i am just doing my job ma'am

this can well be the catch line of 'shining, rising and developedment' india. politicians are just doing their job of looting villagers of their land, businessmen are just doing their job of making politicians just a bunch of jokers and government officials like mr.patil of this story is just doing their job of getting things done.

aquene freechild works with international campign for just in bhopal and her conversation is below on the arrest of innocent villagers who are protesting against a dow plant/factory/r&d kind of facility that is coming up in chakan village near pune. dow, we need not remind you, has washed off their hands in a cool manner over the world's worst industrial disaster in bhopal.

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Conversation with Mr. Nangre Patil – I encourage you to call this guy as he is presently picking up his phone. He tried hard to remain calm and sound reasonable with me. The conversation went something like this:

Aquene: I am looking for Nangre Patil I am calling from Boston US regarding the arrest of 5 villagers from near Chakan

Patil: Can you speak more slowly?

Aquene: I am calling with regard to the arrest of 5 villages near Chakan with regard to the Dow plant construction.

Patil: Oh Dow. Ok there has been a committee formed with bureaucrats to deal with that matter ma'am.

Aquene: I know there has been a committee formed and as far as I understand from the newspapers there was an agreement to not do any work on the Dow site until the report was submitted. You must release the arrested villagers immediately. Dow is harboring a fugitive from Justice in Indian Criminal court, how can you permit them to build?

Patil: Ma'am the committee has been formed to look at this issue and address it. They will make a report and until the report comes out Dow should continue construction.

Aquene: That is not the way it works, why should Dow continue the construction while waiting for this report? What good will that do allowing construction to continue when the project has not been evaluated? The project will already be done before the issue is clarified. When will the report come out?

Patil: Within a fortnight ma'am.

Aquene: Well good, but until that time the construction should not be permitted on the Dow site. You should leave the villagers alone and release those who have been arrested.

Patil: Not that much construction can happen in such a short time ma'am. They are not at that stage of construction.

Aquene: If they are not at that stage of construction why did you send 3 trucks with Special Forces to the site?

Patil: I am just doing my job ma'am

Aquene: What is this doing your job and arresting innocent villagers for a company that won't even respect Indian Law?

Patil: Good Night Ma'am

Aquene: We are watching you from around India and from around the world. We are watching what you do there. Those concerned about Human Rights are watching.

Patil: Good Night Ma'am

Aquene: Please release those villagers

Patil: Click



Do call again and again every few hours until the villagers have been freed.


In Solidarity,
Aquene Freechild
Environmental Health Fund


Don't Work for Dow Chemical! Your signature kindly requested and definitely needed:
http://www.thetruthaboutdow.org/petition.php?pid=1
From: Aquene Freechild
Sent: Wednesday, February 27, 2008 1:01 PM
To: 'sfbplanning@lists.studentsforbhopal.org'; 'aid_bhopal@aidindia.org'
Subject: URG Axn: Dow Sets Police on Indian Villagers

CALL IMMEDIATELY:
Dow Sets Police on Indian Villagers

Five men from Shinde Vasuli village, near Pune, were arrested today after nearly 250 armed police from the State Reserve Police made their way to the construction site of Dow's proposed R&D facility. Construction at the site remains suspended for more than 40 days. More than 1000 villagers, including at least 300 women, have closeted the police contingent inside the Dow site, and are demanding that the police should release the five arrested villagers.

The State Government has ordered reinforcements and a lathi charge is feared overnight tonight. TAKE ACTION:

Please call:

District Collector. Mr. Deshmukh: +91 9881221144

Rural SP. Mr. Nangre Patil: +91 9923088887

Will send Fax numbers and land line numbers shortly.

Talking Points:

a) The Collector had assured that no work will begin until the report is submitted and the villagers are convinced about the nature of work. Why has he gone back on his word? Newspapers have reported this.

b) Any violence against villagers and on behalf of Dow will be viewed very negatively by the world. Release the arrested villagers, and withdraw the police force, and talk to the villagers to find out what their concerns are.

Background: Construction work at the site had been suspended after local villagers took over the approach roads and stopped all work more than a month ago, triggered by fears about the pollution impact of Dow's facility. The villagers had also questioned Dow's right to go about business as usual while the company's Bhopal liabilities remain unresolved.

The blockade by the villagers was lifted after the District Collector assured them that no construction would take place until a committee set up to evaluate Dow's proposal presented its report. The report has not yet been submitted. But Dow has managed to strong-arm the Government into sending police reinforcements to escort construction material. The site has no construction workers as all of them left as soon as the blockade began.

With Dow breathing down the necks of the State Government, it is highly likely that the State will resort to use of force to enable Dow's construction. The villagers have said they will not move until their men are freed.

17 villagers have been arrested by the Police in Shinde. They have been kept in Chakan Police Station. Women protestors have still gheraod the police at Shinde. Police planning brutal action against the women. Anything can happen in the coming hours. Kindly circulate this message and help as you can in this situation of crisis.


Shashi Sonawane
LOKSHASHAN ANDOLAN