Reiterates their Opposition to Water Privatisation
Press Statement
New Delhi: March 18, 2009
Nearly 100 representatives of people’s movements, civil society organizations and concerned individuals from India condemned the arrest, deportation and repression of protestors at the World Water Forum (WWF), on March 16 at Istanbul, Turkey.
In a joint statement released today they said: “We condemn the undemocratic nature of the World Water Forum and urge the World Water Council to respect and support the rights of all people to speak freely and protest peacefully.”
Two activists were arrested, detained and later deported for unfurling a banner reading “No Risky Dams” at the opening ceremony in protest at the World Water Forum’s promotion of destructive dams. They were deported later. Riot police used water cannons and tear gas against 150 peaceful protestors, for protesting outside the conference hall before the inaugural.
The statement said, “We call on the participants of the World Water Forum to embrace democratic, smarter and cleaner solutions and recognise Right to Water as a fundamental right and not to advance the agenda of privatization and commercialisation, with huge social and environmental costs.” They also demanded that the World Water Forum should not be organised by the World Water Council, but by United Nations.
Contacts:
Himanshu Thakkar: [email protected]
Jibin Robin: [email protected]
Joe Athialy: [email protected]
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Original Statement and List of Signatories
March 18, 2009
We, the representatives of people’s movements, civil society organizations and concerned individuals from India, condemn the arrest, deportation and repression of protestors at the World Water Forum (WWF), in progress at Istanbul, Turkey on March 16.
Outside the conference center just before the inaugural function of the World Water Forum riot police used water cannons and tear gas against 150 peaceful protestors who shouted “water for life, not for profit” in opposition to the WWF’s agenda of water privatization and river destruction. Seventeen protestors were arrested.
As the opening ceremony of the WWF began, International Rivers’ South Asia Director Ann-Kathrin Schneider and Climate Campaigner Payal Parekh unfurled a banner reading “No Risky Dams” in protest at the World Water Forum’s promotion of destructive dams. They were arrested and are in jail since then.
The World Water Forum takes place every three years. It is organized by the World Water Council, a private organization whose most influential members are private water companies and some of the world’s biggest dam construction companies, funders and government agencies.
We condemn the undemocratic nature of the World Water Forum and urge the World Water Council to respect and support the rights of all people to speak freely and protest peacefully.
The water and energy policies promoted by the WWF around the globe destroy communities and the environment. The past experience of mega dams in India and elsewhere points towards that. We call on the participants of the World Water Forum to embrace democratic, smarter and cleaner solutions and recognise Right to Water as a fundamental right and not to advance the agenda of privatization and commercialisation, with huge social and environmental costs. The World Water Forum should not be organised by the World Water Council, but by United Nations.
Signed by:
Amit Bhaduri, Professor Emeritus, JNU, New Delhi
Medha Patkar, Narmada Bachao Andolan, Madhya Pradesh
Himanshu Thakkar, SANDRP, New Delhi
Shripad Dharamadhikari, MANTHAN, Madhya Pradesh
Madhuresh Kumar, CACIM, New Delhi
Anil Varghese, New Delhi
Nimmi, Greenpeace, Bangalore
Satabdi Das, Association for India’s Development, Bangalore Chapter
Pritpal Randhawa, Insitiute of Development Studies, University of Sussex , United Kingdom
Souparna Lahiri, NFFPFW, India
Anthony Tago, Arunachal Citizens Rights, India
Tone Mickrow, All Idu Mishmi Students Union, India
