New Indian Express, January 04, 2005, Tuesday

Dalits made to drink urine over cricket dispute

CHANDIGARH: In a shocking incident, a fight over a cricket match between schoolboys escalated into a full-fledged caste war that led to three Dalit boys being forced to drink urine by upper-caste landlords in Ferozepur district.

Presenting the three ‘victims’ — Gurbax Singh (20), Bittu Singh (16) and Piara Singh (12) — at a press

conference here on Monday, state BJP leaders said the incident took place at Patrewal village near Abohar. All the victims belong to the Rai Sikh community.

Jagir Singh said it was during a cricket match that his son Nanak, a Std VIII student, picked up a fight with his upper-caste classmate, Amardip Singh. Nanak’s relatives visited Amardip’s residence, but were abused and forced to leave. ‘‘Amardip’s father, Gurdip Singh Jakhar, even threatened to teach us a lesson,’’ Jagir said.

‘‘A few days later (on November 27 last), a group of Jakhar landlords accosted our relatives who had come from the neighbouring Bulla village,’’ Jagir said, adding while his younger brother, Balwinder, managed to flee, three other boys — Gurbax, Bittu and Piara — were dragged to the residence of the sarpanch, Gurdas Singh, where the landlords urinated in their juttis (shoes) and forced them to drink it at gunpoint. Gurbax said: ‘‘Apni jutti vich peshab kar ke saanu pin nu kiha’’ (They urinated in their shoes and made us drink it).

Later, the boys were handed over to the police where they were kept in custody for eight days. When a former panchayat member, Malkiat Singh, went to meet the sarpanch to seek the boys’ release, he was asked to produce two relatives of Nanak Singh. Later, two uncles of Nanak, Balwinder Singh and Kulwant Singh, were kept in police custody for 11 and eight days, respectively. Sarpanch Gurdas Singh denied the incident, saying he was not in the village that day.

http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IEO20050103223009&Page=O&Title=This+is+India&Topic=0&
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Bush 'Undermining UN with Aid Coalition'

By Jamie Lyons, PA Political Correspondent

United States President George Bush was tonight
accused of trying to undermine the United Nations by
setting up a rival coalition to coordinate relief
following the Asian tsunami disaster.

The president has announced that the US, Japan, India
and Australia would coordinate the world’s response.

But former International Development Secretary Clare
Short said that role should be left to the UN.

“I think this initiative from America to set up four
countries claiming to coordinate sounds like yet
another attempt to undermine the UN when it is the
best system we have got and the one that needs
building up,” she said.

“Only really the UN can do that job,” she told BBC
Radio Four’s PM programme.

“It is the only body that has the moral authority. But
it can only do it well if it is backed up by the
authority of the great powers.”

Ms Short said the coalition countries did not have
good records on responding to international disasters.

She said the US was “very bad at coordinating with
anyone” and India had its own problems to deal with.

“I don’t know what that is about but it sounds very
much, I am afraid, like the US trying to have a
separate operation and not work with the rest of the
world through the UN system,” she added.

http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=3944374

31 December 2004




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Surat, Dec. 12 (PTI): The ghost of Gujarat riots once again haunted the BJP with a party newcomer Smriti Irani, threatening to fast-unto-death if Chief Minister Narendra Modi, does not resign, but the party leadership is said to be contemplating disciplinary action against her.

In a surprise attack, Irani, who joined the party just before the Lok Sabha elections, told reporters that Modi's decision not to step down was "extremely shocking and appalling".

Significantly, she repeatedly took the name of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, to launch her attack against Modi. Her fast agitation would start on the birthday of Vajpayee, December 25, to redeem his name.

"I expected that he (Modi) would take a high moral ground and say fine, I step down. It is high time that Gujarat and Vajpayee got their pride and glory back which they genuinely deserved...to prove once and for all that we are a secular party which thinks in the national interest, any step taken in that direction should be welcomed," she said.

Irani, who contested unsuccessfully from the Chandni Chowk in Delhi in the Lok Sabha elections, was here for inaugurating a jewellery shop.

