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Tag: Praful Bidwai

  • Koodankulam Struggle: An Urgent Appeal

    Koodankulam Struggle: An Urgent Appeal

    BeyondHeadlines News Desk

    This appeal is a reflection of our collective frustration and instead of being sent to the government, it will be presented before people of India.

    It is already endorsed by eminent Indians like Prashant Bhushan, Aruna Roy, Binayak Sen, Vandana Shiva, Lalita Ramdas, Partha Chatterjee, Praful Bidwai, Achin Vanaik, Gnani Sankaran, John Dayal, Meher Engineer, Sandeep Pandey etc.

    PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SIGN THE APPEAL

    On Sunday evening, the appeal will be released at India gate in Delhi by Vandana Shiva and at Chaityabhoomi in Mumbai by Binayak Sen and Anand Patwardhan.

    Full text of the appeal:

    Dear Fellow Citizens of India,

    On the occasion of our Parliament, the pinnacle of democratic governance, celebrating its 60th anniversary, our hard earned democracy is being ruthlessly repressed and violently suppressed.  Within the accelerated race towards ‘destructive development’ and the generation of nuclear power to fuel such ‘development,’ entirely a peaceful mass protests voicing people’s legitimate dissent are brutally put down.  The common man, woman and child are unheard. In utter desperation, people in Koodankulam have surrendered their ‘Voter ID cards,’ the ultimate symbol of ‘people’s power,’ which is the essence of any genuine democracy. Can there be a more ominous way to dissent?

    Much like the recent anti-corruption upsurge, various actions for social, gender and cological justice and other struggles in various parts of the country to safeguard people’s rights for their lives, dignity, resources, and livelihoods, the people’s movement in Koodankulam demanding a safe future is facing callous repression from the government and continued apathy. Disappointingly, our mainstream media also persists in under-reporting this genuinely popular movement.

    People in Idinthakarai village had to end their 14-day long fast this week. It is appalling that nobody from the Tamil Nadu, or Central Government came to speak to them, and that police strength in the area has been intensified, with every possible intimidating tactic –including taking away the food ration cards of agitating villagers.

    We appeal to you in a state of urgency and desperation.

    The debate on India’s energy future is far from settled.  We will need broader consensus and greater persuasion to ensure that India opts for the safest, most sustainable people-centric energy future.

    The reactor project in Koodankulam perpetrates too many unacceptable violations of norms and procedures. The agitating people are peacefully and persistently trying to raise several important questions – both  site-specific and generic with regard to nuclear power – through all possible forums. Many independent experts and scientists have already emphasized the various dangers of going ahead with the Koodankulam reactors.

    At this critical juncture, we urge that realizing a wider consultation is necessary before continuing the large-scale nuclear expansion that this government is already deeply engaged in.

    We entreat you to demand that the government immediately stop intimidating and harassing peaceful protesters.

    It is imperative that we immediately unite by raising our voices to defend democracy and the ethos of our country.  Unacceptable precedents like the outright repression and silencing of the Koodankulam people’s movement will have adverse implications for all future individual and collective struggles.

