Fwd: [initiative-india] FootPrints Issue 2 - 3rd May 2013

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: NAPM India <napmindia@napm-india.org>
Date: Fri, May 3, 2013 at 3:31 PM
Subject: [initiative-india] FootPrints Issue 2 - 3rd May 2013

Dear all,

We present the second issue of FOOTPRINTS, an initiative towards providing our friends and supporters updates news related to NAPM and its associate organisations as well as analytical articles, views and interviews. FOOTPRINTS will be issued on the 1st and 16th every month.

We have introduced two new sections - Policy Watch which will be an analysis of legislative bills and laws, and Movement Profile which will highlight the activities of different organisation every month. We've even introduced an Events section which will list all details organised by NAPM and associate organisations.

This fortnight's issue contains:-
1) The Maharashtra Irrigation Scam
2) Policy Watch: Street Vendors Bill
3) Aggravated Patriarchal Violence under Neo - Liberalisation - Gabriele Dietrich 
4) Movement Profile - Parayavaran Suraksha Samiti
5) Protest Updates

We encourage you to send in press releases, photographs, articles,  situation updates to be featured in Footprints. 
The matter should be related to NAPM alone. 
Please send all documents to napmdelhi@gmail.com

MOVEMENT OF INDIA, NAPM's English magazine, will continue as before.

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  MAHARASTRA IRRIGATION SCAM 

A

jit Pawar was forced to resign 

from the post of Deputy Chief 

Minister in wake of the unfolding 

irrigation scam. In his tenure as 

Irrigation Minister within a span of 

seven months in 2009, the cost of 

38 irrigation projects under the 

Vidarbha Irrigation Development 

Corporation (VIDC) escalated from 

Rs. 6,672.27 crore to Rs.26,722.33 

crore - a whopping Rs.20,050.06 

crore! Thirty irrigation projects 

were granted approvals in just four 

days — August 14, 2009 (11 projects); June 24, 2009 (10 projects); 

July 7, 2009 (5 projects); and August 18, 2009 (4 projects). The cost 

of these projects went up by six 

times the original cost to 33 times 

with the revised administrative approval granted by the VIDC. In the 

case of 12 projects, the cost shot 

up by more than twice the original 

estimates.

Still the white paper produced 

after an enquiry constituted by the 

Government of Maharashtra gave 

him a virtually clean chit, and he's 

again back in his chair. However, 

the taint will not leave and more 

evidence keeps surfacing, of not 

only his involvement but top leadership of other parties as well, including those in opposition. Former 

Prime Minister (late) Rajiv Gandhi 

had talked about the percentage 

syndrome, doling out 'money' to 

the authorities and power holders 

for garnering contracts and licenses, however, nothing seems to 

have changed even when his party 

in name of doing away with the 

license raj has taken the reform 

boat. Even today, masses continue 

to suffer, sacrifice and surrender to 

all those who fool and loot them in 

the name of development, economic growth and politics of progress.

Gosi Khurd Irrigation Project and 

Mahalakshmi Infra Projects 

Limited

Last year, when the irrigation 

scam came out, Gosi Khurd was 

one of the projects listed. We have 

now gathered fresh set of tax papers which clearly show payment of 

'speed money' to powerful politicians. Income Tax Assessment of 

Mahalakshmi Infra projects Limited 

show Rs 200 crores "investment" by 

the company in Ghodziri Branch 

canal of Gosikhurd – Right Bank 

Main Canal, in Tembhu project, 

Western Maharashtra; and one 

more 'untitled' project. Mahalakshmi Infra projects Limited (MIL, 

earlier known as Mahalakshmi 

Construction Company Ltd -MCCL) 

was investigated by the income tax 

department in 2011. The director's 

and other company officials' 

Volume 1, Issue 2

1st May 2013

In this issue:- 

 Maharashtra Irrigation scam: - the big names involved 

 Gabriele Dietrich on Gender Violence 

 Movement Profile: Parayavaran Suraksha Samiti 

FootPrints 

Policy Watch: Street Vendors Bill 4

Aggravated Patriarchal Violence Under Neoliberal Globalisation 

5

Movement Profile: Parayavaran 

Suraskha Samiti 

7

Protest Updates 9

Editorial 11

Inside this issue: 

N A T I O N A L A L L I AN C E O F P E OP L E ' S M O V E M E N T S 

Volume 1, Issue 2 

1st May 2013 

More Evidence of Top Leadership Involvement Page 2 FOOTPRINTS 

offices and residences were raided and 

an assessment report was prepared with 

order filed by the Deputy Commissioner, 

Income tax, Central Circle, Kolhapur on 

27th December 2011.

