Children of a No-Lesser God, are terror struck by the Granite Mafia in
Bangalore, their lives are in danger! Morning Star experiences the cruelity,
sadness and ugliness of human nature!
25th January 2007
Note: This
letter had been sent by email to the Deccan Herald, Times of India, and
other newspapers in Bangalore, also to the broadcasters like CNN-IBN and
NDTV (Star News). Sorry to say, nobody came forward and published or investigated
the situation of the Children of Morning Star, except for
KannadaPrabha
a Kannada daily and Mid-Day.
Subject: Harassment and threat to challenged children of an orphanage
in Bangalore.
Some of your reporters would remember me for my webpage under the name
‘Bangalorewalla’, some of you may have interviewed me and some have used
my articles and photographs for news items, some especially during the Tsunami.
I once again call on you to help me help some underprivileged challenged
children who have been subjected to much harassment from their neighbours.
Background:
I help a small orphanage called ‘Morning Star’ which is located in Chagalatti
Village, Jalahobli, Yelahanka, Bangalore, and can be reached through Hennur
Road. The orphanage is in existence since 18 years, moving from a small one-room
house in Kothanur to the present location which houses 55 underprivileged
children, of which 16 of them are severely mentally challenged.
During the last few years the orphanage has been facing lots of problems
in the form of noise pollution from the near by quarries. The owners of the
quarries are not considerate in the welfare of these children, and use large
quantities of gelatin sticks of dynamite to blast the granite. This affects
the children and all in the vicinity, having to suffer from flying debris
and thunderous sudden noise that disturbs the challenged children. The building
also has been shaken continuously by the blasting of granite.
Morning Star inmates and those who run the orphanage have protested this
noise and vibration pollution to the quarry owners who have not bothered
to respond. Now the matter has been taken to court to settle the issue.
Present Status:
In the mean while, someone, it does not take one much to assume who is
behind them, has gathered a group of people and got them to sign a letter
saying that the blasting does not affect them. In reality, the blasting does
not effect these people as they are not staying in the area of the blasting
where Morning Star is located, but instead about a kilometer or two away.
There was to be an inspection by the mining authorities regarding this complaint,
but they have apparently been influenced as they refuse to come into the
premises of the orphanage and instead encourage Morning Star to sign the
letter that this group of people have brought forward. (
Because of the Court case, the blasting has been stopped).
Critical:
In order to put pressure on Morning Star, they have gone to the extent
of digging up the water pipeline to the orphanage, cutting off water supply
from their bore well which happens to be located outside the premises. This,
my friends is what I wish to bring before you, the amount of harassment the
children and inmates of Morning Star are going through. Cutting off water,
which is so essential for the challenged children’s needs, and for the crops
that they grow in their compound for their food. This life-sustaining commodity
has been deprived to them, just because they protested being ill-treated
by the inconsiderate neighbours.
You may also visit the webpage that I have put up for them at
http://www.oocities.org/morningstarbng
and have an idea of the state of the challenged children, how they live,
the peaceful existence of theirs is now changed.
Please help them to survive, it is our duty as human beings to help those
who are under-privileged and challenged. Those of you who could broadcast
or publish the facts, request you to please investigate and do so. Others,
I humbly on behalf of these loving children appeal to you to protest this
inhumane cowardly dreadful deed of those who wish to hurt the children. There
could be more that the inmates of Morning Star could start experiencing,
one even fears for their lives. I beg of you to please step forward and help
these children.
I attach a few photos that were taken on 24th January 2007, showing the
extent of which these people have been trying to harm the orphanage.
I was witness to the various traces of diggings
that the earthmover
digger had created
trying to find the water
pipeline to Morning Star from a bore well that they have about a kilometer
away from the premises.
They finally
found the pipeline
and damaged
it in two places
. The pipeline passes through an open land which is strewn with
plastic waste
and garbage, and an open sewer pond
. Very unhealthy for the children, and there is also a
piggery
which is also a health hazard as it attracts scores of dogs. It is now
possible that this open waterline could also get contaminated, and endanger
the children’s health.
It shows the intent was very clear to find and damage the pipeline that
was supposed to run through the neighbours land. This pipeline was laid
about 6 years ago with the permission of the kind neighbour. Now the neighbour’s
son under the influence of the granite blasters has asked Morning Star people
to completely remove the pipeline. This was told to them in front of me yesterday
afternoon.
