Medha Arrested, Nandigram horror

Medha Arrested, Nandigram horror



Action Alert: Medha Patkar Arrested again with 60 Comrades for Protesting SEZ

This is to quickly inform you that 60 people along with Medha Patkar have been detailed while protesting in front of Ministry of Commerce, Udyog Bhavan, New Delhi today at around 1.30 p.m. against the SEZ policy of the GOI. They have been taken to Tughlak Road police station. This is for your immediate information and cooperation, Kindly inform others immediately,

Regards,.

Ashok Sharma
Delhi Forum,
F-10/12, Ground Floor,
Malviya Nagar, New Delhi - 110017 INDIA
Phones: 91-11-26671556 (Direct),
26680914/883 Fax:26687724
Emails: dforum@bol.net. in, delforum@vsnl. net
On March 6 in th evening, a discussion on Nanndigram,
in particular, and the politics of SEZ, in general was
held at the Institute of Social Work, in Nagpur.
The discussion was opened with the screening of a 35
minute film on Nanndigram, 'For the Sake of
Development' vividly describing the event of March 14
and its aftermath.
Those who intoduced the topic included Gautam Sen,
Sukla Sen and Asis Das.
Others who took part included Bharat Patankar, Anant
Phadke, Abhay Sukla, Arvind Ghosh, Dharmendra Kumar,
Ishwar Sigh Dost, Prakash Meghe, Suresh Khairnar and
many others.
Many of these participants came from outside to take
part in another programme - third in the series of
brainstorming sessions - Samuhik Khoj (Collective
Exploration, to explore the various dimensions of the
Indian, and global, reality.
The locals joined in significant number to participate
in this evening programme.

All the participants expressed horror at the way a
"Left Front" government has waged a virtual war by
making brutal use of the State machinery, reinforced
with the armed cadre brigade, against its own people
(of Nandigram) to expropriate them of their means of
livelihood and thereby lives as well to subserve the
interests of corporate capital in the name of
"development" .

Sukla


Yes it is right that CPI(M) possibly planned Nandigram carnage! But, the other side of the story should also be kept in mind.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1785684.cms

From Nandigram most CPI(M) leaders and their family have been driven out and residing in Khejuri (neighbouring Block of Nandigram) camps. Their children were prevented & thus unable to give the secondary and senior secondary exams in Nandigram centres.

I have no sympathy for these Nandigram people organised by Jamiat-ulemai-Hind & Maoists and most weapons including bombs & swords were kept and taken out from Mosques before attacking the police.

Thus it is a type of civil war. These CPI(M) people from Nandigram wore Khaki dress and fired from behind the police!

______ Subarno Pande.

A Report by Three Medical Teams and another by the 'All India Fact Finding Team'

I/II.

Here is the report of the injuries as documented by three medical teams.
The data were analysed and the report is prepared by Dr. Sumita Das and Shubhashis Mukherjee.
Circulate the report widely.

After the incident of firing by the police at Bhangabera, Nandigram on 14.3.2007, report of large-scale ailment arising out of and as a consequence of the said incident had reached the media. Some doctors and health workers decided to visit the affected area to render the very urgent medical help to the people affected by the incident.

A team of doctors (Medical Service Centre, Kolkata) visited several affected areas of Nandigram on 17.3.2007 and came out with a report which was reported in the press.

On 18.3.2007, a team comprising of 6 physicians including 2 female physicians, 3 junior doctors, 3 sisters, medical students and health-workers, organanised by three public-spirited organizations working on health, i.e., SRAMAJIBI SWASTHA UDYOG, PEOPLES’ HEALTH and JANASWASTHA SWADIKAR MANCHA visited some of the affected areas of Nandigram to render medical help to the affected people.