The assessment order brought out unquestionable truth and facts with details of 

'Speed Money' - all illegal, unjustifiable expenses incurred by the company to be 

categorized as payments non-permissible 

under law, and not for the purpose of the 

business. It also meant false statement of 

Income tax, under the law and thus a major loot of the state exchequer.

Details of money paid

Assessment report based on documents, 

diary and papers seized 

from the 

residences of 

its Director,

D h i r e n d r a 

Anant Bhat, 

show fine 

details of 

money paid 

during the 

pre -

t e n d e r i n g 

process for

garnering the 

contracts.

Some of the beneficiaries are Deputy 

Minister Mr. Ajit Pawar, Former BJP President Mr. Nitin Gadkari, Gopinath Munde, 

Sunil Deshmukh, MLA, Mr. Vijay Vadettiwar and their associates.

Documents seized from Bhatt also include details of money paid to the technical 

experts and officials in the Irrigation Department, Vidarbha Irrigation Development 

Corporation and Krishna Valley Development Corporation. Details of 'payments' 

worth 43.85 crores were obtained from D A 

Bhat who ultimately admitted, and so did 

the Chairman and Managing Director of 

MIL, Mr. Ravindra D Shinde that those 

payments ranging from 1 lakh to crores to 

each of the persons named by initials or 

short forms, with designations or nick 

names, were indeed made during the period of 2/3 years until the raid on 23th 

September 2009 and thereafter.

In just one branch canal project, with an 

estimated cost of 287 crores, 'Dada', also 

named as A.P. in certain seized pages, with 

amounts and details such as dates tallying 

with each other, took the largest of the 

share, Rs. 27,50,00,000/- i.e. 10% of the 

total project estimate – the 'normal' rate for 

'speed money' popularly known and taken 

as indispensable ! This amount was shared 

50—50 by the two partner firms, one the 

Assessor, MIL and its IT Venture Partner, 

M/s B. T. Patil and Sons Belgaum Construction Company Ltd. There is also mention of 'AB' who invested a part of the first 

year's (2006-07) unexplained Business Expenses of 200 lakhs i.e. 2 crores, divided 

into 50% as assistance to and for each of 

the JV Partner firms!

Nitin Gadkari and Gopinath Munde were 

also paid about Rs 50 Lakh and Rs 20 

Lakh respectively. Officials of MoEF – Ministry of Environment and Forest as well as 

Darda family also seem to have received 

their share. The analysis of the tax papers 

indicate that the 'percent' almost fixed and 

estimated since the beginning, escalating 

the project cost by atleast the same 

amount was "well-planned". The delays, 

irrespective of 'speed money' obviously are 

a part of the game that "get, set and go", 

only when the shares are obtained. And 

further official escalation in the cost also 

then becomes a demand.

Gosikhurd Dam project's, Left bank canal has became a mess with Nitesh Bhangadia, present MLC, BJP, another politician contractor getting his due score while 

Ghodziri branch with the above 

'entanglements' is still far from complete, 

with water yet to reach Asolamendha tank, 

the old tank of 1940's yet to be expanded, 

Nitin Gadkari and 

Gopinath Munde were also 

paid about Rs 50 Lakh and 

Rs 20 Lakh respectively. 

Officials of MoEF – 

Ministry of Environment 

and Forest, Darda family 

also seem to have 

received their share. VOLUME 1, ISSUE 2 Page 3 

11 more villages planned to be submerged 

for the same and irrigation benefits yet not 

obtained due to "lack of funds" for the minor network!

The CAG report, Maharashtra (civil), 

31.3.2011 brings out the story of Ghodziri. 

The report of the Deputy Commissioner 

also refers to the Tembhu Large Lift Diversion Project, started in 1999 but lying behind by years, even then the oustees of 

Wang - Marathwadi and other related projects are being drowned and displaced, 

since years in the name of water for 

Tembhu!

A reading of the detailed note on 

Tembhu seized during the raid show that 

the same MIL has tendered, cost of the material to be supplied for the project increased by 60% of the real market cost. 

This increase, shown as "overheads" 

amount to 26.7% of the cost, that comes to 

about 105 crores, admitted by the Director 

Mr. Bhat specially entrusted with 

'operation distribution' to get contracts, get 

bills sanctioned, to obtain other clearances 

and keep all, even the each others' opponents, happy.

One more project details, without identification are found to indicate that 14.5% of 

the total 633 crores, bill sanctioned, i.e. 92 

crores are kept for doling out over and 

above the official / legitimate profit.

