Police detain Adivasi protesters as President lays foundation for Jindal power plant

By : ANUMEHA YADAV

More than 50 Adivasi farmers, including women, were detained for over six hours on 30^th April, 2013 (Tuesday) at the Sundarpahari police station in Godda, a kilometre from the venue where President Pranab Mukherjee laid the foundation for a thermal power plant to be set up by Jindal Steel and Power Limited (JSPL).

Farmers from 11 villages in the Nimpaniya and Goiarijor blocks said they had gathered at Sundarpahari to oppose land acquisition by JSPL. At 10 a.m. they were detained by the police and kept on the station premises till evening.

“My family lives at Seemaldhap village in Chota Amarpur. More than 200 of us had gathered at Tiril Tola over the last two days because we planned to march to the venue but the police arrested us. I had rice with me for my little daughter but the police kept that away too,” Hopanmai Marandi told this reporter.

“We were already displaced when the Sunder Dam was built. We will not allow ourselves to be moved from our land again,” said another villager Mary Nisha Hasda.

As part of JSPL’s expansion plans in Jharkhand, it had announced the setting up of the 1,320-MW captive power plant in Godda at a cost of Rs. 8,500 crore. The plant will use coal from the Jitpur coal block and water from the Sunder Dam and the Gumani and Jalhara rivers.

JSPL, in a statement, said all land for its projects had been obtained “through the government acquisition route, with consent of the people,” a point the company director and MP Naveen Jindal reiterated at the inauguration ceremony attended by Governor Syed Ahmed, Nishikant Dubey, MP (Godda), and political leaders, including Subodh Kant Sahai, Hemlal Murmu, Devidhan Besra, MP (Rajmahal), senior State officials and pradhans and mukhiyas from seven villages.

Superintendent of Police Ajay Linda, however, denied anyone had been detained. “There was overcrowding at the venue because so many villagers wanted to attend the inauguration function. Then some of them stayed back at the police station which is only a km away,” he said on the phone.

Away from the police station, hundreds of policemen and home guards carrying sticks walked around villages. “Only the families in Bangali Tola agreed to sell land to the company, the rest of us have refused. The police have been coming to the village regularly now. All land around this village is my land. Its yield lasts us the whole year; we will not give up this land,” said a woman in Kalhajhar’s Charai Tola.

“My father is in the Nimpaniya panchayat samiti. My family and other 30-35 families from my village are ready to sell our land. How else will we move to cities?” said Sujit Kumar, who is home during a break from his training at an industrial training institute.

Godda lies in the Santhal Pargana region of Jharkhand. All land transactions are governed by the Santhal Pargana Tenancy Act (SPTA) and most of the land is non-transferable and non-saleable, whether owned by tribals or non-tribals. “Because of the Santhal rebellion against the British in 1855 in which 30,000 Santhals died fighting to protect their land, only land classified as Gair Majurwa Khaas (GMK) or land listed as non-agricultural land owned by the government can be transferred. The rest of the transfers — except those made as gifts to relatives etc. — are illegal. It is not possible that a power plant will be built only on GMK land. Despite these norms, officials continue to alienate tribals from land,” said Ramesh Sharan, economist at Ranchi University.

FOUNDATION LAID

President Pranab Mukherjee, on Tuesday, laid the foundation for Jindal Steel and Power’s (JSPL) 1,320 -MW thermal power plant at Godda district. The captive power plant, with an estimated cost of Rs.8,500 crore, will use coal from the Jitpur coal block and water from the Sunder Dam, Gumani and Jalhara river. It will be the first mega power project in Santhal Pargana region in the state’s eastern region, and is expected to provide direct and indirect employment to 20,000 people.

“I expect this power plant will meet the electricity needs of rural areas that face a shortage of 33 per cent. This is a coal-producing region and the needs of the villagers from around here must be met on priority,” said Mr. Mukherjee addressing the public after laying the foundation.

By Courtesy : The Hindu (30^th April, 2013)

Villagers Hopanmai Marandi (left) and Mary Hasda are among those detained at the Sundarpahari police station in Godda, Jharkhand, on Tuesday. Photo: Manob Chowdhury

Tribal Students Beaten Up At BCKV For Raising Reservation Demands

Kalyani, Aug. 18: Some students known to be Trinamul Chatra Parishad (TMCP) activist have allegedly beaten up a second year M Sc student belong to Scheduled Tribe (ST) community of Horticulture faculty of Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswabidyalaya (BCKV), Kalyani, Nadia District at West Bengal on Friday night because he lodged complaints against the University authorities for alleged violation of reservation criterion in admission to under-graduate (UG) and post-graduate (PG) courses. He also had raised his voice for denial of benefits by the University authorities to the SC, ST community students as specified by the state government.

