• 24 Aug 2012
• Hindustan Times (Kolkata)
• Snigdhendu Bhattacharya Snigdhendu.Bhattacharya@hindustantimes.com

Green blow to Nayachar project

ENVIRONMENT R8,600 crore thermal power plant shelved over concerns of its impact on the fragile island ecology

KOLKATA: An expert panel of the Union ministry of environment and forest (MoEF) posed a threat to the proposed thermal power station at Nayachar, Hooghly, by raising a number of concerns over the project’s possible impact on the environment of the island.
The unique and fragile ecology of the island may be impacted by the proposed power plant. In a development that appears to be linked, a fishery development project has been started by the state, on the island. The department stopped all activity in Nayachar ever since 2007.
Sources say that at a meeting during March 5-6 the expert appraisal committee on the environmental impact assessment of thermal power and coalmine projects noted that mangrove forests were in close vicinity of the project site, which had a unique and fragile ecology.
The minutes of the meeting reveals that, “The committee observed that the site does not appear to be suitable for setting up a thermal power plant in the ecologically fragile area, and decided a site visit needed to be undertaken to assess the environmental sensitivity vis-à-vis setting up a thermal power plant on the island.”
Clearance for the project was then deferred for reconsideration at a later date. A fourmember expert team visited the spot in May and submitted their report with the ministry in June.
“We have submitted our report with the ministry, and a copy of it has also been given to the project proponent to respond to the issue we raised. It is up to the proponent to satisfy the committee and get clearance,” said eminent environmentalist CR Babu, who headed the sub-committee on Nayachar.

“The MoEF has raised certain queries on the development of the proposed power plant and industries on the Nayachar Island. We are replying to these based on various studies that have already been carried by various experts, institutes and world-renowned consultants,” said Yatharth Goel, spokesperson of Universal Crescent Power Pvt Ltd (UCPPL).
NRI businessman Prasoon Mukherjee’s UCPPL proposed setting up a 2x660MW Sagar supercritical imported coal based thermal power plant at Nayachar, for which 700 acres of land were required. The coal needed would have been imported from Indonesia and Australia, while the ash produced was to be transported to Bangladesh. The estimated cost of the project was R8,600 crore.
“The committee observed that there were mangroves in the vicinity in the area, but information of the same was not available with the proponent,” read the minutes of the March meeting.
“The island where the power project is being proposed appears to have a unique and fragile ecology with no habitation and [the committee] felt that these important issues were inadvertently missed out while prescribing the terms of reference,” the committee wrote.
While state commerce and industries minister Partha Chatterjee could not be contacted, fisheries minister Subrata Saha said that the state government was working on a comprehensive fisheries development project at Nayachar.
“The project will include production, preservation and marketing, though it is yet to take a final shape,” Saha said.

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"We're not like the Americans" --- An interview with Shashi Tharoor

"We're not like the Americans" --- An interview with Shashi Tharoor 

HARD TALK: Shashi Tharoor wears many hats. This time he speaks about his new book, and more

A 29-year-long career in the United nations; a brief spell as minister of state for external affairs before quitting following a controversy; writer of a slew of award-winning books; Shashitharoor has seen a lot, including wars and peacemaking. following the launch of‘ pax indica’ in kolkata, Tharoor speaks to snigdhendu Bhattacharya about “delicate diplomatic dancing”.

SHUBHANKAR CHAKRABORTYDinesh Trivedi, Shashi Tharoor and governor MK Narayanan at the book launch.

You said that many in the Pakistan army are into business and India should introduce trade ties with them!

Trade helps people develop a stake. If Pakistan were trading with us, the people who were in the trade would ensure there are no incidents that can result in a fall in trade. It’s also a way to push peace.

In the context of India’s initiatives in establishing relations with the military junta government in Myanmar, after the discovery of natural gas resources there, you wrote “the price of pursuing a moral foreign policy was becoming too high.” But is there any room for morality in any foreign policy?

Well, it’s a very good point but we are not really like the Americans who overtly stake a claim on others’ foreign policies. We have been little more realistic. Having said that, some of the values of our civilisation are compromised in foreign dealings. Myanmar, for instance. Initially, our approach was entirely based on moral values and we supported the democratic struggle. It changed after we realised that others were gaining from their resources.

Internal needs of a country determine its foreign policy. From that perspective, how strongly would you oppose the view that our pro-US policy would make India bear all the brunt and bloodshed while the US implements its own policies in South Asia?

We are not seen by anyone, including the US, as some sort of a permanent ally. We are in a partnership with the US but we’ve historically been very independent. We have a good security relationship with Israel but we have been actually quite critical of them for occupying territories like Gaza. We are always seen as having an independent foreign policy. If asked whether you are with us or against us, our answer is: “both”. We are with you when we agree, we are not when we disagree.

