I endorse the statement. A list of martyrs be drawn up who
have been eliminated to ensure plunder of natural resources .
Niloufer Bhagwat
----- Original Message -----
From: Kamayani
To: undisclosed-recipients:
Sent: Tuesday, August 16, 2011 4:03 PM
Subject: [humanrights-movement:4732] Joint Statement on Martyrdom
ofShehlaMasood- SEEKINGE NDORSEMENTS
dEAR ALL
pl endorse the statement in the cOMMENTS SECTION OF THIS STATEMENT
TOXICSWATCH-ALLIANCE AGAINST POLLUTION & CORPORATE CRIMES
ToxicsWatch Alliace keeps track of callousness, corporate crimes,
military-mining-industrial complex & their impact on humans, wildlife &
ecosystem. It resists adverse impacts of corporate policies. It is allied to
WaterWatch Alliance. It advocates car free culture. Its a member of No to
Nuclear Energy Forum & All India Coordination Committee of Anti-Nuclear
Movements. Visit:www.toxicswatch.com, banasbestosindia.blogspot.com,
imowatch.blogspot.com
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Joint Statement on Martyrdom of Shehla Masood
Joint Statement on Martyrdom of Shehla Masood (for your endorsement)
16 August, 2011
"I am proud to be an Indian.Happy Independence Day."
Shehla Masood, 15 August, 2011
Gandhi "the purpose of civil resistance is provocation". Anna has succeeded
in provoking the Govt and the Opposition. Hope he wins us freedom from
corruption. Meet at 2 pm Boat Club Bhopal"
Shehla Masood, 16 August, 2011 few minutes before her martyrdom
Shehla Masood, a Madhya Pradesh based civil rights and environmental rights
activist was was shot dead by an unidentified person in front of her residence
in Koh-e-Fiza locality in Bhopal around 11 AM on 16th August, 2011.
We the undersigned aghast at the irony that tigers, tribals, trees and civil
rights and environmental rights activists are being hunted and killed in the
same manner.
We demand that the possible connection between her murder and her raising the
issue of illegal Diamond mining project in Chhattarpur district, Madhya Pradesh
by Rio Tinto, a transnational mining company headquartered in the UK, combining
Rio Tinto plc, a London and NYSE listed company, and Rio Tinto Limited, which
is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange must be investigated along with
other suspicions by a high level probe team. (Factsheet on Rio Tinto’s illegal
mining activity given below)
She was active to save the watershed of the Panna Tiger Reserve and the
Shyamri River, one of the cleanest in the country from Rio Tinto’s mining
activity along with other activists.
We suspect that the considered timing of her elimination during the ongoing
anti-corruption campaign when she was on her way to support Anna Hazare’s fast
is meant to overshadow the issue of illegal Diamond mining project in
Chhattarpur district, Madhya Pradesh by Rio Tinto and the political Mafiosi.
The mining block is inside a forest which is the northernmost tip of the best
corridor of teak forests south of the Gangetic plain. It is an established law
that mining is non-forestry activity. There is an immediate need for a probe to
determine who allowed the mining to take place in such an ecologically fragile
area.
The Bunder mine project, near the city of Chhatarpur in Madhya Pradesh, about
500 kilometres south-east of Delhi, is likely to be one of the largest diamond
reserves in the world. It is estimated that there is a ''inferred resource'' of
27.4 million carats, a diamonds resource seven times richer than the Panna
mine, country's only working diamond mine.
A statement dated March 22, 2011 was laid in the Parliament (Lok Sabha) on
“need to review the diamond mining project in district Chhattarpur, Madhya
Pradesh posing serious threat to environment in the region".
We have learnt from senior journalists that two Collectors have been
transferred to facilitate the ongoing illegal mining and the fact that the new
Collector has allowed mining which came to light when a PIL was filed stating
that Rio Tinto has been carrying on exploitation of mineral resources in
Chattarpur district violating the prescribed provisions.
Prior to the statement in the Lok Sabha, on March 10, 2011, the FOREST
ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING of Ministry of Environment & Forests listed Agenda
no. 6 on “ Prospecting of diamond at 143 additional locations in 2329.75 ha.
forest land located in 18 compartments in Buxwaha Range in Chhatarpur district
of Madhya Pradesh by M/s Rio Tinto Exploration India Private Limited. [File No.
