Vaishali villagers hold Mahadharana against white asbestos plant

Vaishali/Patna June 15, 2012:
Villagers of Vaishali’s Chaksultan Rampur Rajdhari near Panapur in Kanhauli Dhanraj Panchayat of Goraul block held a Mahadharana (Massive sit-in demonstration) against the proposed white asbestos plant of Utkal Asbestos Limited (UAL) company in their village on June 14.
Villagers have been protesting against this lung cancer causing hazardous plant under the banner of Khet Bachao Jeevan Bachao Jan Sangharsh Committee (KBJBJC) for the last 2 years. Local officials like BDO and SDO informed the villagers at Mahadharna about Jitendra Srivastva, new DM’s assurance that the administration will examine the concerns of the villagers and would do the needful.
In a dubious move, the UAL staffers burnt their own premises in broad day light and accused the peaceful villagers who were protesting at factory gate about which prior information was given to the Police and the administration. This appears to be done to trap villagers into concocted cases as part of company’s design to malign the movement of the KBJBJC. There was police presence at the site of Mahadhrana.
Addressing thousands of people, including large number of women gathered there Lalit Kumar Ghosh, Patron of KBJBJC and Secretary, SUCI (C), Vaishali District Committee warned the government and officials that if govt. does not stop the construction of destructive factory, the students, youths and women would be compelled to go for law violation movement and the government would be solely responsible for any kind of untoward incident. The speakers referred to the resolutions of ILO and WHO which calls for the elimination of asbestos. They also referred to former Union Health Minister, Sushma Swaraj’s statement in the Parliament that exposure to asbestos fibers cause mesothelioma, asbestosis and lung cancer on August 18, 2003. They said that white asbestos was banned in 55 countries. These were incurable diseases yet Bihar Govt. is promoting it. Those who spoke on the occasion were amongst others Ajit Kumar Singh, Convener, KBJBJC, Indra Deo Ray, State Committee Member, SUCI (C), Baliram Sharma and Naushad Alam. The Mahadharna was presided over by Govind Ram.
Meanwhile the left parties SUCI (C) , CPI, CPI (M), CPI(ML) liberation and Forward Block supported the ongoing movement of the villagers against setting up of asbestos factory in the vicinity of densely populated areas on fertile agricultural lands. In a joint press statement issued to day Arun Kumar Singh, Senior Member, Bihar State Committee, SUCI (C), Rajendra Prasad Singh, Secretary, CPI, Bihar State Council, Arun Kumar Mishra, Secretariat Member, Bihar State Committee, CPIM, Dhirendra Jha, Member, Central Committee, CPI (ML) Liberation and Wakil Thakil, Senior Member, Bihar State Committee, Forward Block demanded the state government to immediate ban the construction of hazardous asbestos factory, arrest and lodge cases against the management who set fire the own premises, withdraw concocted cases framed on the demonstrations. Expressing the solidarity to the struggle being fought under the leadership of KBJBJSC and supporting their demands Jana Abhiyan, a platform of 10 left and democratic parties/groups working in Bihar issued a separate press statement.