Is it not America’s internal crisis that is pulling them towards the Indian market?

No. Americans have a number of motives for looking to India. Market is just one. The second is some people in Washington want to see India as an answer to Chinese hegemony. The third is the increasing importance of American citizens with Indian backgrounds, who have become disproportionately influential in fundraising and political affairs. The American political class is becoming more and more sensitive to Indian issues because of the Indian voters there.

How would India tackle with China with regard to Tibet?

It needs some delicate diplomatic dancing! There is no dispute over China’s sovereignty over Tibet and India agrees to it. Nonetheless, we have given asylum to Tibetans, including the Dalai Lama. We need to ensure we are aware of our values and principles in preserving the rights of the Tibetan refugees in our country. At the same time, we need to make sure that we don’t unnecessarily antagonise the Chinese by showing sympathy towards anti-China movements. We need to strike this balance very, very carefully.

You have seen the problem of displacement very closely while working with the UN. Now there is a fresh spectre of displacement of tribals in India, essentially due to development projects. There has also been bloodshed. What’s your take on this?

Bloodshed, obviously, has to be tackled through effective law and order measures. Our problem is that we have to accommodate a very diverse group of people and at the same time we need development. Our traditional way of life is being affected by these development projects. We have to ensure that these people have jobs, education, healthcare and opportunities for the future. Without development, there can’t be any real solution. But as long as there is violence, investors won’t come.

You said you almost had to work under threat from your wife, Sunanda Pushkar, for finishing Pax Indica?

Oh yes! She said she wanted the book done by her birthday! So I had to rush. I would start at night and write till 3 in the morning and sometimes wake up early in the morning to write again. That drive and discipline were necessary to finish such a book.

Maoists take on Mamata for tying up with the Cong

Maoists take on Mamata for tying up with the Cong

Snigdhendu Bhattacharya

Kolkata, March 29—When the CPI(M) has launched state-wide campaign against the Trinamool Congress alleging that it has liaison with the Maoists, the red militants meanwhile have criticised the firebrand Opposition leader of Bengal, once again, this time for tying up with the Congress for the upcoming general elections.

In a recent video release by the underground militant party, Kishanji, the second man in the CPI(Maoist ) politburo and one of ‘most wanted’ persons the Indian state is searching for, criticised Mamata Banerjee for having no credibility and consistency at all.

“The other day Mamata Banerjee was accusing the Congress of being the B-team of CPI(M) and now she the made them into the B-team of Trinamool Congress. This is the politics of the vote m mongers,” Kishanji said in that video release from some undisclosed location, keeping his face opposite to the camera.

This is, however, not the first time when the red militants have come to openly criticise Mamata Banerjee after they worked together in Nandigram to keep the “CPI(M) harmads,” at bay. Earlier, in their party mouthpiece, Biplabi Yug, the Maoists had made remarks such as Mamata Banerjee would be the first person to ban the Maoists once she is in the power and dared her to make adverse comments against the Maoists again and then hold rallied at Nandigram.

Sources in both the parties say that it was during the last phase of the battle of Nandigram when differences between the two parties surfaces again and they started criticising each other. It all started when the local Trinamool had opposed to a programme that Matangini Mohila Samiti, a Maoism-influenced women’s body that played an important role in mobilising women to protect their land, had planned to hold independently.

With the rift widened, the Trinamool supremo, from a party gathering at Nandigram, alleged that the CPI(M) had helped the Maoists flee from Nandigram and demanded that the state government bans the Maoists, the Maoists in reply asked Mamata Banerjee to stop making loser comments.

In the recent video release( a copy of which is in possession of HT), Kishanji along with party Orissa chief Sabyasachi Panda, said that their main enemy in state of Bengal is ‘social fascist’ CPI(M), they also stressed that the Trinamool Congress is no alternative to them. They reaffirmed that they were behind the resistance struggle at Nandigram and would stand by struggling people everywhere like they are doing at Lalgarh at present.

These comments comes at a time when the CPI(M) is regularly accusing the Trinamool Congress for joining hands with the Maoists. “Those who are Trinamool cadres in day hours, turn Maoist workers when the sun sets,” CPI(M) state committee member and west Midnapore district secretary Deepak Sarkar commented. They had also given a clarion call to protect the ideas of Maoism from the Maoists. The Trinamool, on the other hand, has also launched a campaign against the CPI(M) “for giving birth to the Maoists.”

Now, with that video release from some undisclosed location, the militants has again made it clear that they are not seeing much difference between the CPI(M) and the Trinamool Congress.

‘We support Islamic terrorism’

‘We support Islamic terrorism’
Snigdhendu Bhattacharya, Hindustan Times
Email Author
June 09, 2009
First Published: 23:54 IST(9/6/2009)
Last Updated: 23:56 IST(9/6/2009)


He is West Bengal’s most wanted man and one of India’s most dreaded outlaws. Koteswar Rao, better known to his cadres as Kishanji, is the deputy leader of the Communist Party of India (Maoist), the underground party of Naxalites.