8-49/2006-FC-(Vol.)]” to discuss it but did not do so stating, “Due to paucity
of time the proposal could not be discussed during the meeting”.
We had written to the Union Environment Minister and Parliamentary Petitions
Committee separately drawing its attention towards Madhya Pradesh High Court’s
notices to the Centre and the state government on illegal mining of diamonds by
international mining companies. The court had asked both the governments to
reply in this matter within four weeks. Considering the act of illegal mining
as a serious offence, a double bench of Chief Justice Sayed Rafat Alam and
Justice Sushil Harkauli criticised the Forest Departments, Mining Secretaries
of the state as well as the Centre and issued notices against them in addition
to the Madhya Pradesh Pollution Control Board and Chattarpur Collector.
We take cognisance of the fact that Corporate Watch, a London based group had
chosen Rio Tinto to award it for its display of heinous, misguided, and
altogether anti-social behaviour over the last ten years in 2010.
We take note of 'Rio Tinto: the Tainted Titan,' the Stakeholders Report,
www.cfmeu.asn.au, 1997, which states "It's (Rio Tinto's) activities in some of
the wildest and the most pristine places in the world and their impact on the
environment of those places, the people who live there, the life-style of the
indigenous people and also its corporate culture, are subjects of real concern."
We submit that Rio Tinto project is threatening unique forest resources in
the area affected by the mine in Chhattarpur, MP. In this context, it may be
noted that Roger Moody, a veteran journalist in his book Plunder, describes Rio
Tinto's activities as ranging from "brow-beating opponents, leaning on
governments and price-fixing, to violating international law, union-busting and
management of one of the world's biggest commodity cartels". His book outlines
numerous examples of its environmental irresponsibility.
It is germane to recollect what Sir Roderick Carnegie, as Chairman Rio
Tinto-Zinc (RTZ) had said at its 1984 shareholders' meeting: "The right to land
depends on the ability to defend it".
We salute the struggle and martyrdom of Shehla Masood who defended our
forests, rivers, land and wildlife in the face of unscrupulous corporate
assault in nexus with ruling political regimes.
Shehla Masood used to conclude her messages with a proud “Roarrrrr” that
cannot be silenced by the bullets of her assailants.
Signatories
Gopal Krishna, ToxicsWatch Alliance (TWA), New Delhi ([email protected])
Prakash K Ray, Jawaharlal Nehru University Researchers Association (JNURA),
New Delhi ([email protected])
Fact sheet on Rio Tinto, Chhattarpur, Madhya Pradesh
May, 2004: ACC Rio Tinto of Australia, De Beers of South Africa, BHP Minerals
of Canada and the National Mineral Development Corporation are set to start
survey and exploration of diamond mines in the Panna, Chhattarpur, Tikamgarh,
Sagar, Angor and Majhgawan areas of the state. ACC Rio Tinto has been issued
four reconnaissance permits for 10,000 sq km area in the Panna Damoh and
Chhatarpur districts.
2004: Rio Tinto discovered a significant diamond deposit in Chhattarpur
district of Madhya Pradesh.
2006: Rio Tinto was given the prospecting licence
17 January 2007: Bunder Project is a proposed new diamond mine , located at
Janpad Panchayat Buxwaha, Tehsil Buxwaha, District, Chhatarpur, Madhya Pradesh.
If the project is approved and proves viable, it could be the "first
significant world class diamond mine in India", according to the Rio Tinto
Group, who have proposed the mine. The foundation of the plant was inaugurated
by Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan on 17 January 2007.
Government accorded pollution clearance certificate by its letter no.
213/EPCO/SEIAA/08 dated 22.11.08 for DMS plant.
July 2007: Australian multinational mining company, Rio Tinto has applied for
prospecting license for locating diamond area in Madhya Pradesh's Panna and
Chhatarpur districts. Diamond Officer J S Solanki said Rio Tinto has discovered
a 'Kimerlite Pipe Line' at Bakswaha in Chhatarpur and Amjhiria and Rampur in
Panna district. The company has applied for prospecting license. After
receiving no objection certificate (NOC) from the forest department, the
application would be forwarded to the state government. The company would begin
its work as soon as it receives permission from the government. National Mines
Development Corporation (NDMC) has also started surveying the area in view of
new possibilities.
