LOK PAL BILL: Agitation not against any party - Hazare!

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PTI / The Hindu / MUMBAI, August 9, 2011.

Social activist Anna Hazare with his supporters during a march against government version of Lokpal bill introduced in Parliament for discussion, near Dadar railway station in Mumbai on Tuesday - PTI.

The agitation to demand a strong Lokpal is not aimed against any individual or party, anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare on Tuesday said.

“This agitation is not against any individual or party.

The common man is finding it impossible to live without encountering corruption. Corruption has increased and has led to inflation and price rise. Corruption is the root cause of inflation,” he said.

“Corruption may not end altogether but we can curb it by at least 80 to 90 per cent,” he said at a meet-the—press programme organised by Mumbai Marathi Patrakar Sangh.

The Gandhian recalled that it was on August 9, when he went on a fast here to seek the Right to Information Act in Maharashtra.

“We think this fight against corruption is the second battle for independence. Lakhs of people sacrificed their lives to force British out of the country. But in last 65 years, there has been no change.

“Scams like 2G spectrum allocation scam and Suresh Kalmadi’s CWG scam were unearthed due to RTI Act. But that Act does not have the power to send culprits to jail. The Jan Lokpal bill has that power. That is why we have been asking the government to enact this legislation,” Hazare said.

Full Story at,

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2340143.ece

TELENGANA TANGLE: AP Cong chief favours temporary break in Telangana agitations!

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August 5, 2011 / PTI, Hyderabad / DC.

Andhra Pradesh Congress president Botsa Satyanarayana today favoured giving a temporary break to the ongoing agitations in Andhra Pradesh over the Telangana issue in view of the ill-health of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi.

"Yes, I agree with that. Sonia Gandhiji will have to take the decision. So, that will take time. Secondly, I have earlier said the issue can only be resolved through talks. Accordingly, Congress is holding talks with its leaders from various regions," he told reporters in the city.

He was asked about the suggestion made by former Chief Minister K. Rosaiah that a temporary break should be given to the agitations in AP over the Telangana issue as Sonia Gandhi is not well.

Full Story at,

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/nation/south/ap-cong-chief-favours-temporary-break-telangana-agitations-599

POSCO's Forceful Land Acquisition: Work halted, villagers claim police excess!

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PTI / The Hindu / PARADIP, July 16, 2011.

Villagers try to stop the armed police's entry to Posco project site in Polang village in Jagatsinghpur district. File photo - PTI.

Work at the proposed Posco steel project site in Orissa’s Jagatsinghpur district could not be taken up on Saturday due to protest by locals who chased the police leading to a brief scuffle between them.

Though opponents of Posco claimed that five women were injured, one of them seriously, at Mathasahi under Nuagaon panchayat after being beaten up by the police, the district administration dismissed the allegation.

“No police excess was committed as claimed by some people. Police were discussing with people when the villagers used vulgar language and chased them with batons and brooms,” Additional District Magistrate Sarojkanta Choudhury said.

Inspector of Kujanga police station Gupteswar Bhoi said, “Officials along with police force reached the forest area at Mathasahi for felling of trees. They tried to convince the people but the people resisted the police from proceeding”.

Police did not use force nor was any one injured, Mr. Bhoi said.

Full Story at,

http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/other-states/article2232938.ece

UP POLITICS, RAHUL'S 'PADA YATRA': U. P. is run by ‘dalals’: Rahul Gandhi!

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PTI / The Hindu / KIRPALPUR, July 7, 2011.

AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi interacts with villagers during the third-day of his 'padyatra' in Kirpalpur village in Aligarh district on Thursday - PTI.

Firing a fresh salvo at the Mayawati Government, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi today said “dalals” were running Uttar Pradesh as people of the state are “divided“.

“You are not together. Uttar Pradesh is divided and that is why dalals (touts) are running the state,” Mr. Gandhi said, addressing people in this village on the third day of his padayatra to Aligarh.

“You may not like it. But this is true. Since you are not together that is why this is happening here. Unless you unite, you will continue to suffer. Unless you don’t understand what is happening, the train will not come on its track,” the young Congress leader told the villagers.

Mr. Rahul began his foot march on Thursday from Sarole village in the district at 6.30 a.m. and walked about 7 km to reach here on his way to Aligarh, where he is slated to address a ‘kisan mahapanchayat’ on July 9.

