13:00 UK SUMMER TIME – MESSAGE RECEIVED FIVE MINUTES AGO
From “Sarvadarshi” in Delhi
At 3:45, 45 minutes before the promised allowed time to be in front of the Shastri Bhavan (where the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers is, the deparmentt responsible for taking care of affected Bhopalis) the police took down the barricades and arrested everbody – a sudden, clear, vicious, and absolutely predictable backstab.
Only a couple of people escaped, including **** and maybe *****. We’re not sure. We had to run away to get out of there without having our camera footage taken away.
A few people you may know who we are sure were arrested:
Sathyu, Madhu, Nity, Dharmesh, Shweta, Shahid Noor. We did not see: Champa Devi, Rashida Bee, Irfan bhai, Suroopa, Sateesh.
Everyone else: almost definitely arrested. There were about 100
people sitting there. Madhu was the first to go. Nity soon after, Sathyu next. Madhu was the one who was negotiating with the police the most.
The cops mercifully did not do any violent beatings that I could see, but many people were manhandled – including two women who fell unconscious after being roughly handled – they were dragged, yanked, and shoved into buses. There were several busloads in all.
UPDATE, 13:35: More than 200 people including 35 infants have been arrested and taken to Parilament Street Police Station. In the process 2 gas survivors, Bano Bee, 55 and Ashraaf Bee, 60, fell unconscious and were taken to the hospital with two other women Nafisa Bee and Munni Bee who were also taken to the hospital.
LATEST UPDATE, 13:41: Ashraaf Bee and Bano Bee are too sick to be released from the hospital. Doctors at Ram Manohar Hospital have admitted these women after examinig them.
There were about three times as many cops as activists (NYPD style). Lots of huge sticks, big vests, helmets, and about 10 trucks and buses filled with these thugs. The whole street was clogged up with cops.
Special effort was made to prevent us from photographing. The videographers escaped successfully as far as we know, but we’re not sure. Last saw *****, *****, and ***** as they fled.
I do not mean this to be a blog entry – do announce it on the web, I will be sending a formal blog entry with the whole day’s story very soon. I am going to try to find someone who escaped and see about the news from jail, if we can get any.
They were all singing in the buses as they were driven away.
PLEASE PROTEST. CALL EVERYONE YOU KNOW, YOU CAN SEND A FAX TO INDIAN PRIME MINISTER MANMOHAN SINGH: DEMAND THE RELEASE OF THE BHOPALIS AND URGE HIM TO MEET THEIR SIX JUST DEMANDS. PLEASE HELP!
ACTION ALERT! • ACTION ALERT! • ACTION ALERT!
The Bhopal gas survivors who have walked 800 kms from Bhopal, had gathered outside the Ministry of Chemicals demanding to meet Mr Paswan, Minister of Chemicals and Ho’n Prime Minister Mr. Manmohan Singh. The Bhopal survivors were told that the two ministers were not available to meet them, instead what they recieved was the highhanded treatement of this administration.
WRITE OR FAX YOUR REACTION TO THE INDIAN PRIME MINISTER AND ALSO TO THE PARLIAMENT STREET POLICE STATION.
PARLIAMENT STREET POLICE STATION NUMBER
91 11 23361231 EXT 3481

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