23 June 2008: Rio Tinto announced on 23rd June that it had filed for a mining
lease to proceed with the project. They are also waiting permission from the
pollution control board for a Dense Media Separation Plant which would allow
samples taken from the mine to be processed on location.
December 2008: Rio Tinto has discovered diamond deposit in Chhatarpur
district of Madhya Pradesh. Rio Tinto Diamond - one of the largest producers of
rough diamond - has sought the mining lease from state government for running
its commercial business in Chhatarpur, he added. Chhatarpur is the second
district after Panna in the state where diamond deposit was discovered. They
were expecting 30 million carats of diamond deposit in Chhatarpur and the state
government is hopeful of getting Rs 100 crore royalty from this project's
commercial production. Rio Tinto would begin mining diamonds using latest
technology. Rio Tinto has put in around USD 25 million in exploring and
discovering the diamond deposit. The firm was exploring diamond reserve for
well over four years and eventually discovered it some months ago. Rio Tinto is
the first in the last five years which has got prospecting license for diamond
exploration in India.
August 2009: Virbhadra Singh, India’s Steel Minister said that National
Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC) is exploring for diamond reserves in the
Chattarpur District. "We have requested the Madhya Pradesh government to allow
NMDC to explore more areas adjoining the Panna mines so that the area could
emerge as a diamond hub. Moreover, Chattarpur district is also rich in diamond
reserves," he said. Maintaining that this would attract investments in diamond
cutting and polishing
2010: The presence of diamond deposits has been detected in Chhattarpur
district of Madhya Pradesh during an aerial survey by an Australian company.
"The process for granting permission for a land survey to confirm the presence
of diamonds is underway". Diamonds were earlier found in Panna district, which
is close to Chhattarpur. Australia's Rio Tinto Exploration Company had been
carrying out aerial surveys for diamonds over the past three years in the
northeastern part of the state. The central government had given permission to
the Australian firm for such surveys.
31st August, 2010: The second largest mining company of the world Rio Tinto
has began production of diamonds from its Bunder Diamond project at Chhatarpur
district in Madhya Pradesh. "Rio Tinto has commenced production and bulk
sampling at Mumbai diamond auctions," said SK Mishra, MP Mining and Mineral
Secretary. The company has so far invested about Rs 250 crore and mining lease
had been offered on 475 hectares. Rio Tinto was given prospecting licence for
the project in 2006. The company will gradually scale up investment and will
cover 5,000 hectares over a period and the investment is expected to touch Rs
2,500 crore. Madhya Pradesh's Additional Chief Secretary (Commerce, Industry
and Employment), Satya Prakash said, the company will invest Rs 370 crore over
the next three years. The state government has also earmarked 280 acres near
Indore for a diamond park for value addition like cutting, polishing and
jewellery. MP is the only diamond producing state with prospect of 1200
thousand carats of diamond reserve.
November 2010: Environmentalists and conservationists raise serious
objections about the Madhya Pradesh government giving full support to global
diamond giant Rio Tinto’s Indian subsidiary planning commercial mining of
diamonds in an eco-sensitive zone close to the Panna tiger reserve. Tiger
expert Valmik Thapar, asked about Rio Tinto’s Bunder diamond project in
Chhatarpur district, a few kilometers from the Panna reserve’s western border,
said: “It’s an example of a completely dysfunctional system of government from
top to bottom.” He said that if Panna were to recover (the loss of all its
tigers), it would need at least another 10 years of complete protection of
surrounding forests and (their) connecting corridors. Asked about Rio Tinto’s
plan to start commercial diamond mining in an area which is also the watershed
for the Panna reserve and the Shyamri river, considered one of the cleanest in
the country, Thapar said the water regime was also essential for life and no
water resource should be negated by those bent on commercial exploitation of
mineral resources in forest areas. Almost 99 per cent of the Bunder
diamondiferous block is inside a forest which is the northernmost tip of the
best corridor of teak forests south of the Gangetic plain. “It is an
established law that mining is non-forestry activity — if pitting is involved,
prospecting is also mining activity,” a senior state forest officer said,
adding that a probe was needed to determine on what grounds clearance to
prospect in this area was given in the first place.
