Activities
Uttaranchal CM ND Tiwari styles himself as ‘Vikaspurush’ – but for the people of Uttarakhand, his regime, like that of his predecessor the BJP, has turned the dream of a pro-people ‘Vikas’ (development) has delivered destruction rather than development. ‘Run of the river’ projects like the Tapovan Vishnugad Hydro-electric project of the NTPC in Joshimath were once presented as an alternative to the notorious Big Dams – but these are proving to be equally anti-people. Under this project of 520 megawatts, a twelve-kilometre long tunnel, cutting through the mountain, starting from Tapovan, will pass underground through thirteen villages and Joshimath town. Most of the local inhabitants of the affected villages will be displaced from their lands. And most importantly, this project is a danger for the very existence of this seismic, landslide-prone region. According to a high-power Committee constituted in 1976, under the Chairmanship of the then Commissioner of Garhwal Region, Mahesh Chand Mishra, “Joshimath is inhabited on an old landslide…it is a heap of sand and stones, so it was not a fit place even for establishing a township”. The risks involved in digging such a tunnel beneath this fragile ‘heap of sand and stones’ can be imagined. What makes it doubly dangerous is that, already, construction of the Vishnuprayag Hydroelectric Project just below Joshimath town is underway. And because of the project-related blasts, all water resources in neighbouring villages have dried up and around 4000 sheep are dead.
Despite the claims of the NTPC that instead of blasts, tunnel-boring machines will be brought from Norway, people are apprehensive because of the Government’s suspicious lack of transparency. Without any provision of rehabilitation of those whose land is being acquired, NTPC tender forms are already in the market. There is no job guarantee for those who will lose their land, and thus the only source of their livelihood. In Joshimath itself, five such projects are proposed, and 75 in the whole of Uttarakhand. Thus there will be a new Uttarakhand with its rivers becoming invisible, as most of the time, they will remain inside the tunnels.
Local inhabitants led by ‘Save Joshimath Action Committee’ and the CPI(ML) are resisting the project. It was due to the sustained agitation of the people that the foundation stone for the project could not be laid in Joshimath, despite having been announced thrice. The ceremony had to be held at Dehradun.
Tourism Minister TPS Rawat and local MLA, Anasuya Prasad Maikhuri were ghereoed during the Auli Festival. CPI(M) organized a Maha Dharna on April 18-19-20 at Joshimath Tehsil Headquarters. On May 13, on the occasion of the opening of the Badrinath gates, a powerful mass campaigned with the slogan “First Scrap the Destructive Project, Then Come to the Gates of Badri”.
The Tamil Nadu State unit of AICCTU held its fifth state conference in Tirunelveli, beginning on the eve of the May Day, April 30.
Delivering their views on ‘Left response to the speeding up of economic reforms by the Congress led UPA, in the backdrop of BJP’s attempt to revive’, AITUC State GS Comrade S.S.Thiagarajan and Comrade Hemachandran, MLA, and State President of CITU said that the trade unions should fight for achieving the CMP. Comrade N. Kumaresh, Vice-President of UTUC LS, said that the twin dangers of globalization and communalism should be fought out resolutely. Comrade Kumarasami, State President AICCTU concluded the session. He said that there can be no reforms with human face and the CMP is nothing but a maximum compromise and CMP cannot be the be all and end all of the Left.
An impressive rally, in which women beedi workers participated in large numbers, was held. Rural labourers from the adjoining districts like Madurai and Dindugal also participated in the rally. Workers of Ashok Leyland, MRF Tyres, Carborandum, Cut-Fast, TI Diamond Chain, NLC, defence production units, TN Civil Supplies Corporation, Govt Press, government departments, textile mills, cooperative ration shops joined hands with beedi, powerloom, leather and leather goods, construction and casual and contract workers in the rally.
Agitating against the transfer of Siwan District Magistrate C K Anil and his Gopalganj counterpart K K Pathak, the CPI-ML held demonstrations in front of the block offices in Siwan and burnt the effigies of the Prime Minister and Governor and staged a dharna in Patna on 19 May. The Siwan DM was taking steps to curb the mafia-raj of Shahabuddin and he was transferred at the behest of Lalu and Shahabuddin.
The fourth state conference of U.P. AIPWA was held in Moradabad district on 10th May, 05. The conference was preceded by a rally, which prominently raised the demands of checking the recent spate of violence against women, passing the Women’s Bill and demanding a ban on night shift for women workers. AIPWA national president Srilata Swaminathan inaugurated the conference and the chief speaker was General Secretary Kumudini Pati. The Delegate session was attended by more than 225 women delegates from 17 districts. The discussion centered around increasing repression on mass movements by the Mulayam Singh government, inactivity of the state women’s commission and increasing violence against girl children and women in general. Women delegates from rural districts raised the issue of decreasing employment opportunities. The conference elected a 35-member council, which elected an 11-member executive committee. Kripa Verma was elected President and Ajanta Lohit secretary.