[DEBATE] : Fwd: [initiative-india] Statement from Concerned Citizens: Nandigram

Tue Nov 13 16:45:25 GMT 2007

6
Begin forwarded message:

> From: Mukta Srivastava <mukta.srivastava at gmail.com>
> Date:  November 13 2007 6:38:25 PM GMT+05:30
> To: Mukta Srivastava <mukta.srivastava at gmail.com>
> Subject: [initiative-india] Statement from Concerned Citizens:  
> Nandigram
> Reply-To: mukta.srivastava at gmail.com
>
> Statement from Concerned Citizens
> On the Shameful Events in Nandigram in the last few days.
>
> We the undersigned have been dismayed and revolted by the events of  
> the past few days in and around Nandigram in West Bengal's East  
> Midinapur district. The manner in which the anti-socials of the  
> dominant party in the ruling front attacked the residents to  
> reestablish the domination over the area exposes the party's lack  
> of commitment to democratic values, principles and norms. The  
> actions of these people under the benign indulgence of the State  
> administration can only strengthen the criminalized and anti- 
> democratic forces in our polity. For four days since the operation  
> began the media and journalists have not been allowed to enter  
> Nandigram, indicating that there is much to hide.
>
> We condemn the assault by the anti-socials carrying the Red flag  
> and functioning under the protection and encouragement of the  
> ruling CPM on the group of reputed social activists, writers,  
> intellectuals and artists led by Medha Patkar who were on a visit  
> to Nandigram to find out first hand what was going on and express  
> their solidarity with the hapless residents evicted from their  
> hearths and homes. Not only were they prevented from entering  
> Nandigram, they were subjected to physical violence and  
> intimidation. The events in Nandigram are inconsistent with the  
> norms of democratic functioning, claims of creating an alternative  
> political culture and the traditions of Bengali culture.
>
> We see in this the application of the so-called "Dum Dum dawai"  
> that a senior CPM Polit-Bureau member approvingly advocated the  
> other day. This is unfortunate since this slogan was coined as a  
> part of the democratic resistance during the memorable food  
> movement in the State in 1966, whereas it is now sought to be  
> applied against the people themselves. All this is reflective of  
> not just intolerance but a strong anti-democratic tendency in the  
> dominant component of West Bengal's ruling party today. What is  
> happening in West Bengal today is indeed unprecedented in  
> contemporary India and has doubtless besmirched the State's rich  
> history of democratic struggles so that even the Governor of West  
> Bengal who has shown tremendous restraint has been pained   to  
> issue a  statement against the unfolding events in the State.
>
> We are dismayed at the attitude of the CPM's State and Central  
> leadership which not only did not rein in its cadres but did not  
> deem it necessary or worthwhile to tender unqualified apology to  
> the group led by Medha Patkar for the undemocratic actions of their  
> cadres. This suggests that they are condoning such activity.
>
> If such activities continue even for a day more it would be  
> tantamount to the State government abdicating its constitutional  
> responsibility and a break down of the constitutional functioning  
> in the State.
>
> We demand that the CPM leadership, both at the Centre and in the  
> State immediately put a stop to the undemocratic actions let loose  
> by their cadres.
>
> We also demand that they convey their sincere apology to the people  
> of Nandigram and to the group of citizens led by Medha Patkar that  
> were trying to visit the area.
>
> We demand a solemn assurance that such things will not recur in the  
> days ahead.
>
> We demand that the state government facilitate the visit of a fact  
> finding team consisting of concerned citizens to visit the area.
