---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Sukla Sen <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Sep 22, 2006 6:47 PM
[The Left Front government had earlier committed that only fallow, or at the most single-crop, land s will be acquired for new industrial developments. This principle has now obviously been given an unceremonious go by. Apart from the direct landholders, the large number of people working, and dependent, on the lands to be acquired will be stripped of their means of livelihood. They're not entitled to receive any compensation whatever. Nor this 'low-skilled' workforce stands to gain any meaningful employment in the new industrial unit or ancillary activities. This would cause an immediate human tragedy of considerable proportions, apart from the negative impact on food production and the local ecology. Ironically, the CPIM - by far the most dominant constituent of the LF, is currently playing a major role in leading mass protests against a similar action initiated by the Congress-NCP-led government of Maharashtra in Pen tehsil of Raigad district.] Dear Friends, An estimated 20,000 small farmers and other food producers in Singur (West Bengal, India) will be evicted on September 27, 2006 by the Left Front West Bengal government. In the name of "development", their 1,253 acres of fertile lands will be given to Tata Motors, a giant Indian company. The farmers do not want to give up their land as this is their life and livelihood. They are determined to fight and defend their food sovereignty. We urge you to support the struggle of Singur people to keep their land. Please sign on to the petition letter online: http://www.foodsov.org/html/takeaction05.htm . This will only take a few seconds of your time. The online sign on will automatically send the petition letter to the Chief Minister of West Bengal Government, West Bengal Human Rights Commission and cc to UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food. Kindly pass on this letter to your network. In solidarity, People's Coalition on Food Sovereignty (PCFS) Pesticide Action Network Asia and the Pacific (PAN AP) Asian Peasants Coalition (APC) Institute for Motivating Self-Employment (IMSE, India ) Note: A fact finding mission to Singur was organised by PCFS, PANAP and IMSE and you can view the photos online at ( http://www.panap.net/208.0.html ). The full report of the mission will be uploaded soon. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ greenyouth mailinglist is the activist support mailinglist for kerala run by Global Alternate Information Applications (GAIA) To post to this group, send email to [email protected] -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