After much effort, he agreed to meet HT’s Snigdhendu Bhattacharya deep in the jungles of West Bengal’s West Midnapore district.

Short, shabbily dressed, late-50-ish and surprisingly mild and polite, Kishanji spoke animatedly for three hours in highly accented Bengali about his revolutionary dreams, Islamic terror and the state of his “movement”. Excerpts:

What’s the future of the so-called Indian revolution you are spearheading?

We have a considerable mass base in eight or nine states. Moreover, the capitalist economy is going through a crisis all over the world, and sooner or later, India will suffer the same fate as the West. So, the conditions are quite ripe for a revolution.

You had earlier supported Islamic militancy. Do you still do so after the Mumbai attacks?

We do not support the way they attacked the Victoria station (Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, or CST), where most of the victims were Muslims. At the same time, we feel that the Islamic upsurge should not be opposed as it is basically anti-US and anti-imperialist in nature. We, therefore, want it to grow.

Please tell us about the attack on West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee (in November 2008).

I personally ordered the attack on the chief minister. We had to lay one kilometer of cables through the fields. However, during inspection, we found that mice had chewed it up at several places. So, we had to repair it.

How is your party faring in states like Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Orissa, West Bengal and Maharastra?

Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Orissa will be the new storm centres in Indian politics. We have our strongest base in Chhattisgarh – particularly in Old Bastar, which stretches across five districts—and it’s totally in our control now. Our militia in the state is more than one-lakh strong.

We have the wherewithal to put up teams of 400-500 fighters, encircle hundreds of police and para-military troops, and wipe out them. We have also taken up development projects. Then, we are gaining strength in the other states you mentioned.

But you have almost no presence in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and many other major states. How then can you achieve your ambition of wresting power in Delhi?

We will have to concentrate on building our base in these states. In UP, especially, we need to concentrate on the Muslim population and the trade union sector. Punjab has very positive conditions (for a Maoist revolution) and also a history of Left movements. So, I’m hopeful of expanding our base there.

Your party suffered a major setback in Andhra Pradesh. What are you doing about it?

It’s true that we faced a major setback in Andhra Pradesh (when the police drove the Naxalites out of their former strongholds across the state). But we will definitely recover because most of our leadership is alive and safe in our Dandakaranya camps. Our mass base, built up over 30 years, is still intact. But in a war, there will always be ups and downs.

Maoist leader urges for withdrawl of forces from Lalgarh

Maoist leader urges for withdrawl of forces from Lalgarh

Snigdhendu Bhattacharya , Hindustan Times
Email Author
Kolkata, October 15, 2009
First Published: 20:18 IST(15/10/2009)
Last Updated: 20:21 IST(15/10/2009)

Maoist leader Koteshwar Rao alias Kishanji has telephoned the leaders of Communist Part of India (CPI), Forward Bloc (FB) and Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) urging them to demand withdrawal of combined forces from Lalgarh, the Maoist hotbed in western Bengal.

The 51-year old politburo member of the banned Communist Part of India (Maoist) recently called CPI general secretary Ardhendu Bhushan Bardhan, 83 and RSP leader and Bengal public works department minister Kshiti Goswami seeking their support to withdraw forces from the troubled zone about 200 kms to the west of Kolkata.

“I spoke with him for about two minutes. He argued with me and said we should stand by their demand of withdrawing the combined forces from areas where they have been influential. I directly told him that we do not agree with their politics,” Bardhan told HT on Thursday.

“Killings and talks cannot go on simultaneously,” Goswami told HT after admitting that the Maoist leader had indeed called him. The minister, however, is not in favour of withdrawing the Centre-State joint focres right now.

“He had telephoned me and urged me to raise my voice against the combined force’s operation in Lalgarh. But I told him that I was none to personally comment on such issues,” Goswami said.

The RSP leader in his mid sixties had been vocal in his opposition to the slapping of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act against leaders of the Lalgarh movement in particular and in Bengal in general.

According to Kishanji, he had called these leaders in the past one month.

The Maoist leader also claimed to have spoken to Ashoke Ghosh the 84-year old Bengal state secretary of FB.

Though Ghosh could not be contacted, Kishanji said he called Ghosh as the FB didn’t treat Maoists as “class enemies and has mentioned it in their documents.” “Therefore, why should we have any problem in seeking their support for a peoples’ movement,” asked Kishanji.

“There can be issue-based understandings with any party which stand by people’s cause. We had sent almost one lakh supporters in a rally organised in Bastar in 2006 by the CPI against the Salwa Judum because it was a progressive stand by the CPI,” revealed Kishanji.