He said he came all the way from Delhi to convey his concern to farmers and people of Uttar Pradesh.

“I started my padayatra from Bhatta-Parsaul which saw the operation by the Mayawati Government on farmers in which many people were killed,” he said.

“I wanted to meet you personally and hear to your problems,” he told the farmers.

Full Story at,

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2207309.ece

ORISSA FORCEFUL LAND ACQUISITION: Orissa govt. declares participation of children in ant-Posco stir as illegal!

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PTI / The Hindu / BHUBANESWAR, June 27, 2011.

Children during the anti-Posco struggle in Govindpur, Orissa. Photo: Ashoke Chakrabarty - The Hindu.

Orissa government on Monday declared ‘use of kids’ in anti-Posco agitation as illegal after redeploying force close to the dharna site at Gobindpur village, the entry point to Dhinkia area.

Armed police force which had been withdrawn from near the dharna site last week, was again deployed as the State government decided to resume the land acquisition work for the Rs. 52,000 crore project soon.

“We have asked the agitators to clear the road to enable police and officials to move into Dhinkia area.

Preventing government officials from performing their duties is unlawful,” Jagatsinghpur S.P Devadutta Singh told PTI adding protestors should respect law of the land.

Chief Secretary B. K. Patnaik said, “It is illegal to use children in the agitation.

Full Story at,

http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/other-states/article2139173.ece

Orissa Forceful Land Acquisition: Orissa Govt starts Posco project related work!

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PTI / The Hindu. 

Social activist Medha Patkar shouting slogans with villagers during a protest against Posco in Jagatsinghpur on Monday - PTI.

Unfazed by stiff protest against the Posco steel plant from various quarters, Orissa government on Tuesday announced start of project related work in areas already acquired in Jagatsinghpur district while temporarily suspending further land acquisition.

“We have already acquired about 1,800 acres of land for the proposed Posco plant near Paradip and are beginning project related work in the area acquired by the government,” Chief Secretary B.K. Patnaik told reporters here.

He said preliminary work like cleaning and levelling of the land were now taken up to make the area fit for launch of construction of the Rs. 52,000 crore mega project.

This is a pretty big project for an industrially under-developed and investment starved Odissa;  but what needs to be assured is 100% inclusive growth of all the stake-holders including Environment.

Further, all affected must be resettled and rehabilitated in a transparent manner as befitting to their familial requirement.

Per se, I don't oppose investments but in most cases, the project promoters, with the connivance of corrupt government, would tend to short-change the affected land owners, most of whom are small peasants or fisherfolk by denying the fair market price and in almost all cases the promised 'resettlement & rehabilitation packages' as agreed with the governments would never be implemented.

Full Story at,

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2123239.ece?homepage=true

Forceful Land Acquisitions: POSCO's Forceful Land Acquisition, Orissa's corporate 'Meria'!

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by Sampad Mahapatra / NDTV.

Can a small minority of 4000-odd people hold the state and the country to ransom? Do they have any right to stand in the way of the biggest Foreign Direct Investment in India, the Rs 52,000 crore South Korean project that would generate huge amounts of revenue and employment and benefit millions of people? Should the Orissa government not take the toughest measures against people who are resorting to cheap means of blackmail by using small little children as human shield? And in the process, embarrassing a government which is only trying to take control over the land it owns and for the larger public good.
 
Valid questions you would say. But travel to Dhinkia, 150 km from Bhubaneswar and your world view may just end up quite different.  
 
On June 9, Govindpur, a small sea-side village hemmed in by sand dunes and hundreds of betel vine farms that dot the sandscape, was fighting both the state and the sun. And what I saw shocked me.
 
Over 300 school-going children in the age group of 5 to 15 were lying prostrate on the hot sand and shouting slogans. Behind them were rows and rows of women and elderly people sleeping on the sand and joining the chorus : Hataao Hataao Posco Hataao ! Barely 200 feet  away, 500 riot-ready policemen were ready to break loose. The SP of the district was busy issuing warnings from a loudspeaker, asking people to disperse or face the music.
 
The sight was revolting. How could people allow their own children to suffer under the scorching sun, I wondered. Have they joined the barricade voluntarily or have they simply been used as human shield? What if they die of a heatstroke? 
 