Though, BJP Parliamentary party spokesman Vijay Kumar Malhotra, nearly said party President L K Advani, was seized of the matter, sources said the party was extremely upset with her outburst against Modi and her resorting to "cheap publicity".

The sources said the party was contemplating action against her, adding she was a newcomer who was given party ticket in the elections and made member of the National Executive. She joined the party much after the Gujarat violence and has no right to criticise Modi.

New Indian Express, December 21, 2004, Tuesday

Sex and CPM in latest Kairali episode

KOCHI: In CPM’s Malayalam TV channel, Kairali, it’s another edition of the cat-and-mouse game between the management and party acolytes.

In the thick of it all is V Krishna Kumar, Kairali’s Chief Operating Officer (COO), who admits he has often rubbed the party apparatchiks within the channel the wrong way.

An ‘‘apolitical’’, senior professional with a high visibility in the state, thanks to a popular weekly music show he anchored, Krishna Kumar is now in danger of being booted out on allegations of sexual misconduct - one of the many that is haunting Kerala’s mindscape.

And, with the media getting into the act, no one in Kairali wants to either go with the allegation, or tell Krishna Kumar that he stands cleared.

In short, it’s a media story with a party twist.

Promoted mainly by the CPM, Kairali has two distinct groups of employees on its rolls - partymen and professionals.

The first have organised themselves into ‘branch committees’ in its different units, enjoying de facto supremacy over the other and considerable say in its affairs, through the party apparatus.

A bunch of these partymen reportedly spread the word that Krishna Kumar was found indulging in indiscretions with a female colleague, even taking it up with the party top brass for action.

Says a senior Kairali professional:

‘‘They alleged that a visitor standing outside had found out that Krishna kumar and his female colleague were inside his office room together. And while coming out, the woman told this visitor that she did not know where Krishna Kumar was, though he was inside. Conclusions were drawn from this, and taken all the way up to the party leadership.’’

Surprisingly, no records of this allegation are available, and no one has claimed to be the complainant yet.

‘‘It’s plain corporate ambush. This is what could happen when there are conflicts between a professional management and a party organisation,’’ Krishna Kumar told this website's newspaper.

He says there has always been conflicts between the two sides in the channel, and he is caught in the middle.

Krishna Kumar insists that he has decided to stop attending office till his name is cleared, but will not hand in his resignation until he is formally charged and heard.

John Brittas, Kairali’s managing director, however, claims his channel is being made targetted unfairly. Brittas asserts that his COO had gone on leave for personal reasons.

‘‘There are certain serious personal issues that he has with the management. So when he requested for leave on personal grounds, I okayed it,’’ says Brittas.

Brittas, who was earlier with the CPM mouthpiece Desabhimani, says neither the Kairali Board of Directors nor the CPM bosses had discussed the issue, nor was any action urged against the COO.

But he could not say why, in that case, Krishna Kumar was not told he has been cleared.

‘‘As far as we are concerned, he is just another officer in Kairali. The COO tag is just nomenclature. He will hold his post only at our pleasure. No one is indispensable,’’ say Brittas.

Krishna Kumar, incidentally, was one of the key men who helped establish the CPM channel four years ago. Primarily an engineer, he led the way in initiating analogue-digital fusion and direct uplink from Kerala.

Employees say he also helped Kairali pull back from the brink of financial disaster last year when much of its top brass left.

As for CPM workers cramping the channel’s professional elbow room, Brittas claims he came to know of party units being formed only very recently.

‘‘But those are junior and insignificant employees. They can’t influence the functioning or management policies in any way,’’ says Brittas.

Maybe not, but for the moment, Krishna Kumar seems to be bearing the brunt of their ire. ‘‘It has been harrowing. I have a wife and a 23-year-old daughter, and I have only them to stand up with me on this,’’ he says.

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New Indian Express, December 21, 2004, Tuesday

Report on forest land sale: DFO, Collector 'clueless'

MALAPPURAM: The Malappuram District Collector M. Sivasankar has denied having any information regarding the sale of forest land as reported in this website’s newspaper on Monday.