They found that the severely injured persons were already taken to the hospital and persons who were critically injured had already been transferred to Tomluk and SSKM/ RG Kar MCH of Kolkata. But they found that a large population, predominantly women were suffering from blunt trauma, very often multiple, had not received any medical help. The same is true also for a very large number of people, suffering from eye-problems ( watering, photophobia, burning sensation, redness in eyes etc.) even 4 days after the tear-gas exposure ( on 14.3.2007). People were also suffering from mental trauma, though unfortunately the medical team did not have a psychiatrist or a psychologist who could have professionally assess the actual extent of the trauma. The medical team treated 129 patients and had the opportunity to talk to about 300 victims, who described the unprovoked and brutal attack on unarmed assembly of villagers, including a large number of women and children which continued even after people had dispersed and was trying to flee from the scene. The women also described with horrid details of sexual assaults on them. Attackers, they said included a large number of persons with police uniform but with chappals. The Medical Team had also found that return to their home and resume their normal activities. Camps were organized by the local people to provide food for these affected people. These camps were suffering from an acute shortage of provisions required to run the kitchen ( the medical team provided a day’s provision to one camp).

The next visit took place on 21.3.2007. It was a general relief cum medical relief team consisting of two physicians and 4 health workers. There was plan for documenting the trauma of the victims, though due to shortage of time, addition burden of general relief work, the number of patients treated and documented was limited to 30 in three different places. We provided general relief and provisions to four different relief camps in the affected areas worth Rs 15, 790.

The third visit was on 24-25th March, 2007 . from the experience of two previous visits by the medical team, it was decided that the team should stay in the affected areas for overnight to render more intensive and extensive medical assistance, and that it would concentrate on medical relief only. This time the team comprised of eight doctors, including two female doctors and one orthopaedic surgeon, one sister and seven health workers. They organized 4 medical camps, in Southkhali ( 24.3.2007), Sonachura High School (25.3.2007), Kalicharanpur Primary School ( 25.3.2007) and Dakshin Jalpai, Bhangabera (25.3.2007). It may be mentioned here that one eye relief camp was organized concurrently in Sonachura High School on 25.3.2007 by ARGUS COMMUNITY EYE SERVICES.

A brief description of various patients on 18.3.2007. The documentation quality was not upto the mark on this day as the medical team was overwhelmed by the extent and the magnitude of the problem.

Camp: Sonachura
Date: 18.3.2007
Total cases seen: 129
Female : more than 80% .

Eye problems 40%
Direct hit by the police 45%
Other Musculo-skeletal injury 5%
Wound 5%

A brief description of various types of patients seen on 21.3.2007 is as follows:

Camp: Sonachura and GarChakraberia
Date: 21.3.2007

Total cases seen: 25
Cases directly related to the incident of 14.3.2007 1
Male 18 (72%)
Female 7 (28%)
Child 3

Eye problems 16 (64%)
Direct hit by the police 6 (24%)
Other Musculo-skeletal injury 4 (16%)
Mental problem 3 (12%)
Thigh Injury 1
Headache 1
Back pain 1
Blunt Injury 4 (16%)
Ear problem 2 (8%)
Wound 3 (12%)
Haematoma 1


A brief description of various types of patients seen on 24/25.3.2007 is as follows:

Camp: Soudkhali
Date: 24.3.2007

Total cases seen: 80
Cases directly related to the incident of 14.3.2007 72
Male 16 (22%)
Female 56 (78%)
Child 1
Hindu (mostly SC) 64
Muslim 8

Eye problems 55 (76.4%)
Direct hit by the police 13 (18%)
Other Musculo-skeletal injury 7
Multiple Injury 10 (13.9%)
Fracture 1
Bleeding P/V since 14.3.2007 1
Injury to private parts (female) 1
Mental Trauma 6 (8.3%)

Camp: Dakshin Jalpai, bhangabera
Date: 25.3.2007

Total cases seen: 54
Cases directly related to the incident of 14.3.2007 46
Male 24 (52.2%)
Female 22 (47.8%)
Child 1
Hindu (mostly SC) ALL
Muslim Nil

Eye problems 33 (71.7%)
Direct hit by the police 8 (17.4%)
Other musculo-skeletal injury 17 (37%)
Multiple Injury 1
Spinal Injury 1
Sexual assault on 14.3.2007 1
Mental Trauma 6 (8.3%)

