NBA Action Alert/ Sample Appeal Letter
Narmada Bachao Andolan
62 M G Road, Badwani, M.P.
07290-222464, nba.badwani
gmail.com
Urgent Action Alert / Sample Appeal Letter at the bottom
25 July 2007
Dear Friends/Comrades,
This evening, 25th July 2007, a huge police force has descended upon the 'Zameen Hak' Satyagrahis at Taloon; the place where government land is occupied and cultivated by SSP affected families. THEY HAVE DESTROYED THE 'PANDAL' AND TAKEN AWAY ABOUT 200 SATYAGRAHIS TO THE BADWANI JAIL. Among those detained were Jeevanshala children from Karya Badal and Bhitada, adivasi women and men, fishworkers as well as farmers from Nimad. Medha Patkar, Kamla Yadav and many other activists are taken to the District Jail.
WE CONDEMN THIS ATROCIOUS ACTION BY THE BADWANI DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION. The District Collector S K Pal and Superintendent of Police Narsing Rao Kushwah are immediately responsible for this repressive action which took place on the 13th day of the 'Zameen Hak' Satyagraha. Instead of giving land to the displaced, the government is initiating repressive measures to suppress resistance in the name of law and order. Where is this law and order when it comes to rehabilitating the displaced populations according to the NWDT Award and Supreme Court orders?
PLEASE CALL/FAX TO THE MADHYA PRADESH CHIEF MINISTER SHIVRAJ SINGH CHAUHAN AS WELL AS TO THE NCA DIRECTOR FOR REHABILITATION IN INDORE AFROZ AHMED, condemning this police repression, demanding the immediate and unconditional release of the Satyagrahis and speedy completion of land-based rehabilitation.
To,
SHRI SHIVRAJ SINGH CHAUHAN
The Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh
Fax: +91-755-2540501; +91-755-2551781
Email:cmmpchiefminister.com,cmmp.nic.in
DR. AFROZ AHMED
Director (I.A.& R.)
Ph: 0731-2558603, Fax: 0731-2554333
Mob: 9425057646
dir.rehab.ncanic.in
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Pervin - 09820636335
Philip - 09446573795
Umesh - 09423965153
Ashish - 09993449644
Dear Sirs / Madam,
It is to the eternal shame of the government of M.P. and the powers that be in our country that such an unbelievable and unacceptable situation has came to pass. First of all, all the laws of humanity, decency and the orders of the Supreme Court that insist that rehabilitation has to be completed before the height of the Sardar Sarovar Dam is increased, have been broken - as most of the oustees in MP, who have already lost their homes and farms and jobs to the reservoir of the SSP, remain stranded or marooned in Uninhabitable pockets of land - year after year.
When about 500 of the oustees decide to hold a Satyagraha on government property (Zameen Haq Satyagraha) at Taloon, near Badwani, M.P., saying that they will live there and till the land there until they are rightfully rehabilitated, the MP. Government, instead of accepting the challenge of rehabilitating thousands of families affected by illegal submergence, take the unimaginable path of crushing resistance by calling police from various Districts to beat up the Satyagrahis !
Quite likely, the 500 strong police force realized the enormity of the crime they were asked to commit (or maybe not !), but they drank themselves silly in Badwani before proceeding to Taloon where they mercilessly attacked the peaceful satyagrahis who had pitched their tents and had started farming operations on land belonging to the Krishi Vibhag of the Government.
The police ire was spent on this gathering of adivasis and farmers, which included 150 school children from Bhadal and Bhitada Jeevanshalas run by the Narmada Bachao Andolan (primary schools up to class 5 only ) and about 125 women, besides the men. Even the bullocks used for farming and the tents were mercilessly thrashed!!!! The children were piled into different vehicles and were dispersed without record!
At least 7 children and 4 bullocks remain missing since last evening.
We, as concerned citizens of our country cannot but condemn these attrocities and request you to:
- Immediately locate the missing children and animals.
- Rehabilitate the oustees as per the land for land promised.
- Punish those who were involved in ordering and conducting this outrage.
- Release the Satyagrahi unconditionally
Yours in anticipation,
for more information you can visit 
http://www.narmada.org
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