গীতা দার স্মরণে আগামী ১৭ জানুয়ারি ২০২০, কলকাতা প্রেস ক্লাবে বিকাল ৪ টা থেকে ৬ টা সবুজ মঞ্চর পক্ষ থেকে এক স্মরণ সভার আয়জন করা হয়েছে. আপনাদের সবাইকে অনুরোধ আসুন, আমরা সবাই গীতাদার স্মরণে মিলিত হই।

অভিনন্দন সহ –

নব দত্ত

সম্পাদক, সবুজ মঞ্চ

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Dear Friends &  Well Wishers

We have undertaken an initiative in association with GREEN TECH Establishment to promote use of environment friendly jute bag in place of plastic carry bag. The said Establishment has given us some jute-made Marketing Bags for distribution among general public for use ( in lieu of Plastic Carry bag)  in their day-to-day marketing. In this regard we have organized a public awareness campaign program against plastic carry bag in front of Lake Market at Parasar Road crossing on Sunday, 15th December, 2019 from 8 am to 12 noon.

We herewith inform all of you about this initiative and cordially invite all of you to attend this absolutely essential environment protection initiative.

Especially those who are staying in South Kolkata are requested to stand by us during the aforesaid starting day at Lake Market so as to encourage us on the continued program to run for about 20 days in about 25 markets all over Kolkata.

Thanking you, With regards,

Naba Dutta
General Secretary
Nagarik Mancha
9831172060

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২৭ নভেম্বর ২০১৯, বিকাল ৪ টায় দেশপ্রিয় পার্কের লায়নস্‌ ক্লাবের হল (পশ্চিম দিকের গেট) 

Download the Invitation

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The post পরিবেশ দূষণ সমস্যা সমাধানে হকার্সদের ভূমিকা appeared first on Nagarik Mancha.

Please receive Bengali New Year’s greetings .

You are aware that the air pollution status in the entire country has become very poor and Kolkata is no exception. As a matter of fact, Kolkata  air , during last winter, had often poorer than Delhi air. Under this circumstances, Sabuj Mancha (a platform of environmental organisations and environment conscius people of West Bengal; which has been working since 2009) and its partner organisations has already organised various discourses on the issue.

However now we feel that we need to emphasise on the issue of public transport in city particularly trams; which are critical to counter air pollution in long term. We have been watching with anguish and concern that State government and its transport department has been working against the interest of tramways, almost pushing it into a deathtrap, while the trams have come back all over the world on environmental and climate change ground. 

In this context, to chalk out a strategy to save tramways and public transport in Kolkata, Sabuj Mancha and its partner organisations has organised a dialogue – Saving trams and public transport in Kolkata: Citizen perspective – on coming April 19 (Friday) at Lions Children Club Auditorium (entrance through DKS club gate on Sarat Bose Road within Deshapriya Park complex ; left side) from 3 Pm onwards; where all the direct and indirect stakeholders of trams; environment experts, activists, NGO representatives are expected to be present . Being an important stakeholder, your active participation is extremely important.

Regards,
Naba Dutta
Secretary, Sabuj Mancha
9831172060

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Sabuj Mancha is going to organize various programs during the current month, details of which are appended here:

1)  6^th April, 2019, Saturday at Kolkata Press Club from 1pm to 3pm

Importance on environment issues in Manifestos of different Political Parties for ensuing General Election.  All Political Parties are being invited for round table discussion.

2)  13^th April, 2019, Saturday at Dutta Fulia, Nadia District at 11 am

 Nadia District Level Meeting of ‘THE SAVE RIVER COMMITTEE’ to Save Rivers of West Bengal.    

3)  20^th April, 2019, Saturday at Basanti, 24 Parganas South District at 11 am

South 24 Pargana District Level Meeting of ‘THE SAVE RIVER COMMITTEE’ to Save Rivers of West Bengal.   

4)  27^th April, 2019, Saturday at Chandannagar, Hooghly District at 11 am

Hooghly and Howrah District Level Meeting of ‘THE SAVE RIVER COMMITTEE’ to Save Rivers of West Bengal.    

5) Meeting on 17^th or on 19^th April, 2019

To Discuss Air pollution and Transport system of Kolkata. Venue and time will be intimated later.       

All members are requested to attend the meeting. Those who are interested to attend district Meetings are requested to contact Naba Dutta.

Naba Dutta
Secretary, Sabuj  Mancha

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বিপন্ন শ্রমজীবীর বিপন্ন অধিকার  বিষয়ে শিল্পক্ষেত্র সমীক্ষা সহ বিশেষ একটি বড় উদ্যোগ গ্রহনের উদ্দেশে আগামী ২৮ নভেম্বর ২০১৮, বুধবার দুপুর ২ টোয় বেলেঘাটায় AWBSRU-র গেষ্ট হাউসে ( ৮৫-বি, রাজা রাজেন্দ্রালাল মিত্র রোড, রাসমেলা মাঠের উল্টো দিকে) নাগরিক মঞ্চ প্রাথমিক আলোচনার ব্যবস্থা করেছে। এই আলোচনায় আপনাকে অংশগ্রহন করার বিশষ অনুরোধ করছি । বিষয়টির আরও কিছুটা বিস্তৃত  বিবরণ নিম্নে সংযোজিত হ’লো, ডাউনলোড করুন/ দেখে নিন দয়া ক’রে।

নমস্কার 

ইতি 

 নব দত্ত

সেক্রেটারী। নাগরিক মঞ্চ ।

নাগরিক মঞ্চ আলোচনার বিষয়বস্তু ২৮.১১.১৮

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European Legacy, Indian Continuity

In 1934, the British asbestos company, Turner and Newall Ltd, set up India’s first asbestos-cement product factory, in Kymore, Madhya Pradesh, in conjunction with the Indian limestone cement company, ACC Ltd. Today, under the ownership of an Indian family, the factory still produces asbestos-cement products and whilst the number of workers has dwindled considerably, their protection against the known long-term risks of exposure to chrysotile asbestos has scarcely improved. Why, when the health risks of asbestos exposure have been known since the 1930s and it has been banned in over 50 countries, including the EU, for nearly 20 years, does the industry still grow in India?