Inaction

It's obvious that this Assessment order 

could be sufficient to take action against 

the Assessed, and Receivers too could be 

tried under the Prevention of Corruption 

Act, 1988 for receipt of 'pecuniary advantage'. However, the Judicial Authority of 

Commissioner – IT - investigation was approached by the assessor and assessment 

order gave a partially clean chit! The Appellate report too, however, does not deny the 

expenditure as 'speed money' which would 

be an adequate basis to act. Who will bell 

the cat, may we ask ? The matter is still 

with the IT - Appellate Tribunal, Pune 

(ITAT) taking months if not years and there 

is no money for maintaining agency to 

'speed' the investigation. Meanwhile, Mahalakshmi Infra projects continue to progress and be involved in implementing 

projects.

Need for a committee of Enquiry

Can the same Madhav Chitale Committee 

(former chair of many other committees) 

have the courage, and commitment to investigate not only Ghodziri, Tembhu, 

Koyna (another mentioned in the same order of 27-12-2011) but all and every waterirrigation project during last 5 to 10 years 

at least? With those on the opposite 

benches uniting to gain, this is not likely.

We, as 

NAPM, while 

continuing to 

search details 

into the Water 

Scam feel 

ashamed of 

not only the 

v u l g a r 

remarks but 

more immoral, criminal acts of 

corruption –

misusing and 

mismanaging 

public money 

and resources 

including water, when we are faced with the worst 

drought in decades.

We demand and assert a need to appoint 

an impartial, independent Commission of 

Enquiry under the Commissions of Inquiry 

Act, 1952, chaired by a judge with integrity 

and honesty. The TOR for the commission 

must include : investigation into all projects - small and large: dam, canal or lifts 

by calling for all data, documents, files, 

summoning anyone concerned including 

ministers and Chief Minister and relying 

Can the same Madhav 

Chitale Committee (have 

the courage, and 

commitment to 

investigate all and every 

water-irrigation project 

during last 5 to 10 years 

at least? Page 4 FOOTPRINTS 

special Investigation Team (SIT) but also 

assisted by state and central agencies such 

as Directorate of Enforcement, ACB, EOW, 

CVC and IT dept.

POLICY WATCH: Street Vendors Bill 

"Rich and poor coexist in today's cities. We need to address the needs of 

both, for inclusive planning," said Mr. 

Maken at a press conference in January 

2013, on the Street Vendors (Protection of 

Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Bill. The Bill aims at regularising 

street vending by establishing a body, the 

Town Vending Committee(TVC), responsible for issuing licences, certificates to 

hawkers, demarcating vending zones and 

relocating vendors if and when necessary. . 

On zone demarcations Mr. Maken stated 

that once the Bill is passed It is expected 

that they [local bodies] will do it in a minimum period 

of time. 

"During that 

period, the 

local authorities or police 

cannot take 

a c t i o n 

a g a i n s t 

hawkers," he 

said.

The bill was 

introduced 

in the Lok 

Sabha in 

September 

2012 with 

the Standing Committee headed by Sharad Yadav submitting its amendments 

later. Some key amendments referred by 

the Committee were to lower the minimum 

age to 14 years and raising the share of 

hawkers union representatives in the 

Town Vending Committee to 40%. NGOs 

will comprise 10% and the remaining 50% 

will include bureaucrats, civic officials, police and other authorities. Another important amendment is that the number of 

hawkers allowed in a city will be 2.5% of 

the total population.

Medha Patkar, on behalf of NAPM, sent 

her comments on the Street Vendors Bill 

to the Standing Committee. She said that 

the primary objective should be to create 

an enabling environment for vending activities in an orderly fashion, regulating 

and curtailing the business should be secondary. Hawkers provide a market for the 

poor, with minimum investment and low 

profits. The government should facilitate 

the Vending Activities by providing not 

only land but other such minimum amenities for them and ensure that their 

sources and places of seeking livelihood is 

associated with their residential areas. 

Some of the recommendations made are:-

1. Provisions for vending zones should be 

an integral part of city or municipal development Plans or Town Master Plans 

at the initial stages itself.

2. The Vending Fee prescribed should be 

minimal and commensurate to the 

scale of business, type of business and 

should be minimal and not exceeding 

one day's income

3. In case a vendor is found to be involved 

in the vending activity without obtaining proper registration, the local authority should issue a temporary certificate valid for a specified period of 

time to enable the vendor to obtain 

permanent registration certificate.

4. In case of violation of policy and rules 

the vendor must be given a fair and 

proper hearing. He should be free to 

choose anyone to represent his case. 