Camp: Kalicharanpur
Date: 25.3.2007

Total cases seen: 56
Cases directly related to the incident of 14.3.2007 53
Male 8 (15%)
Female 45 (85%)
Hindu (mostly SC) ALL
Muslim Nil

Eye problems 43 (81.7%)
Direct hit by the police 13 (24%)
Other musculo-skeletal injury 7 (13%)
Multiple Injury 4
Bullet Injury 2
Sexual assault on 14.3.2007 3
Mental trauma 4 (7.5%)


Camp: Sonachura
Date: 25.3.2007

Total cases seen: 82
Cases directly related to the incident of 14.3.2007 59
Male 39 (59.3%)
Female 24 (40.7%)
Child 7 (11.8%)
Hindu (mostly SC) ALL
Muslim Nil

Eye problems 4*
Direct hit by the police 20 (34%)
Other musculo-skeletal injury 10 (17%)
Multiple Injury 12 (20.3%)
Bullet Injury 2
Ear injury 2 (children)
Mental Trauma 12 (20.3%)

* A concurrent eye clinic was running at the same place

Eye Camp: Sonachura
Date: 25.3.2007
Organised by: ARGUS COMMUNITY EYE SERVICES

Total cases seen: 155
Cases directly related to the incident of 14.3.2007 114
Male 55 (48.2%)
Female 55 (48.2%)
Child 4
Hindu (mostly SC) ALL
Muslim Nil

The breakup of the patients was done only on the cases directly related to the incidence of 14.3.2007.
The team had did not have any psychiatrist or a psychologist to properly assess the number and the extent of the psychological trauma. Only in the Sonachura Camp, the doctors had some experience in PTSD cases.
The eye cases at Sonachura Camp were referred to the Eye clinic running concurrently.


GENERAL OBSERVATIONS:

It was seen from the T.V. clips that many persons were shot at the chest, abdomen and even in their heads, though when dispersing a mob, the police is to “use as little force and do as little injury to person and property as may be consistent with dispersing the assembly, arresting and detaining such persons”. ( Section 130, CrPc).
The medical team also saw bullet injuries (grazing) at the face level.
The number of victims was found to be very large and included a large number of women and children also.
The lathi charge was extensive, it was inflicted even on women who had already fled from the place of assembly and was hiding in nearby houses and bushes in and around the place. This lathi charge was severe, producing multiple blunt injuries with bruises which was evident on medical examination even on 4/7/11 and 12 days after the event. These injuries included fracture, spine injury, chest injury etc. Injury marks were mostly found on abdomen upwards. It may be mentioned here that when the medical team reached the scene, the people with major injuries had already been taken to various hospitals.
Many people suffered from the musculo-skeletal injuries including fall etc., as they were trying to escape the scene and police was persistently chasing them.
Many persons were injured due to beating by the police while they were trying to rescue the injured persons and the children.
Many women complained of sexual assault. They were also found to bear injury marks on their breasts, abdomen and private part. However, lack of privacy and other infrastructure prevented the medical team from proper physical examination and even thorough history taking.
A very large number of affected people, predominantly women, were found to be suffering from eye problems (burning sensation, watering, phototophobia, foreign body sensation, dimness in vision, headache etc), persisting even 11 days after the exposure to tear gas. So much so that every camp attended to about 70-80 percent of patients suffering from eye problems related to tear gas exposure. Some persons also had injury from tear gas shell explosion, burning injury from contact of tear gas shell, history of breathlessness from close and prolonged exposure to tear gas etc. It may be mentioned that almost all the persons affected by the tear gas rinsed their eyes continuously with water for quite some time.
Thus it appears to the medical team that the gas used against the people may not be the usual tear gas ordinarily used to disperse the mob, but something unusual having more permanent and serious effects. The medical team urges a serious investigation into this matter.
It was found that although most of the severely wounded people were transferred to hospitals, a few seriously wounded persons, including a nine years old boy suffering from supracondylar fracture of arm, a case of spinal injury etc., practically received no medical attention. Also, many people, who attended Nandigram Hospital , did not receive medicines due to shortage of required medicine and many patients could not be investigated properly due to lack of infrastructure there. Patients suffering from eye problems specifically did not receive any medical treatment. It may be noted here that Nadigram Hospital (BPHC) may be called a glorified primary health center and not equipped to deal with so many serious injury and other cases. It was also learnt that Nandigram Hospital did not receive much additional support even after the incident.
An interesting observation was that very few patients came to the medical camp for ailments unrelated to the incidence of 14.3.2007 and those who came for injuries etc also mainly reported the injuries only and generally had no other medical complain.
Many patients were found to be suffering from mental trauma with symptoms of sleeplessness, anorexia, anxiety and fear. They were in fear of repeat of attack, anxiety for the safety of near and dear ones, and particularly about sexual assault of young daughters. But unfortunately the medical team did have trained human resource to properly assess situation, so the number of patients suffering from mental trauma mentioned here would be an understatement of the actual state of affairs. However, a team of psychiatrists and other mental health workers has already organized a camp in Sonachura on 31.3.2007. Their reports will be published soon.
Members of the March 24-25 medical team trained about 20 activists regarding cardio-pulmonary resuscitation, control of bleeding, management of fractures and transport of the injured. The trainees included two quack doctors. They were provided with first aid kits. The aim of the training was to prepare activists in handling injuries in further attacks.

