Jaitapur Nuclear Plant :

Villagers refused to take compensation cheques, showed black flags to DM

There was a big protest in Madban (Jaitapur, Ratnagiri district) when on December 29, the District collector came to distribute checques to the villagers, and some 1500 villagers collected and demonstrated with black flags and refused to take cheques. The protest was in the news, and it got good coverage.

The Mumbai support group has also accelerated its activities, and they had a dharna on December 28 in Azad Maidan in which nearly 70 people participated. The dharna got good coverage in the TV. The dharna was timed to get coverage today so that the news would come along with the visit of the officials to Madban, next day.

Another group of activists along with Vaishali Patil, the fiery activist who has led the struggles in Sindhudurg against mining there, is going to Madban and nearby villages to campaign and give a boost to the movement in the second week of January. Activists from Pune adn Mumbai will participate in this campaign.

The Fishworkers Forum is also being mobilized to participate in this struggle and to take out a boat rally, against to the proposed nuclear plant. (PNN)

Youth camp of Jagrat Vidyarthi Samaj at Sonipat (Haryana)

A youth camp of Jagrat Vidyarthi Samaj (JVS), a youth wing of Azadi Bachao Andolan was organised in Government Senior Secondary School, Sonipat on December 27, 28 and 29. The camp was conducted by Sumit Chauhan, local convenor of JVS and a stident of Hansraj college, Delhi University. Students of colleges of Sonipat and Hansraj College participated in the camp. The campers were addressed by Yashvir Arya, ABA Haryana Convenor, Dr. Swatantra Jain, Former professor of Kurukshetra University, Shiraj Kesar, ABA North India Convener, Manoj Tyagi. It was decided to mobilise students against MNCs, and spread JVC in all colleges.

Producers’ Company to be formed in Belari (Moradabad)

Social activists Dr. Rakesh Rafique organised a meeting of milk producers and farmers’ representatives at Belari on December 26. Farmers of this area are planning to start processing and marketing themselves milk and other agricultural produces. And for this want to form a producers’ company under the 2002 Act. They want to switch over to organic farming. North India Convenor of Azadi Bachao Andolan Manoj Tyagi explained in details the procedure of forming producers company and its functioning. The meeting was held in Loknayak Jai Prakash Narayan School.

Film Festival and Workshop on Media and Journalism

A 14 day Film Festival is being organized by Film Archive of Swaraj Vidyapeeth from January 17 to 30 Films related to social change, environment and climate change, human Rights and rights of women and children, are being shown. Film makers, directors and social activists are participating in it. The main programmes of the Festival are being held in the ‘Sabha Mandap’ of the Vidyapeeth and programmes on 18 and 19 were held in different colleges and educational centres also.

Media and Journalism Workshop was held from January 19 to 27. In this workshop apart from giving technical training of media and journalism, renowned journalists, editors and social activists delivered lectures on the contribution of journalism to the freedom movement, corporatization of media, challenges before media. Students of universities, young journalists and social activists took training in the workshop. Those who addressed the participants of the workshop (150 in number) included shri Vinod Mishra former editor of Dainik Bhaskar, Prof. Anil Sadgopal, Prof. Banwari Lal Sharma, Dr. K.S. Anandi, Shri Manoj Shrivastava, Shri Manoj Tyagi, Shri Rinku, Dr. Atul Mishra and Sant Sameer from HT group of publication. Editor of Jan Morcha gave the concluding speech and distributed cartificates to the participants. Dr. Atul Mishra concluded the workshop. No fee was charged from the participants.

Both these programmes were held at Swaraj Vidyapeeth campus; 21B, Motilal Nehru Road, Allahabad. Phone 09235406243. There was no entrance or participation fee.