Dear Sidaharta do advise me as to which dalit group will take up issue seriously in tn- who will be there till the issue closes. IS IT WORTH AT ALL TO WRITE TO ANY DALIT MP/SC/ST COMMISSION. CAN I HAVE YOUR PHONE
I am not longer happy just writing and going. i want to give them my research time be there till issues close. IPR of what i write should belong to them please see notes from yesterday visit
Ranjani
Summary of Thervoy village visit 27/4/2011 Met with 40 people, roughly half women, members of Thervoy Graman Munnera Sangam. What was reported by them as well as PRI secretary is given below: - 2000 dalit hh, as per ration card 959. Some families are joint families. 90% have agric. Land[1] which is irrigated through channels from tanks in the village, which will get affected if the SIPCOT proceeds. Some tanks were destroyed. Of the 90% who had land, 70% had less than two acres, 20% had less than 1 acre and 10% had more than 2 acres. They take two crops most years, and only twice in the last 10 years they had to take one crop. They were employed for 9 months in the year in agriculture because of the irriigation. Few went out in search of wage work - 80% of the households had livestock for which fodder and water came from the grazing land and tanks/ponds. [2] - A check dam built by the forest dept. in 1995 in the MekKal land was already destroyed by the sipcot. This is going to affect water security - Of 7 lakes, three have been closed by sipcot. DURING MY VIIST WITH ARUL NAPM TRUCKS WERE SHIFTING SAND FROM MEKKAL POROMBOKKU LAND - A Draft non judicial agreement was being finalised in 21-12-2008 between forest department and Thervoy Panchayat stating that the Mekal grazing land (shurbs/trees) will be managed by the panchayat (for year 2008-2009). This draft was cancelled. Again copy of this is available and handed over to sipcot. - SIPCOT industry was announced three years back, to be constructed in Mekal grazing land (1025 acres) of the village. It was supposed to be used for Michilen tyre company, brewery and other purposes. - Gram sabha on 15-8-2009 in which majority of the villagers took part did not approve the project as it would affect agriculture, livestock, and affect women in particular who were dependent on the grazing shrubs for fuel, fodder, open defecation, cleaning menstrual cloths. Further it was the watershed area, feeding water into the lakes and pond around. 15 hhs lived in mekkal land and some had planted cashew trees - The PRI is headed by Vani, a dalit but her husband runs the PRI. In fifteen years, the family has grown economically. Another Gram sabha was convened by him in secret with 10-15 people approving the project and this was given to the govt. He/Vani were purchased. - Madhumita Datta filed a RTI on 25/2/2011 and was informed on 24-3-2011 that TN Pollution control board has not issued consent for Establishment to the SIPCOT Industrial Park at Thervoy Kandigai - After FAST AND Medha Patkar's visit the collector agreed to settle in a week, but nothing really happened. When protests happened, mainly women they were rounded and their saris were pushed off their shoulders by women and men policemen. Around 8 youthers were charge sheeted, the women were asked to leave after arrest, but they refused till the youth were released. They have come out on bail - 16 people from therovy were recruited from Therovy Munnetra Mala Sangam - mahesh, kuppan, gautam, gunasundar, kripalandan, thiruvarasu, delhikumR, Silambasan, Muniratnam, Mohan, Arulselvi, Arul , kalpana,, tirpupati gokulan, ligasami, jayalkashmi – by Foundation for Rural Recovery and Development , New delhi and informed that they were going to do a base line of their situation now so that they could document negative impact later. The questionnaire contained one question do you want sipcot project. They Sangam asked them why do you want this information- we do not want. They removed the question and asked about their livelihood. The sangam smelt the rat only when an official of this NGO came to the village with HR manager of Michelin India company, and they chased the NGO out. The report sent by the NGO to NAPM statest that the draft report is not completed, but actually it was not completed because the society chased the orgn. out. THE DRAFT REPORT STATES THAT PEOPLE HAVE LITTLE LAND, LIVESTOCK AND EMPLOYMENT AND HOW THIS SIPCOT WILL HELP CREATE EMPLOYMENT. - Caveat Petition issued on 19th, april 2011 by court of sub court Ponneri stating Thervoy Grama Makkal munnetra Mala Sangam should not be done on the above matter without notice to Michelin India Tamil Nadu Tyres private limited. The counsel for Caveator is M/S Kochar and co, J sivanandaraj, No 6 Indian Chambers (SICCI) Esplanade Chennai 600018 - 1500 household of 2000 did have job cards, but were getting 25 days of employment at 50 days mainly women. While they wanted more days of work, they did report that it was not as though they were dependent on mnregs, as they valued their agriculture land and were employed nine months a year (the forrad report finding that people were starved of work did not apply) - The NGO FORRAD's report that tanks, ponds and irrigated land were not being desilted was only partly true -, it needs to be asked why MNREGS was not used fully for this (it was used partly) and why Anna Marumlarchi thittam (20 lakh to pri) was not put to this cause. One tank was de-silted, the rest was used for road and burial ground. No gram sabha meeting was held according to the sangam. - Educated youth (male and female) met stated clearly that they enjoyed working in their farms- unlike reports that they wanted factory employment. - ON THE WHOLE THE REPORT OF FORRAD IS NOT VALID AS FAR AS THIS VILLAGE IS CONCERNED. - Sadly women reported that one young woman who went to collect fuel had to face a naked man, and came back. Now they are forced to go in groups of ten Inspite of these constraints they gave us a generous hot meal, frankly i deserve a meal only if i can do some thing to prevent this
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