Dear All, The way our famed Western Ghats are disappearing thanks to ridiculous industrial priorities that pour scorn on the environment, is not something suffered only by us.
I have just received a mail from Rhea Mungal <[email protected]>, who has been coordinating a strong public campaign in Trinidad against our very own Essar Steel. Please be in touch with her and offer her your support and solidarity. The information age belongs to all of us, and we must use it even more effectively to lend weight to fights taking place on the ground. Also please read her letter below to Shashi Ruia and Ravi Ruia, Chairman and Vice Chairman respectively, of Essar Global Limited! Now one just hopes that the Goan mining industry also reads Goanet... Cheers, Hartman ___________________ October 30th 2008 Mr. Shashi Ruia Chairman Mr. Ravi Ruia Vice Chairman Essar Global Limited Group Corporate Office, Essar House, 11, K.K. Marg, Mahalaxmi, Mumbai 400 034 India REQUEST FOR MEETING Dear Sirs, We are thankful for the history of fraternal relations between the peoples and governments of India and Trinidad and Tobago and seek to build this fraternity for our mutual benefit. We recognize and welcome India’s vast accomplishments in the fields of agrarian reform, food production, communications, global commodity trade, and cultural exchange. Essar Steel, we recognize, continues to contribute to global wealth, particularly in the fields of energy, communications and metals production. The community representatives of Claxton Bay and environs, and the West Coast of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, have directed that we urgently request a meeting with the directors of Essar Steel, Mr. Shashi Ruia and Mr. Ravi Ruia. We are in the midst of a number of significant developments which we feel that you might be unaware of. These matters, if left unattended, will severely alter the tradition of fraternal relations between our peoples and nations. Three of these matters, perhaps not the most significant, but in our view, the most immediate, will be summarized in this letter. We shall be willing to travel to India, or to receive any member of your family of directors, to expand on these summarized matters, and to discuss in detail other significant matters. The economic climate existing at the time that the Government of Trinidad and Tobago and Essar Steel signed an agreement to build a steel complex on the West Coast of Trinidad has significantly altered. Global and local changes in the finance, food, energy and metals markets have deteriorated. In the light of these challenges, altered strategies for economic growth are requisite. It is clear that the economic strategies of the people of Claxton Bay and environs, either the traditional or current ones, are not known to you. The social climate, since the signing of the agreement between GORTT and Essar Steel, has deteriorated. There have been hundreds of actions, over the last 29 months, legal, scientific and social, by many community groups. It is not clear that the full scale, intensity, scope and persistence of these actions are known to you. The security climate, since the agreement, has considerably altered. As you may know the National Energy Corporation, the state agency responsible for facilitating dedicated infrastructure for the proposed steel complex, has established an Anti-Terrorist Unit at its compound. Essar Steel itself has hired the retired Police Commissioner of Trinidad and Tobago to execute certain security functions. State branches of security have been executing surveillance, arrest, detention and protection functions in the area. There have been at least five arrests and innumerable assaults. We are not clear that the scope, scale, intent and significance of these actions are fully appreciated by you. There are several other issues which demand attention to prevent a further escalation of undesirable relations between the peoples of our two nations. A meeting in India, at your company headquarters, or in Trinidad and Tobago, at your earliest convenience, shall serve, we are positive, to restore the traditional fraternal relations between the peoples of India and the Caribbean. We value your interest in developing business relations in Trinidad and Tobago and Latin America, and look forward to receiving your earnest reply. Sincerely, Kishore Boodram, for The Claxton Bay Fishermen’s Association Sahadeo Puran, for Pranz Gardens Development Committee Gail Rajkumar, for The Claxton Bay Resource Protection Group Gary Aboud, for Fishermen and Friends of the Sea Dr Wayne Kublalsingh, for Smelta Karavan Dr Peter Vine, Physicist, University of the West Indies Dr. Wayne Kublalsingh Ms. Rhea Ranu Mungal [email protected] [email protected] 868-771-5181 868-769-4672 cc The President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago The Prime Minister of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago The Embassy of the Republic of India in Port of Spain Essar Caribbean, Atlantic Plaza, Trinidad and Tobago Mr Anand Ramlogan, Attorney at Law The Trinidad Newsday, Trinidad Guardian, Trinidad Express
