05-24-2006, 02:39 AM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Intelligence agencies probing NBA
Navin Upadhyay | New Delhi
The Daily Pioneer
http://www.dailypioneer.com
2005/05/23
posted in full since site does not archive
After losing the legal battle to prevent the construction of the Sardar Sarovar project on the Narmada, the Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) is in for some more setbacks.
Well-placed sources told the Pioneer that the Prime Minister's Office has directed Central intelligence agencies to look into allegations of foreign funding and violent activities of the Medha Patkar-led outfit.
The action has been prompted by a spate of media reports highlighting NBA's dubious activities and a detailed complaint filed by the National Council for Civil Liberties (NCCL) to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
The NCCL has been in the forefront of countering NBA's anti-dam propaganda and highlighting the terror tactics and foreign funding of other anti-dam outfits working in tandem with the NBA.
Central intelligence agency officers from Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat recently met with NCCL president VK Saxena in Ahmedabad in connection with his letter to the Prime Minister against the NBA.
Saxena confirmed to the Pioneer that intelligence officers wanted to know about the charges against the NBA of indulging in anti-national activities.
"I have been twice approached by the intelligence officers, who wanted to know about the source of funding of the NBA and its terror tactics," Saxena said.
The NCCL president provided vital information to the intelligence officers about the terror tactics of the NBA in preventing the dam 'oustees' from accepting the rehabilitation package and also provided details of bank accounts and funds received by the anti-dam outfits working in close coordination with the NBA.
The intelligence officers were also looking into allegations of diversion of such funds to ultra Left outfits in Bastar, Saxena said.
The intelligence officers are also in touch with the Madhya Pradesh police who have been investigating the activities of the NBA and its supporting outfits. In its report, the Devas police claimed that some anti-dam outfits were also imparting firearms training to villagers to oppose construction of SSP. The intelligence is also looking into the allegation, sources said.
In addition, the intelligence is also looking into a report of the National Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Commission which criticised the activities of the anti-dam NGOs and said they were inciting the tribals to violently oppose the construction of SSP. The commission had also raised fear that the tribals were becoming 'sacrificial lambs' for the NGOs who were manipulating them to pursue their own agenda.
The intelligence is also looking into the nature of violent incidents by the anti-dam outfits to understand whether they were spontaneous protests or part of a larger conspiracy to prevention to the construction of SSP under the pretext of inadequacy of rehabilitation.
However, the intelligence agencies are specially focussing on the charges levelled by the NCCL against the NBA. In its letter dated April 23 to Manmohan Singh, the NCCL has alleged that "NBA is not only involved in violent activities but is also involved in gross human rights violation in Narmada Valley".
More than 200 FIRs have been filed against NBA activists in Madhya Pradesh in the last 10 years out of which 52 FIRs were filed by Government officials.
The NCCL has also alleged that NBA was hampering rehabilitation work by beating up Government officials and preventing their entry into villages.
In its letter, the NCCL also informed the Prime Minister that the NBA is receiving funds through hawala channels. "Patkar claimed that her Andolan is run by the financial support given by the local people of Narmada Valley. We proved that NBA is collecting funds through hawala channel," the letter said.
The intelligence inquiry into NBA role is not the first time that the anti-dam NGO's role has come under scanner. In December 2001, the Gujarat High Court had asked the Centre to consider imposing a ban on the NBA for indulging in "anti-national activities".<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Navin Upadhyay | New Delhi
The Daily Pioneer
http://www.dailypioneer.com
2005/05/23
posted in full since site does not archive
After losing the legal battle to prevent the construction of the Sardar Sarovar project on the Narmada, the Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) is in for some more setbacks.
Well-placed sources told the Pioneer that the Prime Minister's Office has directed Central intelligence agencies to look into allegations of foreign funding and violent activities of the Medha Patkar-led outfit.
The action has been prompted by a spate of media reports highlighting NBA's dubious activities and a detailed complaint filed by the National Council for Civil Liberties (NCCL) to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
The NCCL has been in the forefront of countering NBA's anti-dam propaganda and highlighting the terror tactics and foreign funding of other anti-dam outfits working in tandem with the NBA.
Central intelligence agency officers from Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat recently met with NCCL president VK Saxena in Ahmedabad in connection with his letter to the Prime Minister against the NBA.
Saxena confirmed to the Pioneer that intelligence officers wanted to know about the charges against the NBA of indulging in anti-national activities.
"I have been twice approached by the intelligence officers, who wanted to know about the source of funding of the NBA and its terror tactics," Saxena said.
The NCCL president provided vital information to the intelligence officers about the terror tactics of the NBA in preventing the dam 'oustees' from accepting the rehabilitation package and also provided details of bank accounts and funds received by the anti-dam outfits working in close coordination with the NBA.
The intelligence officers were also looking into allegations of diversion of such funds to ultra Left outfits in Bastar, Saxena said.
The intelligence officers are also in touch with the Madhya Pradesh police who have been investigating the activities of the NBA and its supporting outfits. In its report, the Devas police claimed that some anti-dam outfits were also imparting firearms training to villagers to oppose construction of SSP. The intelligence is also looking into the allegation, sources said.
In addition, the intelligence is also looking into a report of the National Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Commission which criticised the activities of the anti-dam NGOs and said they were inciting the tribals to violently oppose the construction of SSP. The commission had also raised fear that the tribals were becoming 'sacrificial lambs' for the NGOs who were manipulating them to pursue their own agenda.
The intelligence is also looking into the nature of violent incidents by the anti-dam outfits to understand whether they were spontaneous protests or part of a larger conspiracy to prevention to the construction of SSP under the pretext of inadequacy of rehabilitation.
However, the intelligence agencies are specially focussing on the charges levelled by the NCCL against the NBA. In its letter dated April 23 to Manmohan Singh, the NCCL has alleged that "NBA is not only involved in violent activities but is also involved in gross human rights violation in Narmada Valley".
More than 200 FIRs have been filed against NBA activists in Madhya Pradesh in the last 10 years out of which 52 FIRs were filed by Government officials.
The NCCL has also alleged that NBA was hampering rehabilitation work by beating up Government officials and preventing their entry into villages.
In its letter, the NCCL also informed the Prime Minister that the NBA is receiving funds through hawala channels. "Patkar claimed that her Andolan is run by the financial support given by the local people of Narmada Valley. We proved that NBA is collecting funds through hawala channel," the letter said.
The intelligence inquiry into NBA role is not the first time that the anti-dam NGO's role has come under scanner. In December 2001, the Gujarat High Court had asked the Centre to consider imposing a ban on the NBA for indulging in "anti-national activities".<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->