Indefinite dharna in Mumbai by various people affected by Maharashtra development projects from April 21st

The National Alliance of People's Movements under the banner of Desh Bachao, Desha Banao Andolan has once more picked up the tangled threads of governmental false promises and excuses against the genuine suffering of the people who are displaced in the name of various types of development schemes , especially after the current fad of globalisation and liberalisation, that benefits few rich persons and pauperises the majority of the citizens - the worst affected , being the poorest.

Today,( 21st April 2003) adivasis, farmers, mill-workers and slum dwellers of Maharashtra affected by some of these so called development projects, captured the Nehru Statue garden near Air India Building, at Nariman Point and have decided to stay there until the government keeps its promises.

From the 1st to 8 th October 2002, the then Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Shri Vilasrao Deshmukh, made various promises to all these groups which remain unfulfilled even today. Infact, the new incumbent, Shri Sushilkumar Shinde, seems to have specifically gone back on all the promises. Things are getting worse as the increase in height of the Sardar Sarovar Dam is being actively considered despite the lack of rehabilitation and the floods that left so many people bereft last monsoon - caused due to the increased height of the dam - which was against all laws of the land and of humanity itself.

The Penganga, Nagpur Cargo hub affected, Savli-Sadoba Dam effected, Thane Ring-railway affected, the slum and foot-path dwellers, Borivili National Park affected oustees, the Reliance Pieline affected families, the Bombay-Ahmedabad Highway affected people are all fighting for their land rights and so are the people from Thane who should have got their rights 33 years ago !!!! The matter of reduction of subsidies to the Public Distribution system, Education and Health sectors remains unresolved as does the promised re-evaluation of the Basic Poverty Line.Land taken for milk projects and lying unutilised is still not being returned to the owners - the adivasis.

The urban and rural populations who have suffered more than enough of these attrocities and indignities have to-day set up permanent camp in the Nehru garden, Nariman Point. You are invited to visit them and show your solidarity / clarify your doubts.