The answer is to be found in the discussionswithin and between the large asbestos-product corporations, which dominated the world asbestos trade for nearly 100 years. In the International Conference of Asbestos Information Bodies held on 24^th and 25^th November 1971 in London, the asbestos industry called for the industry’s intervention in the making of European regulation and it’s “active participation in publicity promoting the safe use of asbestos”. In other correspondence, the industry discussed whether safety warnings should be placed on asbestos products in order to avoid a risk of liability being imposed. In internal correspondence, within the US corporation Johns-Manville Corp on the 5^th February 1974 on the subject of “Informing Foreign Customers about Asbestos and Health” (which included the Indian company, Shree Digvijay Cements Ltd), the memo, was very clear in its intentions, it stated:

“We should also like to have another meeting with you to discuss an appropriate label on asbestos shipped overseas. You will note that I did not say “warning label”. We should be able to devise a method of labelling which will inform users of the necessity for handling asbestos fibre properly without, at the same time, unnecessarily frightening the users or having our products classified as “hazardous”.

Most recently, in the English Court of Appeal judgment of Cape Intermediate Holdings Limited v Graham Dring (for and on behalf of the Asbestos Victims’ Support Group) [2018] EWCA Civ 1795, the Court of Appeal ruled in favour of releasing documents that revealed Cape PLC, a leading asbestos company, which also invested in India, were aware that even very low exposure to asbestos productsis sufficient to cause mesothelioma, back in the 1970’s. This is something which the old asbestos industry has consistently denied.

These and other documents revealed in disclosure during litigation and bankruptcy, indicates the modus operandi of an industry, which is willing to hide and manipulate the risks of exposure by any means; to intervene in ensuring the weakest possible regulatory and enforcement environment; and to preclude people from access to justice.

Fast-forward forty years and history repeats itself in the behaviour of Indian asbestos companies. The experience of working with workers in Indian asbestos factories is that they continue not to be told about the risks of exposure to asbestos, they are not told about the results of mandatory health screening under the Factories Act 1948 and are sacked when they become unwell, commonly known as the “healthy worker effect”. In April 2018, the organisers of a medical camp organised by asbestos workers at the Kolkata branch of Everest Industries Limited in which fifty percent of the current workers were diagnosed with asbestosis, was swiftly repressed by the factory. Two of the workers were suspended on twenty-five percent pay and the supporting workers were also victimised.  In other factories across India workers and communities are not even aware of the health risks ensuing from even high-level exposure to asbestos. The new industry still does not want people to find out that asbestos is harmful.

The old and new asbestos industry continues to try and evade any responsibility for their harmful activities, whilst continuing to expose vulnerable people in poorer parts of the world. It is the sharp edge of criminal corporate behaviour which in India will undoubtedly leave a legacy of death and injury for decades to come.

This is the subject of “Breathless-Fighting the Global Asbestos Industry”,  A victim from Belgium and India meet and hold hands. Both were exposed to asbestos by the same Belgium company, ETEX, but 20 years apart. In Belgium, the company transitioned from asbestos and off-loaded the human costs of its activities onto the Belgian state. In India, the company sold its shares, leaving the human cost of its activities with little ability for redressal. It’s a story that could be repeated in many industries and in many countries, but “Breathless” is a story of hope, not despair. The European asbestos industry was banned when through knowledge, regulation and litigation it could nolonger sustain the myth of safe use. Five years ago in Kymore, a woman showed a water storing vessel she had made out of the asbestos waste that surrounded her. She did not know that it was unsafe. Last month, the local state minister stood on a platform next to the asbestos factory and said that the factory should stop using asbestos. Things can change quickly and in India the asbestos industry does not fit with the image of a high-tech economy. However, its demise is not automatic and the need of the hour is education, publicity and campaigning.

“Breathless-Fight the Global Asbestos Industry”, is a powerful and important film which has already gained many plaudits. It will be used to inform about the risks of asbestos, to stimulate a discussion and a crowdfunding campaign. It will be subtitled in Hindi and Tamil and shown in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Coimbatore and Katni (MP). Dates to be advised. Ultimately, it will be victims and other affected people that will ultimately stop the continuity of such needless human suffering.

Krishnendu Mukherjee

Doughty Street Chambers

8^th August 2018.

The post Asbestos issue for publicity appeared first on Nagarik Mancha.

Many of us perhaps are not aware that a herbicide namely Glyphosate is being widely used in production of food which we regularly consume. This may have tremendous adverse impact on health. Mr. Santanu Mitra is working on the issue for quite some time

DISHA in association with Sabuj Mancha is organising his lecture with following discussions to develop awareness and initiate appropriate action. We cordially invite you to be present and actively take part in the discussion. Those who have not yet confirmed, please confirm your participation.

Date: 25.07.2018 (Wednesday) from 5.00 pm to 7.30 pm.
Venue: Ekatre Building , 186, Kalikapur Khalpar Road, Kolkata – 700099 ( Front of Avisar Shopping Complex and ICICI Bank along Khalpar Road 1 minute walking distance ).

Best regards

Naba Dutta,
Secretary, Sabuj Mancha
Program Coordinator – Manindra Mukherjee 9635912049; Sasanka Dev 9433941940  

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