    With best regards,

    1.         Prashant Bhushan

    2.        Vandana Shiva

    3.        Partha Chatterjee

    4.        Admiral L. Ramdas

    5.        Lalita Ramdas

    6.        Surendra Gadekar

    7.         Sanghamitra Gadekar

    8.        Narayan Desai

    9.        Anand Patwardhan

    10.      M G Devasahayam

    11.       Gnani Sankaran

    12.      Achin vanaik

    13.      Suvrat Raju

    14.      Saraswati Kavula

    15.      G Sundar Rajan

    16.      Adil Ali

    17.       Gabriele Detrech

    18.      Ramesh Radhakrishnan

    19.      R R Srinivasan

    20.      Sudhir Vombatkere

    21.      Jatin Desai

    22.      Sukla Sen

    23.      Vivek Sundara

    24.      Ram Puniyani

    25.      Shabnam Hashmi

    26.      John Dayal

    27.      EAS Sharma

    28.      Malem Ningthouja Chairperson, Campaign for Peace & Democracy (Manipur)

    29.      Aruna Rodrigues

    30.      Pushpa Mitra Bhargava

    31.      Nagesh Hegde

    32.      Sudha S

    33.      Meher Engineer

    34.      Arati Chokshi

    35.      Ujjwala Mhatre

    36.      Preeti Sampat

    37.      Kabir Khan

    38.      G R Vora

    39.      Harsh Kapoor

    40.      Shri Prakash

    41.      Praful Bidwai

    42.      Chandra Bhushan Chaudhary

    43.      Gowru Chinappa

    44.      A K Ramakrishnan

    45.      Gita Hariharan

    46.      Kavita Krishnan

    47.      Indira Chakravarthi

    48.      Sajeer Abdul Rahman

    49.      Anivar Aravind

    50.      Asit Das

    51.      Priyamvada Gopal

    52.      Aflatoon

    53.      Kamayani Bali Mahabal

    54.      Shankar Sharma

    55.      Karuna Raina

    56.      Xavier Dias

    57.      Nayana Patel

    58.      Stan Swamy

    59.      Rajeev Bhargav

    60.      Ilina Sen

    61.      Soumya Dutta

    62.      Vivek Monteiro

    63.      Madhura Chakraborty

    64.      Shonali Sardesai, Senior Social Scientist, World Bank

    65.      Jaya Seal Ghosh, Actress

    66.      Nirupa Bhanger, Executive Director, The Anchorage

    67.      Vijay Bhangar, ITT Bombay

    68.      Sandeep pandey

    69.      Neeraj Jain

    70.      Nivedita Menon (JNU Delhi)

    71.       Aditya Nigam (CSDS, Delhi)

    72.      Binayak Sen

    73.      Wilfred Dcosta, Indian Social Action Forum (INSAF)

    74.      Chitranjan Singh, PUCL

    75.      Prem P. Verma. Convenor, Jharkhand Alternative Development Forum, Ranchi, Jharkhand

    76.      M. Thimma Reddy, People’s Monitoring Group on Electricity Regulation, Hyderabad

    77.      Dr Tushar Chakraborty, Priicipal Scientist, CSIR, Kolkata

    78.      B R Bawake, Chairperson, Lal Nishan Party (Leninist)

    79.      Bhimrao Bansod, General Secretary, Lal Nishan Party (Leninist)

    80.     B J Kerkar, Lal Nishan Party (Leninist)

    81.      Ajit – Member,Editorial Board, Monthly Lal Nishan Leninwadi

    82.      Com. Uddhav Shinde, Maharashtra Rajya Sarva Shramik Mahasangh

    83.      Uday Bhat, Maharashtra Rajya Sarva Shramik Mahasangh

    84.      Vijay Kulkarni, Maharashtra Rajya Sarva Shramik Mahasangh

    85.      Atul Dighe, Maharashtra Rajya Sarva Shramik Mahasangh

    86.      Medha Thatte, Maharashtra Rajya Sarva Shramik Mahasangh

    87.      Mukta Manohar, Maharashtra Rajya Sarva Shramik Mahasangh

    88.     Vikas Alawani, Maharashtra Rajya Sarva Shramik Mahasangh

    89.      Jeevan Surade, Maharashtra Rajya Sarva Shramik Mahasangh

    90.      Subhash Kakuste, Maharashtra Rajya Sakhar Kamgar Mahasangh

    91.      Anand Waikar, Maharashtra Rajya Sakhar Kamgar Mahasangh

    92.      R. R. Shevale, Maharashtra Rajya Sakhar Kamgar Mahasangh

    93.      P K Mudhe, Maharashtra Rajya Sakhar Kamgar Mahasangh

    94.      Rajendra Bawake, Maharashtra Rajya Kashtakari Shetkari Mahasangh

    95.      Balasaheb Surade, Maharashtra Rajya Kashtakari Shetkari Mahasangh

    96.      Subhash Kakuste, Maharashtra Rajya Kashtakari Shetkari Mahasangh

    97.      Harishchandra Sonawane, Maharashtra Rajya Dharangrasta ani Prakalpagrasta Sanghatana and Maharashtra Rajya           Shetmajur        Sanghatana

    98.Sandu Jadhav, Maharashtra Rajya Dharangrasta ani Prakalpagrasta Sanghatana and Maharashtra Rajya Shetmajur              Sanghatana

