The Department of Political Science, University of Delhi

Invites you for a DISCUSSION (followed by Interaction)

On

THE SEARCH FOR PEACE AND STATE VIOLENCE

Speakers:

Swami Agnivesh, Social Activist

Vara Vara Rao, Revolutionary Poet

Date: Wednesday, 4^th August 2010

Time: 2 pm

Venue: Lecture Hall, 2^nd Floor, Faculty of Social Sciences Building, North Campus.

2^nd Letter from Peoples' Committee Against Police Atrocities to Association for Protection of Democratic Rights (APDR) and Lalgarh Mancha

Friends, Hul Johar,

Hope you did receive the letter that we sent to you around the end of this March. We don't have any of your addresses. Moreover, posting the letter is a great problem. Interior villages do not have post offices. Where there is a posting facility, Harmads or the joint forces or both have camped near it. If the bearer of the letter is caught before it is being posted, it is certain that he/she will not return home. This is the scenario of the democratic establishment of Buddha-Chidambaram in today's Jangal Mahal. We believe that there might be a few days' delay, but you will definitely receive this letter.

The continuous false propaganda in the papers and on wireless or on TV about people's movement in the Jangal Mahal is creating a misconception about us amongst you living in urban and suburban areas. Only 10 to 45% of our statements that are coming out almost every day are covered. That too is appended with the adverse comments of a variety of people, from local newsmen to top brass of the administration.

Gladson Dungdung

Dear friends,

It is utterly painful for us to inform you that another bloodbath is ready to take place in the name of Development in Jharkhand. A corporate house "Bhushan Steel and Power Limited" is going to conducted "Bhumi Pujan" (format inauguration) of its project on May 16, 2010. The company has singed an MoU with the Jharkhand government on 7 September, 2006 for establishing an integrated steel plant of 3 Mt and 900 MW power plant with the estimated investment of 10,500 crore. Since, a strong People's Movement against the land acquisition for steel and power plants of the Bhushan Steel and Power Limited has been going on at Potka of East Singbhum district in Jharkhand since 2006. Consequently, the company was unable to materialize its project.

Bastar (Chhattisgarh): A fierce battle is raging along the Indrawati river in Central India. On one side of the river are deployed the para military forces of the Indian state. On the other side, in dense forest, are the Maoist guerrillas.

The Indian militia calls the battle, operation 'Green Hunt', which is aimed at flushing out the Maoists from the mineral rich forest land so that Indian and multinational corporations can fatten their bottom line by exploiting iron ore, coal and bauxite. The Maoists are fighting to protect the 40,000 square kilometers of dense forest land known as Dandakaranya from these marauding companies.

PRESS RELEASE May 4, 2010

In protest against the mounting atrocities and assaults on people and their democratic rights ever since the UPA-2 Government came into power at the Centre almost a year ago with Manmohan Singh as the Prime Minister, a dharna was organized by civil and democratic rights organizations, people's organizations, students organizations, trade unions at the Jantar Mantar on the 4^th May 2010.

While addressing the dharna many of the speakers talked about the increasing detention, incarceration and witch hunt of various activists and leaders of people's organizations. Many of the speakers pointed about the complicity of the media in this vicious campaign of the Indian state to stifle all voices of dissent. Among the speakers who addressed included Neelabh, progressive writer, GN Saibaba Forum Against War on People, Mrigank of the Nav Jawan Bharat Sabha, Shoma Sen CAVOW, Arjun Prasad Singh, PDFI, advocate Rajesh Tyagi, Anees Campus Front of India, Vijendra JNU Forum Against War on People, Munishwar CPDM etc.

All struggles in defence of land, of mineral resources, for defense of democratic rights are the targets of the government. Anyone who are daring to raise their voice against the anti-people, pro-corporate, policies of the government have become the target of state repression in the form of an undeclared emergency.

On March 30, they tried yet again to crush this non-violent movement. Since then, tribal villages in Kalinganagar in Orissa are under siege by the police, in symphony with "Tata goons" - as locals call them - and ruling party (BJD) supporters. 'Outsiders' are not allowed to get in, people are not allowed to move out. Food, medicine, relatives, journalists, civil society groups, nobody is allowed. BJP leader Jual Oram and Congress leaders were attacked by "BJD-Tata goons"; three journalists were beaten up badly when they tried to record this attack, their cameras smashed, their valuables looted.

Here's a report by independent journalists from the ground, confirmed by activists and documentary filmmakers from Orissa who spoke to Hardnews during the Independent People's Tribunal held in Delhi from April 9 to 11: "The March 30 attack was the culmination of months of sporadic aggression by the police and Tata goons. That day the police simply did not try to maintain law and order, rather they first sprayed rubber bullets and plastic pellets on the tribals, entered Baligotha village, set food-stocks afire, poured kerosene in the wells, killed cattle, vandalised the memorials of the martyrs of January 2, 2006 police shootout, looted valuables, stole livestock and destroyed all sorts of electronic machines like TVs, DVD players, sewing machines, etc...