He said it was yet to be known if a big stretch of land measuring around 1,000 acres exists under a single ownership in the district, which was not in

the category of vested forest.

This website’s newspaperhad reported on Monday that Chennai-based Ace International Realty had advertised in some newspapers that the forest-land measuring around 1000 acres in the district was up for sale.

“Even if such a property exists, no transaction would legally enable the owner to make any construction on it. If somebody is foolish enough to buy the property, he can buy it, that’s all,” he said.

He also added that a meeting of revenue officers has been called for December 23.

“We will verify it and sort out the issue immediately,” he said.

When contacted, Nilambur North DFO P. Pukazhenthi said that the District Collector would be sought to intervene in the deal in case the property advertised for sale was the 1,163 acres of forest land owned by the Nilambur Kovilakam, which was ecologically fragile and comes under the Nilgiri Biosphere.

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New Indian Express, December 21, 2004, Tuesday

Kerala getting a raw deal, says book (WITH BOOK ANNOUNCEMENT BOTTOM)

KOCHI: A book on river linking in Kerala has slammed the Parambikkulam Aliyar Project (PAP) agreement for giving short shrift to the State.

The book ‘Tragedy of Commons: The Kerala Experience in River Linking’ published by the River Research Wing of the Chalakkudy Puzha Samrakshana Samithi says that the PAP agreement

did not show a balanced view on the rights of the river, the people dependent on the rivers and the concerned riparian States of Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

The book explains how, the upper riparian State of Tamil Nadu, which owns only about 10 percent of the total catchment area of three basins combined together, enjoys the benefits of the project while all the ill-effects are the burden of Kerala.

The book is jointly authored by S.P. Ravi, C.G. Madhusoodhanan, Dr A. Latha, S. Unnikrishnan and A.H. Amita Bachan.

PAP agreement was the name given to one of the most intelligent ways of robbing the river waters.

The different schedules and clauses in the agreement are so carefully and intelligently drafted that the project-proponent gets the lions share of water from the project.

In the technical committee report, 2003, TN complaints that the “agreement is heavily tilted in Kerala’s favour and is detrimental to the interests of Tamil Nadu” and it wants to correct the imbalances.

Former MP and Congress leader V.M.Sudheeran released the book by handing over a copy to Savithri Lakshmanan at the Mahakavi G Auditorium on Monday.

A four-point memorandum signed by 22 people from various water conservation bodies has been forwarded to Chief Minister Oommen Chandy.

The four key points in the memorandum are: Immediate legal action to preserve the rivers of Kerala with regard to the existing Inter State and Inter Basin Water Diversions, no further diversions from rivers of Kerala, effective steps to be taken to formulate a people’s river basin policy, publicise the Feasibility Report of the proposed Pamba-Achenkovil-Vaippar Link.

http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IER20041220233231&Page=R&Title=Kerala&Topic=0&
------------------------------------------------------------
BOOK LAUNCH ON RIVER LINKING EXPERIENCES OF KERALA

Dear Friends,

We happily announce that the book named,'TRAGEDY OF COMMONS: The Kerala Experience in River Linking', an outcome of two years of study, authored by five researchers (S.P.Ravi, C.G.Madhusoodhanan, Dr.A.Latha, S. Unnikrishnan and K.H. Amita Bachan) under the River Research Centre, Kerala is out from the press. South Asia Network on Dams Rivers and People (SANDRP), Delhi and River Research Centre, C/O Chalakudy River Protection Samithi, Thrissur has published the book jointly.

We cordially inform and invite all to the launch of the book at G. Auditorium, Kochi (near Maharajah's College grounds) on the 20th December 2004 at 10 am by Sri.V.M.Sudheeran Ex M.P. Sri. K.P. Rajendran, the Opposition Party leader in Kerala Assembly and Smt. Savithri Lakshmanan, MLA, Chalakudy constituency, will also attend the book launch.

The main contents of the book include,

· Kerala experiences in River Linking through detailed case study of the famous and complex Parambikulam Aliyar Project (PAP), involving ten dams and three rivers projected as a 'success story' in inter state river water sharing by the GOI Task Force on River Linking.

