[DEBATE] : Fwd: [initiative-india] Fwd: West Bengal Governor's Nov 9 statement onNandigram

[Jai Sen]

Begin forwarded message:

> From: Mukta Srivastava <mukta.srivastava at gmail.com>
> Date:  November 12 2007 2:59:03 PM GMT+05:30
> To: initiative-india at googlegroups.com, peace- 
> mumbai at googlegroups.com, wb-ipt at lists.riseup.net, Reaching the Real  
> India <reachingindia at gmail.com>
> Subject: [initiative-india] Fwd: West Bengal Governor's Nov 9  
> statement onNandigram
> Reply-To: mukta.srivastava at gmail.com
>
>
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: Medha Patkar < nba.medha at gmail.com>
> Date: Nov 12, 2007 10:14 AM
> Subject: Governor's Nov 9 statement
> To: nba.medha at gmail.com , Philip Mathew <philjim at gmail.com>
>
> http://us.rediff.com/news/2007/nov/10guest.htm
> Gopalkrishna Gandhi
>
> Enough is enough
>
> November 10, 2007
> The ardour of Deepavali has been dampened in the whole state by the  
> events in Nandigram. Several villages in Nandigram are oscillating  
> from the deepest gloom to panic. Large numbers of armed persons  
> from outside the district, have, it is undeniable, forced  
> themselves onto villages in Nandigram Block I and II for  
> territorial assertion.
>
> Thousands of villages have consequently been intimidated into  
> leaving their homes in villages such as Daudpur, Amgachi, Jambani,  
> Simulkundu, Brindabanchak, Tekhali, Nainan, Kanongochak, Takapara,  
> Sarengabari, Ranichak, Kamalpur and Keyakhali.
>
> Even as of 4 pm this day (November 9,) I have received phone calls  
> from responsible persons in Nandigram saying that several huts are  
> ablaze. Large number of villagers have taken refuge in the local  
> high school in Nandigram, bereft of food and personal security.
>
> At the time of writing, the most accurate description for Nandigram  
> is the one used by our Home Secretary, namely, it has become a "war  
> zone". No Government or society can allow a war zone to exist  
> without immediate and effective action.
>
> I am fully aware of the fact that, earlier in the year, many  
> villagers in Nandigram, who were perceived as sympathisers of the  
> ruling establishment had been obliged to leave the villages and  
> seek shelter in Khejuri. I am also aware of the apprehension that  
> some Maoists, their numbers being unverified, are believed to have  
> entered the area.
>
> Those who had to flee Khejuri must come back with full confidence  
> and dignity. And no quarter should be given to the cult of violence  
> associated with Maoists. But the manner in which the 'recapture' of  
> Nandigram villages is being attempted is totally unlawful and  
> unacceptable.
>
> I find it equally unacceptable that while Nandigram has been  
> ingressed with ease by armed people on the one hand, political and  
> non-political persons trying to reach it have been violently  
> obstructed. Some of them were bearing relief articles for the  
> homeless. The treatment meted to Smt Medha Patkar and other  
> associates of hers last evening was against all norms of civilized  
> political behaviour.
>
> A group of the MPs and one MLA, representing the CPI-M met me this  
> morning and urged me "to apply my good offices for the peace  
> processes in Nandigram". Peace is the need of the hour in  
> Nandigram. For that peace to come, I told them, effective action  
> will have to be taken in terms of action initiated against those  
> responsible for the March 14 events in due process.
>
> The alert and observant people of West Bengal have a right to know  
> that following discussions with political leaders like Smt Mamata  
> Banerjee, MP, Shri Partha Chatterjee, Leader of the Opposition,  
> West Bengal Legislative Assembly, Shri Pradip Bhattacharya, Working  
> President, West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee, Shri Manas  
> Bhuiyan and non-political persons, I have been in regular  
> communication with the Hon'ble Chief Minister Shri Buddhadeb  
> Bhattacharjee and requested the State Government to take certain  
> immediate steps. These include (i) the immediate return of the  
> ingressers; (ii) the giving of urgent relief to the displaced  
> persons in Nandigram and (iii) the facilitation of their return to  
> their homes.
>
> I have also asked the administration to remove the new unauthorised  
> manmade blocks at entry points to
>
> 1. Chandpur-Rai Para-Phulni More-Khadinbari-Nadia
>
> 2. Nandakumar-Kapaseria-ferry to cross over to Nandigram
>
> 3. Heria-Nandigram
>
> 4. Potashpur-Nandigram
>
> in order that the isolation of Nandigram from the rest of the State  
> ends.
>
> I have made it clear that unless these steps are taken within  
> hours, and the syndrome of "capture and recapture" is not ended,  
> the beginnings for a resumed dialogue through the package announced  
> by the Chief Secretary last night will not get off the ground and  
> the peace talks process will remain grounded. Peace talks must  
> resume soon and, despite the lateness of the hour, I welcome the  
> pragmatic optimism expressed in this regard by our elder statesman,  
> Shri Jyoti Basu.
>
> Let me conclude by saying: Enough is enough. Peace and security  
> should be restored, without any delay, from where they have been  
> evicted from Nandigram.
>
>
>
>
> -- 
> Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life.  
> Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of  
> other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions  
> drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the  
> courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already  
> know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.
> --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google  
> Groups "Initiative India" group.
> To post to this group, send email to initiative-india at googlegroups.com
> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to initiative-india- 
> unsubscribe at googlegroups.com
> For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.co.in/ 
> group/initiative-india?hl=en
> -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
>

______________________________

Jai Sen
jai.sen at cacim.net
CACIM, A-3 Defence Colony, New Delhi 110 024, India
www.cacim.net
Ph : +91-11-4155 1521, 2433 2451

Check out the OpenSpaceForum @ www.openspaceforum.net

Subscribe to WSFDiscuss, an open and unmoderated forum on the World  
Social Forum and on related social and political movements and  
issues. Simply send an empty email to worldsocialforum-discuss- 
subscribe at openspaceforum.net

And, NEW ! : Join CEOS at openspaceforum.net, the CEOS (Critical  
Engagement with Open Space) listserve for exchange and coordination  
on open space theory and practice and to facilitate a critical  
discussion of the idea of ‘open space’.  Just send an empty mail to  
CEOS-subscribe at openspaceforum.net