Testen Lepcha, Affected Citizens of Teesta, Sikkim
Ankur ‘Toby’ Ganguly, Greenpeace, India
Ashish Fernandes, Greenpeace, India
Leo Saldanah, Environment Support Group, India
Bhargavi S Rao, Environment Support Group, India
Mallesh KR, Environment Support Group, India
Joe Athialy, Delhi Solidarity Group, New Delhi
Seejal Dand, ANANDI, Ahmedabad
Neeta Hardikar, ANANDI, Dahod
Hiren Gandhi, DARSHAN, Ahmedabad
Darshan, INSAF, Ahmedabad
Saroop Dhruv, DARSHAN, Ahmedabad
Vimal Bhai, Matu Jan Sangathan, New Delhi
Ghanshyam Shah, Ahmedabad
Mukta Srivastava, NAPM, Mumbai
Simpreet Singh, Ghar Bachao Ghar Banao Andolan, Mumbai
Rajendera Ravi, IDS, New Delhi
Bhupendera Singh Rawat, Jan Sangharsh Vahini, New Delhi
Ashok Chaudhari, NFFPFW, Saharanpur
Roma, Uttar Pradesh
Munnilal, NFFPFW, Dehradun
Harekrishna Debnath, National Fishworker’s Forum, Kolkata
Puneet Minj, JMACC, Ranchi
Prem Piram, JAGAR UTTRAKHAND, Uttrakhand
Manju Gardia, Programme for Social Action, Raipur
Mamta Kujur, Adivasi Mahila Mahasabha, Chattisgarh
Tapan Kumar Padhi, National Institute for Development, Bhubneshwar, Orissa
Darshini Mahadevia, India
Jai Sen, CACIM, New Delhi
Maju Varghese, Shehr Vikas Manch, Mumbai
K.T. Suresh, YUVA, Mumbai
TSS Mani, PUCL, Tamil Nadu
Aryakrishnan, Bookport, Ernakulam, Kerala
Amarjeet Kaur, AITUC, New Delhi
Rakesh Sharma, Filmmaker,
Dunnu Roy, Hazards Centre, New Delhi
Dr. David. L. Gosling, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
Shalini Sharma, International Campaign for Justice in Bhopal, New Delhi
Shaktiman Ghosh, National Hawkers Federation, Kolkata
Sudipto Moitra, Hawkers Sangram Committee, Kolkata
Sanjoy Ganguly, Jana Sanskrit Centre for Theatre of the Oppressed, Kolkata
Dr. Virendra Vidhrohi, Matsya Mewat shiksha Evam Vikas Sansthan, Alwar, Rajasthan
Noor Mohammad, Matsya Mewat shiksha Evam Vikas Sansthan, Alwar, Rajasthan
Bhoga Nanjuda, CIEDS Collective & Karnataka Social Forum, Karnataka
Prasad Chacko, Initiative on Human Rights and Policy Analysis, Ahmedabad, Gujarat
Naveen Chander, Progressive Students Union, New Delhi
Kalpana Mehta, Saheli Womens Resource Centre, New Delhi
Maitree Das Gupta, Greenpeace, Bangalore
Subhash Gatade, New Social Initiative, New Delhi
Jaya Mehta, Sandarbha Kendra, Indore
Vineet Tiwari, Progressive Writer’s Association, Indore
Gautam Navlakha, People’s Union for Democratic Rights, New Delhi
Shivani Chaudhary, Housing and Land Rights Network, New Delhi
Bipin Kumar, The Other Media, New Delhi
Benny Kuruvilla, Focus on Global South, New Delhi
Vasundhara Jairath, Inter Cultural Resources, New Delhi
Rohit Prajapati, People’s Union for Civil Liberties, Gujarat
Trupti Shah, People’s Union for Civil Liberties, Gujarat
Jose MJ, INSAF, Kerala Unit, Kerala
Ram Puniani, Ekta , Mumbai
Mangai, Chennai
Utkarsh Sinha, Centre For studies of contemporary studies and research, Lucknow
Kriti Team, New Delhi
Selva Ganpathy, Indian Institute of Delhi, New Delhi
Molana Hanif, Matsya Mewat shiksha Evam Vikas Sansthan, Alwar, Rajasthan
Arun Raj, Association for India’s Development, New Delhi
Darshan Mehra, Association for India’s Development, New Delhi
Meena Menon, Focus on Global South, Mumbai
Datta Ishwalker, Girni Kamgar Sangatha, Mumbai
Jatin Desai, Peace Mumbai , Mumbai
Shakeel Ahmed, Nirbhaya Bano Andolan, Mumbai
Neetu Routela, New Delhi
Vijayan MJ, Delhi Forum, New Delhi
Jibin Robin, Delhi Solidarity Group, New Delhi
Satinath Sarangi, International Campaign for Justice in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh
Nityanand Jayaraman, Vettiver Collective, Chennai
Sandeep Ekka, Delhi Solidarity Group, New Delhi
Sanat Acharya, Freedom Forum, Kathmandu, Nepal
Himanshu Upadhyay, Researcher, New Delhi
Munshi Khan, Matsya Mewat shiksha Evam Vikas Sansthan, Alwar, Rajasthan
Gabriela Dietrich, Pennurumai Iyyakum, Tamil Nadu
Adivasi Gothra Mahasabha, Kerala
Bargi Dam Visthapit Samiti, Madhya Pradesh
SEWA, Kerala
Sarsathali Project Affected People’s Association, SPAPA, West Bengal
Janak, Mumbai Pani, Mumbai
