[sacw] Global Peace March 1999 - Update As On June 8

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South Asians Against Nukes Dispatch - June 8, 1999
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Global Peace March 1999 - Update As On June 8

The peace marchers have walked almost 500 kilometers - about one-third of
the total distance from Pokhran to Sarnath. They are walking one day ahead
of the original schedule. Today (June 8) the marchers reached the city of
Jaipur (capital of Rajasthan state in India). They will be in Jaipur for 2
days - June 8 and 9. There will be a press conference followed by a few
public meetings. Ex-Navy Chief Admiral L. Ramdas joined the march today.

There have been no disruptive incidents after Falaudi (May 16). Marchers
are holding public meetings in open atmosphere, showing films/exhibitions on
the nuclear disasters of Hiroshima/Nagasaki. Since the continuing fight
between Indian forces and Pakistani intruders in Kargil, marchers are
highlighting the futility of developing nuclear bomb. The nuclear tests by
India could not act as deterrent against Pakistan. If these bombs are used
by either side, there would be a large scale devastation of people, animals
and the environment in the two countries. Since N-bombs do not act as
deterrent and, in all possibility, would not be used, they are an heavy
burden on our economy and environment. People are gathering in large
numbers in spontaneous meetings (more than 500 people gathered near the
railway station in Makrana, and saw a film on Hiroshima disaster and slides
on ill-effects on health of people living near Rawatbhata N-Power Plant) and
responding favourably. Prime Minister Vajpayee's giving a prestigeous
environment award to the Rawatbhata Nuclear Power Plant recently on the
World Environment Day, highlights the hypocrisy of the Indian government and
its desperation to hide the actual data of health-effects on the
neighbouring population. Dr. Surendra and Dr. Sanghmitra Gadekar - nuclear
experts - have through a survey reported excessive (about 7-8 times than
normal) incidents of diseases like lung-cancer, skin-cancer, leukemia
(blood-cancer), born-leprosy, pregnancy defects, etc in population living
near that power plant.

At present the number of marchers walking is about 10. Your joining the
marcher soon will increase the morale of all the marchers. To join the
march within the next couple of weeks (ie, before June 25th), please get in
touch with:

Contact for the march in Jaipur:
Ms. Kavita Shrivastava, Jaipur, Phone: (0141) 591408 / 596925

OR

Place of stay of marchers in Jaipur on June 8 & 9:
Sanstha Sangh, Jaipur, Phone: (0141) 511123

OR any of the email addresses given below.

You could also talk to the marchers (ask for Dr. Sandeep) on phone today
(June 8) or tomorrow (June 9) by ringing any of the Jaipur numbers mentioned
above.

Sincerely,
Anil (On Behalf of Global Peace March)

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Email contacts for the march:
asha@l... (Arundhati, Lucknow)
anilpravakta@h... (Anil, Delhi)
bmrrpia@c... (Dr. Smita, Bombay)
vidhi_p@y... (Vidhi Parathasarathy, USA)
aravinda@u... (Aravinda, USA)

Web site for the peace march:
http://www.aidindia.org/peace

Web site for electronic signature campaign:
http://209.157.184.32/petitions/gpm.htm
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PLEASE PASS ON THIS MESSAGE TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE WHO
SUPPORT THE CAUSE OF PEACE AND DISARMAMENT

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