An investigation into the offense must 

be made and any charge should be 

leading to the limited penalty unless it 

is exceptionally harmful violation causing loss or damage to the public property or exchequer

5. In case of relocation proposed by the 

Town Vending Committee, the process 

Some key 

amendments...lower the 

minimum age to 14 years, 

raise the share of 

hawkers union 

representatives in the 

Town Vending Committee 

to 40%. VOLUME 1, ISSUE 2 Page 5 

should be transparent and the vendors consent should be obtained for 

such proposal. 

6. The street vendor who has to be relocated or evicted by the local authority 

from the site allotted to him should be 

given a minimum of 90 days notice instead of proposed 7 days notice. This 

is the minimum notice period granted 

to any employed person in case of relocation. 

7. Housing Rights: The vendor should 

also be allotted house plots or their 

bending zones within a range of 3-5 

Kms. This will save a considerable 

amount of travel time with all their 

goods everyday. Housing Rights as 

mandated in the Rajeev Awas Yojana

should also be made available to the 

street vendors. 

Aggravated Patriarchal Violence Under Neoliberal Globalisation 

Gabriele Dietrich 

One of the things which rattled the Indian Government recently is the fact 

that some Western countries have issued 

travel advisories describing India as unsafe for female tourists. This can affect the 

tourism industry and this is where 

"damage" is perceived. The tourist inflow 

has dropped by 25% compared to last year 

and the number of female tourists has 

dropped by 35%.

This is where it hurts. The fact that 

newspapers are bursting with rape cases 

involving young girl children of two, five, 

seven, ten, thirteen, fifteen years, often 

gang raped, mutilated, murdered, has triggered outrage among the affected population, but the readiness of the police to file 

FIRs and arrest the culprits is scandalously lagging behind, to put it mildly. The 

affected families may be offered bribes to 

drop the case or they will be bullied into 

submission. If one follows the Dalit Media 

Watch, it is obvious that the rapes of Dalit 

women and children are of disproportionally high number and that the families often lose their means of survival or even 

commit suicide in the effort to attain justice.

It is a sad period in the life of our country, where the outrage over the Delhi gang 

rape of 16th December 2012 had triggered 

the protest of tens of thousands of demonstrators despite section144 being in force, 

but the imagination often did not run any 

further than the demand for the death 

penalty, a demand vehemently rejected by 

women's movements. The recent death of 

Justice Verma, former head of the Supreme Court, under whose leadership a 

commission of three dedicated jurists 

processed 80000 submissions and condensed them into a report of 850 pages 

within one 

month, has 

left many of 

us with a trem e n d o u s 

sense of loss. 

The government ordinance signed 

in its sequel 

was only a 

pale shadow 

of what would 

have been required and 

possible.

A recent report on the conditions in juvenile homes in 

the country has characterised them as 

"hell holes" with rampant sexual abuse of 

female as well as male youngsters. A team 

of UN women is at present visiting the 

country to highlight the deteriorating 

situation. The declining juvenile sex ratio 

is another expression of the rampant son 

preference and girl rejection, converted into 

the lucrative illegal business of sex selective abortions and clandestine old fashioned but pervasive infanticide. Abundant 

research has shown that this is very 

A recent report on the 

conditions in juvenile 

homes in the country has 

characterised them as 

"hell holes" with rampant 

sexual abuse of female 

as well as male 

youngsters. Page 6 FOOTPRINTS 

directly related to the on going extraction 

of dowry and ritual gifts at festive occasions, clearly a form of on going original 

accumulation of capital by means of plunder and coercion, extracted by routine violence, which is taken for granted as being 

part of the family system. 

The affected women are willing to abort 

the female foetus or to commit infanticide 

in order to alleviate the violence visited on 

them and to "save their daughters from 

this kind of suffering." The message is that 

females are a misfortune best to be 

avoided and easily to be disposed of. Very 

absurdly, it is often not recognised that 

the way Motherhood is projected as a 

woman's destiny is very much at the root 

of proliferation of patriarchy. The "rape of 

the Motherland" is the primeval idiom of 

Hindutva for 

depicting minority communities as "the 

other" and to 

d e m o n i s e 

neighbouring 

nations.

It is significant in this 

context to perceive that 

women's organisations, 

Dalit movements and unions in the unorganised sector, supported 

by NAPM, held a massive rally in Villipiram in Tamil Nadu on March 30th, 2013 

in commemoration of International Working Women's Day. (In Tamil Nadu, as in 

many other parts of the country, March 

8th, International Women's Day, takes 

place during the whole month of March.) 

