Tuesday, June 23, 2015

India Orissa: Statement and a note on land struggles and repression in Puri

Orissa: Statement and a note on land struggles and repression in Puri

June 18, 2015
All India Federation of Trade Unions (New)
Press statement
Stop Terror and Repression – Release Struggling Peasants Immediately
On 6th June 2015 huge police force numbering 700 with deadly weapons attacked and injured several struggling villages of Sipasarubali Mouza under Brahmagiritaluka of Puri district of Orissa. Police has arrested 33 villagers including women and assaulted them. Government force has exerted wide spread terror and repression. They have arrested comrade Basudev Das, the important leader of all India khet mazdoor sabha from his resident.
For a long time people of Sipasarubali wedge peaceful relentless struggle under the banner of Upakaliya Jami-o-Jangal Suraksha Sammttee (UJJSS), supported by AIKMKS to protect the land and the forest from land mafia, forest mafia and from natural disaster. Agitation was going on for a long time and the UJJSS was able to protect the area. Several times agitation faced with external armed attack goons and government police. This is well known fact that long Orissa coast is perennially cyclone and flood prone region. Even years after years people living in coastal region suffered serious devastation. Many a times the coastal people helplessly witness that hutments and homes being washed away or swallowed by high tidier waves of the sea and their lives and livelihoods had been destroyed.
Central and state government are very much aware of this fact but continuously government refuses to act on many valuable suggestions made by the scientists. Not only this natural protections that were present in the coast like mangroves sand domes and the forest, are allowed to be endlessly destroyed. Seriously effecting the environmental balance, depriving people from their traditional means of livelihood like fishing and uprooting the people from their land and cultural life and social environment, the government is planning to hand over the vast coastal areas to MNCs’ or to Indian big bourgeoisies in the name of Developing hotels industries and tourist outfits.
The demand of people was refused by state government. Now they are determined to destroy the area for the narrow interest. Many attacks in the past were resisted by the people.
But on June 6th 2015 the organised attack by the huge police and assaulting the villagers and subsequently arrested 33 villagers and spread terror and repression throughout the region. They have also issued warrant of arrest against comrade Srikant Mohanthi, the secretary of Orissa CMS and leader of AIKMKS.
District collector of Puri district invited villagers to discuss the matter. The villagers have agreed to discuss the matter and accordingly the leaders went to office of collector. Seeing the representative of industrial development corporation were also present at the meeting the villagers refused to talk to IDP. Government is planning to hand over the area to IDP to build infrastructure for the corporate houses and destroy the forest and subsequently evicting the villagers from the land and homes.
But on 6th June government acted as agents and goons of MNCs’ and proved that they are against the people, land and forest.
AIKMKS strongly condemned the heinous and brutal attack on the peoples’ movement and demand the following—
• Immediate release of arrested people.
• Withdraw all false cases unconditionally.
• Withdraw order of arrest of the leaders without delay.
• Stop harassment and and repression immediately.
• Cancel the Shamuka Hotel project proposed to be set up in Sipasarubali mauza and accord the legal rights to the local poor who have freed the area from the illegal occupation of land mafias’.
• Abandon the plans like coastal high ways that are harmful and dangerous to the environment.
Date- 19/06/2015 Com. Jagdish Sharma
Member Delhi state committee AIFTU (New)
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June 18, 2015
All India Federation of Trade Unions (New)
Press statement
Stop Terror and Repression – Release Struggling Peasants Immediately
On 6th June 2015 huge police force numbering 700 with deadly weapons attacked and injured several struggling villages of Sipasarubali Mouza under Brahmagiritaluka of Puri district of Orissa. Police has arrested 33 villagers including women and assaulted them. Government force has exerted wide spread terror and repression. They have arrested comrade Basudev Das, the important leader of all India khet mazdoor sabha from his resident.
For a long time people of Sipasarubali wedge peaceful relentless struggle under the banner of Upakaliya Jami-o-Jangal Suraksha Sammttee (UJJSS), supported by AIKMKS to protect the land and the forest from land mafia, forest mafia and from natural disaster. Agitation was going on for a long time and the UJJSS was able to protect the area. Several times agitation faced with external armed attack goons and government police. This is well known fact that long Orissa coast is perennially cyclone and flood prone region. Even years after years people living in coastal region suffered serious devastation. Many a times the coastal people helplessly witness that hutments and homes being washed away or swallowed by high tidier waves of the sea and their lives and livelihoods had been destroyed.
Central and state government are very much aware of this fact but continuously government refuses to act on many valuable suggestions made by the scientists. Not only this natural protections that were present in the coast like mangroves sand domes and the forest, are allowed to be endlessly destroyed. Seriously effecting the environmental balance, depriving people from their traditional means of livelihood like fishing and uprooting the people from their land and cultural life and social environment, the government is planning to hand over the vast coastal areas to MNCs’ or to Indian big bourgeoisies in the name of Developing hotels industries and tourist outfits.
The demand of people was refused by state government. Now they are determined to destroy the area for the narrow interest. Many attacks in the past were resisted by the people.
But on June 6th 2015 the organised attack by the huge police and assaulting the villagers and subsequently arrested 33 villagers and spread terror and repression throughout the region. They have also issued warrant of arrest against comrade Srikant Mohanthi, the secretary of Orissa CMS and leader of AIKMKS.
District collector of Puri district invited villagers to discuss the matter. The villagers have agreed to discuss the matter and accordingly the leaders went to office of collector. Seeing the representative of industrial development corporation were also present at the meeting the villagers refused to talk to IDP. Government is planning to hand over the area to IDP to build infrastructure for the corporate houses and destroy the forest and subsequently evicting the villagers from the land and homes.
But on 6th June government acted as agents and goons of MNCs’ and proved that they are against the people, land and forest.
AIKMKS strongly condemned the heinous and brutal attack on the peoples’ movement and demand the following—
• Immediate release of arrested people.
• Withdraw all false cases unconditionally.
• Withdraw order of arrest of the leaders without delay.
• Stop harassment and and repression immediately.
• Cancel the Shamuka Hotel project proposed to be set up in Sipasarubali mauza and accord the legal rights to the local poor who have freed the area from the illegal occupation of land mafias’.
• Abandon the plans like coastal high ways that are harmful and dangerous to the environment.
Date- 19/06/2015 Com. Jagdish Sharma
Member Delhi state committee AIFTU (New)

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