Hrushikesh (@Reashiee) / X

Hrushikesh

1,930 posts

Hrushikesh

@Reashiee

Lawyer/ Independent Journalist. LSE 24-25 #CheveningScholar 24-25 , Laadli 2022 and 24, QoC-CANSA Climate Fellow 2023. Views are Personal.

London

Joined April 2024

Hrushikesh
@Reashiee
Aug 31, 2024
Yesterday PM Modi laid the foundation stone for India’s largest deep water port: the Vadhavan Port Project, but the ceremony was not held in Vadhavan, where the port is actually proposed. It was held in Palghar, around 30 km away from Vadhavan. Why you may ask? Stay with me 🧵
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Hrushikesh
@Reashiee
Aug 31, 2024
Replying to @Reashiee
Yesterday Local Fishermen, Adivasi Communities and Farmers led massive demonstrations against the proposed project which is poised to destroy their livelihoods and destroy sensitive ecology of the area. Fishermen were leading the protest with a boat rally in the sea
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Hrushikesh
@Reashiee
Aug 31, 2024
Replying to @Reashiee
Women were at the forefront of this demonstration. They waived blag flags, ask PM Modi to cancel the ceremony and consider their demands to protect Vadhavan coastal area and local ecology.
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Hrushikesh
@Reashiee
Aug 31, 2024
Replying to @Reashiee
The area is home to around 5-6 Thousand fishermen families. Women are employed in the fishing related jobs. The coastal area has around 3 thousand boats. These areas are thriving because of vibrant fishing communities and farmers.
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Hrushikesh
@Reashiee
Oct 3, 2024
I’ll repeat it again, you need to have 0 knowledge of Law, Policy, Social Sciences or even basic journalism to be the editor in today’s Indian media, you just need two things: Network and the ability to sell yourself to the power.
pallavi ghosh
@_pallavighosh
Oct 2, 2024
Replying to @Syyeda_
Paroles are given by court
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Hrushikesh
@Reashiee
Aug 31, 2024
Replying to @Reashiee
The reason you see so many powerful female voices from the protests in Coastal area in Maharashtra is because the nature based livelihood has given them the autonomy, has given them power to be self sufficient. These women are the powerhouses of these protests.
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Hrushikesh
@Reashiee
Aug 31, 2024
Replying to @Reashiee
Anticipating the massive demonstration across Vadhavan, the government decided to absurdly carry out the foundation ceremony in Palghar. While the Vadhavan area was reverberating with the chants of ‘Modi Go Back!’ And ‘ एकच जिद्द वाढवण बंदर रद्द’, the government hastily carried
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Hrushikesh
@Reashiee
Aug 31, 2024
Replying to @Reashiee
Out the ceremony. The protest is not just for livelihoods, the protest is also for the rights of indigenous Koli and Adivasi community of the area to access the sea. The project will also pose threat to local ecology and environment.
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Hrushikesh
@Reashiee
Aug 31, 2024
Replying to @Reashiee
People have also sensed the danger of Climate change and extreme climate events arising out of it. The western coast of India has seen unusual numbers of cyclones in recent years. The rainfall pattern has changed as well. The coastal communities end up bearing the brunt of it.
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Hrushikesh
@Reashiee
Aug 31, 2024
Replying to @Reashiee
Mainstream media’s role has to be questioned here as well. There was no proper coverage of the protest on the television news channels. Every news channel was just propagating the same state narrative of employment and revenue, without mentioning the demands of the locals.
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Hrushikesh
@Reashiee
Aug 31, 2024
Replying to @Reashiee
Local newspapers were an exception with reports like these in Marathi.
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Hrushikesh
@Reashiee
Aug 31, 2024
Replying to @Reashiee
Protestors are massively disappointed in the opposition. Few protestors I spoke to, told me that none of the mainstream opposition parties showed up yesterday, despite the political nature of the foundation ceremony in light of upcoming state elections.
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Hrushikesh
@Reashiee
Aug 31, 2024
Replying to @Reashiee
While the mainstream media gave all day coverage to PM Modi’s speech where he apologised for the collapse of Shivaji Maharaj’s Statue in Malvan, it had no mention of the massive protests just a few kilometers away.
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Hrushikesh
@Reashiee
Aug 31, 2024
Replying to @Reashiee
Whether this ceremony was an election gimmick or not, only time will tell, but people of Vadhavan are in for a long term fight for their land and sea.
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