At stake is their sole means of  livelihoods of their parents and their future as well!

Full Story at,

http://social.ndtv.com/SampadMahapatra/permalink/49821

Telengana Tangle: Pro-Telangana leaders meet, agitation to be stepped up in July!

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• June 4, 2011 
• PTI 
• Hyderabad / D.C..

• 
  

(File Image) In this March 10, 2011 photograph, Telangana supporters damage police van on Tank Bund during the Million March - DC.

The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) on Saturday indicated that the agitation for a separate Telangana state would be stepped up in July.

Leaders of the TRS and other pro-Telangana organisations held a meeting here, which was chaired by TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao. The participants decided to meet again on June 7 to finalise the agitation programmes, to be taken up next month.

TRS sources said a massive agitation, on the lines of the 'Million March' here in March this year, was being planned.

Hope an amicable solution is found out, without any further loss to the students, businesses, properties, et al!

Full Story at,

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/nation/south/pro-telangana-leaders-meet-agitation-be-stepped-july-315

Forceful Land Acquisitions: Villagers resist Posco land acquisition drive!

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STAFF REPORTER / The Hindu.

Villagers block the entrance point of the South Korean Steel maker POSCO’s project in Kujanga block of the Jagatsinghpur district on Saturday.

The land acquisition process by the Orissa government for the Posco project in the Dhinkia gram panchayat of Jagatsinghpur district did not make any headway on Saturday following resistance by members of a five-party delegation and villagers.

The gram panchayat remained a hostile region for the district administration that had in the past fortnight stepped up the land acquisition process for the steel plant.

With children and women at the forefront, villagers blocked the land acquisition teams for the second consecutive day, though the administration declared their assembly unlawful.

For five hours on Friday, women and children braved the oppressive sun and did not let the teams backed by scores of police personnel to enter the village.

Alternative route..........................................................................................................

Hundreds of policemen being deployed at the proposed Posco site in Jagatsinghpur. File Photo.

The State's oppression to, forcefully, grab land for industrial investors, denying the fair market price and 'land-for-land' exchange whereby depriving the sole-livelihood of the farmers, tribals and fisherfolk, grossly violating the ruling of the Supreme Court and the High Courts, on these issues.

This has been happening in A.P., Bihar, Rajastan, U.P., West Bengal, Orissa - irrespective of which political party or coalition of them rules.

Full Story at,

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2095863.ece

Orissa Forceful Land Acquisition: Anti-Posco leader detained; land acquisition goes on!

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PTI / The Hindu.

Activists of CPI(ML) Liberation and SUCI (Communist) are demonstrating before Secretariat against acquisition of land for Posco,mega steel Plant. A file photo: Ashoke Chakrabarty. The Hindu.

The Orissa government carried on with its land acquisition drive for the Posco steel plant after police today detained a prominent anti-Posco leader and took over his illegal betel vine.

Seventeen others were arrested for opposing the land acquisition process.

Official sources said police swung into action when Basudev Behera of the Noliasahi area in the Kujang police station area protested the district administration’s move to demolish his betel vine and prevented officials from doing so.

Mr. Behera, a prominent leader of the Posco Pratirodh Sangram Samiti, the CPI-backed body spearheading the agitation against the South Korean steel major, was taken to Kujang police station as he refused to accept a cheque for Rs 2,99,000 for his betel vine.

Police also arrested 17 others, 10 of them from Mr. Behera’s family, for opposing land acquisition for the steel plant, rehabilitation and resettlement officer Surjit Das said.

Navin Patnaik is doing the same mistake as done by Mayawathi 

Batta Parsaul in greater NOIDA, U.P.!  Oppressing Farmers Agitation against forceful acquisition of their sole means of livelihood and at less than fair market price will not be forgiven by the History.

Full Story at,

http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/other-states/article2073671.ece

Hundreds Reported Arrested as Syria’s Crackdown Widens!

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BEIRUT, Lebanon — A Syria military crackdown meant to crush that country’s seven-week-old uprising intensified further Monday, as armed forces arrested hundreds of protesters, going house to house in towns and cities across the country, human rights groups and activists said.

Full story at,

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/10/world/middleeast/10syria.html