| Since the 1970s, hundreds of thousands of people living on the Gnga-Padma embankment in Malda and Murshidabad have fallen prey to the wrath of angry rivers. Due to continuous erosion of river Padma, people in the area have been losing their agricultural lands, fleeing their homes, reeling under poverty and even starving to death...
In Jalangi, in Murshidabad district about 600 families in different villages re now living on starvation diet. As the river Padma is fast approaching, hundreds of people are facing the threat of being uprooted any day.
Devoid of any relief, apathetic attitude of the Government, deep-rooted corruption at the local level and deprivation in all respect have forced a large section of people on the brink of extinction.
Since January 2005, MASUM and AHRC have been in touch with the local administration and trying to draw the attention of the officials to the miserable condition prevailing in Jalangi. And being not happy with the official response took the initiative to constitute a public tribunal on 23-24 September, 2005.
The Report of the tribunal, statements and documents together, constitute a tragic story of human misery on the one hand and the apathy of a heartless administration of the state on the other hand.
The report addressed to the civil society and also to the international community to draw their attention about the real problems that need to be addressed for restoration of the rule of law and standard of human rights, which are at stake in West Bengal.
(Published in January 2006 by the Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM) and the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC).
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