The Aamir Khan affair - Gujratis stand up / Narmada Sardar Sarovar struggles / Narmada Maheshwar struggles / Bhopalis continue to die

Narmada, Bhopal, and Campaign Issues * Bollywood love story caught in political storm (The Guardian, June 6) * Sanctity of freedom of speech (Rajindar Sachar, June 5/6) * Hundreds view India dam row film (BBC, June 7) NARMADA Baroda * One Day Fast in Support of NBA in Haryana on 15th June 2006 (NAPM and Asha Parivar Haryana, June 7) * Badwani Hosts Large Convention On Water; Village Communities Resolve To Fight To Safeguard Their Water (NBA Baroda, June 8) * Narmada Dam Should Help Tribals: B.G. Verghese (IANS, NewKerala?.com, June 8) NARMADA Maheshwar * Public protest and fast by Maheshwar dam oustees in Mumbai on May 30 (NBA Maheshwar, May 31 / June 7) BHOPAL * 6 Bhopal gas victims die, docs face flak (Indo-Asian News Service, Hindustan Times, June 6) * BGPMUS demands formation of autonomous body (NewKerala.com, June 3) * The United States won't compensate Vietnam's Agent Orange victims (Agence France Presse, June 5)

Is the Aamir Khan affair the spark ?

Narmada, Bhopal, and Campaign Issues * Boycott Aamir Khan ? (Rakesh Sharma, May 27) * Ahmedabad's video libraries boycott Aamir's films (IANS / Indo-Asian? News Service, May 30) * Gujarat ban on Aamir's Fanaa unlawful: NBA (Gargi Parsai, The Hindu, May 30) * Fanaa: Bollywood rallies around Aamir (Deccan Herald News Service, May 30) * Boycott of 'Fanaa' symptom of fanaticism / NBA respects and appreciates those who show social commitment beyond commercial interests and careers (NBA, May 28) * Rowdyism about 'Fanaa' in Gujarat Dangerous for Democracy: No Need to be Apologetic about Opposition to SSP (NAPM, May 28) NARMADA * NBA concerned about Sardar Sarovar Oversight Group's mode of operation / Letter sent to Oversight Group chaired by VK Shunglu raising concerns about undesirable processes (May 29) * Dam panel makes stand clear (Statesman, May 30) * Narmada Dam panel to submit report by mid-June (IANS, The Hindustan Times, May 29) * Update on May 26th Action / Letter to Sonia Gandhi (Shivani Chaudhry, May 29) MUMBAI * We challenge the GoM to prove its changing statistics / Will the poor be compelled to reside at Azad Maidan forever? (NAPM, May 27) All-India * NAPM Convention Expected to Launch Struggle against Usurpation of People's Resources, Rights : Prominent Activists Arrive in City (NAPM, May 29)

In the Absence of the Sacred ?

NARMADA * National Day Of Action : Surprise Protest Action in Delhi / Letter to Sonia Gandhi (Madhuresh Kumar, CACIM, May 26) * Narmada Issues : Medha Patkar and Rahul Bose address Press Conference on Friday, May 26 at 4.15 pm at Azad Maidan (NBA, May 25) MUMBAI * We challenge the GoM to prove its changing statistics / Will the poor be compelled to reside at Azad Maidan forever? (NAPM, May 26) * Every child has a right to a home… (Eviction Watch, May 25) BHOPAL and Campaign Issues * Inherent Rules of Corporate Behavior (based on Jerry Mander's ideas from ‘In the Absence of the Sacred’; Jeff Milchen)

Mumbai / Narmada / Bhopal / Delhi

MUMBAI * Mumbai slum struggle update | May 18, 2006 : Azad maidan struggle enters 2nd day / Raj Awasti felicitated by Justice Suresh (Eviction Watch, May 19) * Mumbai slum struggle update | May 22, 2006 : You have demolished our present but not our future - The future is ours… (Eviction Watch, May 23) * Maharashtra Government opting for lower rehabilitation standards than the World Bank is shameful! / Shopping for global partners to support brutal evictions, unsustainable plans and undemocratic processes need to be condemned (NBA, May 21) NARMADA * Narmada in Parliament : Noisy scenes over rehabilitation of Sardar Sarovar dam oustees (The Hindu, May 24) * Crash course for 50 SSP teams today (HT / Hindustan Times, May 20) BHOPAL * Gas victims write to Ahmedi: Bhopal hospital funds misused (The Pioneer, May 11) * Sick berth (Down to Earth, May 20) * Bush protest demands Anderson's extradition (Students for Bhopal, May 22) * Comedy of errors: how many howlers can you cram into one Bhopal news story? (International Campaign for Justice on Bhopal, May 9) DELHI * Residents of Transit Camp fight against demolition and displacement (CGPI – Communist Gadar Party of India, May 23) * Bias in the Press (Dunu Roy, Hazards Centre, May 21) MOVEMENT ISSUES * Aati Kya Plachimada? From Coke mascot to water warrior. Is Aamir's Narmada bachao run for real? (Outlook, May 1)

NAPM Convention – Narmada/Bhopal Issue of Dishaa – MP Govt’s Lies on Narmada Unmasked – Urgent Appeal on Mandala, Mumbai – Sajha Manch Update 4 - Smash the Shacks in South Africa

