMN COMMUNALISATION OF SETHUSAMUDRAM PROJECT!!
We, the undersigned civil society groups, people's movements, human rights organisations and concerned individuals condemn the killings of innocent people and destruction of public property by Hindutva-inspired communal forces recently. A mob, now identified as members of Sangh Parivar organizations, attacked a Tamil Nadu public transport bus in Bangalore recently and burned down the vehicle that was carrying 26 passengers. Two passengers were killed and their bodies were charred beyond recognition. This attack was a part of conscious and systematic efforts of the religious fundamentalist forces to undermine the real issues concerning Sethusamudram Project and to make political capital by flaring up the emotions of the people and dividing them on religious and provincial lines.
The Sethusamudram Project was introduced by the BJP while they were in power at the centre without considering the ecological and human problems. The Sethusamudram Project will endanger a rich biosphere reserve with 400 endangered species, including sea turtles, dolphins, dugongs and whales. The project will destroy the livelihood of 15 Lakh people who depend on fishing and allied areas in the waters where the canal will be dug. Several fisher people's organisations and human rights groups had protested against the project for a long time without getting any recognition from the mainstream political parties. Today the effort by the communal-fundamentalist forces is to divert the real issues concerning the project and generate political gain in view of the forthcoming elections.
We feel that there is an immediate need to stop any further violence &
communalisation of this issue. Hence we call upon all secular forces and social
movements to take a strong stand to condemn these efforts of communal
forces and recognise the real struggles of fisher people. We call upon the civil
society to support the fisher people's struggles to protect the coast from all
destructive developmental projects including Sethusamudram project
The Undersigned
1. Just. H.Suresh, Formal Judge, High court Mumbai
2. Praful Bidwai, Journalist & Writer
3. Arundhati Roy, Activist, Writer
4. Aruna roy
5. Vinod Raina, BGVS, New Delhi
6. Gabriele Dietrich, NAPM
7. Shripad Dharamadhikary, Manthan
8. Bruce Rich, Environmental Defense
9. T.Peter, President KSMTF & Secretary, NFF
10.Gilbert, Tamil Nadu – Pondicherry Fisher people's Forum
11.Anton Gomez, National Union of Fisherpeople
12.R. Mangaiyarselvam, Founder, Meenavar Viduthalai Vengaigal
(Fisherpeople Liberation Tigers)
13.V. Gowrilingam, President, Kancheepuram District Fisher people
Federation,
14.Dr. M. E. Raja, Ph D, General Secretary, National Union of Fishermen,
15.J. Kosumani, President, Tamilnadu Fisherpeople Progressive Assoociation,
16.K. Bharathi, President, South Indian Fishermen's Welfare Association,
17.B. Maran, President, Tamilnadu Fisher People Movement.
18.Dunu Roy , Hazards Centre
19.Kamala Bhasin, SANGAT, New Delhi
20.Harsh Kapoor, South Asia Citizens Web
21.Dr. T.T Sreekumar, Academic, National University of Singapore
22.Madhumitha Dutta, Corporate Accountability Desk
23.Nityanand Jayaraman, Corporate Accountability desk
24. Anivar Aravind, moving Republic, Kerala
25. Wilfred D'Costa, INSAF
26.Benny Kuruvila, FOCUS on Global South Mumbai
27.Mohaji BHAP, Chandigad
28.Prasad Chacko, Action Aid
29.Jacob Nellithanam, Richaria Campaign
30.Mahendra Kumar Rauson, NCDHR, Bihar
31.K.P. Sasi, Visual Search
32.Jai Prakash, PEACE
33.I.K.Shukla, Writer, Los Angeles
34.Himanshu Upadhyaya, Intercultural Resources
35.P.T. George, Intercultural Resources
36.Abhishek Srivastava, Freelance Journalist
37.Navin Kumar, Star News
38.Lalit Batra, researcher
39. Hitendra, Human Rights Law Network
40.Amarjit Singh,
41.S. Majumdar, HRLN
42.Nandini Oza , Manthan, Badwani
43.Praveen, Delhi University
44.Anja K , Researcher
45.Geetanjali, NBA
46.Supriya , DU student
47.Ankitha, DU student
48.Amit , JNU student
49.Harsh Dobhal , Combat law
50.Renu Khanna , PUCL, Baroda
51.Debaranjan, PSSP, Kashipur
52.J.John, Centre for Education & Communication, New Delhi
53.Badar, PEACE, Delhi