March 10, 2011: PROCCEDINGS OF THE FOREST ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING of
Ministry of Environment & Forests refer to Agenda no. 6 on “ Prospecting of
diamond at 143 additional locations in 2329.75 ha. forest land located in 18
compartments in Buxwaha Range in Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh by M/s
Rio Tinto Exploration India Private Limited. [File No. 8-49/2006-FC-(Vol.)]” It
states, “Due to paucity of time the proposal could not be discussed during the
meeting”.
March 22, 2011: Jeetendra Singh Bundela, MP from Khajuraho laid a statement
in Lok Sabha on “need to review the diamond mining project in district
Chhattarpur, Madhya Pradesh posing serious threat to environment in the region.”
April 2011: Rio Tinto applied for a mining licence for what could be the
largest diamond mine in India. The global mining giant is carrying out
pre-feasibility exploration at the Bunder Mine project near Chhattarpur in
Madhya Pradesh. The mine can have reserves of 27.4 million carats, making it
the largest diamond find in the last 10 years in the world. The Bunder mine is
likely to hold resources seven times more than Panna, the only operating
diamond mine in the country. It is estimated that the grade of the Bunder
reserves is 0.7 carats per tonne. Diamond traders in Delhi estimated the value
of the roughs at $4-5 billion.
The grant of the licence to Rio may get delayed as environment activists have
filed a case against the firm in Madhya Pradesh High Court. The company claims
that it is fully compliant with all laws, including environmental norms. The
domestic diamond processing industry generates revenues of more than Rs 70,000
crore annually but is facing a shortage of 30 per cent in its requirement of
roughs. Rio, a Reliance Industries’ subsidiary has been prospecting for diamond
in the country. The Reliance subsidiary holds a prospecting licence for about
1800 sq km spread over Rewa, Siddhi and Satna in Madhya Pradesh.
9th April, 2011: Madhya Pradesh High Court issued notices to the Centre and
the state government on illegal mining of diamonds by international mining
companies. The court has asked both the governments to reply in this matter
within four weeks. Considering the act of illegal mining as a serious offence,
a double bench of Chief Justice Sayed Rafat Alam and Justice Sushil Harkauli
rapped the Forest Departments, Mining Secretaries of the state as well as the
Centre and issued notices against them in addition to the MP Pollution Control
Board and Chattarpur Collector. The issue of illegal diamond mining came to
light when a PIL was filed by a social activist. The PIL stated that an
Australian mining company, Rio Tinto, has been carrying on exploitation of
mineral resources in Chattarpur district violating the prescribed provisions.
The PIL said that under Section 2 of the Forest Preservation Act, permission
from the Central government is required to carry on mining trade in any part of
India. Other than this, a no objection certificate (NOC) from Pollution Control
Board is mandatory. The counsel of the petitioner, Vipin Yadav, told the court
that the Collector of Chattarpur had written a letter to the Revenue Department
in this context, but no action was taken. Yadav added, “This proves that the
officials of Forest and Revenue departments are working hand-in-hand and
foreign companies are making profit at the cost of our country’s natural
resources.”
25th July, 2011: A letter on Illegal Diamond mining project in district
Chhattarpur, MP was submitted to the Parliamentary Petitions Committee by
ToxicsWatch Alliance.
Subsequent to this a letter was sent to Union Environment Minister Jayanthi
Natarajan by Shehla Masood on 25 July, 2011. She had also filed Right to
Information application in this regard.
16 August, 2011: Shehla Masood killed in Bhopal
http://toxicswatch.blogspot.com/2011/08/joint-statement-on-martyrdom-of-shehla.html
--
Adv Kamayani Bali Mahabal
+919820749204
skype-lawyercumactivist
*
*
*The UID project i**s going to do almost exactly the same thing which the
predecessors of Hitler did, else how is it that Germany always had the lists
of Jewish names even prior to the arrival of the Nazis? The Nazis got these
lists with the help of IBM which was in the 'census' business that included
racial census that entailed not only count the Jews but also identifying
them. At the United States Holocaust Museum in Washington, DC, there is an
exhibit of an IBM Hollerith D-11 card sorting machine that was responsible
for organising the census of 1933 that first identified the Jews.*
*
*
*http://saynotoaadhaar.blogspot.com/*
*http://aadhararticles.blogspot.com/*
*http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_162987527061902&ap=1*<http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_162987527061902&ap=1>
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