· Inherent flaws in the PAP Treaty, the violations therein, the impacts on the rivers and their tributaries and socio economic and environmental impacts with colour maps and photographs and figures.

· Brief description of other river diversions involving Kerala; the century old Mullaperiyar Project and Bhavani river diversions.

· Details and possible impacts of the proposed 16th Peninsular Link, the Pamba-Achnakoil-Vaippar link involving the diversion of Pamba and Achankoil Rivers of Kerala.

· Critical analysis of projected benefits and possible impacts of proposed Inter Linking of Rivers Project.

· Implications for the National River Linking Project against the background of Kerala experiences.

· The PAP Agreement as Appendix.

The 160-page book is priced at Rs. 120/- only.

To get a copy of the book please send a DD/money order for Rs. 120/-in favor of A.Latha, payable at State Bank of Travancore, Thrissur, Kerala in the address, A.Latha, River Research Centre, Karthika, Ollur.P.O. Thrissur, Kerala-680306. Ph-91-0487-2353021,
e -mail- chalakudyriver@...

Copies of the book are also available with Himanshu Thakkar, SANDRP, C/O
86-D, AD Block, Shalimar Bagh, New Delhi-110088.
Ph-91-011-27484654,
e mail- cwaterp@....

For getting a copy of the book from SANDRP, DD/money order for Rs 120/- in favor of YUVA, payable at Mumbai, maybe sent to SANDRP Delhi address.

Inside India, Rs 20/- may be added for postage and packing in all cases.

For those friends residing outside India, please send the DD inclusive of the postage charges for Rs 200/- for South Asia and US D 12/- for outside South Asia.

Please circulate.
Looking forward to your response and encouragement,

Warm regards,

A. Latha, River Research Centre, Kerala
And
Himanshu Thakkar, South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People, Delhi


Chalakudy Puzha Samrakshana Samithi
Karthika, Manalattil
Ollur.P.O
Thrissur 680306
Kerala,
India
Ph: +91-487-2353021
chalakudyriver@...
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New Indian Express, December 20, 2004, Monday

They gave him chicken and alcohol, he gave them death

BARABANKI: This tantrik allegedly fleeced people of five villages and poisoned at least four villagers to death. Hira Lal had people of villages of Radauli in Barabanki district, 90 kilometres from Lucknow, believing that their land was a goldmine. Finally, he was caught some days back, when an intended victim contacted the police.

Hira Lal says that he told the villagers: ‘‘Sell your land worth lakhs, hand over the money to me. We will use the money to buy gold, which we will bury inside your house and perform a pooja to please Bhavani maa. You treat me to a meal of chicken and alcohol. This will bring up the deep-buried gold. After eight days, your investment would multiply 10-fold. Pour alcohol regularly over the spot for eight days.’’

Lal said he would pocket the gold and bury stones wrapped in a cloth in its place. He would talk about the deal only with earning members of families, allegedly threatening them that if the secret was revealed to anyone else, Bhavani maa would cause the person’s death and make the gold disappear.

‘‘He would then hand over a bottle containing poison to the victim, saying he should drink it before digging for the gold. The victims died instantaneously while the rest of the family were left wondering what had caused his death and where the money from the land sale had gone,’’ says sub-inspector O.P. Yadav of the Barabanki police, who arrested Hira Lal.

Police say he has killed four people but the toll could be higher. Lal allegedly migrated from Allahabad to settle in Radauli and married a local 17-year-old girl some time back.

But for a mistake, Lal might have never been caught. His last victim was Lakshmi Devi (60) of Puremalik village. He told Devi that her daughter and son-in-law Sukhdev would die unless she pleased Bhavani maa. He made Devi sell her land worth nearly a lakh rupees and asked her to purchase gold, which he allegedly buried inside her house.

However Lakshmi told Sukhdev about the deal and Lal gave the poison to both of them. Devi drank it before Sukhdev and died moments later. Sukhdev then took the bottle to the police who tested the contents. Finding it contained poison, they arrested Hira Lal. When Sukhdev searched the spot where the gold was supposed to have been buried, he found it empty.