This mobilisation had a very significant 

perspective. The focus was on the one 

hand to highlight the enormous violence 

unleashed by a backward caste dominated 

political party on five villages in Dharmapuri District in November 2012 inflicting material loss on the Dalit population, 

in retaliation for intercaste marriages, 

which were an expression of the Dalit progress in education and more work opportunities in some urban places. In this context, the demand of the rally was for the 

freedom to break caste by inter-marriage 

in the spirit of Dr. Ambedkar's abolition of 

caste.

At the same time, the gathering registered a vehement protest against the violation of Tamil women in Sri Lanka by the 

Sinhala army, which not only forces 

women into prostitution and helps the appropriation of Tamil lands in the North 

Eastern parts by outsiders, but even enforces a form of racist colonisation, which 

decimates the Tamil population further. 

The protest connected the critique of caste 

and patriarchy in connection with the coercive forces of the State and of militarisation. We can also draw parallels with the 

protracted struggle against AFSPA in 

North East India and in Kashmir. In all 

these places, the coercive forces of the 

State are enforcing ruthless policies of 

"development" through extraction of mineral resources, destruction of forests and 

self - reliant agriculture, neglect of food 

security, privatisation and overuse of water. The rape of women and the rape of 

the forces of nature seem to run parallel. 

Modern capitalist patriarchy allies with 

fundamentalist forces in this venture. 

We need to turn the tide and change this 

ruthless mode of extraction (it is not even 

"production", just plunder). We have to 

show that rampant violence and murders 

are not the last word. The uprisings for a 

life of dignity and non-violence will continue. We owe this to the future generations, who need a liveable world.

Gabriele Dietrich is the National Convener of NAPM 

based in Madurai and can be reached at 

reach.gaberiele@gmail.com

The way Motherhood is 

projected as a woman's 

destiny is very much at 

the root of proliferation 

of patriarchy. VOLUME 1, ISSUE 2 Page 7

MOVEMENT PROFILES: PARYAVARAN SURAKSHA SAMITI, GUJARAT 

PSS and its struggle towards preventing another Bhopal Tragedy 

Michael Mazgaonkar 

Gujarat advertises itself as the fastest 

growing state in the country but little 

does it mention the costs involved. The entire industrial spread in Gujarat is severely polluted and yet the Gujarat Pollution Control Board continually allows new 

companies to set up units here. There are 

over 50 industrial estates in the Golden 

corridor from Ahmedabad through Nandesari, Ankleshwar and Vapi, housing many 

chemical estates, hazardous industries 

that have been phased out of Europe and 

US and dumped into India. The ground 

water in each of these areas is excessively 

polluted, mercury levels are shockingly 

high, rivers spew effluents while plants 

and vegetables show high levels of heavy 

metals. Government monitoring is as good 

as absent. Many environmental organizations believe that Gujarat is sitting on a 

chemical time bomb that could go off any 

day.

The Paryavaran Suraksha Samiti, (PSS) 

is an environmental organization that was 

set up in 2000 to combat this disaster 

waiting to happen. It has conducted numerous surveys and observed that people 

living inside the industrial estates and 

surrounding villages cope with extreme 

amounts of air, water and soil pollution as 

well as bad health infrastructure. Monitoring and regulation by the Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) is practically 

non-existent and availability of information about the pollution or its health effects on the residents is scarce. Whatever 

bit of information exists isn't shared with 

the affected communities. PSS works with 

marginalized communities affected by 

such industrial pollution, working proactively, organizing protests and meetings 

with the government to create awareness 

and force the government to take action to 

reduce the toxic pollution.

Battles fought

More than a lakh of people living in 

Ankleshwar are exposed to polluted 

ground water which has mercury levels 

well above the WHO standards. Hazardous 

solid wastes are routinely dumped from its 

industrial estates into lands surrounding 

the estates. Amla khadi (a rivulet flowing 

through the industrial estate) in Ankleshwar carries extremely toxic, often acidic, 

dark brown or black effluents around the 

year, while Bil Khadi of Vapi carries dark 

red acidic effluents all through the year 

making its water level contain mercury 

more than 96 

times the WHO 

levels. The foul 

smell from 

A n k l e s h w a r 

can be felt up 

to a distance 

of 30 km. 

Ankleshwar, 

along with 

Vapi is a pollution hot-spot 

and would 

rank among 

the dirtier 

places in the 

world. A CPCB 

report regarding the central effluent Treatment Plant (CETP) in Vapi showed that the 

treated outlet water on certain occasions 

was more polluted than the inlet from factories!

