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

Sat Oct 27 22:32:18 IST 2007

Hi Sebastian

thanks for your words of support.  The FIR scans and some pictures are 
online at:  *http://esgindia.org/campaigns/bmic/bmic.html

Leo
*
sebastian Rodrigues wrote:
> Dear Leo,
>  
> Please send me the copy of FIR. It is a trend all over India that we 
> need to address on priority basis. Goa is getting into this corporate 
> India trend too, too fast. We need to put together our forces quikly 
> on this. I strongly condemn this assault on you and the student.
>  
> In Solidarity,
> Seby
>
> <html><p><DEFANGED_DIV>
> <P>Visit my blog at</P>
> <P><A 
> href="http://www.openspaceforum.net/twiki/tiki-view_blog.php?blogId=17">http://www.openspaceforum.net/twiki/tiki-view_blog.php?blogId=17</A></P></p><DEFANGED_DIV></html>
>
> > Date: Sat, 27 Oct 2007 10:37:30 +0530
> > From: leofsaldanha at gmail.com
> > To: urbanstudygroup at sarai.net
> > Subject: [Urbanstudy] ‘Assault’ on environmentalist" and "NICE 
> workers not so nice"]
> >
> >
> > 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"
> > > <bangaloresolidarity at yahoogroups.com>
> > > 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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