Dear friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to forward an appeal from the Narmada Bachao Andolan.
On 29 October, the evictees of the Narmada Dam Project started a two-day protest meet in front of the District Collector’s Office in Khandwa district, Madhya Pradesh. The participants of the protest meet are mostly the members of displaced families who have lost their land and houses in the construction of Indira Sagar and Omkareshwar dams. These two dams along with 28 other big dams forms the Narmada Dam Project.
While the protest meet was going on, the state police, without any provocation, assaulted the protesters and baton-charged them. Then the police arrested some leaders of the protest meet. Yesterday evening the police barged into the NBA office and arrested several of the leaders of the NBA movement. Soon another police contingent arrived at the NBA office to seize office equipments. The police is suspected to have copied the data from the office computers. The police had neither an arrest warrant nor a search warrant. Those who were arrested from the NBA office were released after a few hours, while those who were arrested on 29th are still held in custody.
An Action Alert issued by the NBA about the incident is posted below for your information:
For more information, please contact:
Narmada Bachao Andolan
2, Sai Nagar, Mata Chowk,
Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh.
Telefax : +91 733 2228418/2270014
E-mail : nbakhandwa@gmail.com
Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Desk
Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC)
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ACTION ALERT
30 October 2009
*** PEACEFULLY PROTESTING NBA ACTIVISTS ARRESTED IN KHANDWA IN AN OUTRAGEOUS AND EXCESSIVE POLICE ACTION BY MADHYA PRADESH POLICE
*** NBA OFFICES IN KHANDWA SEALED FOR TWO HOURS AND WITHOUT ANY WARRANT SEARCHED AND INFORMATION STOLEN
*** PHONE / FAX / WRITE LETTERS TO CHIEF MINISTER, PRIME MINISTER AND KHANDWA DISTRICT COLLECTOR
Following the demonstration by over ten thousand men and women affected by the Indira Sagar and Omkareshwar dams on the 28 October 2009 in Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh state police in an unprecedented action has arrested all the key activists of Narmada Bachao Andolan from their offices and the demonstration site, in front of the Khandwa Collectorate. From 29 October, more than a thousand adivasis had been protesting in front of the Khandwa Collectorate, since the Madhya Pradesh government has refused to fulfil the Jabalpur High Court order directing allotment of five acres of land to the elder son of each of the evictee family who lost their land in the project.
On 29 evening, Chttaroopa Palit and 18 other activists were arrested, and today, (30 October) without any provocation the police came and locked NBAs office alleging anti-state activities. The police arrested six activists, including senior activist Mr. Alok Agarwal, who was present at the office around 5.15 pm. The police then locked the NBA office. After some time, five police officers came to the NBA office, without any search warrant, and copied files from the computer and have taken some papers/documents from the office.
After some time, the police released five persons and opened the NBA office but detained Agarwal in custody. The police have not explained the charges under which Agarwal is kept in custody.
The incident is a clear case of violation of the rights of the human rights activists and is an attempt to breach the peaceful protest. Yesterday, the police had baton charged the protesters. However, the protest continued. This is a clear attempt to break the morale of the thousands of protesting famers, adivasis and workers.
NBA unequivocally condemns this action and demands that the activists be released unconditionally and action been taken against the responsible police officers.
Please phone/fax/email letters of protest against the police action against the peacefully protesting people affected by the Indira Sagar, Omkareshwar, Maheshwar, Sardar Sarovar, Upper Veda and Maan dams. Please also write letters to Chief Minister and Chief Secretary of Madhya Pradesh Government asking them to release the detained activists immediately, and further requesting the government to comply the High Court order. Punitive actions must be taken against the police officers responsible for this unlawful action.
Please send your letters to:
1. Dr. Manmohan Singh
Prime Minster
Room No. 148 B, South Ablock, New Delhi
Office Nos : 91-11-23012312 Fax : 230116857
Residence : 91-11-23011166, 23018939. Fax : 23015603
Email : manmohan@sansad.nic.in
2. Mr. Shivraj Singh Chouhan
Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh
Off Phone : 91-755- 2441581, 2441033, 2441096, Fax: 91-755-2441781
Res Phone : 91-755-2440241, 2440242 Fax : 91-755-2540501
email : cm@mp.nic.in
3. Mr. S.B Singh,
Collector, Civil Lines,
Khandwa (MP)
91-733-2224153, 2223333
Email : dm@mpkhandwa.mp.nic.in
4. Chairperson, National Human Rights Commission of India
Faridkot House, Copernicus Marg, New Delhi 110 001, Tel: +91 11 230 74448, Fax: +91 11 2334 0016, Email: chairnhrc@nic.in
In Solidarity
Sangeeta, Kailash Chouhan, Rehmat, Kalu and Dharamdas
—
Narmada Bachao Andolan
2, Sai Nagar, Mata Chowk,
Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh.
Telefax : 0733 – 2228418/2270014
E-mail : nbakhandwa@gmail.com
—
Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ua@ahrc.asia)
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