Fishworkers Block Orissa Assembly on July 2nd

From:
             "World Forum of Fish-harvesters and Fishworkers [WFF]"
<nff@md2.vsnl.net.in> (by way of Yadfon Association/Jim Enright
<yadfon@loxinfo.co.th>)

1-07-99

PRESS RELEASE

The fisherpeople in and around Chilika Lake of Orissa are blocking the
Orissa assembly in Bhubaneswar on 2nd July in protest against the
Government
stand supporting shrimp farms of the rich supported by goondas.  In fact

all
the political parties are supporting the shrimp farms of the rich and
MNC's.
These political parties have no consideration for the poor fisherpeople.

They have no respect for supreme court verdict of demolishing all the
shrimp
farms in India.  All the political parties supported the AQUACULTURE
AUTHORITY BILL to bypass the supreme court Judgement.

The National Fishworkers Forum (NFF)  and the World Forum of Fish
Harvesters
and Fishworkers(WFF) fully support the struggles of fisherpeople in
Orissa
against the shrimp farms.  We support the Assembly blockade of 2nd July
in
Bhubaneshwar.  We request all the fisherpeople in India to come out in
support of this struggle to survive.

Even after the killing of five fishermen the Government of Orissa is
going
on with a game.  On the one hand they say they are going ahead with the
demolition of the shrimp farms and on the otherhand they are playing a
game
in the Orissa High Court.  They are getting Sidhartha Shankar Roy to get

the
stay.  We must teach a lesson to the party of Sidhartha Shankar Roy in
the
coming election.  They want to come to power by hook or crook, but we
must
not allow this to happen.  We must teach a good lesson to all those
parties
who support shrimp farms and aquaculture  authority bill to bypass
Supreme
Court Judgement.

We request all people of good will to support this just struggle of poor

fisherpeople for their survival.  Chilika lake belong to us, only we
fisherpeople can protect the lake and the resource.  The lake is ours,
we
will not allow goondas the rich and the MNC's to take our life.  It is
the
struggle for THE RIGHT TO LIFE.  Harekrishna Debnath, Chairperson of the

National fishworkers forum will be present at the assembly blockade.

Please send your response immediately to the Chief Minister of Orissa,
Bhubaneshwar.
Fax : +91 674 401 007

THOMAS KOCHERRY
****************************************************************************

*****
Thomas Xavier Kocherry
Co-ordinator,  World Forum of Fish-harvesters and Fishworkers  [WFF]
Co-ordinator, National Alliance of Peoples Movements (India), [NAPM]
Velankanny, Junction, Valiathura,  Thiruvananthapuram 695 008,  INDIA
Phone & Fax: +91 - 471 - 50 1376;
E-mail: nff@md2.vsnl.net.in   Website:
http://www.south-asian-initiative.org/wff