STRUGGLE FOR HEALTH RIGHT !
II.

This is the Preliminary report of the All India Fact Finding Team that
visited Nandigram during March. The length is due to the 4 Annexures
which are also pasted for your reference and use.

Preliminary report by the All India Independent Fact Finding Team on
Nandigram Massacre

The ghastly massacre at Nandigram came to be known to us through phone
calls from West Bengal on March 14th around noon. The firing was on and
we were told that tens had died and hundreds lie wounded. Some of us
sent faxes and emails to the Prime Minister of India, Sonia Gandhiji,
Pranab Mukherjee, Shivraj Patil and informed some others including the
Governor of West Bengal. Medha Patkar, NAPM and Ashim Roy, NTUI with
Sumit Sarkar and Adv Prashant Bhushan, also sent a letter to the Hon'ble
Chief Justice, Kolkata High Court and same was accepted as a PIL by the
High Court. The stories of brutality and continued state sponsored
terror in Nandigram kept arriving.

We then gathered from different parts of India in Kolkata, to
investigate into this barbaric incident and rushed to the affected area.
With knowledge of the background of the struggle; aware of the conflict
between the State and CPI (M) in alliance and the people – farmers,
fish workers, labourers, artisans and others, we proceeded with senior
activists from Bengal* and reached out to maximum number of people in the
field and in the hospitals. We tried to collect first hand information,
whatever available to apprehend exactly what had happened on the 14th
of March 2007 and thereafter in Nandigram. The members of the team
include:

• Medha Patkar(NBA & National Alliance of Peoples' Movements)
• D. Thankappan (New Trade Union Initiative)
• Dr. B. D. Sharma ( Bharat Jan Andolan)
• Tridib Ghosh (People's Democratic Front of India)
• G N Saibaba (Preparatory Committee for the Formation of Anti
Displacement Front, Ranchi Conference )
• Arun Khote (National Campaign for Dalit Human Rights)
• Rakesh Rafiq (Yuva Bharat)
• Ram Dhiraj (Azadi Bachao Andolan)
• Srimant (Kalinga Nagar Movement)
• Meher Engineer (Scientist and Academician)

(*Those who accompanied us included Shri. Pranab Banerjee and Nimai
Ghosh NAPM, Swapan Ganguli, Paschim Bang Khetmazdoor Samiti, Sanjay
Ganguli, Jansanskriti; Shyam Bihari, Jansangharsh Samiti and others from
SUCI.)

The team visited various villages in the Nandigram area and PG hospital
Kolkata, Nandigram and Tamluk (district) hospitals. The team also met
the District Magistrate and Collector of East Midnapur and talked to
various political and people's organizations. The team has conducted
elaborate interviews with the villagers in the affected area and also talked
to the victims and their relatives.

