Save Sundarbans: Global Day of Protest on January 7

sunderbans

To preserve the Sundarbans’ outstanding universal value, the National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports has called for a Global Day of Protest for the Sundarbans on January 7, 2017.

The call for this Global Day of Protest was made during a grand rally that took place on November 26th, 2016 in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, organized by the National Committee and attended by more than 15,000 people from different parts of the country.

“We believe the observance of a global day would strengthen our unity, uphold our common spirit, and take our struggle to a new level to protect the mother-nature from the disastrous profit hungry projects,” said the National Committee  in a statement.

“The global solidarity would also open up the opportunity to create worldwide awareness for environment and ecology-friendly power generations and sustainable development that put people and environment before corporate profit,” the statement further said.

The joint project of PDB (Bangladesh) and NTPC (India) to build the 1320 MW Rampal coal-fired power plant poses a deadly threat for the survival of the Sundarbans.

In addition, a range of national and international vested interest groups have been invited to grab forest land and set up hundreds of commercial projects in and around the Sundarbans.

This not only puts the livelihoods of at least 3.5 million people at risk, but it makes the lives of around 50 million coastal people vulnerable to natural disasters as the Sundarbans also represent a natural safeguard against frequent cyclones, storms and other natural disasters in the country.

Along the 5 years of existence of the popular movement for the cancellation of the Rampal Power plant, people around the world have expressed their solidarity for the campaign to save Sundarbans.

The call for the Global Day of Protest for the Sundarbans asks activists, environmental groups, political parties and people around the world to join this cause by expressing solidarity and taking up various forms of activities, including:

  • Staging demonstrations/human chains and sending written appeals to the embassies of Bangladesh and India
  • Organizing cycling rallies, boat rallies, or creating theatre plays, songs, cartoons, masks
  • Making appeals to United Nations
  • Campaigning and sharing information with international press/media
  • Sending protest/solidarity video messages.

Article source: 350.org

Image source: Lonelyplanet.com

[email protected]