In the 200 km stretch between Sarigam 

(South Gujarat) and Baroda (Central Gujarat) chemical industries stand on lands 

acquired for engineering units. These industries are not just hazardous, but also 

disrespectful of pollution control laws. PSS 

and the people of Sarigam have been protesting against the air, water and noise 

pollution in this area, and took umbrage 

A CPCB report 

showed that treated 

outlet water on certain 

occasions was more 

polluted than the inlet 

from factories! especially when a particular company with 

a poor track record of pollution control, 

sought to expand its unit for manufacturing a fungicide. While it should have been 

GPCB's responsibility to pull it up, it was 

the people with PSS who collected data, 

coordinated surveys, obtained scientific 

proof of the pollution levels of the area and 

questioned expansion plans.

PSS, in collaboration with Farmers Action Group, sampled air along the 

"infamous" Effluent Channel Project, the 

Ankleshwar GIDC, and the Vadodara Petrochemical Complex as part of a collaborative effort with the International Bucket 

Brigade. The air samples were sent to Columbia Analytical Services Inc.,USA for 

testing which revealed alarming levels of 

cancerous and 

dangerous toxins contaminating the air at 

the Vadodara 

and Ankleshwar Industrial 

Estates. The 

c h e m i c a l s 

found harm the 

reproductive 

system, the 

central nervous 

system, kidneys and liver.

Lignite has 

been mined from Rajpardi area (Bharuch 

district) for over 15 years, leading to loss of 

ground water and rivulet streams for five 

villages in the area. Instead acidic water 

flows through the streams and the waste of 

the mines are finding their ways into the 

fields. With the Gujarat Mining Development Corporation being insensitive to the 

people, the people put up a strong demonstration and forced its officials to visit the 

fields and villages and listen to the complaints. With PSS's support the villagers 

forced the mining company to set up a 

separate water supply scheme for them!

Demand accountability

Despite having one of the worst industrial 

tragedies of the world, India's monitoring of 

air pollution is woeful with no standards 

for ambient air pollution. Disregarding the 

state pollution control board's statements, 

PSS has discovered that the regulatory authorities neither collect enough data neither do they have the wherewithal to measure newer and more poisonous gases in 

the atmosphere. GPCB has the capacity to 

monitor only a few air and water pollution 

parameters. Samples for organic pollutants, heavy metals, dioxins and other complex pollutants that are known to be extremely toxic, are never tested.

With no data or political will to take action against air pollution, the health of the 

workers and citizens is at stake. A slow reenactment of the Bhopal tragedy is taking 

place in Gujarat where crops are wiped out 

due to a single release of industrial emission, rich agricultural lands are devastated 

due to chronic exposure to emissions and 

people are threatened by rising cases of 

cancer.

PSS, in its decade long struggle against 

the state government has demanded a 

complete balance sheet for each industry 

to hold them accountable for chemicals 

they use and release into the environment, 

immediate data collection and analysis of 

air samples at all industrial estates, along 

all effluent channels and at effluent dumping sites and regular testing by the pollution control boards, and making of the test 

results, public.

Page 8 FOOTPRINTS 

A test conducted by the 

Central Pollution Control 

Board revealed exceeded 

levels of lead, cadmium 

and chromium in waste 

collected from Coca - Cola 

bottling plants. Panchayats Reject Coke Expansion Plea

18th April, Mehdiganj (UP): 15 panchayats 

have moved the government to reject Coca 

- Cola's application for expanding its bottling operations and end current groundwater extraction in Mehdiganj, Varanasi 

district, to save community water resources. Coca-Cola has applied to the central and state government to increase its 

groundwater usage from the current 

50,000 cubic meters annually to 250,000 

cubic meters annually for its bottling plant 

in Mehdiganj. 

The panchayats have cited difficulty in 

accessing water for drinking and farming 

purposes in surrounding villages. The current status of the area's groundwater supply has been declared 'critical' by the government, for which Coca - Cola is solely responsible. During the soft - drink makers 

11 year stay in Mehdiganj, the water table 

dropped to 7.9meters (26 feet). Further 

more a test conducted by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) revealed exceeded levels of lead, cadmium and chromium in waste collected from Coca - Cola 

bottling plants. The waste was being distributed to farmers as fertilizers. Waste 

from Mehdiganj revealed excessive cadmium and chromium amounts. Coke's 

'water—harvesting' and 'water—neutrality' 

measures are a sham with company officials admitting the failure of their initiatives.

In spite of such drastic effects no public 

notices were served to local communities 

nor public hearings held regarding this application for expansion. 

"Communities have primary rights over 

the use of groundwater, and we have decided that it is in the best interest of the 

communities to not allow Coca-Cola to expand and put an end immediately to its 

current groundwater use," said Mukesh 

Kumar, Sarpanch of Nagepur panchayat. 

