Home

Follow Countercurrents on Twitter 

Support Us

Popularise CC

Join News Letter

CC Videos

Editor's Picks

Press Releases

Action Alert

Feed Burner

Read CC In Your
Own Language

Bradley Manning

India Burning

Mumbai Terror

Financial Crisis

Iraq

AfPak War

Peak Oil

Globalisation

Localism

Alternative Energy

Climate Change

US Imperialism

US Elections

Palestine

Latin America

Communalism

Gender/Feminism

Dalit

Humanrights

Economy

India-pakistan

Kashmir

Environment

Book Review

Gujarat Pogrom

Kandhamal Violence

WSF

Arts/Culture

India Elections

Archives

Links

Submission Policy

About CC

Disclaimer

Fair Use Notice

Contact Us

Search Our Archive

 



Our Site

Web

Subscribe To Our
News Letter

Name: E-mail:

 

Printer Friendly Version

Another Anti-POSCO Activist Arrested

By Prashant Paikary

04 March, 2012
Countercurrents.org

The reign of terror has once again been unleashed in our POSCO targeted villages, since 2nd March, 2012. This certainly coincides with the release of the noted criminal Bapi Sarkel on February 29, 2012. A group of armed men came around 1PM on 2nd March 2012 on motor cycle and took away Umakant Biswal age-33, of Dhinkia village-a known activist of the anti-POSCO struggle. Umakant was working at that time in his agricultural field. Umakant suspected them to be police and tried to run away but could not escape. People in the nearby area did hear some shots fired and they now strongly believe he has been fired at and injured which has created tension in our villages. We get reports that he has been kept in Paradip police station and is being physically and mentally tortured. If he has sustained any bullet or other injuries they should take him to the hospital immediately. But they are not doing that. We are aware of the fact that, as per the law, the police are supposed to produce him before the magistrate within 24 hours of arrest. However, more than 24 hours have passed but he has not been produced before the magistrate. No one including the villagers, lawyer or even the parents is allowed to meet him in the police station. As we said before, the police have now virtually cordoned off our area and are now hunting innocent people for doing the ‘crime’ of democratic peaceful protests against a foreign multinational company called POSCO who is willing to adopt all illegal and unjust means both covertly and overtly to take away our resources.

As you know ,since months, our leader Mr. Abhay Sahoo is still behind the bar along with our supporter like Narayan Reddy and Jayant Biswal. In contrast, Mr. Bapi Sharkel the POSCO company henchmen – a local contractor and mafia don who was the architect of the incident on 14th December, 2011 injuring our people, has been released from jail on 29th February 2012 after a royal treatment in the jail which had been turned in to a 5 star hotel for him. Because of his contribution to POSCO, Bapi Sarket got the advantage of having a very friendly police and prosecution to his aid.

In this Naveen Pattanaik government, the democratic leaders are languishing in the jail, and the mafia and anti-social elements are moving freely continuing their criminal activities.

Meanwhile our protest is continuing in the Govindpur village boarder opposing the POSCO project.

Prashant Paikary is spokesperson, PPSS



 


Comments are not moderated. Please be responsible and civil in your postings and stay within the topic discussed in the article too. If you find inappropriate comments, just Flag (Report) them and they will move into moderation que.