Some of the members of the team investigated into the January
incident in Nandigram and so the team is aware of a number of issues
involved in the present situation.

When the team visited the various hamlets of Gokulnagar including
Adhikaripara, Sonachura including Bhangabera, Maheshpur and Hazarakanta, a
number of facts relating to the incident have come out.

1. The people, majority of them women, informed us of the incidence
that occurred in Gokulnagar and Sonachura with total unanimity. They said
that they were receiving threats of attacks from the CPI (M) leaders
and cadres since days. The attack was supposed to be immediately after
the school exams but it was preponed.
2. We were also told that Secretary, Home Affairs, Mr. P. R. Roy had
categorically stated publicly that the Government would forcibly enter
and establish the rule of law in Nandigram. A similar statement came from
(I.G. Law and order). The likelihood of state repression was therefore
known to the people all over the state of West Bengal at least 2 days
before the incident. There were some protests in Nandigram on this.
3. The police entered from Khejuri and Tekhali, the known bases of CPI
(M) into the villages Sonachura and Gokulnagar respectively. The police
entered the area from 3 entry points which are Garchakraberia,
Bhangabera and 7 Jalpai. In both the places the people were conducting Puja or
reading Quran at the time when the police entered the villages. They
were worshipping Mahaprabhu Gourangadev, the God that is known to be a
senior. Apparently they were protesting the announced entry of the police
but also peacefully involved in religious activities believing that
they would be protected by God. At both the places the women and children
were in the forefront. They expressed that they put women and children
in front expecting that police would not attack them. The nature of
protest shows us clearly that it was peaceful and there was no possibility
of any untoward incident happening. There was no need for police firing
on the people who had gathered in these two places.
4. The women waved their hands and shouted that they should not be
attacked upon and also appealed to the police that they were only
conducting Puja and Police should not interfere or enter the villages.
5. Without giving any time to the people the police started firing the
tear gas shells and rubber bullets. As per the report of the people the
entire area was covered with smoke. Within 10 minutes, even before the
people could realize what was happening, the police started firing
bullets mostly above the waistline. The women were specially targeted
including those who were trying to flee away. At both the places there was
stampede and chaos. At Bhangabera, the police chased the villagers
firing from the back upto 2 kilometers into Sonachura village.
6. Apart from the initial firing and killing of the people the police
continued firing in the villages for the next 24 hours by cordoning off
the villages to prevent entry of outsiders including the place. There
was large scale looting, burning of the village house and property and
raping as reported by the local people. The police and cadres entered
various houses, mercilessly beat and dragged people out and raped and
molested the women inside.
7. The local press reports make it very clear that the state Government
and Midnapore police administration were well prepared for the attack
on the villagers which is corroborated by the people's narration. For
example the Midnapore police administration requested for 40,000 rounds
of ammunition and 40 ambulances from the state administration a few days
before the incident. This clearly shows that the whole attack on the
villagers was well planned one whereas the people were totally unprepared
for this brutality.
8. According to the oral narrations of the villagers, the police
resorted to firing while the CPI (M) cadres were directing them closely. The
CPI (M) cadres, mostly mobilized from outside these villages were in
khaki uniform but wearing chappals. The women in Adhikaripara in
Gokulnagar clearly told us that the uniforms didn't fit most of them and they
wore Red tags on their wrists. The villagers referred to these khaki
clad non-police personnel as cadre Vahini or Harmad Vahini. The people in
the villages namely Sonachura, Tekhali Bazaar, Gokul nagar Panchayat
reported us that this 'Harmad Vahini' entered their villages in hundreds
from the Khejuri side. These cadres fired indiscriminately from local
made and imported weapons and the hospital authorities confirmed that
injury marks of bullets other than those used by the police have been
found on the victims.
9. The people of Sonachura village reported that about 35 children who
were studying in a Ramakrishna Saral Kindergarten Vidyalaya are still
missing. Their whereabouts are not known. There are cases of missing
children from other villages too. The parents naturally are very worried
and apprehend that they were killed and their bodies have been abducted.
The villagers reported that these 'Harmad Vahini' not only kills but