Paban Hansda, originally a resident of Kharagpur-Prem Bazar in Paschim Medinipur District, West Bengal, who was allegedly tortured for over three hours late on Friday night at his hostel room located at the University campus in Mohonpur, was initially admitted to JNM Hospital in Kalyani. However, he was later transferred to Apollo hospital in Calcutta late on Saturday night as his condition deteriorated further. 

Hospital sources said, A CT scan done on Paban indicates clotted blood in his brain which he sustained due to hit by dumb objects.

On Saturday night SDPO Kalyani Chandrasekhar Bardhan and SDO Saibal Chakraborty rushed to the hospital hearing the critical condition of Paban and talked to BCKV vice chancellor C.R.Koley for his treatment. 

“We arranged to transfer the injured student to the city based private hospital only after a discussion with the VC who assured to bear the medical expenses for treatment of the student”, said the SDPO Kalyani.

“Later he sent Pro VC Biswapati Mandal and the university security officer to the hospital who took Paban to Calcutta for further treatment”, he added.

The accused students had also beaten up two other ST students – Jadunath Hembram (M Sc 2^nd year in Agronomy) and Suren Murmu (M Sc 2^nd year in Soil and Water Conservation) along with Paban. However, their injuries were not serious enough.

Paban and the two other students are active TMCP activists and also members of ‘BCKV Adivasi Students Association’ (ASA), a registered organization which works for rights for ST students in the University. Jadunath is the President of the organization, while Paban is the Vice President. 

Professor Nityananda Das, Dean of Students’ Welfare of BCKV said: “We have received complaints from the students and following which the VC has constituted an enquiry committee which will be headed by Dean of PG faculties Professor S.A.Khan. He was asked to submit his report within seven days”.

District TMCP leadership, however, claimed that none of their members were involved into the incident. 

Bharat Jakat Santhal Pathua Gaunta (All India Santal Students’ Association), a national level student organization of tribal community, condemned the incident. The organization members also met SDO Kalyani on the matter on Sunday and expressed their concern.

Meanwhile, the three students claimed that the police refused to accept their complaint. 

“We went to lodge the complaint at Mohonpur outpost under Haringhata police station. However, the officer in charge refused to accept it. We then went to the SDPO, who after hearing our case instructed the Mohonpur office to take complaint. But, again he refused”, alleged Jadunath.

SDPO Kalyani Chandrasekhar Bardhan said: “This is not true at all. I have enquired and came to know that none of the students who came to me went again to the Mohonpur outpost to lodge the complaint”. 

Sources said, contention developed between the backward community students and general students led by a faction of TMCP ever since the ASA raised implementations of reservations orders of the government.

Suren Murmu, one of the tortured students said: “On Friday night Some students of general categories led by Arup De and Subhadip Dasgupta, Sarthak Bhattacharjee, all 2ns year M Sc students of Soil Science, barged into our rooms and dragged us to a second floor room, where they started beating us randomly with broken pieces of benches, bamboo sticks, broken strips of mirror as they alleged we being the ST students have been enjoying benefits of reservations robbing the rights of the general category students”. 

“They abused us racial remarks, kicked and punched us at random for nearly three hours and even forced us to write confessional undertakings that we are involved in molestation of girl students in drunk state and also in theft. Paban was their main target. He was hit by the mirror strips on his head”, Suren added.

“On Saturday morning we took Paban first to local health centre in Jagulia as he was bleeding and writhing in pain. He was then referred to JNM Hospital in Kalyani”, he added.

According to norms as set by the state government, the students of SC, ST and OBC categories enjoy reservations for admission in the state run colleges and universities. 

A senior official in the state administration said: “On March 22 this year the West Bengal Assembly passed a Bill providing reservation for students belonging to the SC, ST and OBC in State-run colleges and universities. Under this system the state government 22% seats in each stream will be reserved for students belonging to the SC, 6% for ST category and 17 % for OBC categories.”