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New Indian Express, December 20, 2004, Monday

Father's superstition leads to child's death

UNI

SILIGURI: An ailing 32-month-old tribal child, who was caught in a tussle between rationalists and her superstitious father over her treatment, finally died in hospital here.

Monorama Lakra, whose father is a follower of the Jehovah's witnesses religious sect, was against blood transfusion because of religious prohibitions, died of tuberculosis in a government hospital on Saturday.

The tribal child, daughter of tea labourer Sanjoy Lakra of Bagdogra near here, had been suffering from multiple complications including acute anaemia, kidney failure, TB and malnutrition.

She was taken out of the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital (NBMCH) by her father in the first week of October when doctor advised him that the girl needed blood transfusion.

Later when the police and some NGOs, including North Bengal Voluntary Blood Donors Forum, came to know this from media reports, Lakra was forced to re-admit his daughter at Siliguri Mahakuma Government Hospital for the transfusion.

Doctor A K Saha, who was attending the child, said the girl was doing well after fresh blood transfusion, but acute malnutrition, failure of the both the kidneys and TB had taken a toll on the child.

The Forum, which had undertaken all costs of treatment and took the girl under its undertaking, had re-admitted her in NBMCH on Friday after complication arose and she breathed her last the following day.

Initial refusal of her father to allow blood transfusion had galvanised the rationalists.

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New Indian Express, December 20, 2004, Monday

Virgin Kerala forest land up for sale

KOCHI: A real estate hoax or yet another clandestine move to plunder Kerala’s greenery?

A small advertisement that appeared in upcountry newspapers inviting prospective buyers for 1,100 acres of pristine forest land in Kerala has thrown up more questions than answers.

Coupled with the heavy confidentiality clause added to the whole proposal, the offer from Chennai-based Ace International Realty is shrouded in mystery. And the manner in which sales officers at its Chennai office handles ‘‘prospective buyers’’, adds to the suspicion.

‘‘We can’t give you the exact location. It’s a hassle-free deal. This is a rich landscape ideal for tourism business. It’s in Malappuram district,’’ is the standard first response. Nothing more can be found on the website either.

The carefully worded advertisement also leaves no trace of the exact location. ‘‘More than 1,000 acres of forest land in Malappuram with all its trees, springs and animals. For Rs 50 crore. Pattayam awarded by the Government of Kerala..’’ goes the ad-line.

When this website's newspaper contacted Ace International a second time, the salesman said: ‘‘It’s like an African forest. The State Government has given the pattayam of the forest to our company. The price is negotiable,’’ he said while refusing to give a route map of the area.

‘‘You can’t reach there by road. We will take you by a helicopter. But you please provide us with your personal details,’’ he demands even while refusing to part with details of the present ownership of the forest patch.

According to him, the land is full of valuable trees, springs and animals which include elephants, tigers and panthers. ‘‘But you shouldn’t harm the animals or fell trees.’’

The advertisement says that the area is ideal for constructing resorts to promote tourism. A similar project started at Kabani, Karnataka, on a 200-acre forest land was successful. Now the resorts at Kabani are charging $200 to $250 for a one-night stay.

The advertiser also offered to get the cottages here constructed by a European company, which according to them was safer considering the threat from animals to cottages and human life during the construction phase.

But sources in the Kerala Forest Department say that they have no clue about such a large chunk of land for sale within their jurisdiction. ‘‘No one can obtain the pattayam for 1,000 acres at one go. We don’t know what they’re talking about. We will look into it,’’ sources said.

According to sources, the land could be somewhere in Nilamboor, adjacent to the Silent Valley. Forest officials, however, smell a rat in the whole deal. ‘‘No one can sell such a huge tract of land that easily. It, perhaps, is a real estate hoax.’’

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New Indian Express, December 20, 2004, Monday

Muthanga: Where victims remain victims

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Muthanga has reduced itself to a bunch of litigations.

The waves of enthusiasm generated by the Janu-led agitation before the Secretariat and the ray of hope that emerged on account of the agreement concluded with the Antony Government to rehabilitate the displaced tribal people together constituted moments of purposeful activism and meaningful politics in the State.

