: Kanhar police firing Urgent Alert: Police firing in Kanhar dam on protesting people against illegal aquisition early morning today in Sonbhadra, UP

Dear all, 

There is very good news from the front of protesting people who have stopped the work of illegal construction of Kanhar Dam being proposed in river Pangan and Kanhar in Duddhi Tehsil of Sonbhadra district UP. The newspapers are reporting that the injured Aklu Chero is from 36garh but he is from sundari village of Sonbhdara UP. Pl see the reports below also from 36garh. yesterday more than seven thousand people were on the dam site and have freezed the area. Police force has retreated, DM called activists for talks. Some NGO's gram swarajaya samiti of Dudhi hobnobbing with administration forcing people to withdraw the agitation.Today in the morning the wyndamganj police station police came to take out the JCB machines from the dam site area. People have done complete blockade and said that they will not budge till the CBI inquiry in police firing is done and FIR done on the officials who did the firing. And also to completely expose the big scam in Kanhar dam project.  The movement is now under the complete control of of triibal women and dalit leadership

15th April : very  interesting development took place since yesterday's shooting by the Police. As  community members started joining the dharna in large numbers from villages to be affected by the dam, PAC( provincial armed constabulary) force left the scene while UP Police force from different police stations was stationed surrounding the site where more than 2000 women and men were sitting in the dharna. The police force was stopping people who were coming in groups to join the assembly but they managed to reach the site of dharna gradually. Construction activities and blasting were totally stopped due to the dharna . Most interestingly as the evening was drawing and as rain started quite surprisingly the entire police force was withdrawn. Even the forces who came from different police stations went back to their own stations. One wondered whether it was a strategic retreat or acceptance of defeat. So, the people remained very alert throughout the night to check any attack from the police or mafias in the night.But nothing of that sort happened and the night passed off peacefully. However, in the late night it was confirmed that the police was actually withdrawn from the site to avoid any confrontation.District Magistrate was not in HQ since the 10th April and Additional District Magistrate did not want to take any responsibility for a strong police action or any negotiation. Till now police force has not come back at the dam site and they are stationed at a camp in a near by govt. training institute. Meanwhile D.M has returned today in the district H.Q.He called Com. Roma, Deputy General Secretary, AIUFWP and invited her for a negotiation. But Roma said that now he has to negotiate with the community leaders first who are very angry with the administration as they created a violent situation by firing and attacking the women protesters yesterday morning. They are demanding punishment of involved police officials and a CBI inquiry on the uncalled police attack on peaceful demonstrators. Further, the work in the dam site has to be officially stopped. After some initial hesitations D.M. has agreed to go to the site to have a dialogue with the agitating people lead by Sukalo Gaund, Gambhira Prasad, Shi Prasad, Devkali, Bhagmani, Rajkumari.Other important movement groups from Kaimur region like Mahan Sangharsh Samiti, Singrauli have also joined the protest today. The D.M. has also been informed that a high level delegation from the Land Right Movement Alliance will be reaching Sonbhadra on 18th April and would have a direct talk with the dist administration.  Let us hope that some positive result will come up now. It seems that the struggle against land acquisition for Kanhar Dam project is on way to victory. Long live the victory of People's Struggle! 

Ashok Choudhary

Gen. Secretary           

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Vijendra Aznabi <Vijendra@oxfamindia.org>
Date: 15 April 2015 at 17:24
Subject: Urgent Alert: Police firing in Kanhar dam on protesting people against illegal aquisition early morning today in Sonbhadra, UP
To: Roma <romasnb@gmail.com>


Dear Roma di,
Its really unfortunate and highly condemnable action by the insensitive bureaucracy on the eve of Ambedkar Jayanti, when protestor were peacefully demanding social justice. 
Local papers in Chhattisagrh covered the news. I am pasting below one such report published in Nai Dunia today. According the paper, the person who critically injured is from Chhattisgarh. His name as published is Akalu Pando,and appeared to be from Pando community, recognised as equivalent to PVTG. Hope, you must be getting updated information on it. 
In Solidarity
Vijendra

http://naiduniaepaper.jagran.com/Article_detail.aspx?id=21087&boxid=452032&ed_date=2015-4-15&ed_code=50&ed_page=1


http://naiduniaepaper.jagran.com/Article_detail.aspx?id=21101&boxid=13952&ed_date=2015-4-15&ed_code=50&ed_page=6

http://naiduniaepaper.jagran.com/Article_detail.aspx?id=21091&boxid=4814&ed_date=2015-4-15&ed_code=50&ed_page=13

Vijendra Aznabi
Programme Officer - Economic Justice
Oxfam India
First Floor, 8 Udyaan Marg
Choubey Colony, Raipur - 492 001
Chhattisgarh.
Phone: +91-771-4218088, 4218188 Exn.214, Mobile: +91-9589092464
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