also abducts the dead bodies in a routine manner. They also told us that
the school uniforms of 2 children were found in the bushes nearby.
Incident of the children being killed and torn apart by pulling aside their
2 legs were also reported.
10. The villagers of the Sonachura repeated time and again with anguish
that many dead bodies of the people killed by the firing were buried by
the police with the help of CPI (M) cadres in the trenches dug by the
villagers earlier to restrict entry into the villages. If this report is
to be believed, the authorities should immediately arrange for digging
of the filled in trenches to verify this claim. The villagers also
reported that some dead bodies were carried away in a truck.
11. The other very brutal aspect is while the villagers were trying to
nurse the wounded, they were severely beaten by the police and also
ambulances were prevented in rescue operation.
12. The still continuing presence of police in the area is a matter of
great concern to the villagers because the police are providing
protection and support to the CPI (M) goons. The current situation is also
preventing the children from going to the schools and the women from going
to the market as we were informed by residents in Adhikaripara,
Gokulnagar who are dependent on Tekhali. All the schools in that area are
closed as of now. The police continue to invade the village houses from
time to time.
13. In Sonachura, it was during our presence that the information of 3
persons being kidnapped reached the villagers and the youths from the
families of the victims became furious screaming and abusing police.
They were pacified by the other villagers and our team members.
14. We were reported by women in Gokulnagar that the police were trying
to make vulgar gestures on March 16th when the women had to run away to
save themselves from any untoward incidence.
15. Women, raped and molested, were interviewed by us in the hospitals
who have faced physical injury and mental shock but with no lady doctor
or counselors to take care of. The investigation to establish rape is
also not completed.
16. A number of wounded persons, children to the aged and a large
number are still lying in the villages unable to reach the hospitals and are
being threatened by the CPI (M) attacks from the adjacent areas.
17. The people expressed their helplessness not being able to file
FIRs, many being illiterate and outside supporters are not yet been able to
reach them, especially due to CPI(M) protests and blockades.
18. Hundreds of families especially labourers, informed us that they
were without any income over days while others complained of not being
permitted to visit Tekhali Market by party goons. Many families could not
cook and eat 2 meals over last 2 days, while they could not have
peaceful sleep over weeks.
19. The people invariably, especially the women screaming in pain and
anguish were emphatic in their expression and demand that Mr. Buddhadeb
Bhattacharya as C.M. and Home Minister should be held responsible and
guilty and should be punished for cold-blooded murder of women and
children. They even demanded that capital punishment be given to the guilty
when a poor person like Dhananjay faced the same for a rape and murder.
20. With many families having faced death and devastations and all the
communities in the area shattered, the people are still unanimous with
their resolve that they will not allow their land and resources to be
taken over. Even with the Left Front's decision to cancel the SEZ
project at Nandigram reaching them, the people feel suspicious of the States'
plans and are determined to continue the struggle with unity and no
divisions within.

Basic Issues in Nandigram

The basic issue in Nandigram and all proposals for an alternative
economy including industrialization is the State’s right to take the
livelihood resources of the people, invoking the Colonial Land Acquisition
Act. The people are not prepared to part with the land at any cost. It
is the women and children who are in the forefront of these struggles as
they are the worst victims of development. Any scheme of cash
compensation is not acceptable to the people. A visit to an area like Nandigram
with lush green fields and trees, small ponds and houses, many
one-storeyed and huts, outside which with children play around naturally evoke
the simple question – what they will do with that money and where
they will go? The resolve “we will not move out, come what may” is the
natural response of a people threatened with the very right to survive
with dignity which is the most sacred of the rights enshrined in the
Constitution.

The minimum which can be expected from the State in a democratic polity
is an informed dialogue with the people, which should not start just
before actually acquiring the land, as the State is legally, obliged to
do. It should start well before any alternative use of land, on which
thousands of people depend, is planned for in a serious way by the State.
The alternative use could be an industry or a mining complex.