    99.Madhav Sahasrabudhe, Pune

    100.Sujit Patwardhan, Pune

    101.Jyoti Punwani

    102.Anand Bala

    103.Adulan

    104.S.Suresh Kumar

    105.J.Kennedy,Advocate

    106.Suma Josson

    107.Manasi Pimple

    108.Prafulla Samantra

    109.Probal Dasgupta

    110.Abhayraj Naik

    111.Dipankar Chakrabarti (editor,aneek)

    112.Nityanand Jayaraman, Writer, Chennai

    113.Paramjeet Singh, Secretary, People’s Union for Democratic Rights, Delhi

    114.H.M. Desarda

    115.Krishnakant, NAPM, Gujarat

    116.Nishchay Mhatre, Pune

    117.Dunu Roy

    118.Babu Rao Kalapala

    119.Thomas Kocherry

    120.Mary Mathai

    121.Mahtab Alam, Civil Rights Activist and Independent Journalist , New Delhi

    122.Debaprasad Roychowdhury, General Secretary, APDR

    123.Bhuvi Gupta

    124.Sudipta Paul, ADHIKAR, Asansol

    125.Dyuti Ailawadi

    126.Partha Sen

    127.Katheeja Talha

    128.R. Ashok Kumar

    129.Rachna Dhingra & Satinath Sarangi, Bhopal Group for Information & Action

    130.Rashida Bee, Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationery Karmchari Sangh

    131.Balkrishna Namdeo, Bhopal Gas Peedit Nirashrit Pension Bhogi Sangharsh Morcha

    132.Nawab Khan, Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Purush sangharsh Morcha

    133.Safreen Khan, Children Against Dow Carbide

    134.Shiraz Bulsara Prabhu, Kashtakari Sanghatana, District Thane, Maharashtra.

    135.Amitadyuti Kumar, Vice President, APDR, Kolkata

    136.Partho Sarothi Ray

    137.Rabin Chakraborty

    138.Gautam Bandyopadhyay, Nadi Ghati Morcha, Chhattisgarh

    139.Sirisha Naidu

    140.N. Jayaram, Journalist and translator, Bangalore

    141.Geeta Seshu

    142.Sashank Rajwadi

    143.Nirmalkumar Jhangiani

    144.Aruna Roy

    145.Madhu Bhaduri

    146.Sunil, Samajwadi Jan Parishad

  • Police’s Lies Revealed in Kazmi Case

    Police’s Lies Revealed in Kazmi Case

    Mahtab Alam

    Refuting the Delhi Police’s claims that arrested journalist Syed Kazmi’ and his wife had been receiving ‘illegal and un-accounted’ foreign remittances regularly, the family members and friends of Syed Kazmi on Wednesday produced documents at a press conference held at Press Club of India in New Delhi.

    The documents produced establish that there was nothing illegal and suspicious about the money transferred in family’s account.

    Last month, the Delhi Police Commissioner B. K. Gupta alleged that Kazmi’s wife Jahan Ara Kazmi had received Rs.18.78 lakh in foreign remittances and Kazmi Rs.3.8 lakh, indicating that these transactions were unaccounted for. However, according to the documents available (a copy of which is with this reporter) these transactions date back at least four years and originate in the Gulf Emirate of Dubai.

    They are following a regular monthly pattern and were all sent by Jahanara Kazmi’s son from a previous marriage to Kazmi’s long deceased elder brother.

    The friends, gathered under the banner of Kazmi Solidarity Committee, a group of eminent journalists, activists, lawyers and academician in defence of Syed Kazmi said, “We believe that this interpretation of available facts strains credulity”. They further said, “It has also fostered a sense of public hostility towards Kazmi’s case by suggesting that these remittances were received in the months of February and March, when they were actually spread over several years. This is deliberate and blatant misrepresentation of facts”.

    Forced to confess, says Kazmi 

    According to a hand-written application dated 2nd April, filed by Syed Kazmi before Vinod Yadav, Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) of Tis Hazari Courts of Delhi, he was forced to confess. “I was forced to sign on papers which were not given for reading. I was also made to sign on blank papers…When I refused; I was constantly threatened about my life and well being of my family. The Delhi Police Special Cell people were doing all things as per their will without caring for law,” reads the application. Kazmi further alleges, “I would also like to state that the applicant was never consulted before any statement.

