Tuesday, August 13, 2013

A YOUNG BURQA CLAD HOMEMAKER'S STRUGGLE

V JAZEERA ,31, on her visit to her maternal village in Kannur district for her delivery ,was shocked to find the irreversible damage caused to the  inland beach by sand smugglers. The shoreline of the one-km beach where she played on her younger days is badly eroded due to the mindless sand mining. It was in 2010. The young homemaker resolved to protect whatever is left of her beach . She, along with her two daughters (12 and 10) and toddler son  started a peaceful sit-in protest at the nearby police station for 9 days in June 2012. The assurance of the police and The local Tahsildar had no meaning. So in July the protest was shifted to the office of the District Collector ,who installed a police  post .But the sand smugglers continued to take sand . Finally on July 24 she and her children started theist sit-in protest at the capital of Kerala before the state secretariat,and on August 2 the Chief Minister met her ,and assured action. But she knows that her struggle will have to continue till her beach is saved. Officials and police are hand in glove with the sand smugglers. For instance , during her protest she was threatened with action on the ground that she was exposing her toddler son to health hazards.

From Kanyakumari to the Himalayas, coast lines , rivers ,backwaters , and forests are ravaged by mafia in collusion with politicians , officials , and police . Mineral wealth is ruthlessly looted. Kerala, known as God's Own Country , has lost substantial forest cover ; many parts of the state face water shortage during summer in a state where water was once in abundance ; the rice-rich state faces the prospect of becoming rice-deficit ; quarrying of rocks is causing massive destruction of life and property during monsoons.

Many honest officials lost their precious lives in the discharge of their duty . Hundreds were hounded, suspended , transferred and , their families were destroyed .Jazeera faces serious threat to the safety of her family. In her struggle, she has the support of her husband , a Madrassa teacher. Says Jazeera ,
               " THEY CAN KILL ME ,THEY CAN DESTROY MY FAMILY,
                  BUT THEY CAN NEVER DEFEAT ME.."
India needs its citizens to stimulate Young Jazeera. It is not probable. But such a possibility alone can eliminate Corruption and Protect our Environment and Natural Resources.

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