[Urbanstudy] ‘Assault’ on environmentalist" and "NICE workers not so nice"]

Sat Oct 27 10:37:30 IST 2007

Hi

For those interested in the details of this attack, pl request a copy of 
my FIR and I will email the scans to you. 

I find this assault absolutely unbelievable, as it was based on 
contested notions of privatising the commons.  Roads, as much as 
waterbodies, are commons and should always be. 

In this particular case, we were merely travellers on a highway that ESG 
has systematically opposed on environmental and social justice grounds.  
All our efforts have been peaceful and employing a range of campaign and 
litigation tactics.   And, as it stands, the company in question does 
not have any rights to block access or employ private security forces to 
selectively target anyone.

At no time have we made this issue personal in any manner. The response, 
as is to be expected, has almost always been personal.  When one engages 
in such issues, one is aware these are the risks involved, and utilises 
whatever resources are at command to constantly clarify the purpose of a 
challenge.  The media and police are major players in such causes, and 
of course the wider network of support.

In this instant case we were attacked by the MD of M/s NICE.  This is 
clearly an indication of the extent to which the law is taken for 
granted by corporate India.  This is a growing menace in India, and we 
have not even started worrying about the implications of such forces.   
These types of violent attacks are bound to grow unless we collectively 
address such situations constantly, effectively and collectively.

The violent attacks did not injure me critically.  But that it was at 
all employed so brazenly and in the presence of police, is in fact a 
serious issue. Especially because it was used against a group which 
mainly consisted of women, and students (most being foreign nationals, 
who had no conception of what was going on till much later).

Sincerely

Leo Saldanha

PS;  The complaint provides an accurate description of what happened.  
It is to be expected that the press has to also carry what the company 
claims to be their version.

Walter Fernandes wrote:
> I condemn this attack
>
> Walter Fernandes
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "ESG India" <esg at esgindia.org>
> To: "ECwatch" <ecwatch at yahoogroups.com>; "Pucl" 
> <PUCL at yahoogroups.com>; "Invites" <invites at yahoogroups.com>; 
> "Pfaadb-Oc" <pfaadb-oc at asianpeoplesforum.net>; "Bangaloresolidarity" 
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> Sent: Friday, October 26, 2007 2:39 PM
> Subject: [invites] :‘Assault’ on environmentalist" and "NICE workers 
> not so nice"
>
>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> *Date:26/10/2007* *URL:
>> http://www.thehindu.com/2007/10/26/stories/2007102664050400.htm*
>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>> Karnataka <http://www.thehindu.com/2007/10/26/22hdline.htm> - Bangalore
>>
>> * ‘Assault’ on environmentalist *
>>
>> Staff Reporter
>>
>> BANGALORE: Leo Saldanha of thye Environment Support Group was assaulted
>> allegedly by security personnel of Nandi Infrastructure Corridor
>> Enterprises (NICE) on Thursday.
>>
>> Mr. Saldanha said that he was on a study tour with American students to
>> explain to them the impact of urban growth on tanks and lakes when the
>> security personnel got into an argument with him and beat him up. A
>> complaint has been filed at the Talaghattapura police station, Bangalore
>> Rural district.
>>
>> A NICE spokesperson, however, denied the allegations. He said that Mr.
>> Saldanha and his team were asked to leave the area as they were blocking
>> the road.
>>
>> “Villagers in the area whom Mr. Saldanha abused had beaten him up. We
>> went there to rescue him,” he added.
>>
>> / /
>>
>> © Copyright 2000 - 2007 The Hindu
>>
>>
>> http://www.deccanherald.com/Content/Oct262007/city2007102632422.asp
>> NICE workers not so nice
>>
>> DH News Service,Bangalore:
>>
>>
>>
>> Tense situation prevailed in front of Nandi Infrastructure Corridor
>> Enterprise (NICE) office on peripheral ring road on Thursday evening.
>> Some students and faculty members of Environment Support Group (ESG),
>> led by its coordinator Leo Saldanha staged a snap protest alleging that
>> NICE workers tried to assault faculty members and students when they
>> were on a study trip.
>>
>> Police rushed to the spot and pacified the group. The incident did not
>> affect the traffic flow in anyway and complaint and counter complaint
>> were registered following the incident, Talaghattapura police said.
>> ESG chief Leo Saldanha said that eight American students and a faculty
>> member and two faculty members and two students, who were travelling in
>> a tempo traveller and a car respectively, got down near the NICE office.
>> The faculty members were explaining to the students, who were studying
>> townships under a project entitled ‘Cities in 21st Century.’ The NICE
>> workers objected.
>>
>> They misbehaved with a woman faculty and girl students besides using
>> abusive language. There was no proper response from the police and
>> Talaghattapura police, who came to the spot late, also behaved rudely,
>> he claimed.
>> NICE PRO Manjunath refuted the allegations. “It’s a private road. They
>> did not take prior permission to study the project. Moreover, they
>> parked the vehicles right in middle of the road hampering vehicular
>> movement. Saldanha is a known opponent of NICE. None of the NICE workers
>> either manhandled or misbehaved with woman faculty and girl students,”
>> he added.
>>
>>
>> <https://www.online.citibank.co.in/portal/Landingmaster.jsp?TID=t2&PID=reghm&CID=t2a1p7c1&LMS=RCA$RCAO$DDB$DEHRM180$DEHRM180$DECCANHERALD> 
>>
>>
>>
>> Talaghattapura police station sub inspector Manjunath also refuted the
>> charges of Saldanha. The police rushed to the spot as soon as they were
>> informed about the incident, he said.
>>
>>
>>
>>
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