The following report is from one of the organisations campaigning against the proposed Dow R&D facility in Pune. Ed.
September 23, 2008
Friends,
The agitation against Dow has intensified. Since the arrest of Banda Tatya Maharaj Karadkar on Saturday, there have been continuous protests all over Maharashtra.
• Yesterday, protests were held in Thane. Today, massive protests were held in Kalyan (Thane district) where Eknath Sadgir Maharaj led the Dindi from Vithal mandir to the Municipal Corporation. Eknath Sadgir Maharaj, Anand Joshi maharaj, Jayshri Ghadi (Lokshasan andolan), Kishore More (Yuva Bharat) addressed the warkaris on this occasion. At this moment, protests are going on at Bhandup in Mumbai.
Protests in Thane yesterday that began a wave of agitation against Dow across the state
• Warkaris gheraod Dy.CM Shri. R.R. Patil at Satara and demanded immediate scrapping of permission to Dow and the immediate release of Banda Tatya and other warkaris. Dy. CM assured that they will think about withdrawing all the cases against Banda Tatya and other warkaris and villagers.
• Massive protests continued in Shirpur (Dhule district) where thousands of warkaris protested. Warkaris protested in Nashik, Malegaon, Jalgaon, Ahmednagar, Aurangabad, Ahmednagar, Pune, Satara, Sangli, Solapur, Latur and other places.
A huge gathering of warkaris outside Chakan police station
• The students who take formal education within the framework of the warkari tradition and are trained to become warkaris came out in open protests in Alandi. At this moment around ten thousand students of Alandi have come on the road demanding the immediate release of Banda Tatya, withdrawal of all cases and immediate scrapping of Dow Chemical’s project in Shinde.
• Pune Universty students protested against Dow. Shashi Sonawane addressed the students
• Tomorrow massive protests are planned. Warkaris are determined to have massive demonstrations, gherao, rasta rook (road blockade) all over Maharashtra.
Dow Chemicals in connivance with the administration is trying to break the unity of the villagers. They are following usual tactics of bribing villagers. They have declared a donation of Rs. 25 lakhs for renovation of the village temple. Yesterday, the women activists of Lokshasan Andolan from Shinde village strongly protested against the authorities and the administration and thwarted this move.
Shashi Sonawane
National Convenor – Yuva Bharat
—
LOKSHASAN ANDOLAN
Swatantrya – Samata – Bandhutva – Swawalamban
FOUNDER – Justice P.B. Sawant (retd.)
President – Justice B.G. Kolse-patil (retd.) (9822434343)
Working President – Com. Vilas Sonawane (9422520574)
Shashi Sonawane (9967134717)
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