Condemn Police atrocities in Sonbhadra!

Take Action! Demand justice for the struggling adivasis, dalits and poor in Kanhar Valley!!

18th April 2015: In less than 4 days of open firing at peaceful protesters in Sonbhadra on 14th April Ambedkar Jayanti, today again police wreaked havoc by shockingly open firing in the morning at the adivasis, dalits including large number of women in Kanhar valley, Amwar, Duddhi Sonbhadra, UP. Reports of rampage in villages Sundari and Bhisur  have also come where houses  are smashed and hundreds of people are beaten. While the exact numbers of deaths and people suffering injuries are not yet confirmed, it is reported that numbers would be quite high. This is clearly a planned brutal attack to crush people’s peaceful and democratic resistance against the illegal construction of Kanhar dam which will cause massive displacement due to forcible land acquisition.

Use of violence by the police and administration on agitating people is not new in Kanhar Vally. On 23rd Dec 2014 they were brutally beaten and false allegations of attack on SDM were made to victimise the leaders. There have been continuous attempts to harass people by the nexus between police-local land mafias to deny land and forest rights of hundreds of adivasis, dalits and poor villagers. On 14th, police fired at the gathering which left at least 6 women seriously injured and Adivasi leader Akku Charu who was shot in the chest is admitted in BHU lucknow. Despite constantly increasing number of force in the valley, including the PAC (provincial armed constabulary) and attempts to block people from joining the protesters, immense support has poured in from Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Gujrat, Uttar Pradesh as well as from Political Representatives, Political Parties, Activists, Scholars, etc for the struggle. Further, while efforts are underway to send a fact fining team so that actual happenings in the area can come out, today’s attack is seen as an attempt to stop this process of investigation, which would highlight wrong-doings of the culprits mainly the anti-people police and administration.

The proposed Kanhar Dam is controversial and subjudiced in High Court. Without conducting any fresh cost benefit analysis and social and environmental impact assessments, and violating the order of the National Green Tribunal dated 24th December 2014 whic mandated Environment Clearance and Forest Clearance for any construction by Irrigation department of UP, the government is illegally going ahead with the construction.

We appeal to concerned citizens to demand immediate stop to this use of coercive force against adivasis, dalits, poor people and women in Kanhar Valley. Take action and ask the following authorities to punish the erring police and administration. Demand justice to the struggling people, including immediate medical treatment of the injured and reparation efforts towards the families of those who have been murdered by police machinery. Stop illegal construction of Kanhar dam and forcible land acquisition. Ensure land and forest rights of the people of Kanhar Valley!

 

Contact details of persons concerned in UP:

 

Shri Sanjay Kumar,

District Magistrate, Sonbhadra,

Uttar Pradesh

[email protected]

Tele: 05444-222190, 05444-223001

Mobile: 9454417569

Shri Shiv Shankar Yadav

Superintendent of Police

District Magistrate, Sonbhadra,

Uttar Pradesh

Email: [email protected]

Tel: 05444-252614

Mobile: 9454400304

Shri Alok Ranjan

Chief Secretary

Lucknow

Uttar Pradesh

Email : [email protected]

Phone :            +91 522 2221599, 2238212

Fax :    +91 522 2239283

Residence Phone :       +91 522 2235133

Shri Ram Naik

Governor

Raj Bhawan (Governor House), Lucknow-226027
Phone +91-522-2620494, 2236497, 2236498 Fax +91-522-2239488
Residence  Phone / Fax +91–2239488

Mr Justice U K Dhaon

Acting Chairman,

U P State Human Right Commission

TC-34, V-1, Vibhuti Khand, Gomti Nagar, Lucknow

Email: [email protected],

Tele: 0522-2305801 (O) 2207455 ( R )

Shri Arvind Kumar Jain

DGP Uttar Pradesh

1, Tilak Marg, Lucknow

Uttar Pradesh

Email: [email protected]

Tel: 0522-2206104

Fax: 0552-2206120

Mob: 09454400101

Shri A. Satish Ganesh

IG (L & O)/DGPHQ

LUCKNOW

Email: [email protected]

Tel: 0522-2208370

Mob: 9454400163

Shri Vijay Kumar Garg

DIG (Karmik)/DGP HQRS

LUCKNOW

Tel: 0522-2206901

Mob: 9454400182

 

Contact details of Chief Minister UP

 

Shri Akhilesh Yadav

Hon’ble Chief Minister

Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh

Email: [email protected]

TeLE: 0522 2236181 2239296 2215501

Fax: 0522 2236838 2236985

 

 

Contact Details of Chairperson NHRC and Home Secretary (Ministry of Home affairs)

 

Justice Shri K.G. Balakrishnan

Chairperson

National Human Rights Commission, Manav Adhikar Bhawan Block-C, GPO Complex, INA, New Delhi – 110023

E-Mail: [email protected][email protected]

Fax No. 24651329

Tele: 91-11-24663247(O), 24651330

Shri L.C.Goyal

Home Secretary

Ministry of Home Affairs, North Block

Central Secretariat

New Delhi – 110001

Email: [email protected]

Tel: +91 11 23092989, 23093031, 24673397

Fax: +91 11 23093003