SEPTEMBER

September 3, 1922
SITARAM RAJU'S UPRISING OF ADIVASIS OF THE ANDHRA AGENCY CELEBRATED ITS FIRST VICTORY
In the Adivasi hill areas of present day Andhra Pradesh, Sitaram Raju led a significant struggle against the British not only to redress the problems faced by Adivasis since the establishment of British rule, but to throw out the Raj itself. The struggle widened to reclaim rights over the forest and forest produce.
Articles:
Altury, Murali (1984). 'Alluri Sitarama Raju and the Manyam Rebellion of 1922-1924', Social Scientist, Vol. 12, No. 4, pp. 3-33.
Websites:
www.proxsa.org/politics/sainathstories.html#story2

September 4, 2007
PEOPLE'S CONVENTION ON SALWA JUDUM HELD IN DELHI
A 'People's Convention on Salwa Judum: Civil War in Chhattisgarh' was organised in Delhi by the Campaign for Peace and Justice in Chhattisgarh (CPJC)I This was in the context of the state government, along with support of the central Home Ministry, arming local residents into a people's army (Salwa Judum) to challenge the spread of Maoist activity. Rather than address the root causes of impoverishment and militancy, this militarisation of civil society has created a civil war like situation causing widespread victimisation.
Articles:
PUCL, PUDR, APDR, IAPL (2005). 'Facts about 'Salwa Judum', Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 40, No. 51.
Balagopal, K. (2006). 'Chhattisgarh: A Physiognomy of Violence', Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 41, No. 22.
Sundar, Nandini (2006). 'Bastar, Maoism and Salwa Judum', Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 41, No. 29, pp. 3187-3192.
Punwani, Jyoti (2007). 'Chhattisgarh: Traumas of Adivasi Women in Dantewada', Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 42, No. 4.
(2007). Update Collective, Issue 1, September 1 (http://updatecollective.wordpress.com/category/cpjc/).
Websites:
www.pucl.org/Topics/Human-rights/2005/salwa-judum-report.htm
www.cgnet.in/N1/sj_myth - The Myths of Salwa Judum, Anoop Saha.

September 8, 1983
APPIKO MOVEMENT LAUNCHED IN KARNATAKA
The success of the non-violent Chipko Movement that began in present-day Uttarakhand in 1973 in protecting trees from being felled by commercial interests and thereby promoting a sustainable and ecologically sound relationship with the environment, led to the spread of this form of resistance to many parts of India. The Appiko Movement, as it was locally called in Uttara Kannada Of Karnataka, was one such movement.
Articles:
Pandurang, Hegde (1989). 'The Appiko Movement: Forest Conservation in South India', Cultural Survival Quarterly, Issue 13.2
(www.cs.org/publications/Csq/csq-article.cfm?id=798).
Websites:
http://ecovista.wordpress.com/2007/08/28/appiko-movement/
www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/mag/2007/09/02/stories/2007090250090400.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appiko_movement

September 9, 1978
FORMATION OF NAGA PEOPLE'S MOVEMENT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS (NPMHR), NAGALAND
The Naga People's Movement for Human Rights, one of the first democratic rights organisations set up after Independence, was formed in response to the brutal repression by the Indian army in Naga inhabited areas, In its founding declaration, among other demands, the they called for the withdrawal of the armed forces and Black Laws that were operational in the area.
Articles:
Haksar, Nandita (1985). 'Naga People's Movement for Human Rights: A Report', Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 20, No. 50, pp. 2201-2203.
Websites:
www.halcyon.com/pub/FWDP/Eurasia/naga.txt - Declaration of NPMHR.

