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May 3, 2010 Email Print

Independent Fact Finding Team to Kalinga Nagar, Orissa

Terms of reference:

1. Inquire about the situation in the ground as of now, including details of the land acquisition for different projects – using questionnaire and discussions with local people from various walks
2. Inquire into the past and ongoing repression by the state, private militia or Tata Steel – relating to land acquisition and opposition by people
3. Circumstances leading up to the 30th March firing and situation thereafter, with details of the reported deaths in the areas impacted by cordon and blockade
4. Assess status of basic development in the areas – health care, education
5. Make an assessment of the restrictions imposed on freedom of movement, association and assembly in the area by the administration
6. Meet and hear government representatives – including local and regional elected representatives, district and state administration and anyone else, as deemed necessary

The team will bring out:

* An interim Report
* A Final Report (within fifteen days of visit)
* A visual documentation based report

The FF Team will make public their findings through media (press conference) and send copy of their final report with recommendations to constitutional authorities and submit to people of the country.

Dates of visit: 4-7th May 2010

Team constitutes of:

Dr. KS Subramanian IPS
Prof. AK Ramakrishnan
Ms. Nandini K Oza
Mr. Harsh Kapoor
Mr. Madhuresh Kumar

The team will be assisted in notes taking, translations and other secretarial by Ms. Shazia Nigar, University of Delhi. Mr. Harsh Kapoor will do the visual (video and pictures) documentation and report preparation for the team.

New Delhi, India
4th May 2010

Brief about Team members:

Dr. K. S. Subramanian was member of the Indian Police Service (IPS) from 1963 to 1997. Director of the Research and Policy Division of the Ministry of Home Affairs. Visiting Professor, Jamia Millia University, New Delhi. Author of several books and member of several Tribunals, both governmental and People’s Tribunals. A political scientist who retired from professional police career as Director General, State Institute of Public Administration & Rural Development, Government of Tripura, Dr. Subramanian represents a voice of sanity, peace, justice and human rights in the difficult times we live.

Prof. A. K. Ramakrishnan teaches at the Centre for West Asian Studies in the School of International Studies at the JNU, New Delhi India. He was the Director of the School of International Relations of the Mahatma Gandhi University earlier. Author and a political commentator, his articles and reviews have been published in several international and Indian journals such as International Studies, Scandinavian Journal of Development Alternatives, Millennium: Journal of International Studies, Contemporary South Asia, and Palestine Times.

Ms. Nandini K Oza is a writer and author, based presently out of Pune. Nandini’s career took a turn when she joined Narmada Bachao Andolan in the early 1990s. She was an activist with the movement till 2001. Subsequently she was teaching at Government College, Badwani, MP. A practitioner cum social scientist, who is currently involved in the work of her second book, Nandini is associated with important initiatives like The Zindabad Trust and Manthan Kendra.

Mr. Harsh Kapoor is a socio-political activist, who has spent the maximum part of his life engaging with peace, dignity, justice and human rights issues. In the last three decades of his active engagement with political and people’s issues of especially in South Asia, he has documented, authored and compiled several publications, reports and others. Initiator of South Asia Citizens’ Web (SACW), Harsh played a significant role in the introduction and use of technology in activism in India. His association ranges from democratic rights groups like PUDR, to South Asia Alliances, Trade unions, etc and anti-nuclear global networks. Harsh is back in India after being away for some years in France where he also taught for a while.

Mr. Madhuresh Kumar, national organisational coordinator of National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM) is a scholar-activist who has been engaged in wide range of activities and activism, from movement politics to research work. An action researcher, author and critic of the ‘development’ paradigm, Madhuresh has several scholastic works to his credit. Madhuresh has also been associated with MCRG, CACIM, Update Collective and Delhi Solidarity Group. Madhuresh is an Editorial Board member of ‘Movement of India’, published from Bangalore.

[The team is being jointly organised by concerned individuals, citizens' groups and people's organisations. While most of the travel costs are being borne by members themselves, several groups are contributing to local travel, food, accommodation, other coordinates, etc.]