Dears, It is good to read that Dr. Dattaram Desai [brother of Narayan Desai, Ph.D. and brother-in-law of Kasturi Desai, Ph.D.], who spearheaded the anti Nylon-6,6 agitation a decade and half ago at the same site, has joined the SEZ Virudhi Manch. Ex-sarpanch Pratiksha Gaude who led the BJP-supported Panchayat panel that had passed a resolution in favour of Meditabs Specialities Ltd during the Manohar Parrikar era when the sacrifice of Nilesh Naik was forgotten even though his samadhi stands on the site, had supported the SVM from the start and spoken against the SEZ. SATYAMEVA JAYATE. There is no other way. May their tribe increase.
Chairman of Keri Action Committee , the young and dynamic dentist from the Keri village of which he is also the current Sarpanch, Dr Videsh Jhalmi, has done the lion's share of mobilising the anti-SEZ brigade and supporting similar movements in Verna-Loutolim and Sancoale. The strength of the SVM lies in the FEDERATION of local movements, instead of imposing a central plan. SVM is truly decentralised. Therein lies its strength. It is the 73rd and 74th Amendments to the Constitution put into practice ...with hand-holding by Maverick Fernandes [CSJP] and Pravin Sabnis, both members of the GBA Core Group. Dr. Francisco Colaco, MD of Lok Shakti and Aravind Bhatikar of the Jagrut Goem have also supported the SVM, although JG also has associated with a political grouping of anti-SEZ activists. It becomes confusing when one is APOLITICAL in GBA and SVM and "Political" elsewhere on the same issue! I do hope the dichotomy is resolved by the individuals and organisations concerned as we did in the GBA on 18 December, 2006, to correct a similar aberration or anomaly that had crept in from the UGDP. Mog asundi. Miguel Goa gradually moving into Nandigram shadow HERALD CORRESPONDENT Keri villagers storm Meditab site;Workers, machinery flushed out PONDA, DEC 7 – Over five hundred workers and heavy machinery was forced to leave the SEZ site, owned by Meditab Specialities Pvt Ltd, at Keri, Ponda, when more than 200 villagers stormed the area Friday afternoon in a bid to stop work that was underway. Initially, the anti-SEZ activists resorted to a rasta roko at Arla-Keri in protest to the SEZ on the Keri plateau. However, in the afternoon, the agitated villagers marched up to the site, demanding that all work be stopped immediately, citing an assurance earlier given to the villagers by the government following a discussion with Meditab officials that no work will commence until the December 13 meeting — where company officials are expected to table documents pertaining to the SEZ – takes place. "To our surprise, there was construction activity being carried out by the company," alleged Chairman of Keri Action Committee Dr Videsh Jhalmi, adding that the locals have no trust in the company officials. "The villagers' demand is clear. Stop all work and send the workers home," he asserted. The villagers, who were in no mood for a compromise, forced company officials to flush out all heavy machinery engaged to develop the plot. Bowing to pressure, all the workers were asked to leave by tempos and other vehicles while the machinery was also moved out. The few machines that are still inside, will be shifted within two days, said the police, who had a tough time maintaining law and order. President of Anti-Nylon 6, 6 Action Committee Dr Dattaram Desai, ex-sarpanch Pratiksha Gaude, besides Allen Faleiro, Franky Monteiro, Arvind Bhatikar and Pravin Sabnis, later attended a meeting that was held outside the SEZ site. During the meeting, speakers called upon the villagers to take the fight against SEZs to its logical end and urged all panchayats in the State to take an unshakable resolution opposing SEZs in their respective villages. -- -.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-. Miguel Braganza, S1 Gracinda Apts, Rajvaddo, Mhapsa 403507 Goa Ph 9822982676 [EMAIL PROTECTED] -.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
