Great news. Peoples' Unity Zindabad. Kiran On Tue, Aug 21, 2012 at 1:30 AM, Kavita Krishnan <[email protected]>wrote:
> > *Forbesganj Struggle Continues:* > > *People Construct Bhajanpur-Sheetalpur Road * > > * * > > Thousands of villagers armed with traditional weapons offered ‘shramdaan’ > and volunteered as labourers in order to construct the Bhajanpur-Sheetalpur > road at Forbesganj, Bihar, on 16 August. This is a victory for the people’s > struggle, which has braved the severest repression and communal > encirclement. > > This public road, which has been in existence for the past 60 years or so, > connects the Bhajanpur village (mainly inhabited by 1000 families of the > minority community), to the Karbala, Idgah, hospital and local bazaar. Last > year, on June 3, police fired on a demonstration by local people protesting > against this same public road being blocked off for a private factory owned > by the BJP MLC’s son. The factory itself was being constructed on BIADA > land that had been illegally allotted. Police not only fired on unarmed > protestors, they also jumped viciously on fallen bodies, displaying > communal hatred. Four people - Mustafa Ansari, Mukhtar Ansari, Sajmin > Khatoon and 8-month old Naushad – were killed in the police brutality. > > A whole year has passed – but the people of Forbesganj are yet to get > justice. The one-man enquiry commission has barely taken off the ground. > Following the firing, the villagers had already constructed the road once > last year at the time of Ramzan. But under pressure from above, the road > was again destroyed. And the road continued to remain destroyed in spite of > repeated appeals to the local administration. Recently, even the Home > Secretary was approached, but the Government and administration did not > act. Faced with a Government that obstinately closed its ears to pleas for > restoration of the road, the villagers decided to construct the road on > their own. > > Id was approaching, and this road was needed for the villagers to approach > the Idgah. Because of the condition of the road, they were even unable to > reach the Masjid, though it was the month of Ramzan. > > The construction of the road took place in the presence of the large > gathering of adivasis and minorities, as well as CPI(ML) central committee > member and former MP Rameshwar Prasad, State Committee member and former > MLA Mahboob Alam, State Committee member Pankaj Singh, as well as other > CPI(ML) leaders and activists. > > Addressing the mass meeting following the construction of the road, > CPI(ML) leaders observed that the Bhajanpur-Sheetalpur road was not part of > BIADA land, and had been forcibly grabbed by the local MLC Ashok Agrawal > from the BJP. Yet, the Government had taken no action against the MLC and > had instead unleashed repression on the villagers protesting the grabbing > of a public road. Keeping a public road in a deliberate state of disrepair > and destruction is in itself illegal, since the Government has not acquired > the land on which the road stands. There is nothing illegal, in such > circumstances, in constructing a public road. It is the Government which is > upholding an illegal act of encroachment and land grab, under pressure from > corrupt, communal, and powerful local politicians. The CPI(ML) leaders > demanded that in public interest, the Government ought, in fact, to make > the newly constructed road *pucca* without delay. Following the mass > meeting, a victory procession marched from Bhajanpur through the main road > of Forbesganj up to the railway station. > > The BJP and Sangh Parivar are making all efforts to incite communal > frenzy in the Araria district, in the name of preparing for 'Mahaviri > Jhanda' to coincide with Id on 19 August. Local BJP and JD(U) leaders like > Ashok Agrawal and Moolchand Golccha are terrorising the witnesses of the > Forbesganj firing. 12-year-old Talmun Khatun, who got a bullet in her back > in the firing, was due to stand witness before the enquiry commission on 18 > July. But the BJP-JD(U) leaders threatened her father Mohd.Zaheer Ansari, > warning against her giving evidence. Though Talmun Khatun did reach Araria, > intending to give evidence, Ashok Agrawal and his goons chased her away. > The Government, instead of ensuring protection for the witnesses, is > protecting Ashok Agrawal and Moolchand Golccha. Ashok Agrawal has been > arrested on charges of murdering his employee, but he is yet to be > prosecuted on the murder charges relating to the Forbesganj firing, which > took place at his instigation. The Court is yet to take cognisance of the > case. > > The CPI(ML) has demanded that the judicial enquiry commission should hold > hearings in Bhajanpur rather than Araria, so as to ensure greater security > for the witnesses. > > - A report by CPI(ML)'s Bihar Secretary Comrade Kunal > > > -- > Kavita Krishnan > 9560756628 > > -- > 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. > -- Kiran Shaheen *I carry a torch in one hand And a bucket of water in the other: With these things I am going to set fire to Heaven And put out the flames of Hell So that voyagers to God can rip the veils And see the real goal....... Rabia (Rabi'a Al-'Adawiyya)* -- 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.