CONVERGENCE ! * 5th National Biennial Convention of National Alliance of People's Movements, Bangalore, May 31-June 1 2006 (NAPM, May 18) * May 2006 Dishaa : The Narmada/Bhopal edition (AID, May 18) NARMADA ! *Narmada: Madhya Pradesh Government’s Lies Unmasked : Rehabilitation Only On Paper (In Tehelka, May 20 issue) MUMBAI ! * Mandala to Azad Maidan - We march on May 17th, 2006 : Stop demolitions Now! (Evictions Watch, May 16) * Urgent Action Appeal: 5,000 Houses Demolished in Mumbai, Slums Set on Fire and Forced Eviction of Thousands: Multiple Human Rights Violations (Coordination Office of the Housing and Land Rights Network of Habitat International Coalition (HIC-HLRN) and its regional South Asia office in Delhi, May 18) DELHI ! * Sajha Manch Update 4 (May 19) * URJA Supports Students’ Demonstrations against OBC Reservations (CACIM May 19, based on Promod Chawla, URJA, May 18) News From South Africa ! * Smash The Shacks To Save Us From The Plague (Richard Pithouse, May 18)

Is Convergence Taking Shape ?

CONVERGENCE ! * PROTEST MEETING AGAINST THE RECENT TREND OF THE SUPREME COURT (India Centre for Human Rights and Law, CEHAT, Forum Against Oppression of Women, Awaz E Niswan, Committee for Protection of Democratic Rights (CPDR), and others, May 11) * Letter from the NBA : 26 May as a DAY OF NATIONAL ACTION (NBA Baroda, May 15) * On URJA (United Residents' Joint Action) (CACIM, off URJA blogspace, May 9/16) NARMADA ! * Maheshwar dam affected farmers and fisherpeople demonstrate at Power Finance Corporation (NBA Khargone, May 12) MUMBAI ! * Another Brutal Truth: Immediate response needed (Mukta, nd, circulated May 14) BHOPAL ! * Bhopal gas victims demand balanced committee (IndiaTimes, May 13) * Dow Shareholder Meeting Protest, May 11, 2006 (Students for Bhopal, May 13)

The Struggle Continues to Widen

NARMADA / SARDAR SAROVAR ! Gujarat Citizens’ Appeal to the Prime Minister (Girish Patel, Ghanshyam Shah, Dr Saroop Dhruv, Hiren Gandhi, Wilfred, Ishwarbhai Prajapati, May 11) * Petition Against Prime Minister's Oversight Group Launched (Association for India's Development (AID), May 13) * NBA Activists and Supporters Protest the Supreme Court’s Anti-People? Judgement (NBA, May 9/11) * What would Gandhi do for the Narmada Valley issue? (Sreenaath Chidambaram, AID, May 11).NARMADA / MAHESHWAR ! Displaced rural families of Maheshwar dam on Narmada river arrive in Delhi to seek justice (NBA Khargone, May 11). MUMBAI ! Mandala Chalo... [‘Let’s march on Mandala’] (May 12th, 2006) (India Centre for Human Rights and Law, May 11)

The Struggle Widens

NARMADA ! Narmada petition - Call government's bluff about Oversight Group! Sardar Sarovar Oversight Group Violating its Terms of Reference * Prime Minister Must Recall Group and Halt Dam's Construction (Aid India, May 11) * Dharna and Public Meeting at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi: 11th & 12th May 2006 (NBA Khargone, May 10/11) MUMBAI 5,000 houses demolished in Mandala, Mankurd, Mumbai (National Alliance of Peoples Movements (NAPM) and Shahar Vikas Manch, May 9) * Mandala turned into Police state, severe repression continues /8 activists arrested and beaten up; charged with attempt to Murder (Initiative India, May 11)

The Fury Continues to Build

*Supreme Court Damns People, Devastates Narmada Valley - Denies Justice, Violates its own Orders, Serves Petty Politics (NBA, May 8) * SC declines to stay Narmada dam construction (Times of India, May 8) * Further Government falsehoods regarding SSP to mislead court (NBA, May 7) * TISS toppers confront PM on Narmada * Doosra Aamir stuns PM, cops - Ex TISS student Simprit Singh sneaks into convocation, raises protest against the dam (DNA, Mumbai & Mumbai Mirror, May 7) * Graduating TISS Students Declare Support for Bhopal Victims and Narmada Dam Oustees (May 6) * Sardar Sarovar: Stop Inhuman Destruction of Human Communities and Rich Natural Endowment in Narmada Valley. It's Either Now Or Never (Medha Patkar, NBA, May 6) * Fax Dow NOW! End the Murder in Bhopal! (Students for Bhopal, May 7) * Thousands of residents of Transit Camp, in Kalkaji, New Delhi, prepare to oppose demolition of their homes (Convenor Lok Raj Sangathan, May 6)

BHOPAL ? NARMADA ? NO. THE FUTURE OF DEVELOPMENT IN INDIA LIES ELSEWHERE

“US-India Strategic Economic Partnership”: Kowtowing to American Big Business (Prasenjit Bose) (May 4) / Samples of what's currently available at bhopal.net. (Indra Sinha) (May 5)