Campaigners make global appeal to stop Rampal
National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports has appealed to global environmental organisations with a call for observing January 7 as a global day to protest Rampal coal-fired power plant project to save the world's largest mangrove forest Sundarbans.
In a statement, the committee said, “We believe the observance of a global day would strengthen our unity, uphold our common spirit, and take our struggle to a new level... We believe that the global solidarity would also open up the opportunity to create worldwide awareness for environment and ecology-friendly power generation and sustainable development...”
The Sundarbans, to preserve its outstanding universal value, now demands global public action for its survival. The joint project of Bangladesh and India for the 1,320MW power plant has become a deadly threat for the survival of the forest, says the statement.
“Let us raise our voice together on January 7, 2017 in different parts of the world to save the Sundarbans and to make a step forward to save our Mother Earth from projects of mass destruction,” the committee said in its appeal.
Earlier on November 26, 2016, it made the call for observing the global day from a grand rally at Dhaka's Central Shaheed Minar, which was joined by more than 15,000 people from different parts of the country.
As part of the protest, the national committee appealed to all the citizens in the world to stage demonstrations, form human chains, send written appeals to the missions of Bangladesh and India, and organise cycle, boat processions.
It also urged them for arranging theatre, songs, making cartoons, masks, and appealing to the United Nations to stop the project.
In a release sent to the press, the national committee also said at least 33 organisations from India sent letters of solidarity to them following their call.
In the letter, they said, “We, people's movements and other civil society organisations from India, extend our support and solidarity to the National Committee in their struggle against the Rampal power project and to protect the Sundarbans. Sundarbans is part of the culture and ethos of both Bangladesh and India, supporting the livelihood of millions and protecting them from natural calamities. Any damage to it either side of the borders will result in monumental disaster.
“We commend the sustained non-violent struggle of the National Committee against this disastrous project and extend all support and solidarity to it. We will do all at our disposal to urge the Government of India to withdraw from this project. The solidarity note was signed by organisations including South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People, National Alliance of People's Movements, All India Union of Forest Working People, Indian Social Action Forum -INSAF, Bharat Jan Vigyan Jatha, All India Forum of Forest Movements, Mines, Minerals & People, North East Peoples Alliance, Narmada Bachao Andolan, Greenpeace India, Environment Support Group, Bangalore, Matu Jan Sangathan, Uttrakhand, Environics Trust, New Delhi etc.”
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