Press release dated 29/08/2019
Narmada Chunauti Satyagraha
Indefinite hunger strike of Ms. Medha
Patkar against rehabilitation drowning continues for the fifth day
10 more affected sit on indefinite
fast from today
Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh urged to end the fast
32
thousand families deprived of rehabilitation and the Prime Minister is elated at
the filling of the dam.
4 affected persons are also involved in the
fast.
Chhota Badda (Barwani) | The fast of Ms. Medha Patkar
under the "Narmada Challan Satyagraha" continued for the fifth day today. The
Chief Minister of the State urged Ms. Patkar to end the fast, which was rejected
in the absence of a concrete plan to rehabilitate the affected. Today, 10
affected people of Bhavati, Bijasan, Ganpur, Chhota Badda, Rajghat and Gangli
have also started indefinite fast, to strengthen the ongoing struggle.
It is
worth mentioning that indefinite satyagraha began on the 25 August 2019 in
Chhota Badda in Barwani district against rehabilitation illegal drowning. Due to
the insensitivity of the Center and the Government of Gujarat, thousands of
families in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat are forced to face drowning
without policy-driven rehabilitation. The Narmada Control Authority (NCA), a
central government agency, is deliberately trying to drown the peasant-tribal,
Kewat-Kahar, cattle herders, potters, landless laborers without rehabilitation
by increasing the water level.
At present, rehabilitation of 32 thousand
affected people is remaining in Madhya Pradesh itself. Hundreds of families in
Maharashtra and Gujarat are also waiting to be rehabilitated. In this way, it is
unacceptable to risk the lives of millions of people living in the submerged
area.
Although the Kamal Nath government of Madhya Pradesh has started a
process of dialogue with the movement, the Gujarat government and the NCA – who
ordered to raise the water level – have not responded to the clear mass-killing
effort being done in this planned manner.
Yesterday, the State Home
Minister Shri Bala Bachchan had reached Chhota Barda, urging Ms. Patkar to end
her fast and promised to take action on the demands of the
satyagrahis.
After this late in the evening, Chief Minister Mr. Kamal Nath himself spoke
to Ms. Patkar and requested her to end the hunger strike. Ms. Patkar refused
both requests as both leaders did not make a firm point of controlling the water
level to a certain level so that the affected families could reside safely in
their villages till rehabilitation.
Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh authorities continue to spread lies about the
rescue operation. Mr. Klesh, SDM of Kukshi, has claimed to save more people than
the total number of affected. However, the authorities are forcibly evacuating
the affected from the villages in the name of rescue operations.
The central and Gujarat governments remain silent on this humanitarian
tragedy. But the Prime Minister has also crossed all limits of decency. The
Prime Minister tweeted that Sardar Sarovar's water level reached 134 meters and
asked the countrymen to enjoy the beautiful view. This tweet of the Prime
Minister is like sprinkling salt on the wounds of 32 thousand families of
Narmada Valley without being rehabilitated. Such irresponsible behavior was not
expected from the Prime Minister of the country.
The movement demands that -
• The water level of Sardar
Sarovar should be kept constant at 122 meters till rehabilitation of all the 32
thousand affected is completed as per policy.
• The permission granted by the NCA to fill the dam to full
reservoir level of 138.68 meters should be kept in abeyance until all the
affected are rehabilitated.
• The affected population of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat
should be rehabilitated by providing complete civic amenities and means of
livelihood before submergence.
• All data and documents related to rehabilitation should be made public
on the website so that new corruption can be curbed.
• Rehabilitation, environmental protection and other expenses should be
recovered from the Government of Gujarat.
• The Satyagrahis resolved that if the government continued to increase
the Narmada water level, the struggle would be further intensified.
Bhagirath Dhangar, Narendra Yadav, Rehmat Mansuri, Hukum Jat, Devisingh
Tomar, Mahendra Tomar, Bhagiram Yadav, Pemal Bahn, Kamla Yadav, Medha
Patkar
Contact Rohit Singh
6263663379, Rahul Yadav
9179617513
--
===============================================
National
Alliance of People’s Movements
National Office : 6/6, Jangpura B, Mathura
Road, New Delhi 110014
Phone : 011 24374535 Mobile : 09818905316
Web
:
www.napm-india.org |
napm...@gmail.com
This mailing list is for dissemination of news and views on
the communities struggles in India defending their land, water, air, rivers from
hungry predatory corporations, policy formulations, announcements on struggles,
action alerts and request for support.
Groups "National Alliance of
People's Movements" group.
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
"National Alliance of People's Movements" group.
To unsubscribe from this
group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to
.
.