From: rifat_at@yahoo.co.in
To:
arkitectindia@yahoogroups.com
Sent:
Thursday, January 31, 2008 7:23 PM
Subject: [arkitectindia]
Urgent Alert
Extend Support to people of Chauranga Against Sponge Iron Industry
Urgent
Action Alert
Extend
Support to the People Protesting Against Sponge Iron Industry in
Chauranga, Chhattisgarh
From February 1, 2008 the sponge
iron industry will start operating in Chauranga. After being on
gaurd for almost a month on the roads of village people of Chauranga
have not been heared by the State Government. People have been
protesting against this industry from 2005.
In
2006, due to opposing the Sponge and Power Ltd. in their village, 23
poor people from Chauranga, based in Raipur District of Chhattisgarh
state, were convicted under the murder charges of industrial goons
belonging to the same village. The session court awarded life term
imprisonment irrespective of the fact that it was a mishap for which
most of the people in Chauranga agree. The villagers sentenced are very
poor of which majority are women aged 45 and more. These
people cannot even afford to file a case in higher court against the
session court verdict.
Today,
when the local people of Chauranga are still recovering from the shock
of 23 fellow villagers getting the life sentence, another blow to their
lives came from Mr. Suresh Kumar Agarwal, owner of Sponge and Power
Ltd. In a press conference held on 22nd December, 2007 , he
declared that the High Court of Chhattisgarh has given a 'No Objection'
to re-open the plant. He also declared that the 90% work on the factory
costing Rs. 9 crore is almost over. He blatantly stated that the
villagers of Chauranga are very keen in re-opening this factory and
they are in support.
There
has been a repeated attempt from the factory owner to re-open the
plant. In August 2007, there was news about the factory opening and
some construction work being done in the factory in response to which
villagers got together and filed a complaint at the police station. The
police intervened in the matter and stopped work on the factory site.
The villagers, in order to prevent a recurrence of such event,
submitted a memorandum to the District Collector and Police
Commissioner and asked them to look into the matter.
Noteworthy
is the fact that previously on 9th May, 2005, after clash between
villagers and factory goons, a special Gram Sabha was called and an
agreement was made between the villagers and Mr. Suresh Kumar Agarwal
with a clause that he will never open the factory and also it will be
moved to some other location.
But on
12th December, 2007 work started again on the factory site by 50-60
labourers brought by the industrialist. The people of Chauranga are
feeling cheated by the State and also by the industrialist. Recently on
22nd December they held a Gram Sabha meeting to decide about the matter
and anonymously a resolution was passed against re-opening of the
factory.
Demanding
the closure of sponge iron factory in Chouranga around 700 people
gathered at Simga (Tehsil headquarter) on 04th January 2008. They all
marched together with slogan of "no more factory on agriculture land"
and "stop polluting our lives", from town police station to Tehsil
office. People from adjacent villages under the banner of Nadi Ghati
Morcha & Chhattisgarh Mukti Morcha handed over a
memorandum addressed to Governor to the SDM (Bhatapara), demanding
forfeiting of company's effort of reopening closed factory. The public
meeting was addressed by representatives of various people's
organization and farmer's organisation. They all called in one voice to
close down the Chouranga factory from village land.
The villagers of
Chauranga have been protesting for this whole month but apathy of the
state government to the anguish of people is maintained. With no
response from the state government the villagers again do not want to
resort to violence but they have decided to sit on indefinite dharna in
their village from tomorrow after meeting the Chief Minsiter of the
state.
Friends,
Chauranga movement is a very crucial people's movement for
Chhattisgarh which is anyway undergoing enormous human rights
violations. Previously, it was this village which had dared to set an
example for the state that any unwanted project could not be forced on
fertile agricultural lands and people are ready to even sacrifce their
life. Today, any setback to this struggle will have larger impact on
the other people's movement in the state.
We urge you to
urgently extend your support to this struggle by sending your appeals
and protests to the Cheif Minister , Governor, Commerce and Industries
Minister and Raipur District Collector to-
1.
Pressurize the State government to not allow the upcoming factory in
Chauranga and respect the sacrifice people have already given for the
cause.
2.
Demand accountability from the Government for denying Gram
Sabha's decision and overlooking constitutional legitimacy
given to Local Self Governance
In
Solidarity,
Ganesh
Ram
Verma
Sarpanch, Village
Chourenga
Contact-
09926948528
Addresses:
1. Dr.
Raman Singh
Chief
Minister,
Chhattisgarh
State,
Email:
cmcg@nic.in,
Phone
and Fax: 0771 â€" 2221000/ 0771- 2221001/ 0771 â€" 2331001
2. H.E. Shri E.S.L. Narsimhan
Governor,
Chhattisgarh State
E-mail:
governor.cg@nic.in
Phone
Nos.+ 91 - 771 - 2331101/+ 91 - 771 - 2331106/+ 91 - 771 - 2331104
3. Mr.
Rajesh Munat,
Commerce
and Industry Minister,
Government
of Chhattisgarh
Email:
pwmin.cg@nic.in
Phone
and Fax: 0771-2221104/0772- 2535423, 2236100
4.
Vikassheel,
District
collector, Raipur
raipur.cg@nic.in
Phone -
09425256606/ 0771-2428824/2426024 /2426212
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