September 10-October 5, 2006
JAL ADHIKAR YATRA AGAINST COKE, PEPSI FROM VARANASI TO NEW DELHI
Organised jointly by Lok Samiti and National Alliance for People's Movements, the Jal Adhikar (Right to Water) Yatra was launched against companies like Coca-Cola and Pepsi Co., Starting from the Coke bottling plant in Mehdiganj, Varanasi the yatra proposed to end at the national headquarters of Coke in Gurgaon drawing attention to the intensive exploitation and contamination of groundwater resources.
Articles:
Pant, Ruchi (2003). 'From Communities' Hands to MNCs' Boots: A Case Study from India on Right to Water', submitted to Rights and Humanity, UK (Right to Water Project) (www.righttowater.org.uk/pdfs/india_cs.pdf).
Shiva, Vandana (2006). 'Resisting Water Privatization, Building Water Democracy', a paper on the occasion of the World Water Forum in Mexico City (www.globalternative.org/downloads/shiva-water.pdf).
Websites:
www.indiaresource.org/news/2006/2058.html
www.thesouthasian.org/archives/2006/jal_adhikar_yatra_takes_off.html
www.ashanet.org/projects-new/documents/707/Report_Jal_Adhikaar_Yatra.pdf
www.ashanet.org/projects-new/documents/707/JalAdhikaarYatraUpdate.pdf
www.ashanet.org/austin/mehdiganj/jal_yatra/index.html

September 10
INTERNATIONAL DAY AGAINST WTO AND TRADE LIBERALISATION AND FOR PEOPLES' FOOD SOVEREIGNTY
[For more on anti-WTO protests, see September 29, March 19]

September 11, 1992
MASSIVE WOMEN'S RALLY TO STOP AUCTION OF LIQUOR CONTRACTS IN NELLORE, AP
50,000 women stormed the grounds where the State Government was auctioning liquor contracts to liquor vendors. Part of the anti-arrack movement in Andhra Pradesh, the strength of this rally was a reflection of the depth of the mobilisation, grounded on the empowerment brought by the literacy campaign.
Articles:
Joseph, A. (1995). 'Women against Arrack: Organizing for Change: India 1', People Planet, Vol. 4, No. 3, pp. 10-11.
Pande, R. (2000). 'From Anti-Arrack to Total Prohibition: The Women's Movement in Andhra Pradesh, India', Gender, Technology and Development, Vol. 4, No.1, pp. 131-144.
George, Alex (2004). 'Beyond Literacy: The Adult Literacy Movement in Nellore and its Impact'. In Malavika Karlekar (Ed.), Paradigms of Learning, New Delhi: Sage Publications.
Books:
Rao, B. Sarveswara and G. Parthasarathy (Eds.) (1997). Anti-Arrack Movement of Women in Andhra Pradesh and Prohibition Policy, New Delhi: Har-Anand Publications.
Larsson, Marie (2006). 'When Women Unite!': The Making of the Anti-Liquor Movement in Andhra Pradesh, India, Stockholm: Stockholm University
(www.diva-portal.org/diva/getDocument?urn_nbn_se_su_diva-980-2__fulltext.pdf).
Films:
When Women Unite: The Story of an Uprising (1996, 80 min, Telugu with English subtitles), Directed by: Shabnam Virmani and Nata Duvvury

September 15, 1940
CALL TO OBSERVE THIS DAY AS ANTI-IMPERIALIST DAY IN MALABAR
Called by the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee, meetings and demonstrations were held in various places in Malabar. Two police officials were killed when attempting to disrupt the meeting and this incident is often referred to as the Morazha incident.
Articles:
Kurup, K.K.N. (1988). 'Peasantry and the Anti-Imperialist Struggles in Kerala', Social Scientist, Vol. 16, No. 9, pp. 35-45.
Books:
Nayanar, E.K. (1982). My Struggles: An Autobiography, Vikas Publishing House Private.
Websites:
www.naturemagics.com/kannur-kerala/morazha-incident-kannur.shtm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kannur_District#Morazha_Incident
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E_K_Nayanar#Morazha_incident

