Kirtinagar police from Tehri district has forcibly stopped Hemanti Devi who has been on hunger strike under the banner of Himalaya Bachao Andolan and Maletha Sangharsh Samiti for the past thirteen days demanding cease of stone crushers operation. They later got her admitted at the Base Hospital Srikot at Srinagar in Pauri district. However, the police action failed to crush the spirit of the movement as two more activists started hunger strike, daring police and administration to take action.
Police crackdown came on the order of Kirtinagar Tehsil administration on Saturday night. Hemanti Devi had launched her indefinite hunger strike on May 25, demanding the State Government to cancel the operation of stone crushers in Maletha and adjoining area. Those in the thick of the long-drawn stir resisted police while making a protective wall around Hemanti Devi. However, police cleared things by resorting to lathi charge. Few protestors were injured during the police operation.
later, angry agitators blocked the National Highway for a few hours, resulting inconveniences to the commuters and travellers. The protestors also staged a demonstration outside the police station and demanded suspension of cops who took part in the action. However, the administration denied any lathi- charge being resorted to break the hunger strike.
Showing that the police action cannot dampen the momentum of their movement, Sameer Raturi started hunger strike from Saturday night while Maletha gram pradhan did the same on Sunday. Meanwhile, noted environmentalist Anil Joshi visited the hunger strike venue on Monday and announced that if the State Government did not meet the demand they would stage a massive rally and block the National Highway on 21 June.
Raturi announced that he would not even take water during his indefinite hunger strike. He alleged that the police had charged the women agitators mercilessly with baton. He demanded SDM and SO police to take action against those responsible for lathi charge. It is pertinent to mention that the people from Maletha and its adjoining villages have been on the agitation-mode for many months, demanding all the stone crushers operating there be stopped and their licence be cancelled.
The State Government had stopped the operation of four stone crushers to placate the agitators, but one is still running. Recently the State Government deputed Garhwal Commissioner CS Napalchayal to inspect the stone crushers based in Maletha and its adjoining area. Following inspection and interaction with the agitators, Napalchayal appealed Hemanti Devi to end her hunger strike. But she refused to fall in line, insisting that she would continue until the Government met the demand.