For immediate release
28/11/06
The trial court acquitted today Lok Samiti Varanasi coordinator and NAPM UP state coordinator Nandlal Master and farmers Rajesh Kumar, Shivlal, Lakshman Rathod who were charged with destroyal of property at the local Coca-Cola plant and instigating violence against the police. On November 24th, 2004, 2000 people geared infront of the local Coca-cola plant in Mehndiganj, Varanasi to protest against the plant's exploitation of water and pollution of their local resources. The protestors demanded that the state cancel the license of the local Coca-Cola plant because the plant's over-exploitation of water is causing water to deplete in the region and the pollution of the plant's sludges and effluents have damaged crops and affected health of the farmers. The activists also demand that the Coca-Cola return the common land that it has encroached from Mehndiganj's panchayat as per the court order and pay the stamp duty that it has evaded.
On the day of the protest, the local pollice officials and the plant security guard charged indiscriminately on the crowd, injuring hundreds of people including women and arrests 176 people. Several of the activists and community people were kept in prison for more than 15 days. This violation of human rights is currently under investigation by National Human Rights commission. To cover their tracks, the police charged Nandlal Master and the three farmers with 15 charges which included that they set fire on the plant, they destroyed properties with in the plant and beat up police officials in the protest.
On hearing from the security guard, police officials and the locals, judge Gupta said that the plaintiff had not produced even single evidence and threw the case out of the court. This is a victory for the non-violent movement which has used Gandhian non-violent resistance as its strategy in its fight against Coca-Cola. Solidarity also came from global movement in the form of petitions and signature campaigns which has been a boost to the movement in its fight against the machineries of Coca-Cola and the state in repressing community's rights over its natural resources.
Nandlal Master
Lok Samiti Varanasi
28/11/06
The trial court acquitted today Lok Samiti Varanasi coordinator and NAPM UP state coordinator Nandlal Master and farmers Rajesh Kumar, Shivlal, Lakshman Rathod who were charged with destroyal of property at the local Coca-Cola plant and instigating violence against the police. On November 24th, 2004, 2000 people geared infront of the local Coca-cola plant in Mehndiganj, Varanasi to protest against the plant's exploitation of water and pollution of their local resources. The protestors demanded that the state cancel the license of the local Coca-Cola plant because the plant's over-exploitation of water is causing water to deplete in the region and the pollution of the plant's sludges and effluents have damaged crops and affected health of the farmers. The activists also demand that the Coca-Cola return the common land that it has encroached from Mehndiganj's panchayat as per the court order and pay the stamp duty that it has evaded.
On the day of the protest, the local pollice officials and the plant security guard charged indiscriminately on the crowd, injuring hundreds of people including women and arrests 176 people. Several of the activists and community people were kept in prison for more than 15 days. This violation of human rights is currently under investigation by National Human Rights commission. To cover their tracks, the police charged Nandlal Master and the three farmers with 15 charges which included that they set fire on the plant, they destroyed properties with in the plant and beat up police officials in the protest.
On hearing from the security guard, police officials and the locals, judge Gupta said that the plaintiff had not produced even single evidence and threw the case out of the court. This is a victory for the non-violent movement which has used Gandhian non-violent resistance as its strategy in its fight against Coca-Cola. Solidarity also came from global movement in the form of petitions and signature campaigns which has been a boost to the movement in its fight against the machineries of Coca-Cola and the state in repressing community's rights over its natural resources.
Nandlal Master
Lok Samiti Varanasi
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