September 18, 1982
ASIAD WORKERS' JUDGMENT DEFINE LABOUR PERFORMED FOR LESS THAN MINIMUM WAGE AS 'FORCED LABOUR'
In the People's Union for Democratic Rights and others vs. Union of India case, which exposed the Delhi Government's flouting of labour laws in the employment of contract labour for the Asian Games, the Supreme Court gave a landmark judgment. It declared that labour performed for less than minimum wage was 'forced labour' It also recognised the rights of a third party to petition the Court when another party's fundamental rights were violated.
Articles:
Lin, Sharat G. and Nageshwar Patnaik (1982). 'Migrant Labour at ASIAD '82 Construction Sites in New Delhi', Bulletin of Concerned Asian Scholars, Vol. 14.
Bhanumurthy, K.V. (1996). 'How Much Can the Judiciary Do?'. In A.R. Desai (Ed.), Violation of Democratic Rights in India, Bombay: Popular Prakashan.
Subramaniam, C.N. (1999). 'Democratic Rights and the Working Class', Revolutionary Democracy, Vol. 5, No. 2
(www.revolutionarydemocracy.org/rdv5n2/workclas.htm).
Books:
People's Union for Democratic Rights (1982). The Other Face of “Asiad 1982”, New Delhi: PUDR.
Association for Protection of Democratic Rights (1986). Civil Rights: Past and Present, Calcutta: APDR.
Websites:
www.swamiagnivesh.com/bl.htm
www.ngosindia.com/resources/pil.php

September 20, 1991
DEMONSTRATION BY 8000 FISHERFOLK FROM THE CHILIKA AREA IN BHUBANESHWAR, ORISSA
In one of the first protest actions against the attempt to lease out large parts of the Chilika lake to the Tatas for prawn aquaculture, a demonstration was organised of over 8,000 fisherfolk who would lose their traditional fishing rights and livelihood security. The mobilisation was part of a response to the growing trend of privatising and leasing out common property resources to corporate and commercial interests.
Articles:
Pattanaik, S. (2003). 'Development, Globalisation and the Rise of a Grassroots Environmental Movement: The Case of Chilika Bachao Andolan (CBA) in Eastern India', The Indian Journal of Public Administration, Vol. 49, No. 1, pp. 55.
(1992). 'Chilika: A Lake in Limbo', Down to Earth, August 31.
(1992). 'Kamal Nath Buys Time For Chilika', Down to Earth, August 31.
Samal, K. C. (2002). 'Shrimp Culture in Chilika Lake: Case of Occupational Displacement of Fishermen', Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 37, No. 18, pp. 1714-1718.
Movement Features (2000-2007), Kriti: New Delhi, Vol. I, No. i-viii, pp. 26.
Books:
Tandon, R., & R. Mohanty (Ed.) (2003). Does Civil Society Matter?: Governance in Contemporary India, New Delhi: Sage.
Films:
Chilika A Fragile Eco-System (2001, 30 min), Directed by: Nirad N. Mohapatra
Websites:
http://infochangeindia.org/200608295770/Environment/Features/Chilika-A-contested-space.html
www.interpares.ca/en/publications/pdf/land_and_livelihood.pdf
http://kalingatimes.com/views/news_20071222-fishing-in-troubled-water.htm
www.wrm.org.uy/deforestation/mangroves/book7.html
www.cpiml.org/liberation/year_2004/March/report.htm,  www.chilika.com/history.htm

September 21, 2006
50,000 FARMERS PROTEST AGAINST SEZ IN MAHARASHTRA
A massive movement has been building up against Reliance company's plan to set up the Maha Mumbai Special Economic Zone (MMSEZ) in the Navi Mumbai region of Raigad district, Maharashtra. 50,000 farmers and trade unionists organised a united protest against the SEZ.
Articles:
Aggarwal, Aradhana (2006). 'Special Economic Zones: Revisiting the Policy Debate', Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 41, No. 43 and 44.
Bhaduri, Amit (2007). 'Alternatives in Industrialisation', Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 42, No. 18.
Sarma, E.A.S. (2007). 'Help the Rich, Hurt the Poor', Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 42, No. 21.
Books:
Palit, Amritendu and Subhomoy Bhattacharjee (2008). Special Economic Zones in India: Myths and Realities, Anthem Press India.
Websites:
http://sez.icrindia.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/rmm_sez_study.pdf
www.thesouthasian.org/archives/2006/farmers_rally_against_special.html
www.cpim.org/pd/2007/0916/09162007_maha.htm
www.businessworld.in/index.php/The-Ground-Realities.html