John and Joy who look after the orphanage, have lodged a police complaint
regarding the damage of the pipeline, but there seemed to be a vested interest
from the officials reactions who have asked John to repair the pipe saying
it was a ‘mistake’. This has flatly been refused by John as it accepts the
damage done to the pipes by these people, and perhaps tomorrow the same miscreants
will come and cut the telephone lines or power to Morning Star. I fear a
threat to the lives of the inmates of the orphanage.
As the blasting of the granite is under court ruling which is scheduled
for the 2nd of February, Morning Star awaits the verdict of the judge. They
do not want to mix the cutting of the pipes with the blasting of granite.
But surely it will be used to show how pressure tactics are being used to
harass the Morning Star inmates into submission.
I request you to please take this serious issue up by visiting the Morning
Star, and see for yourself how they live and in what is the condition they
have to put up with now due to this harassment. If you would like, I am prepared
to accompany you to show you where Morning Star is located. Please help
these underprivileged children to survive.
Your Citizen Journalist,
Ronnie Johnson
Bangalore
Note1: The reporters from KannadaPrabha visited Morning Star
on 24th January, and published an article on the 31st January, 2007.
January 29th, 2007
Now, after this date, a lot of things happened!
First, the local Police Inspector came and visited Morning
Star at night and requested them to repair the pipeline saying that nobody
will cut the pipe in future. He was persistent, and so Joy and a few of
the boys from Morning Star went and repaired the pipe that was cut in three
places, not two as I thought. Of course, proper care and treatment was made;
chlorine was placed inside the pipes so that any contamination would be
arrested. Considering the amount of garbage stewed around, and the open pit
with stagnant water, it was quite a risk, but then the children also needed
the drinking water, and buying water was not all that practically economic
for them.
Secondly, John and Joy went to see their lawyer for the hearing
on the 1st February, and the case was postponed till the 19th February. The
granite people against whom the case was put, wanted a copy of documents
filed, and so the judge requested John to give them a Xerox copy. While they
were taking the copies, these people under the pretext of wanting to see the
originals, snatched the file from John and tore all the documents in the
files. This was a shock for John, as it expressed the extent of intimidation
that the granite mafia would resort to. John then filed an FIR (First Information
Report) on the instructions of the Judge who was hearing the case, as John
rushed back inside the Courtroom and approached the Judge, reporting what
happened. So now the granite people have two FIR’s filed against them, one
for cutting the water pipes, and then for destroying and assaulting John,
that too in the Court premises.
The above stories were sent to the Press, especially to the main newspapers
of the city, but only Mid-Day newspaper, called up and I volunteered to take
them to the orphanage, and they were taken up by the children, interviewing
them, getting the facts directly from innocent mouths, children told them
stories of how much they were frightened by the loud blasting, (apparently
one of the challenged children Krishna collapsed after a blast and never recovered),
the children also showed the damage to their
building
walls where the cracks appeared
. The journalists empathised with them and wrote a beautiful article the
next day. This came out as a front page with headlines
Orphans Face Quarry Terror
’ and continued on page 6
of the paper. Thanks to Savie Karnel
and photographer Satish
B.
These are some of the 'special'
children of Morning Star. They are all challenged, some of them physically,
some also mentally. They need attention all the time and also a lot of water
to take care of their uncontrolled activities. During the time of the blasting
these children used to get very nervous, and it still can be seen on their
faces, espically when the group of people came to the gates of Morning Star
demanding that they sign that the quarry did not affect them. When the water
was cut, these children were very sensitive to the tension that was obviously
carried into Morning Star, and it still shows on their faces.
Now, tell me, after seeing these children, can you tell me if they deserved
to be treated like this by the quarry people? Should their drinking water
sources have been cut off? Because Morning Star is a small organization
they are treated to this intimidation activity by the granite mafia, but
you visitors can tell the world how challenged children are being oppressed
indirectly just because they stand up for their rights.
Now you wonder how we still remain ‘third-world’ when part shows ‘first’
with their software skills. Please do lend your support to John and Joy and
the Children of Morning Star, by sending a mail to them or calling them.
Email: morningstarblr@yahoo.com
, and the phone mobile: (091) 09880876085, landline
: (091 80) 28469840, or directly to the Press, and important newspapers,
bringing to their notice the injustice that happens in and around the city
of Bangalore.
Cheers
Ronnie
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