BHAVNAGAR DISTRICT GRAM BACHAO SAMITI At: Jaspara, Taluka: Talaja, District: Bhavnagar, Gujarat
PRESS RELEASE 26th January 2011 •Residents of Mithi Virdi, Khadarpar, Jaspara resolve to resist proposed Nuclear Power Plant •Demand scrapping of archaic and unjust British relic known as Land Acquisition Act, 1894 •Government should cease to act as agent for corporations Even as the nation celebrated its 61st Republic Day many villages and communities continue to be destroyed by a corrupt Government's 'development' projects foisted on them by using deceit, division and force. But villagers of Mithi Virdi, Jaspara and Khadarpar have resolved to fight Government & NPCIL's proposed mega nuclear power plant that will displace and destroy not only agriculture, animal husbandry, fishing but local culture and life itself. The occasion was the observance of Voters' Awareness programme on 25th and the Republic day on the 26th January respectively. Shri Shaktisinh Gohil, sarpanch of Jaspara invited affected villagers to come together in a symbolic gesture of 'lighting the lamp' to protect their lands, homes and livelihoods. The Khadarpar sarpanch Shri Siddharajsinh Gohil vowed that they would stand united in the face of all threats. The Deputy sarpanch of Mithi Virdi, Shri Dulabhai demanded that unjust Land Acquisition Act, 1894 a tragic legacy of British rule be scrapped. Residents of Jaspara, Mithi Virdi, Khadarpar and Mandva have been opposing the proposed 8000 MW nuclear power plant for the last three years. They had organised a huge rally in Bhavnagar, the district headquarters, to observe Human Rights day on 10th December 2010 under the auspices of Bhavnagar District Gram Bachao Samiti and Samarthan Mahila Mahasangh. People have seen through Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd.'s deceitful game in Jaitapur, Maharashtra, where a similar nuclear power plant is also being proposed. Local people have been fighting a very resolute and effective battle there too. The Western Ghats' Ecology experts' panel formed by the Central Ministry of Environment & Forests has reported that the proposed plant will have massively destructive and irreversible impact on local ecology exposing NPCIL's lies to the contrary. The Jamshedji Tata Centre for Disaster Management, a part of the universally reputed Tata Institute of Social Sciences, studied the possible social impacts of the proposed power plant and castigated the Government and NPCIL for its opacity. NPCIL has sought to repeat the story in Jaspara, Mithi Virdi, Khadarpar and Mandva in Bhavnagar, Gujarat. Shri Vashrambhai an elder of Jaspara village declared that we shall 'give our lives but not our lifeline', i.e., land. Activists of Utthan organisation participated in the Republic Day celebrations in Mithi Virdi village and those of Gujarat Sarvodaya Mandal in Khadarpar village. To bring to life the spirit of real freedom and village republics the people of Khadarpar, Mithi Virdi and Jaspara demand that • Land Acquisition Act, 1894 be scrapped • Any new law to replace the law be formulated only after consulting people • No land acquisition be undertaken until such a law is put in place • Plug the loopholes in the Civil Nuclear Liability Bill, 2010, that allow suppliers of plants and equipment to escape full liability for accidents • Agricultural land should not be acquired for projects • Scrap the proposed nuclear power plant in Bhavnagar district and reverse any action initiated in that regard The programme of symbolic 'lighting of lamps' held in Jaspara on 26th January 2011 concluded with the above demands and resolve to continue their struggle. Bhavnagar District Gram Bachao Samiti Contact: Shaktisinh Gohil: 98252 47265, Sarpanch, Jaspara & Bharat Jambucha: 94269 79035 For photos go to:- http://picasaweb.google.com/tokrishnakant/PeopleProtestByLampOn26111?authkey=Gv1sRgCKKIrrfjsrmySA&feat=directlink -- Krishnakant Gujarat , India Ph: ++91- 9427849310 --------------------------------------------------------- STAND NOT FOR WHAT WILL SUCCEED, BUT FOR WHAT IS RIGHT & JUST !!!! _______________________________________________ -- Peace Is Doable -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To post to this group, send an email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth?hl=en-GB.