September 21, 2008
6,000 RAIGAD FARMERS REJECT RELIANCE SEZ IN MAHARASHTRA IN FIRST EVER REFERENDUM
Two years after massive protests, in a landmark referendum (the first of its kind in India), 22 villages of Pen tehsil in Raigad district of Maharashtra voted against the Maha Mumbai Special Economic Zone to be set up by Reliance. This was despite unprecedented efforts made by the corporation to offer extensive incentives to local farmers.
Websites:
http://sanhati.com/news/988
www.grain.org/g/?id=189
http://agrariancrisis.wordpress.com/2008/09/23/raigad-votes-against-sez-in-referendum/
http://subalternmedia.com/?p=1401

September 21-24, 2007
INDEPENDENT PEOPLE'S TRIBUNAL ON THE WORLD BANK GROUP IN INDIA
The first ever People's Tribunal on the World Bank was organised in New Delhi. Over 400 people from all over the country participated and almost a hundred testimonies were presented to an international jury. These testimonies detailed the wide range of social, cultural and economic violations that were experienced in Bank supported projects and programmes. The Jury's Report indicts the Bank for these sustained violations.
Websites:
www.worldbanktribunal.org/
www.icrindia.org/?p=182
www.thesouthasian.org/archives/2007/the_independent_peoples_tribun.html
www.combatlaw.org/information.php?article_id=999&issue_id=36
www.combatlaw.org/information.php?article_id=1032&issue_id=37
www.worldbank.org.in
http://youtube.com/user/IPTsecretariat - Video clipping from the Tribunal.

September 22, 2004
RIGHT TO FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED BY ALTERNATIVE FILM MOVEMENT
Launched by a forum of over 300 film-makers, the Campaign expressed concern at the growing censorship by the Censor Board of India. 60 films, most of which had been rejected by the Board, were screened. The films dealt with issues ranging from communalism to destructive development policies and projects to the concerns of women and other marginalised communities.
Websites:
http://us.oneworld.net/issues/information-media/-/article/indias-alternative-film-movement-defies-censors-impact-change

September 24, 1873
SATYA SHODAK SAMAJ FORMED BY JYOTIBA PHULE
The Satya Shodhak Samaj or the Society of Seekers of Truth was established by Jyotiba Phule with the aim to uplift and liberate Shudras and Ati Shudras (untouchables) from upper caste exploitation and discrimination.
Websites:
www.mahatmaphule.com/
www.ambedkar.org/bamcef/journal/sep01/ssday.html
www.sainisamaz.org/about-mahatma-phule.php
Books:
Chanchreek, K.L (Ed.) (2006). Social Reform Movement and Jyotiba Phule, Shree Publishers and Distributors.

September 24, 1932
POONA PACT SIGNED
The Poona Pact was signed between Hindu leaders and Dr. B.R Ambedkar agreeing on the representation of Depressed Classes (present-day Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes) in the legislatures and other matters affecting their welfare. A more radical proposition made by Ambedkar had earlier been rejected by Gandhi.
Articles:
Kumar, Ravinder (1985). 'Gandhi, Ambedkar and the Poona Pact, 1932', Journal of South Asian Studies, Vol. 8, No. 1&2, pp. 87-101.
Baxi, Upendra (1995). 'Emancipation as Justice: Babasaheb Ambedkar's Legacy and Vision'. Upendra Baxi and Bhikhu Parekh (Eds.), Crisis and Change in Contemporary India, London: Sage, pp. 12247.
Das, Bhagwan (2000). 'Moments in a History of Reservations', Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 35, No. 43&44, pp. 3831-3834 (www.ambedkar.org/research/Bhagwandas.pdf).
Parikh, Sunita (2001). 'Affirmative Action, Caste, and Party Politics in Contemporary India'. In John David Skrentny (Ed.), Color Lines, University of Chicago Press.
Books:
Fontera, Richard M. (1965). Gandhi and the Poona Pact, University of Rajasthan.
Ambedkar, B.R. (1982). Poona Pact the Epic of Human Rights, Buddhist Publishing House.
Mandal, J.C. (1999). Poona Pact and Depressed Classes, Calcutta: Sujan Publications.
Thangaraj, C.P. (2000). Poona Pact: A Boon or a Bane: With Intrigues of Mr. Gandhi.
Websites:
www.ambedkar.org/impdocs/poonapact.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poona_Pact

