IAC warns against attacks on people's movements

India Against Corruption which has seen industrialist donors turn their backs on it after it started targeting private sector and corrupt politicians today reaffirmed its commitment to "an alternative politics that would challenge the collusion of major political parties with one another and with corporate interests.''
 
Citing the recent police clampdown on mass movements and activists in three states culminating in the arrest of Medha Patkar, IAC today joined Anna Hazare in condemning police action in Madhya Pradesh against activists and the arrest of Patkar.
 
While Anna Hazare has threatened to go and sit in protest in Chindwara to demand release of Patkar, IAC expressed "deep concern about the recent incidents of repression against peoples movements across the country."

It is ironic that while some of the biggest scams on public money are not investigated and the most corrupt politicians and officials allowed to go scot-free, police and administration are overzealous in prosecuting those who raise peoples’ voice," it said today referring to instances from Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.
 
In Jharkhand, the police re-arrested Dayamani Barla, a leading adivasi activist, as soon as she was released on bail. She has been involved in a popular protest against forcible acquisition of land near Ranchi involving police firing against the protesters. In Maharashtra, activists Suniti S. R., Maruti Bhapkar, Prasad and 70 others have been arrested for leading the protest of Lavasa, Tata and Wang dam affected people. They have been sent to Yervada jail without being informed of the charges, IAC said.

In Chindwada, several actvists leading the  protest against Adani Power Plant and the Pench Water diversion project were arrested last week. "Even more shockingly, Medha Patkar and her colleagues, who came to support the protesters, were arrested and the judicial magistrate refused to entertain their bail application," IAC said.
 
IAC has also expressed concern at what it called evidence of the "judiciary succumbing to pressure from the government in silencing the peoples movements."

It referred to the recent decision by the District and Sessions Judge, Baitul, Madhya Pradesh to award life imprisonment to Dr Sunilam in a case dating back to the 90s . This case pertained to police firing against farmers demanding compensation for damaged crops in 1998 under the leadership of Dr. Sunilam, a socialist activist. As many as 24 farmers were killed in police firing. While no one has been punished for these 24 deaths, the government has vigorously prosecuted the farmers for death of a fire tender worker. Dr Sunilam has been awarded life imprisonment in this case on the charge of having “commonality of interest” with farmers and that too based on the evidence by those involved in the massacre of farmers, IAC said.

Dr Sunilam, it said, has been opposing the misdeeds of the Congress and the BJP governments in the state and carrying out vigorous campaign against Adani Power Plant and other corporate projects.