    In some instances, I was forced under duress to speak as if I was comfortable and willing to give statements. I apprehend that a video might have been made to mislead the proceeding in the courts”.

    It can be noted here, Kazmi was interrogated through the early phase of his detention by unidentified persons. Contrary to the clear guidelines laid down in the D.K. Basu case, several of the police personnel who interrogated him did not wear name tags or uniforms. This earned the Special Branch of the Delhi Police a stern reprimand by CMM Vinod Yadav on March 17.

    ‘Why delay in filling Charge-sheet’ 

    Raising doubts about the unnecessary delay in filling charge sheet members of the committee asked, “if the police so sure about involvement of Mr. Kazmi in the case, why not they are filling charge-sheet”. Kazmi’s bail application was turn down by CMM Vinod Yadav holding that global inquiries into the bombing might be compromised by his release. The CMM also acceded in large part to a prosecution request not to discuss evidence in open court.

    But the members of committee asks, “If the Delhi Police are so anxious that their evidence should not be known to the wider public, we question how they have been putting out selective leaks with the seeming intent to influence the public mood”.

    Kazmi was remanded to twenty days in police custody on March 7 but transferred to judicial custody four days before this remand period expired. This was done without prior notice to the family or Kazmi’s defence lawyers and ostensibly because the Special Branch of the Delhi Police had no further need to keep him. His bail application came up before the CMM on March 30 but the hearing was adjourned till April 3 because prosecution lawyers were not present.

    “We question this quite blatant violation of procedure by the Delhi Police in a matter with serious international ramifications,” said the members of the committee. Wednesday’s press conference was addressed by Eminent Journalists, John Cherian, Sukumar Murlidharan, Seema Mustufa, Activists Shabnam Hashmi, Manisha Sethi, the Supreme Court Lawyer, Colin Gonsalves and Kazmi’s Wife Jahan Ara Kazmi.

    Eminent Journalists Vouched for Kazmi

    At the press conference senior and eminent journalists vouched for Kazmi’s integrity and demanded his immediate release.  Eminent journalist and Frontline’s Chief of Bureau, John Cherian said “Kazmi was the easiest scapegoat. A lot of us, including Syed Kazmi and Seema Mustufa, went to Iraq in 2002 to cover the war… That was the first time I met him”. Recalling his visit to Syria last year with Syed Kazmi, he added “Kazmi has always been proud of the work he’s done having covered wars. He is also very proud of his family. I hope he comes out unharmed. We will demand heavy reparation after his release for the wrongful arrest”.

    Others journalists who are part of the committee includes, Senior Journalist and Former Editor of Tehelka Weekly, Ajit Sahi, Assistant Editor of Daily DNA, Iftikhar Gilani, Senior Journalist Javed Naqvi, Veteran Journalist, Kuldeep Nayyar, Writer and Columnist, Praful Bidwai, Political Editor of Outlook Weekly Saba Naqvi, Veteran Journalist Saeed Naqvi, Senior Journalist Sandeep Dixit, Editor of Monthly Hard News, Sanjay Kapoor, Senior Journalist, Zafar Agha.

    The committee is an informal grouping of concerned journalists, civil rights activists and academics, united in the belief that a vast travesty of justice is taking place with the arrest and continuing incarceration of Syed Mohammad Ahmad Kazmi, a senior and well respected journalist.

    Prof. Ali Javed, Prof. Anuradha Chenoy, Prof. Apoorvanand, Advocate Colin Gonsalves, Prof. Kamal Mitra Chenoy, Film maker Mahesh Bhat, Dr. Manisha Sethi, Activist Mansi Sharma, Advocate Nitya Ramakrishnan, Activist Shabnam Hashmi are also part of the committee. The committee will be holding a public meeting on 23 April in Delhi.

    Kazmi was arrested on March 6. He was hustled into a police vehicle at 11:30 that morning as he emerged from the India Islamic Cultural Centre on Lodi Road. He was later produced before magistrate and remanded in to police custody for his alleged role in Israeli Embassy Bomb blast case.

    (Mahtab Alam is a Delhi based Civil Rights Activist and Independent Journalist. He can be contacted at activist.journalist @gmail.com)