Repressive Canal Work in Narmada 

Valley

Badwani, Dhar (MP): Adivasis and farmers 

from Mandil, Mundla, Khadkal (Rajpur 

Tehsil, Badwani Dist) and Malangaon, 

Karoli, Chhota Barda etc. (Tehsil Manavar, 

Dist. Dhar) faced the repression of the BJP

-led Madhya Pradesh Govt, which is pushing ahead the canal work in violation of all 

norms on agricultural safeguards, environmental compliance and rehabilitation. 

The Collector of Badwani with BJP leaders and the local MLA went to some of the 

adivasi villages the previous day purportedly for inspection, but had no meaningful 

dialogue with the poor adivasi-farmers. Instead the Collector and his entourage resorted to most vulgar abuse, threatening 

the people and activists that no questioning of any sort would be tolerated.

Only last month in Nandra village farmers were arrested for valiantly questioning 

the Omkareshwar canal work. False cases 

were registered against them and excavation undertaken destroying standing crop.

The people were trying to tell them that 

surrounding lands were affected the existing canal dug before, by huge rubble deposited on un-acquired portions of land, 

severe water logging. Also 60% land oustees had not been provided alternative cultivable land etc. The Collector did not listen to any of the issues raised by the people and was only harping on canal construction at any cost. This situation of repression is similar in Malangaon, Karoli, 

Nandra and other villages and people have 

to question this with the Expert Committee's report in their hands. 

The most recent MoEF Expert Committee's 2nd Field Visit Report has concluded 

huge gaps in Narmada canal planning and 

VOLUME 1, ISSUE 2 Page 9 

PROTEST UPDATES Page 10 FOOTPRINTS 

work. It has recommended that farmers 

who have faced impacts of muck disposal 

or destruction of un-acquired land must 

be compensated, 60% land oustees should 

be provided alternative cultivable land, onfarm safeguard measures must be completed before canal work, canals should 

not be pushed in irrigated villages at a distance of 3 kms from Narmada etc. It also 

recommended that the administration and 

NVDA must have a dialogue with NBA and 

the farmers, which are being flouted.

Demand:-

 Immediate implementation of all the recommendations of the MoEF Expert 

Monitoring Committee and execution of 

command area and farm safeguard 

measures before any canal construction 

and mitigation of health impacts.

 Annual compensation for muck disposal 

on un-acquired land, destruction of 

standing crop due to water logging and 

alternative land based rehabilitation to 

farmers losing more than 60% land

 Demand review of canals in irrigated villages and detailed consultation with 

farmers.

People Oppose Vishnugad - Peepalkoti 

HEP in Ganga Valley

14th March Alaknandaganga valley: A 

demonstration was held on the occasion of 

International Anti Big Dam day. Across the 

country, there has been no rehabilitation 

of the people displaced by big dams, environmental norms have been grossly violated. Even the proposed power generation 

is yet to begin. In Uttrakhand the situation 

of the dams constructed so far is very dismal. The dams pose a danger not only for 

the river but also spell doom for the state. 

For seeking their rights, Tehri Dam displaced people went to the Supreme Court 

and only then some semblance of rehabilitation has happened. For the last 21 years 

litigation has been going on in the case between N.D. Juyal and Shekhar Singh V/s 

GoI. The struggle for rehabilitation has 

been spearheaded by the anti dam campaigners.

In Uttrakhand on Alaknandaganga under construction Vishnugad–Peepalkoti 

HEP area men and women of the affected 

villages of Kaudiya , Durgapur, Harsari, 

Naurakh, Tagari etc. protested under the 

banner of Matu Jansangthan. In Harsari 

village people gathered at the dam site 

where the construction of tunnel is under 

way; the work was stalled and THDC officials were gheroed. After this the procession proceeded to the THDC office at Siyasedh ,shouting slogans like Ganga ko 

aviral Bahene do ,Badhe bandh Dhoka hai, 

and vowed to continued their struggle . 

Narinder Pokhariyal said that for the 

last 9 years his village people are facing the 

consequences of this proposed dam but the 

company has not shown any concern. Even 

Hatt village people are hanging on to mere 

assurances only. Geeta devi said that while 

the people here have lost their sleep due to 

site blasting at night the government is 

sound asleep. Women at various villages 

Masuri Devi, Nandi Devi, Bhadi Devi all 

protested dams on the river.