Had the agreement been implemented by providing the tribal population the promised land and the basic amenities, it would have seen the merger of matured activism and responsible Governance. But that was not to be.

But Muthanga did occur. Two equally unfortunate deaths in the incident divided the State and its people. Kerala went back to the days of confrontation, accusations and radical rhetoric. But nothing came off it other than blood and newspaper statements. Victims remained victims. They still remain so.

But sanity does prevail. Sanity is that which realises the mistakes, that which tries for justice, both procedural (not strategical) and substantial (read, economic and political).

The Government was quick to order enquiries. After the carnage, the National Human Rights Commission issued strong recommendation vide its order dated March 20, 2003 and as a result, the Government issued notification dated 23.4.2003 ordering a CBI enquiry into police atrocities.

The Government vide another notification dated 17.5.2003 ordered the same CBI to investigate into the crimes already registered against tribal activists by the police.

The second was a compulsion on the CBI, for the CBI was bound to act upon the reports of the Kerala Police, which had gone unchallenged.

An agency which was supposed to prosecute the criminals cannot be expected to expose the circumstances that led to the crime, ie. the atrocities by the police.

Thus there was deception again, in the human rights point of view and also in the legal point of view.

Case after case. On the one hand, those seeking enquiries, compensation and departmental action against the guilty and on the other, cases alleging offences from mischief to murder.

The evolution from the times of Janu’s Secretariat struggle and former CM’s readiness to implement the rehabilitation schemes, to the present-day litigative phase, poses simple but fundamental questions.

What about the land for the tribal people? Why has land been not assigned to them so far? Why do promises remain mere promises? What stands in the way of assigning the land by enacting a legislation? Is that not the legitimate way to mitigate the embarrassment caused by what had happened?

Independent of and irrespective of all that have occurred, the assigning of land and proper rehabilitation of the aboriginal people in the State remain a contractual, statutory and constitutional obligation of the Government. In the resolution dated 16.10.2001 that ended Janu’s non-violent struggle, there were altogether eight decisions.

These include:

(1) allotment of five acres of land to each Adivasi family in project areas like Sugandhagiri, Pukkod, and allotment of one acre in other places together with employment-generation programmes

(2) Implementation of the tribal land assignment regulations subject to the final judgment of the apex court

(3) Persuasion of the Centre to include the lands already occupied and proposed for assignment in the 5th Schedule, (inclusion in 5th Schedule of the Constitution would prohibit transfers of land between tribals and outsiders

(4) Preparation and implementation of a master plan for overall development of the tribal populace with their involvement.

Thus assignment of land and proper supportive legislation was the primary promise. It has not been fulfilled. It has even been forgotten. Independent of the above contract, the provisions of the Panchayat (extension to the scheduled areas) Act 1996 read with the Supreme Court’s in a seminal judgment in the Samatha Case (1997), create a legal, moral and political obligation on the part of the Government to implement its resolution of 16.10.2001.

In ‘Samatha’, the apex court held that ‘‘the tribals have a fundamental right to social and economic empowerment....(Democracy offered to them, through the state’s regulated power of good Government, lands in scheduled areas preserved for socio-economic empowerment of the tribals.’’

Article 244 of the Constitution underlines the significance of the 5th Schedule.

The resolution dated 16.10.2001 therefore is an extension of the constitutional safeguards rewritten in the form of an agreement.

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- Human rights and UN mechanism - S. V. Kirubaharan, TCHR, France [TIS Exclusive]

With all these hurdles, the NGOs have been successful to a certain extent in their human rights advocacy, "Naming and shaming" the states which are violating human rights. This is one of the reasons, why the worst violating countries hate NGOs participating in international forums. Some states misuse the UN procedures and have their own NGOs who are known as GONGOs (Government NGOs) in UN circles. These GONGOs not only advocate government policy, they also counter the accusations made by the genuine NGOs against the states. The representatives of GONGOs appears as members of organisations working on religion, education, research, etc. GONGOs are indirectly funded by the governments and they are to some extent members of the espionage.