54.Surekha, HRLN
55.Andrea Wright, TISS.MADS
56.Lalhlieupuii , JNU student
57.Lalrindiki , Student, Mizoram
58. Nima Lamu Yolmo, JNU student, Darjeling
59.Preeti, Activist
60.Rajesh rangarajan, Activist
61.Vidya Rangan, Activist
62.Sunayana JNU student
63.Simpreet Singh, NAPM
64.Sheena kanwar, Activist
65.Swastika Sanghmithra, Activist
66.Subir Dey , JNU Student
67.Kasturi Sharma, JNU Student
68.Shrikanth , HRLN
69.S. Hussaini, IT consultant
70.Sanja Sharma, HRLN
71.Sarojini, Samad
72.Ritwik
73.Anshu Malviya, poet, Activist, UP
74.Grace Pelly, HRLN
75.HR Hiramat, NCPNR, Karnataka
76.Smriti, HRLN
77.E.P Menon, IDF , Bangalore
78.Pradeep Kumar, SVP, UP
79.Jharna Jhavera, Janmadhyam
80.Mihir Engineer , BOSS institute Kolkotta,
81.Sulak Sivaraksa, SEM, Tailand
82.Irfan Ahmed, Lokmach, Insaf
83.Kousal K, Activist Bihar,
84.Binod Tyagi, Lok Manch, Bihar
85.Rakesh, PEACE
86.Jitendra C, PEACE
87.Anant Deo N, INSAF Bihar
88.Ganesh Prasad, INSAF, UP
89.Ranjeet Kumar Singh, PUCE, INSAF, UP
90.Chittaranjan Singh, PUCL, INSAF, UP
91.Raghavendra kumar Advocate MP
92.Jithendra Kumar, Journalist
93.Umpiliha DSW
94.Mohan Rao, JNU
95.Beena, SAMA
96.Sarojini, SAMA
97.Riwik, SAMA
98.Pakhi, SAMA
99.Jacqulin J, NAPM
100.Deepa Naveen, Activist
101.Swathi Mukharji, JMIICR
102.Mallika Virdi MAATI, Utharghand
103.Jasamia Sarma, Student
104.Anil Tharayath Varghese, NCAS, Pune
105.Ajay, People's watch, Kerala
106.Pradeep Esteves, Activist, Bangalore
107.Savad Rahman, Journalist, Kerala
108.Satyajit Roy
109.Pritham K Chakravarthy- Theatre Activist
110.Sukla Sen, EKTA (Committee for Communal Amity), Mumbai
111.Satya Sivaraman, Journalist
112.Nilanjana Biswas, Freelance Writer, Bangalore
113.Gaurav Dwivedi, Manthan, Badwani, MP
114.Shrish Khare, Manthan, Badwani, MP
115.Edwin, Openspace, Bangalore
116.Manohar.R, South India Cell for Human Rights Education &
Monitoring(SICHREM), Bangalore
117.Rohan D'Souza
118.Nasiruddin Haider Khan
119.Deepak Roy, Film Maker
120.Ranjana Padhi, Activist, Delhi
121.Renu Ghosh, Film maker, Kolkotta
122.K.C. Santhosh Kumar, Activist, Kerala
123. Anuja Jain, Student, New York University
124.Ranjit Thankappan
125.Madhuresh Kumar, CACIM, New Delhi
126.Ashim Jain, Bangalore
127.Souparna Lahiri, NFFPFW
128.K.M.Venugopalan. Writer & Activist, Kerala
129.Carol Geeta, SAMEEKSHA, Ajmeer
130. Raja Swamy, Bangalore
131.Soman Nair, Delhi
132.KH Hussain, Kerala Forest Research Institute
133.Rakesh Sharma, Filmmaker
134.Sushovan Dhar, Vikas Adhyayan Kendra, Mumbai
135.Bobby Kunhu
136.Tapas Ray, Researcher, Urban Affairs and Public Policy, University of
Delaware
137.Asmita Collective, Secunderabad, A.P.
138.Prathibha Ganesan , JNU Student
139.Ranjan Panda, Journalist and Social Worker
140.Ullash Kumar R K, Bangalore
141.Monica Narula, Sarai
142.Benny Francis, Journalist, Chennai
143.Ranjit Panicker, Centre for Post Graduate Studies, Thrissur
144. Raktim Mukhopadhyayu, Bangiya Unnayan Parishad
145.Rosemary Viswanath, EQUATIONS
146.Sukanya Kanarally, Gelathi e-monthly, Karnataka
147.Anindo Banerjee, PRAXIS
148.Aditi Chandra , University of Minnesota
149.Alpana Kannabiran – ASMITA
150.Dr.Pratiksha Baxi - Associate Prof Center for the Study of Law and
Governance, JNU
151.Aanchal Kapur – Kriti
152.Suman Bisht – Kriti
153.Priya Bajpai - Human Rights Law Network
154.Ram - Intercultural Resources
155.Mira Shiva - Initiative for health equity and Society
156.Rahul Chowdhary - Advocate, LIFE
157.Dr. Tapanj Kalita - G B Pant Hospital
158.Dr. Harish Chandra - G B Pant Hospital
159.S A Joshi - Chartered Accountant
160.Anil Patwal - Chartered Accountant
161.Vinay - All India Drug Action Network
162.Mukesh - Hazard Center
163.Niteesh Vikram
164.Priyanka Pandey
165.Rameeta Sagar
166.Sonal
167.Saharsha Sabharwal
168.Umaira Rizvi
169.Huma Maqsood
170.Dr. Yasir
171.Sivija Singh
172.Jagpreet
173.Himmat Singh
174.Reva Dutta
175.Shashvat Pandit
176.Shreya Kumar
177.Varun Tandon
178.Nanaki Singh
179.Phea Suri
180.Shalini Sharma
181.Sreejitha PV , Translator ,New Delhi
182.Sudeep.K.S , New delhi
183. V. Kumaravel, Vangakadal Meen Thozhilalar Sangam, TN
184.Biji, M.phil scholar, Mahatma Gandhi University
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
