NATIONAL ALLIANCE OF PEOPLE'S MOVEMENTS

A Wing First Floor, Haji Habi Building, Naigaon Cross Road

Dadar (E), Mumbai-400 014 Ph. No-2415 0529 E-mail: napmindia@gmail.com
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Date: 4-12-2008

To,
Shri Shibu Soren
Chief Minister of Jharkhand

Dear Shri Shibu Sorenji,

We welcome with optimism your taking over the governance of Jharkhand and even today have great hope
from you as a leader who has emerged from people's movements as also the struggle for Jharkhand as a state
of and for adivasis. The adivasis in this state and elsewhere, as you know, have been and are struggling
against the plunderers of natural resources and asserting their right to community control and ownership over
their resources, be it land, water, fish, forests or minerals. In this context, you would note that the adivasis in
Dumka region are resisting the encroachment upon their lands and destruction of livelihoods from the giant
mining corporates.

We expected you to support the struggle and put the might of the entire state behind them, since they are
fighting the huge corporate giant in the most non-violent and peaceful manner, organized as the Jharkhand
Ulgulan Manch (JUM) and Jharkhand Hulgulan Mahila Manch (JHMM), the mass movements of the local
adivasis with local leadership.

The unresponsive attitude of the state is indeed very unfortunate when three of the leading activists,
including the Pradhan, Hopna Baski of Amgachi have been arrested for their just and peaceful protest and
hundreds of adivasis are holding demonstrations and fighting for their leaders. In a situation where despite
repeated denial of land for acquisition by the Aamgachi-Pokhriya (Dumka) Gram Sabha, through oral and
written means, false cases are foisted and unlawful arrests made, your intervention and taking a political
position in favour of the adivasis vis-à-vis corporates becomes a must.

We would also like to bring to your notice that though a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has already
been signed, it is still very much possible and necessary to protect the constitutional and human rights and
interests of the adivasis, which will happen if you take a proper decision and follow a democratic process,
seeking the consent of the adivasi communities as a pre condition for any development action, including in
this case.

Before all of us, the movements within and outside Jharkhand, jump into the fray, to support the people in
the battleground, I would like to appeal to you to hold a conclusive and intensive dialogue on the issue of
displacement vis-à-vis development. We hope you will not only respect, but will implement the true letter
and spirit behind tribal self-reliance and self-rule. Expecting a democratic pro-people response from you.

With Regards

Your's sincerely

Medha Patkar and all the undersigned

¾ Anand Mazgaonkar, Paryavaran Suraksha Samithi (Gujarat)

¾ Sandeep Pandey, Asha Parivar-NAPM (Uttar Pradesh)
¾ D. Gabriele, Penn Urimay Iyakkam (Tamil Nadu)
¾ Simpreet Singh, Ghar Bachao Ghar Banao Andolan (Mumbai)
¾ Ulka Mahajan, Sarvahara Jan Andolan (Maharashtra)
¾ Prafulla Samantaray, Lok Shakti Abhiyan (Orissa)
¾ P. Chennaiah, A.P. Agricultural Workers Union (Andhra Pradesh)
¾ Shaktiman Ghosh, National Hawkers Federation (West Bengal)
¾ Sister Celia, Domestic Workers Federation (Karnataka)
¾ Sanjay Mangalagopal, Samajvadi Jan Parishad (Maharashtra)
¾ Jitendra, Niyamgiri Surakhsa Yuva Sangharsh Vahini (Orissa)