September 25, 2006
5,000 PROTEST AGAINST WRONGFUL ACQUISITION OF LAND IN SINGUR
This non-violent protest action, in the long struggle at Singur, was triggered by the distribution of compensation cheques by the Government authorities after forcibly acquiring the land of those who had refused to part with it. The protestors were beaten up and many arrested and put in jail.
[For more on Singur, see June 1]

September 28, 1989
HARSUD RALLY AGAINST DESTRUCTIVE DEVELOPMENT AND NEW DEVELOPMENT
50,000 people came together in this first major rally since Independence against destructive development and displacement. A meeting in the evening decided to form a national alliance of people's movements and organisations, Jan Vikas Andolan (Movement for People's Development). Harsud city was a symbolic venue as it faced complete submergence by the rising waters of the Sardar Sarovar project on the Narmada river.
Articles:
Kothari, Smitu (1995). 'The Damming of the Narmada and the Politics of Development'. In William Fisher, ed., Working Towards Sustainable Development: The Damming of the Narmada River, M.E. Sharpe, 1995.
Films:
Harsud The Making of a Ghost Town (2005, 45 min), Directed by: Pravin Pagare
Websites:
http://raghavchandra.org/paper2.htm

September 29, 1994
NATIONWIDE STRIKE BY NATIONAL PLATFORM OF MASS ORGANISATIONS AGAINST SAPS
A nationwide strike was organised to protest the implementation of the World Bank's Structural Adjustment Programmes (SAPs), which would adversely impact state expenditure on public health and education as well as the subsidies to the Public Distribution System. It was stressed that the Bank's 'conditionality' to drastically reduce public expenditure in these sectors and shift to a 'targeted' system would increase the vulnerability of the lower 30-40% of population.
Websites:
www.nadir.org/nadir/initiativ/agp/infopool/agitprop/margins.htm#india01
www.worldbanktribunal.org/
www.antiwto.blogspot.com/
Articles:
Lawrence H. Summers and Lant H. Pritchett, 'The Structural-Adjustment Debate', The American Economic Review, Vol. 83, No. 2, Papers and Proceedings of the Hundred and Fifth Annual Meeting of the American Economic Association, pp. 383-389.
Arora, Dooly (1999). 'Structural Adjustment Program and Gender Concerns in India', Journal of Contemporary Asia, Vol. 29.
Bhattacharjee, Debashish (2000). 'Globalising Economy, Localising Labour', Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 35, No. 42.
Kumar, Krishna, Manisha Priyam and Sadhna Saxena (2001). 'Looking Beyond the Smokescreen', Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 36, No. 7.
Swaminathan, Madhura and Neeta Misra (2001). 'Errors of Targeting', Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 36, No. 26.
Dubhashi, P.R. (2002). 'People's Movement against Global Capitalism', Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 37, No. 6.
Joshi, Seema (2006). 'Impact of Economic Reforms on Social Sector Expenditure in India', Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 41, No. 4.
Books:
(1992). Social Dimensions of Structural Adjustment in India: Papers and Proceedings of a Tripartite Workshop Held in New Delhi, December 10-11, 1991, World Employment Programme.
Mukherjee, Amitav (1994). Structural Adjustment Programme and Food Security: Hunger and Poverty in India, Ashgate Publishing.
Dasgupta, Biplab (2005). Globalisation: India's Adjustment Experience, New Delhi: Sage Publications.