Meri News, Nov 16 2015, Chhindwra: Secretary of Kisan Sangharsh Samiti (KSS), Sajje Chandravanshi and four others were brutally attacked in village Chaunsara of district Chhindwara in Madhya Pradesh on 14 November 2015. Villagers of the area have been resisting the construction of Adani-Pench Power Project for past many years due to forcible land acquisition, water diversion from Pench and environmental illegalities that the project proponents have deployed to construct the environmentally damaging 1,320 megawatt (2x 665 MW) coal-fired power station.
This was not the first time that KSS activists were attacked and a similar attack took place on 22 May 2010 where Adv. Aradhana Bhargav and Dr. Sunilam faced assault.
According to a press release National Alliance of People’s Movement in the strongest words condemned this incident and demanded that the culprits be brought to law. “If the Madhya Pradesh government cannot protect its honest citizens who are fighting against evils like sand mining, and environmental degradation then it will become clear that jungle-raj is prevailing in the state while it is trying to woo foreign investors,” said NAPM.
“Instead of bringing perpetrators to trial, police has harassed the villagers even a few months ago when the village meeting held in Sajje Ji’s house was forcibly stopped and the ‘pandal’ was dismantled. Police also picked up the innocent indigenous tent maker to further dampen the spirit of the people who are bravely fighting against the monstrous multi-national both in Supreme Court and in their villages,” added the release.
Back in 2012, Medha Patkar and 21 KSS activists were arrested in a November night by police in Chhindwara in Madhya Pradesh as part of a police clampdown on protests against the water diversion project of Pench Power Plant in the district. The power station received environmental clearance in 2012, which was legally challenged in 2013 by villagers.
Web: http://www.merinews.com/article/activists-opposing-adani-pench-power-project-in-mp-attacked-napm-demands-action-against-culprits/15911195.shtml