--- On Sun, 7/8/11, thervoy grama makkal munnetra sangam nalla <[email protected]> wrote:
From: thervoy grama makkal munnetra sangam nalla <[email protected]> Subject: please disseminate our letter on our name To: "G.R. Ravindranath Dr." <[email protected]>, [email protected], [email protected], "usha_ma" <[email protected]> Date: Sunday, 7 August, 2011, 7:44 http://www.publishaletter.com/readletter.jsp?plid=29833 Indian express, Aug 05, 2011 Dear Editor: We the 5000 people of Thervoy Kandigai women's self help groups, Thervoy Grama Munnera Makkal Nala Sangam,and villagers from Gummudipundi Taluk, Thiruvalluvar district, Tamil Nadu, India would like to draw attention to the usurping of our 1127 acres of grazing land (Mekkal Porombokku land) and forest land WHICH WE HAVE BEEN GUARDING FOR TWO HUNDRED YEARS by the earlier Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam regime and the handing over part of it to French based Michelin Tyre Company. We see this as a violation of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural rights (ICESCR) by the earlier government and by French based Michelin Tyre company. We also see this as a violation of the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) by the earlier government and a violation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) Why do we see it as a violation of our economic and social cultural rights? This usurpation, which was announced in 2007, has now led to not only violation of our right to common property resources but has also started affecting our agriculture, animal husbandry, and our access to water, fuel, medicinal herbs, access to open defecation spaces and our bodily integrity. Several of the tanks in the grazing land/forest land have been destroyed, water in our irrigation channels are getting affected (and will affect another 24 villages), a few livestock have died. We women have to go in groups for gathering fuel or for defecation, as there was once a man roaming naked in the industrial park. The climate is already changing and it is hotter this year. Further, Michelin Tyre Company has commissioned an NGO to do English education, provide vocational training and clean tanks. These are firstly not happening in our village and is this not the role of the government and local government? If the Michelin Tyre company/SIPCOT continues our culture will get affected as here we live in harmony with each other, nature and being largely a dalit village we are free of caste based discrimination. Majority of us are self employed and not wage workers. In short our economic, social and cultural rights have been violated and our rights as women under CEDAW- (with our work load increasing, our health getting eroded, our bodily integrity getting affected). Majority of us are dalits, and it is time the international community recognizes that discrimination against dalits as discrimination. Why is it a violation of our civil and political rights? We would like to draw attention to the fact that our civil and political rights (under the ICCPR) have been violated as peaceful democratic means of protests from 2007- pre-elections2011 (padyatras, fasts, protests in front of guest house of Members of Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly etc) against illegal handing over of our common property resources were repressed by the previous regime. The Michelin Tyre Company has issued a caveat notice on Thervoy Girama Makkal Munnera Nala Sangam that this group cannot do anything without informing them. This is a mockery of democracy and international human rights law! We were after all peacefully protesting against the process of handing over of our common property resources : • as the village Assembly (Gram Sabha) ruled against the land being given away to SIPCOT industrial Park. • in the public hearing we protested against giving away of the land, and the hearing was held outside the legal area limit permitted. * An Environment impact study done has shown huge impact on the quality of water & effluents affecting not only our village but other 24 villages • there is an agreement on handing of parts of our grazing land/Mekkal porombokku land to local government (2008-9)and Joint Forest Management committee ( three to four years after 2009) and there was no Village Assembly to rule against its being given away * until march, there was no pollution control clearance for SIPCOT industrial park which houses the Michelin Tyre company. We demand that AIADMK and its allies (CPI, CPM, DMDK, etc ) who stood with us during our struglles * fulfill their promise of giving us back the forest abd grazing land to us, and closing this industrial park and MNCs therein . In particular AIADMK made this promise during the recently held Assembly elections. * Reestablish tanks, check dams and trees destroyed • Drop all cases pending against our men and women of the village for constitutionally valid means of protests • Take action against perpetrators of violence by previous regime against our right to protest against taking away of for our grazing land/forest land • Compensate for loss of livelihoods, livestock, employment, wounds and torture * Take Action against Michellin Tyre company for creating false propaganda that they are cleaning irrigation channels, running health camps and providing English education in our village. These are not happening in our village and secondly we feel that these are government's routine programs and local government. As India's independence day (August 15th) comes nearer we do not want our forests and grazing land to got to MNCs or SIPCOT industrial park. After all the poet Bharatiyar from Tamil Nadu had said India is free and the resources now belongs to people and equality has been achieved just after independence. We are sure that the AIADMK and allies would make his dreams become a reality, and international community in particular French company would stand with us While several people are supporting our struggle, the struggle is ours (www.countercurrents.org/thervoy140711.htm) as after all we have taken the beating not them. Further, several of us are graduates, studying law. Hence this letter in our own words with support for transaltion. Thervoy Kandigai women's self help groups Thervoy kandigai village elders Thervoy Girama Makkal Nala sangam Translation and conceptual support: SS Ranjani ([email protected]) -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "humanrights movement" group. To post to this group, send 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/humanrights-movement?hl=en.
