criticism (even if one out of the three judges disagreed with the other two in
the recent Narmada ruling!) and it risks losing legitimacy in the eyes of the
population, just like the Supreme Court of the world\'s second biggest
democracy (USA), whose decisions in the recent presidential elections threaten its
own legitimacy in the eyes of the people...
Here is the NBA press release, from:
http://www.narmada.org/nba-press-releases/april-2001/parikrama.concludes.html *** Supreme Court Again Comes Under Harsh Criticism On Narmada Verdict
*** Prominent People Ask Court To Make Them Party To Contempt Proceedings Against Patkar and Roy
*** Narmada Parikrama Concluded
Thousands of oustees from the Narmada valley along with the prominent
social activists severely criticsed the Supreme Court verdict as \'anti-people\'
decision and have asked the Court to make them too the party to the
contempt proceedings against Medha Patkar and Arundhati Roy. This was
declared at a large rally held at Indore on April 10, at the conclusion of the
\'Narmada Sangharsha Parikrama\'.
Along with many prominent people, the villagers sent a letter to the Chief
Justice of India, asking him to make them party to the contempt
proceedings regarding the Court ruling in Narmada case. They have asked as
to why only Medha Patkar, Arundhati Roy and Adv. Prashant Bhushan were
singled out for the contempt notices, as thousands of the people from the
valley and their supporters from all over India have publicly criticized and
rejected the verdict of the Court and the anti-people, unconstitutional
attitude of the court in the Narmada case. They said that they were ready to
prove that their criticism of the Court has sound Constitutional basis. The
Court had issued contempt notices to the three activists for leading a
protest rally of Narmada oustees in front of the Supreme Court in November
last year.
The Signatories include social activist Swami Agnivesh, Socialist ideologue
Surendra Mohan, trade unionist tulsi Boda from Gujarat, former chairperson
of National Commission on Women, Ms. Mohini Giri, leader of Chhattisgarh
Mukti Morcha, Com. Janaklal Thakur, Dr. B.D. Sharma ( former
Commissioner of SC/ST and chairman of Bharat Jan Andolan), senior
journalist Prabhash Joshi, Prof. RVG Menon of Kerala Sastra Sahitya
Parishad, Sanjay M.G., Vimalbhai and Suniti S.R., Sukhendu Bhattacharya,
Anitha, Jacob Vadkancherry, Abhoy Singh and Lata P.M. from National
Alliance of People\'s Movement (NAPM), Abdul Jabbar of Bhopal Gas
Affected People\'s Organization, Adv. Bagdi Mahedrabhai and Rambhushan
Agrawal from Indore.
The Indore meeting concluded the week-long \'Parikrama\' from April 4-10,
which covered number of villages in the plains of Nimad in the valley. At
the conclusion, a large rally and public meeting was held in the heart of city,
where about three thousand people gathered to express solidarity with the
struggle. Various organizations from Madhya Pradesh like Adivasi Mukti
Sanghatan, Samaj Pragati Sahayog, National Alliance of People\'s
Movements, Samajwadi Jan Parishad, CMM and Ekalavya etc. also
participated. The meeting condemned the recent killings of tribals in Dewas
district by M.P. police.
Almost all the speakers harshly criticised the Narmada verdict by the
Supreme Court. Terming it as \'shameful\', Swami Agnivesh pointed out at
the inability of the Supreme Court to restore the lives of the bonded
labourers even after the 10-year-old verdict. Surendra Mohan made it clear
that the wrong verdicts of the court could changed be as they were revised
five times in the past by the Parliament and the state legislatures. Dr.
Sunilam (MLA and Kisan Sangharsha Samiti) denounced the tactics of M.P.
government about repressing the peasants and tribals.
Medha Patkar, along with the representatives from the valley emphasised
the need for a coordinated struggle of peasants and tribals and other
exploited classes to safeguard their right to life, livelihood and their
resources. Devram Kanera, the senior activist conducted the meeting.
Mohan Patidar
Ashish Mandloi
Joe Athialy
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