Even small Hydro Electric Projects have 

a huge impact in Uttrakhand. On 24th July 

and 3rd Aug 2012 due to cloud bursts in 

the Assi Ganga river valley, the under construction Kaldigahat and Assi ganga Phase

-I and II Hydro electric project and Bhagirathi Ganga in Maneri Chal phase II 

caused lots of destruction. There is no Volume 1, Issue 2 Page 11 

Editorial 

S

imply defined rape is an un-consented, 

forced act of sexual intercourse irrespective of gender. However Indian laws 

still refuse to acknowledge marital rape as 

a criminal act with the current Criminal 

Law (Amendment) Ordinance 2013 disregarding the Verma Commission's recommendations. The Ordinance, remaining 

loyal to the Criminal Law (Amendments) 

Bill 2012 and other predecessors, states 

that marital rape is not an offence if the 

wife is above 16 years of age obviously forgetting that child marriage is a criminal 

act. In the same breath the ordinance 

fixes the Age of Consent at 18 years. Such 

is the absurdity of our legislators.

This reluctance to acknowledge marital 

rape as a serious offence is justified as saving the institution of marriage from dissolution. An institution's success is dependent on the well – being of the individuals 

who are a part of it. Economic independence and socio – political emancipation 

mean nothing if women do not have the 

right to their own bodies. The Verma Commission report clearly states that rape and 

sexual assault are an expression of power. 

Let's take off the feminist glasses and even 

then marital rape grossly violates the right 

to life as it causes physical, mental and 

emotional harm. Hence the State should 

uphold this fundamental right as it is not 

in conflict with the directive principles nor 

does it threaten the integrity of the nation 

By continuously turning a blind eye the 

state is not only going against the promise 

to ensure to all its citizens justice, equality 

but also against the UDHR, CEDAW and 

other international charters. 

Status quo supporters feel that criminalising forced sexual relations in a marriage could victimise husbands, making it 

easy for wives to walk away from the marriage with a hefty compensation which is a 

valid argument but are we to ignore the 

many women who are victims of marital 

rape? Such conundrums test the efficiency 

of a system and so it is up to our legislature and judiciary to build a strong system, 

putting their analysis and reasoned foresight to the test. 

Most importantly the approach should 

also be holistic providing complete protection from possible future threats from the 

in – laws, compensation and maintenance 

for her well being especially if she cannot 

return to her maternal home, a safe house 

while the case is going on and the judgement is passed.

This reluctance is inexcusable especially 

at time when we have ascribed legal status 

to live – in relationships and provided protection against harassment at the workplace. It is a reflection of a society striving 

so hard to fit into the contours of the modern world but refuses to let go completely 

of its archaic notions. 

account or record of the deaths of the 

workers. The villages along Assiganga have 

been badly affected; pathways have been 

eroded. But no action has been taken 

against the builder.National Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM) started as a 

process in 1992 amidst the Ayodhya backlash and globalization 

spree and took a definite shape in 1996 after a long national 

tour of 15 states by senior activists. It is an alliance of 

progressive people's organisations and movements, who while 

retaining their autonomous identities, are working together to 

bring the struggle for primacy of rights of communities over 

natural resources, conservation and governance, decentralised 

democratic development and towards a just, sustainable and 

egalitarian society in the true spirit of globalism. We stand 

against corporate globalisation, communalism and religious 

fundamentalism, patriarchy, casteism, untouchability and 

discrimination of all kinds. We believe an alliance emerging out 

of such a process with shared ideology and diverse strategies 

can give rise to a strong social, political force and a National 

People's movement. In its quest for a larger alliance, beyond the 

people's movements, NAPM also reaches out to integrate 

various civil society organisations and individuals working 

towards similar goals.

C/O 6/6,

Jangpura B, Mathura Road, 

New Delhi 110 014 

India 

National Alliance of People's 

Movements 

Telefax : 91 11 2437 4535 

Mobile: 9818411417 

Email: napmindia@gmail.com

Web : www.napm-india.org 

FB: www.facebook.com/ napmindia 

Twitter: www.twitter.com/napmindia

Footprints is an NAPM initiative towards providing 

our friends and supporters updated news of 

NAPM's and its associates activities, analytical 

articles, views and interviews. The newsletter will 

run on a fortnightly basis and will be issued on the 

1st and 16th each month. We encourage you to 

send in press releases, photographs, articles, 

situation updates to be featured in Footprints.

Movement of India, NAPM's English magazine, will 

continue as before. 

Page 12 FOOTPRINTS 

Events 

State Level Seminar on Minimum Wages 

Patna, 2nd May

After the May Day celebrations at Araria, a 

delegation of about one hundred workers 

will leave for Patna to be part of the state 

level seminar on minimum wages to be 

held on 2nd May at the BIA Hall (opposite 

Bihar State Museum), Patna.

Contact details: Kamayani - 9771950248, 

Ashish - (9973363664)