>
> We appeal to all democratic forces, representing various shades of  
> opinion, to stand up and defend the very edifice of our democracy  
> which is in peril by taking whatever action they can wherever they  
> are (say, by sending copies of this statement (or one based on  
> this) to the Chief Minister and the Governor and by holding  
> demonstrations and protests on November 12 th at
> 1. 00 pm.
>
>
> 1.      Sumit Chakravarty, Journalist.
> 2.      Meher Engineer, Social Activist.
> 3.      Prashant Bhushan, Lawyer
> 4.      Arvind Kejriwal, Social Activist
> 5.      Amit Bhaduri, JNU
> 6.      Sumit Sarkar, Retd. Delhi University.
> 7.      Manoranjan Mohanty, Delhi University.
> 8.      Ramaswamy R. Iyer, Retd. Civil Servant
> 9.      Madhu Bhaduri, Retd Ambassador
> 10.  Achin Vanaik, Delhi University
> 11.  Praful Bidwai, Journalist.
> 12.  Arundhati Dhuru, Social Activist
> 13.  Sandeep Pandey, Social Activist.
> 14.  Thomas Kocherry, Social Activist.
> 15.  Ambarish Rai, Social Activist.
> 16.  Vijay Pratap, Social Activist
> 17.  Yogendra Yadav, CSDS.
> 18.  Sukumar Mukhopadhyay, Retd. Civil Servant
> 19.  Vitusha Oberoi, Journalist
> 20.  Mythili Bhusnurmath, Journalist
> 21.  Rami Chabra, Social Activist.
> 22.  Mira Shiva, Social Activist.
> 23.  Mani Subramanian, Retd. Police Officer
> 24.  Suhas Borkar, Social Activist.
> 25.  Ashok Aggrawal, Lawyer.
> 26.  Smitu Kothari, Social Activist.
> 27.  Fr Cedric Prakash, Social Activist.
> 28.  Dr. A.S. Ravindra Rao, Doctor.
> 29.  Ms. Jayashree Rao, Businesswoman
> 30.  Sukla Sen , Social Activist.
> 31.  Mukta Shrivastava, Social Activist
> 32.  Prasad Chacko, Social Activist.
> 33.  Kalpana Mehta, Social Activist.
> 34.  Atal Behari Sharma, Social Activist.
> 35.  Gaurang Raval, Social Activist.
> 36.  Kavita Das Gupta, Social Activist.
> 37.  Nimmi Chauhan, Social Activist.
> 38.  Meenakshi Ganguly, Social Activist.
> 39.  Asit, Social Activist
> 40.  Sauquat Hussain, Social activist
> 41.  Satya Sivaraman, Social Activist
> 42.  Jimmy Dabhi, Social Activist
> 43.  Nityanand Jayaraman, Independent Journalist
> 44.  Sunil Gupta, Social Activist.
> 45.  Vijay Parmar, Social Activist.
> 46.  Saurabha Bhattacharya, The Other Media.
> 47.  Kalyani Menon-sen, Social Activist
> 48.   Rudy Herdia, Social Activist.
> 49.   Rasmi Ranjan, Advocate
> 50.  Dhruva Narayan, Publisher
> 51.  J Saikia, Academic, Assam
> 52.  Arun K Bidani, Social Activist
> 53.  Persis Ginwalla, Social Activist
> 54.  Pradeep Gawande, Social Activist.
> 55.  Arvind Shukla, Economist
> 56.  Harish Dhawan, Delhi University.
> 57.  Sunil Dharan, Delhi University.
> 58.   Srijit Mishra, Economist.
> 59.  Rohit Prasad, MDI.
> 60.  N P Chaubey, Academic, Allahabad
> 61.  R. C. Tripathi, Academic, Allahabad
> 62.  T Karunakaran, Academic, Tamil Nadu.
> 63.  Ghanshyam Shah, Academic, Ahmedabad
> 64.  Mahendra Verma I.I.T. Kanpur
> 65.  Rahul Varman, I. I. T. Kanpur
> 66.  Sujata Patel, Academic, Pune
> 67.  Romar Correa, Mumbai University
> 68.  Anil Sadgopal, Delhi University.
> 69.  B. Vivekanandan, Formerly in JNU.
> 70.  Saumen Chattopadhyaya, JNU.
> 71.  Ritu Priya Mehrotra, JNU
> 72.  Krishnendu Dastidar, JNU
> 73.  Avijit Pathak, JNU
> 74.  Shashi Kant Jha, JNU
> 75.  Sudhir Vombatkere,NAPM
> 76.  Pradipta Chaudhury, JNU
> 77.  Satish Jain, JNU
> 78.  Anjan Mukherji, JNU
> 79.  Promod Yadav, JNU
> 80.  Alokesh Barua, JNU
> 81.  Birendra Nath Mallick, JNU.
> 82.  Arun Kumar, JNU
> 83.  Sridevi Panikkar, Delhi Solidarity Group
> 84.  Thomas Kocherry, NFF
> 85.   Geetha Ramakrishnan, NCC-USW
> 86.   Sanjay M.G, NAPM
> 87.  Gabriele D, NAPM
> 88.  Sister Celia, NAPM
> 89.  Anand Patwardhan, Film Maker
> 90.  Suniti S.R, NAPM
> 91.   Simpreet Singh, NAPM
> 92.  Vijayan MJ, Delhi Forum
> 93.  (Rt. Major General) Sudhir Vombetkere
>
>
>
>
>
> --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~
> 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