Police Repression
In Kashipur
19 January, 2005
The Fishing Community
in India Protest Against Police Repression on Adivasis in Orissa
The National Fishworkers
Forum (a coalition of several fisherpeoples unions all over India)
along with the Kerala Independent Fishworkers Federation strongly condemns
the brutal repression unleashed by the police and paramilitary forces
aimed at crushing the democratic resistance of the people of Kashipur
and surrounding areas in Orissa against the displacement by the bauxite
mining companies.
For over a month,
two police platoons with firing orders have been stationed near Kucheipadar
the hub of the bauxite mining resistance struggle for more than
10 years. 14 people arrested on different charges have been kept in
jail and all efforts to release them on bail are proving useless. The
moment some one is released on bail, he/she is again booked in another
case and sent to jail again. Two tribal women agitators have been kept
in jail since December 1,2004. The bailers from the tribal communities
also have been threatened with dire consequences if they approach the
court to release the arrested adivasis. Every night one or the other
village is raided without any reason. We condemn the actions of the
police force entering adivasi homes in the name of searching for activists
to create terror so that the multinationals can have a free access to
the adivasi lands. The active collusion of the bauxite mining lobby
represented by the UAIL with the police force is clear from the fact
that prominent UAIL representatives are also stationed with the police
platoons.
This is not the
first time the Orissa government is using brutal force on the democratic
struggle of the adivasis in Kashipur. On 16th December 2000, the Orissa
police in an unprovoked firing killed three adivasis and injured thirty
others in the village Maikanch. The fisherpeoples unions in the
country warn the Orissa government that if the police force in Orissa
is let lose on the adivasis, the unions attached to NFF will do everything
within their means to support and resist such injustice.
The fishing community
in this country recognises that the fight of the fisherpeople against
globalisation is same as that of the adivasis. Both fishing communities
and adivasis face similar invasion of profit interests over the natural
resources we depend upon for our survival. We hereby express our solidarity
with the struggle of adivasis in Kashipur against the corporate crimes
in the name of development.
The National Fishworkers
Forum and The Kerala Fishworkers Federation hereby demand:
1. an immediate withdrawal of all paramilitary and armed police force
from Kashipur area
2. drop all charges against local adivasis and dalits who are part of
the Kashipur movement and also activists who have gone there to support
their cause
3. Initiate immediate criminal and other appropriate action against
all persons who have been indicted in the P.K MIshra commission Inquiry
Report ( On the Maikanch Firing of December 16, 2000).
4. an immediate halt to the invasion of bauxite companies over the lives,
livelihood and life supporting natural resources of adivasis in the
region
We call upon all
democratic forces in this country to express solidarity and support
to the struggling adivasis of Kashipur.
(Sd)
T. Peter(President)Kerala Fishworkers Federation, Valiathura, Trivandrum
695 008(Secretary) National Fisheworkers Forum Phone: 094472705239,
0471-2705239