Necessary government order was also issued in this respect to all the University authorities to commence the effect from the 2013-14.

However, the ASA alleged that this order was never followed by BCKV particularly in admission of students in B Sc in Horticulture and Agriculture.

“At least five students were deprived admission by the university despite they were strongly eligible for admission”, said President of ASA, Jadunath Hembram.

“Moreover, the SC – ST cell that ensures that student’ benefits remained non- functioning for long time. The University has also never bothered to introduce tutorial and coaching classes for the backward students for job oriented programme as per government order”, he alleged further.

“We become vocal of these issues but earned wrath of the general students backed by a section of the TMCP activists led by Rajiv Kundu, Arup De, Subhadip Dasgupta, who are all members of the now dissolved unit of the TMCP unit of which we were also the members”, said Suren Murmu, who was beaten by some TMCP students on June 22 this year.

“I also lodged a complaint after the attack to DM Nadia, District Welfare Officer of Backward classes (Nadia), VC and Registrar of our University, but none responded to it”, he added.

Dean of Students’ Welfare Professor Nityananda Das, however, refused the allegations. He said: “The admission policies of the university strictly abide by the set government norms and orders and no violation was made in this respect”.

Also check this link : http://newsfromnadia.com/index.php/news-reader/items/tribal-students-beaten-up-at-bckv-for-raising-reservation-demands.html

By courtesy:  NfN Network (News From Nadia), 2013-08-19 16:22

Adivasi youth shot dead while protecting his sisters from being raped

A 22-year-old Adivasi youth in Katwa, West Bengal was shot dead on 04.08.2013  when he tried to stop a gang of four from raping his two sisters, the macabre incident unfolding in front of two children of one of the women.

As the youth held on to two of the assailants, the sisters pleaded that he be spared but one of the gang members shot him in the chest.

The early morning crime is a chilling reminder of the killing of a schoolboy on a Barasat street in February 2011. Class X student Rajib Das was stabbed to death by a group that pursued his sister, sprinkled alcohol on her and pounced on the boy when he resisted.

The Katwa sisters, both separated from their husbands and living with their parents, were sleeping in one corner of their shanty with the elder sister’s five-year-old son and three-year-old daughter while the brother was sleeping in another corner.

“I was jolted out of sleep by a tug at my sari. I saw a man pointing a revolver at me. Another man tried to drag me out of the house. There were two others in the group, all with their faces covered. I cried for help and my elder sister and brother woke up,” said the 18-year-old girl, the youngest of the three siblings.

“One of the gang members tried to drag out my elder sister too. My brother lunged at the assailants, who threatened to shoot him dead. But he did not let go of them. He threw himself at two of the assailants and held on to their legs. The attackers managed to free themselves. My brother again caught them by their legs. My sister and I pleaded with them not to harm him but one of the attackers shot him in the chest with his revolver,” the girl said. The youth died on the spot.

“Before fleeing, the attackers fired another shot outside the house, which hit a goat,” the woman added.

The children of the 20-year-old elder sister, who witnessed the entire incident, started crying. By the time the parents of the victim, who live in an adjoining shanty, came out, the assailants had fled.

The sisters, their parents and the children ran out of the house, crossed the railway tracks nearby and hid behind a tree for about four hours till 8am.

The sisters lodged a complaint at Katwa police station. Charges of murder and attempt to rape have been brought against the four unidentified assailants. They have also been booked under provisions of the arms act.

According to residents, there are three more houses in the neighbourhood where the victim’s shanty is located. The houses are within 80 to 100 metres of each other.

A farm labourer who lives in the locality said: “I heard a gunshot around 4am. I did not dare to venture out immediately. After some time, two of my neighbours and I walked to the house from where the sound of the gunshot had come and saw the youth lying in a pool of blood. There was no one else in the house.”

The men informed some of those living on the other side of the railway tracks, one of whom called the police.

The residents accused the police of arriving late. The personnel at Katwa police station, 15km from the crime spot, said they went immediately after receiving the call around 9am.

A sniffer dog was brought from Burdwan town but it could not find any clue.

“We have received the sisters’ complaint and an investigation has been started,” said S.M.H. Meerza, the Burdwan superintendent of police.

Local Congress MLA Rabindranath Chatterjee said: “The police should have arrived much earlier. We demand that the culprits be arrested as soon as possible.”