Dave Pugh arrested

Dave Pugh, a long time revolutionary activist and Bay area teacher was just arrestedwhile investigating popular resistance movements in India. Dave has been a contributor to our Kasama site.The reports say that (as of this writing) he and his companions arenot out of danger (and the word "torture" appears in their press release.We are working to mobilize people to circulate the following pressrelease widely (and have added a number of background materials on thebottom to enable people to evaluate the situation, the cause, theperson and the larger importance of India's movements.)First the press release:

Mr. David Pugh visited Kaliganagar and Sukinda to see theIndustrialization and its effects on the people and the movementagainst industrialization and mining. Miss. Protima Das was requestedto help Mr. David Pugh as translator and Mr. Pradeep as guide as hebelongs to the Sukinda. They all had gone to Kalinganagar afterattending a People's Tribunal on Displacement, Sez and CorporateViolence in Orissa organized in Bhubaneswar by Visthapan Virodhi JanVikas Andolan, an anti-displacement front of movements from variousparts of India including that of Orissa. Activists from all areas inOrissa had come to explain their conditions of destitution anddestruction at the People's Tribunal.Amin Maharana, a Central Council member of Visthapan Virodhi Jan VikasAndolan is also suspected to be detained by the Police fromBhubaneswar. He is an Environmental and anti-Displacement activistworking in Sukinda area for many years now. He is a culturalperformer. He has written many songs about people's devastation due todisplacement and also released an audio CD on the issue.The Government of Orissa has been unleashing brutal repression on theanti-displacement movement for the last two years. The detentions arepart of the larger plans of the Government to coerce the people toaccept the displacement and give up their lands..We appeal to all democrats to immediately intervene and put pressureon the Govermenent of Orissa to release Miss. Pratima, Mr. Pradeep andMr. Amin Maharan, (if he is also arrested) without subjecting them toany kind of harassment.We demand the Government of Orissa to immediately release Miss PratimaDas, Mr. Pradeep and Mr. Amin Maharana and stop harassing Mr. David Pugh.Mr. David Pugh is again taken into custody at 2 pm now and beinginterrogated at Bhubaneswar hotel in Bhubaneswar by the police officials.

Chief Secretary & Chief Development Commissioner of Orissa: 0091 -674- 2536700 Phone,
Chief Secretary & Chief Development Commissioner of Orissa: 0091- 674- 2536700 (Fax) ,
Email: csori@...The Prime Minister's OfficeSouth Block,
Raisina Hill,New Delhi,India-110 011.
Telephone: 91-11-23012312.
Fax: 91-11-23019545 / 91-11-23016857.