Sunday, May 19, 2013
Let's tackle inequality head on for development after the MDGs
Posted by Madhura at 9:10 AM 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Articles, Inequality, Millenium Development Goals, Poverty
Madhuri one of the prominent members of the Right to Food Campaign arrested
Dear friends,
Madhuri from Jagrit Adivasi Dalit Sanghatan has been arrested today afternoon in a case that was filed against her and others as a result of protests for forcing a pregnant woman i.e. Baniya Bai who was in a critical condition and was in labour to deliver in full public view just outside the Menimata PHC.
The case was filed against Madhuri, Baniya Bai's Husband, Basant and others by the compounder and was registered as FIR No 93 of 2008. Madhuri and others had received a court notice to appear in the Court of Shri D.P. Singh Sewach, JMFC on 16th May. Madhuri appeared and was informed that the police had filed a closure report (khatma) but had not stated clear reasons for the closure and therefore the report was refused. Madhuri was arrested from the court complex. She has been remanded in JC till 30th May 2013 and will be placed in Khargone women's Jail.
This case of baniya Bai is also part of the writ petition filed in the High Court Of MP, Indore Bench in which the status of maternal health services was raised in light of 29 maternal deaths recorded in a span of 9 months in barwani DH.
Details of the case are as follows:
A ST resident of of village Sukhpuri, Barwani. Baniya Bai was taken to the Menimata PHC for delivery by her father-in-law, Dalsingh, on the night of 11 November 2008. They made the 15 km journey on a bullock cart because no other transport was available. After admitting and taking a cursory look at her, the compounder, V.K. Chauhan, and nurse, Nirmala, left the PHC and went home.
The next morning, Baniya was forced by the compounder and the nurse to leave the hospital. Her family was asked for Rs. 100, which they did not have and so Dalsing immediately went to get money from their village. Despite attempts to re-admit Baniya Bai to the PHC, the compounder flatly refused saying that they could not manage the delivery so she would have to go to Barwani DH or Silawad Hospital.
Baniya’s relatives tried to get the Menimata hospital compounder, nurse and staff to call for the Janani Express, but were unsuccessful. The family was told to make its own arrangements to refer to a higher hospital. When forced to leave the PHC Baniya Bai crawled out of the labour room, on to the road outside the PHC, where she lay down in severe pain.
Eventually, Baniya’s mother-in-law, Suvali Bai, went looking for a Dai in the marketplace and found Jambai Nana, who had come to market collect her wages. After hearing about Baniya Bai's situation, Jambai agreed to assist her, and at around 12PM, conducted a normal delivery on the road outside the hospital. The father-in-law gave his dhoti (loin cloth) to provide cover for Baniya Bai during delivery. Following this incident, a crowd gathered outside the health centre.
Madhuri was passing by, inquired about what was happening. She then called up the Silawad CHC, the Silawad Police Station as well as health officials from Barwani. Upon being informed, senior officials from the health department ordered for a vehicle to be sent immediately to the Menimata PHC. After being denied emergency obstetric care and being forced to deliver in public view, Baniya Bai's and her child were taken to the Silawad Hospital for admission. The compounder was suspended after repeated demands for action from JADS, but was soon reinstated.
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Warmly,
Anubha Rastogi
Posted by Madhura at 8:09 AM 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Right to Food Campaign
Protest brewing in Red zone as another project proposed in the tribal land
Posted by Madhura at 8:04 AM 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Gadchiroli, Reports, The Hindu, Tribal Issues
Palestinian refugees are not at your service
“We are not here to talk about her son”
Human rights kit
“Try to remember”
Smoking ban
“You can’t just talk to her”
Not what they came for
The refugee dilemma
Posted by Madhura at 8:02 AM 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: development research, Interview, Palestine-Gaza, refugee
Thursday, May 16, 2013
The story of how blissful ignorance allows Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages to deprive Mehdiganj, Varanasi of its water

- Excessive withdrawal of groundwater leading to its depletion
- Disposal of sludge and wastewater
- Encroachment of land and evasion of stamp duty
- Ignoring labour laws and other harassment of the residents
In 2009, Arajiline block was declared 'critical' in by the Central Groundwater Board. Despite that, in February 2012, HCCBPL applied for a NOC to expand its operations.

(Please download the letter using the links provided below this article)
Several bottled water companies including HCCBPL promote their water conservation efforts. In this case, Coca-Cola claims that it is recharging 120% the quantity of the water that it sucks out of the aquifer. The numbers are arrived at not on the basis of empirically rigorous measurement, but on the basis of generous thumb-rule estimations.

Lok Samiti is gearing up to meet this crisis by sourcing all the information they can, relentlessly keeping on top of any progress in the application, and writing letters to government officials. You can download the letter they are forwarding to various government agencies below. It provides a succint and convincing testament to the importance of not increasing groundwater withdrawals in the area.

Posted by Madhura at 8:46 AM 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Corporate Crimes, Water Crisis, water privatisation
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Anti-Posco stir: angry women protesters strip during clash with police
Posted by Madhura at 8:13 AM 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: POSCO, Protests, Reports, Videos and photos
Friday, April 12, 2013
India's rice revolution
Proliferation of Rural Resources and Nature), which has introduced the SRI method to hundreds of villages in the past three years.
Posted by Madhura at 8:24 AM 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Agribusiness vs Small Farmers, Reports, sustainable organic farming