The Maoist leader had also called some Jharkhand party leaders of Bengal. But on Trinamool Congress his take was different.

“Though we welcome Mamata Banerjee’s latest statement that she demands immediate withdrawal of the combined forces, we never tried to get in touch with her. Trinamool leaders have been changing their initial pro-people stand since they joined the government in Delhi,” said Kishanji.

Incidentally, Kishanji had said he had telephoned Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee. The 64-year old CPI(M) leader, however, called that claim “a lie”.

Naxalites look to CPM allies for help d: 01:23

Naxalites look to CPM allies for help

Snigdhendu Bhattacharya, Hindustan Times
Email Author
Kolkata, October 16, 2009
First Published: 01:23 IST(16/10/2009)
Last Updated: 01:24 IST(16/10/2009)

Maoists are trying to mobilise support from Left Front allies in West Bengal for the withdrawal of the combined forces from Lalgarh.

Koteshwar Rao alias Kishanji (51), Politburo member of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist), said he had spoken to Front partners Communist Party of India, Forward Bloc and Revolutionary Socialist party of India in the last one month.

In June 18, 2009, a combined Centre-state force launched a massive operation against the Maoists in Lalgarh, about 200 km west of Kolkata.

Earlier, the Maoists claimed to have ‘liberated’ a large swathe of land, including Lalgarh, where the state government’s writ no longer ran.

Kishanji also said he had called Bengal chief minister and Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee.

But although his allies confirmed that they indeed were contacted, Bhattacharjee said Kishanji’s claim was “a lie”.

CPI general secretary Ardhendu Bhushan Bardhan, 83, told Hindustan Times on Thursday: “I spoke to him (Kishanji) for about two minutes. He argued we should stand by the demand for withdrawal of forces. I told him that we do not agree with their politics.”

RSP leader and Public Works Department Minister Kshiti Goswami, who also got a call from Kishanji, said: “Killings and talks cannot go on simultaneously.” Goswami made it clear that he was not in favour of immediate withdrawal of forces.

FB leader Ashoke Ghosh (84) whom Kishanji also claimed to have called, could not be contacted. Kishanji said he called Ghosh as the FB didn’t treat Maoists as “class enemies and has mentioned it in their documents.”

“There can be issue-based understandings with any party which stand by people’s cause,” Kishanji said.

But on Trinamool Congress, his take was different. “We welcome Mamata Banerjee’s latest statement, demanding immediate withdrawal of the combined forces, we never tried to get in touch with her.”

He added: “Trinamool leaders have been changing their initial pro-people stand since they joined the government in Delhi.”

CPI Maoist in no mood to give up armed struggle

CPI Maoist in no mood to give up armed struggle

Snigdhendu Bhattacharya, Hindustan Times
Email Author
Kolkata, October 08, 2009
First Published: 02:19 IST(8/10/2009)
Last Updated: 02:22 IST(8/10/2009)

The CPI Maoist is in no mood to give up their armed struggle.

Even though the Union Home Ministry appealed to the Maoist to give up violence and arms for the sake of peaceful talks in solving an upcoming crisis of a severe battle, the banned communist outfit said in a press statement issued to HT that they are turning down union home minister’s appeal.

Reacting to union home minister P Chidambaram’s call that the Maoist should give up violence to initiate any talk, CPI Maoist Koteswara Rao alias Kishanji told HT, “The proposal of talks is nothing but a high drama prepared and directed by Sonia Gandhi, Manmohan Singh and Pranab Mukherjee. They did it on being advised by the CIA and the FBI.”

The CPI Maoist however said that they are agreed to talks only if three of their basic demands are met – withdrawal of all central and state police from Maoist infested areas, unconditional release of all ‘political prisoners’ and scrapping of all world bank proposed projects.

According to the CPI Maoist politburo member the union government of has already finalized an offensive on the Maoist led ‘peoples movement’ in India. “There will be some losses on our sides but before that people of this revolutionary movement will certainly retaliate,” said Kishanji in a CPI Maoist press statement issued late on Wednesday night.

This statement shows that the banned ultra left unit is in no mood to bring any curb on their violent movements taking place in as many as nine states in the country. While Chidambaram’s statement came following the murder of an intelligence officer in Jharkhand the CPI Maoist said, “The daydream of P Chidambaram to bombard our areas particularly in Chattisgarh will be boomeranged.”

The CPI Maoist also anticipates that the center will definitely give its nod to the Indian Air Force’s plea that the IAF fighters will be given freehand in carrying out air raids in Maoist infested areas, specially Chattisgarh.

All plans of carrying out a total offensive on the ongoing peoples movement, led by the Maoist, in India has been finalized. “It is clear that the US wants to focus on Maoist growth in India and that the US will definitely directly involve in the battle even though the Maoist insurgency is regarded to be an internal problem,” the CPI Maoist press statement said.