Full Article in Web: http://www.tamilinfoservice.com/exclusive/art/2004/dec2.htm

PEOPLE’S UNION FOR CIVIL LIBERTIES (Tamil Nadu & Pondicherry)
‘Husain House’, 7 Kondi Chetty St., Chennai 600 001  Ph: 25392459
National Vice-President: Sudha Ramalingam
President : R. Niraimathi 		 General Secretary: Dr. V. Suresh
  09.08.2004
Invitation to Meeting with Ram Punyani on 11th December, 2004

	 Date and Time: 11th December (Saturday) at 10.30 a.m.
	 Venue  : Holy Cross Seminary, 123, Sterling Road,
				 Nungambakkam,  Chennai 600 034.
				 Ph.: 28272595
				 Land Mark:
BEHIND AICUF HOUSE NEAR LOYOLA COLLEGE


	 Noted writer and anti-communalism activist from Mumbai, Ram Punyani, is
visiting Chennai on 11th December and is available for a discussion in the
morning. We thought we should use the opportunity to organize a meeting with him
both the know about the nature of the anti-communalism programme in other parts
of the country as also to have a discussion on the context prevailing in our
state and the challenges before us.

	 In view of the lack of time to intimate many others we request you to pass this
message along to others you are in touch with.

	 Anticipating to meet you at the meeting.

	 In solidarity,

							 V. Suresh
							 Dr. V. Suresh
							 General Secretary, PUCL-TN/Pondy

Sunday, December 5, 2004, 5:38 am [EST]

Message : I see you pleading the Veerappan Case, did you not think it is appropriate that you must also support and take up the seer case as one of abuse of human rights. After all a 70+ diabetic charged on circumstantial suspiscion is unheard of in Indian criminal jurispudence.. why the double standard...can u explain..thanks in advance...regards..sriram.m.v.

My Name : Sriram
My Email : sriram_mv@...
My Age : 45
My Address : old # 7, Sriram Colony, Alwarpet, Chennai
My Country : INDIA
Pin/Zip Code : 600018
My Phone/Mobile : 98400 89429
My Mother Tongue : tamil

Date: Wed, 24 Nov 2004 17:09:22 -0800 (PST)
To: manitham@...
Subject: Sethusamudram project / What is behind of Central Govt.
From: manitham@...


Wednesday, November 24, 2004, 5:09 pm [EST]

Message : I WOULD LIKE TO INFORM YOU MORE OF THE CONSPIRACY REGARDING THE SETHUSAMUDERAM CANAL PROJECT, THE ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE ( MANITHAM HAS DONE A GOOD JOB AND RESEARCH), EFFECTS OF POLLUTION, INCREASED SALINITY IN NORTHERN SRI LANKA, THEREBY DESTROYING AGRICULTURE AND THE LIVLIHOOD OF FARMERS, FISHING ( WELL DOCUMENTED BY MANITHAM), AND SHIPPING.HOWEVER WHAT DELHI HAS NOT DISCLOSED TO TAMIL NADU, THE SOUTH AND SRI LANKA IS WHAT THE DEFENSE DEPT OF GOI, AND SECURITY CONSIDERATIONS WHICH ARE THE REAL MOTIVATING FACTOR FOR THIS PROJECT THEREBY TRANSFERRING THE AREA OF THE WAR ZONE AND DAMAGE DURING MISSILE ATTACKS IN THE FUTURE ( GOD FORBID) TO THE SOUTHERN TIP OF INDIA AND TO SRI LANKA. EVENTUALLY MISSILE BASES, SUB MARINE BASES WOULD BE LOCATED IN THE SOUTH OR SETHUSAMUDERAM ITSELF AS WELL AS PALALY AIRPORT, AND TRINCOMALEE PORT AND AIRPORT.
INDIA SHOULD NOT MAKE THE NORTHERN AND EASTERN SRILANKA INTO IT\'S MILITARY BASES AND HEADQUARTERS FROR THE SOUTHERN COMMAND. THIS WILL BE EVENTUALLY RESISTED BY THE PEOPLE OF NORTHEAST SRI LANKA, AND THE PROVINCE OF TAMIL Eelam.

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