National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM)
Andhra Pradesh Chapter
304, 6-1-89, GKR Mansion, Saifabad, Hyderabad – 500004
Phones: 9246563738 / 9849718364 e-mail: napmhyderabad@gmail.com
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PRESS STATEMENT
24-05-2011
It is very painful to see the daily happenings in the country at the behest and collusion of the government which are indulging in activities which are leading to “GARIBOKO HATAO, instead ofGARIBI HATAO”. Whether it is a city or rural area, the poor on the name of sez’s, industrial corridors, ports, highways, slum developments, green hunt and numerous other dubious, ill-conceived, so-called development projects, are dispossessed of their meager but priced land possessions and are uprooted from their habitats and are thrown out to the streets like street dogs. The lakhs of poor people are in utter confusion and are depressed not knowing whom to approach to get justice. When the whole official machinery has turned against the poor and helpless people, it is the gutsy people like Medha Patkar and her tribe who stood with the poor for their rights.
Demolition of Golibar slums in Khar East Mumbai, home to around 26.000 families in the false name of slum redevelopment is inhuman. The houses are pucca construction, built by their hard sweat not like the nefarious, neo-rich who have built super mansions at the cost of the poor and active collusion of the system.
To stop this macabre action by the government Ms. Medha Patkar, Golibar slum dwellers and other slum dwellers sat on indefinite fast (Satyagraha), in protest against the illegal demolitions and the active and explicit collusion between the government and Shivalik builders. It is the government which should punish the erring people but ironically the innocent victims have to resort to Satyagraha against the illegal activities of the government.
So we request the state government and the central government to order immediate stoppage of demolitions at Golibar slums and do justice to the aggrieved. We demand the government to accept all the genuine demands of Ms. Medha Patkar and other people who have entered 5th day of hunger strike and relieve them from fast immediately.
Today Anna Hazare, Arvind kejriwal, Prashant Bhushan, Arundhati Roy and others have joined the protest in front of Maharashtra Bhavan in Delhi.
In Hyderabad NAPM- AP chapter is organizing a Candle light Vigil at Ambedkar Statue, tank bund at 6.30pm tomorrow i.e. 25-05-11, Wednesday condemning the illegal and inhuman demolitions by the authorities and in solidarity to Medha Patkar and the slum dwellers indefinite fast.
We also request the modern day “messiah” Rahul Gandhi to pay a visit the Golibar site and shed some tears.
Regards,
P. Chenaiah (National Convener)
B. Ramakrishna Raju (Convener)
NAPM (AP-chapter)