Fwd: [initiative-india] UPDATE FROM MUMBAI JAN SANGHARSH YATRA Thousands March amidst heavy Rain and Police Harassment

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From: NAPM India <napmindia@napm-india.org>
Date: Tue, Jun 28, 2011 at 8:46 PM
Subject: [initiative-india] UPDATE FROM MUMBAI JAN SANGHARSH YATRA Thousands March amidst heavy Rain and Police Harassment

UPDATE FROM MUMBAI JAN SANGHARSH YATRA

Thousands of Urban Poor Pose Challenge to CM :

Listen to People, Not to Builders and Bureaucrats

Mumbai, June 28 : Thousands of slum dwellers from Golibar, Annabhau Sathe Nagar, Mandala, Malvani, Ambujwadi, Gurunanak Nagar marched during incessant rains to complete the first leg of their march to Mantralaya on the 28^th of June, 2011. March was joined by several civil society organisations and prominent citizens of Mumbai from different walks of life. Tomorrow, they shall begin from Lower Parel and march towards Azad Maidan where they will challenge the betrayal of the government, and will continue to demand their rights, for life, for home and for the justice that has been denied them.

 

Today, the same police personnel from Nirmal Nagar police station who had earlier refused to lodge an FIR against the builder Shivalik Ventures for fraud, had inferred to our people that we have no permission to take out our rally. This is also the same police that is yet to investigate and charge sheet the builder's as per High Court Orders, in Writ Petition 172 of 2011.

 

We know their motivations; we know that if they really were the guardians of the law, they'd be with the people. But this is not about the police. This is about the state of the entire nation; her people who've struggled to build it, and are now being betrayed by the promises of a government.

 

The fast by Medha Patkar and others in Golibar, Khar, with thousands joining in support in Mumbai and across the country was an action evolving act of a long process of facing bulldozers, police atrocities, petitions, dialoguing with government as well as holding mass rallies and action since 2004 till 2011.

 

The government of Maharashtra, through Chief Secretary and other officials in person and CM and Ministers of housing on phone, held intensive dialogues and accepted the demand for enquiry into enormous corruption and fraud by the developers – builders and constituted two committees with the nominees from people's movement and officials.

 

It is, therefore shocking and painful that the state has decided to reverse its official decisions and amend the Government Roslution, transferring the enquiry to the High Power committees, already in existence but proved not to be pro- people and not formed for fact finding or investigative. The same concern has also been raised by Kuldip Nayar, Swami Agnivesh, Justice (Retd) Rajinder Sachar, Arvind Kejariwal, Yogendra Yadav and many others in a public convention held at New Delhi yesterday and they appealed to Shri Prithviraj Chavan to honour his commitement and words.

 

This is no doubt contempt of people, and insult to the democratic, nonviolent movements. The government has not only betrayed the agitation but also committed an illegal act clearly indicating the pressures from builders and other vested interests, to which the government and Chief Minister , Chief Secretary  have had to succumb emboldened by the submission of Power Holders, the builders have even attacked the local residents and activists committed and courageous. March will continue tomorrow to the Secretariat and the struggle will remain until justice is achieved for the lakhs of people living in Mumbai who make the city what it is. It is not about Golibar but about whole of Mumbai and for everyone.

 

Medha Patkar      Simpreet Singh       Sandeep Yevale     Santosh Thorat   Varsha Parchure

                                                              09819307419        07208672788      9890207034

Umarbhai ,  Daya Shankar, Santosh Daundkar, Anvari, RajKumar Gupta, Seema Sharma, Datta Mane, Prerana Gaikwad, Madhuri Variyat (09828619174) and  Pervin Jehangir    (09820636335)

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