Even as the government appears to be using the carrot and stick approach to bring the Barsu agitators to the table for discussions, the agitators have made it clear that they would do so only after the current work on soil survey is completely stopped, police force withdrawn and normal conditions allowed to prevail.
Satyajeet Chavan, president of Konkan Vinashakari Prakalpa Virodhi Sangharsh Samiti addressing media at Mumbai Press Club. Flanking him are (left) Vaibhav Kolwankar and Narendra Joshi, the leaders of Barsu Refineray Virodhi Sangharsh Samiti. |
๐ช๐ผ๐ปโ๐ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐ฐ๐๐๐ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐ด๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐ถ๐น๐น ๐๐ผ๐ถ๐น ๐๐๐ฟ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐๐๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฑ: ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฎ๐ท๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ฎ๐ป
โAfter ignoring our repeated requests for our side to be heard, the government is now saying that they will hold discussions with all the stake holders. But, we shall continue with our agitation and wonโt go in for discussions with the government till current work on soil survey is completely stopped, police force withdrawn and normal conditions allowed to prevail,โ Satyajeet Chavan, president of the Konkan Vinashkari Prakalp Sangharsh Samiti, an NGO spearheading agitations against various projects in Konkan region said here on Friday.
Chavan along with Narendra Joshi and Vaibhav Kolwankar, the President and Secretary of Barsu Prakalp Sangharsh Samiti addressed a press conference where they appraised the media of the atrocities that the agitators are being subjected to.
๐ช๐ต๐ผ๐น๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ ๐ฝ๐ผ๐น๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐บ๐ฝ: ๐๐ด๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐
โThe government is keeping no stone unturned in suppressing the agitation. The ministers have been saying that no force will be used against the agitators. But, additional police personnel have been brought in from adjoining districts and the whole area comprising of five villages including Barsu has been converted into a police camp,โ Chavan said.
โI was illegally detained for over 11 hours and then arrested twice before imposing orders preventing me from entering the Ratnagiri district for 15 days,โ he added while giving details of the government atrocities.
Agitators comprise of mostly women and children and there are several atrocities against women and children, he said and added, โBut, the agitation will continue.โโWe are part of the committee of villagers who work in Mumbai. There is a similar committee at village level. All of us regularly donate for a common fund and our agitation is completely funded by that fund. We are affiliated to no political party,โ Chavan said while replying to various allegations levelled against the anti-refinery protesters.
โOver 4000 people are still out there opposing the project even though preventive orders have been imposed against 45 agitators so far. They are being prevented from entering their own villages,โ he added.
๐๐ผ๐๐ ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐น๐น๐ผ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ผ๐น๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฏ๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐บ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ต๐ฎ๐: ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐
Barsu, which is actually a hamlet of Dhopeahwar village near Rajapur has already resolved in Gram Sabha (village meeting) against the project as well as the survey. Other adjoining villages of Gowal, Solgaon, Devache Gothane and Shivne Khurd too have got such resolutions passed a long back. However, the government itself is not following the law which binds them to follow the resolutions of Gram Sabhas, the activists said.
The activists also said that they are against all polluting industries and that their agitation is actually for an alternate model of development Konkan region. โWe want the political parties to understand and act on this demand. But, they only talk about not using force and increased compensation etc. None of them have as yet said that they are opposed to such polluting industries,โ Chavan said.
