[Narmada Satyagrah] Narmada Bachao Andolan appeals all of you for some actions in your area on completion of 31 years of struggle and resistance on August 16, 2016.
napm india
Dear all,
For last 31 years, people affected by the Sardar Sarovar Dam project are struggling against illegal submergence and forced displacement. After continuous mass agitation, the state machinery was forced to recognize land, life and livelihood rights of lakhs of farmers, fisherfolk and adivasis whose villages and settlements will drown once the dam on river Narmada is built in Gujarat. Maximum damage will and is taking place in Madhya Pradesh. People organized as Narmada Bachao Andolan also took recourse to legal action and demanded that the dam should not be constructed. However, a fabricated cost-benefit analysis led to the construction of the dam. The costs have so far escalated from 4,200 crores to 90,000 crores. The perceived benefits that the dam will give water for irrigation to drought-affected areas of Kutch and Saurashtra also proved to be hollow. A Supreme Court decision in the year 2001, strictly instructed the state to not increase the height of the dam until rehabilitation of all the affected families is complete. In 2014, the newly elected Bharatiya Janata Party government swept aside the court order and proceeded with increasing the height of Sardar Sarovar Dam from 121.92 meters to 138.68 meters without ensuring if the rehabilitation was complete and satisfactory. Despite stiff resistance from people the dam continues to be constructed amidst heavy security. In reality thousands of families are still living precariously in their villages without compensation or rehabilitation in safer areas. The Prime Minister’s office has claimed that status of rehabilitation is now "zero balance" whereas Madhya Pradesh is withholding information of a massive scam (recently exposed also through Jha Commission Report) around the Sardar Sarovar oustees rehabilitation process from general public.
We, the people of Narmada Valley have thought upon various strategies to take the fight ahead and also build pressure on Govt. while sitting on Narmada Satyagraha and agreed that, there can be following follow up points/support actions by all across the country. We urge for your support and solidarity with the movement once again. Kindly respond and let us know about your plans.
1) On August 16th, when Narmada Bachao Andolan completes 31 years of the long journey through struggle and reconstruction, which is a special occasion. All our supporters may kindly plan some action - mass or group action – of one day fast preferably or handing over a memorandum to Chief Minister of the state/Governor/Collector/any Central Minister etc. on the day. You may link it with displacement in your state.
2) Initiate a letter campaign in your area/district/state, wherein organisations, groups, eminent person can write to the Prime Minister, Minister for Water Resources (Uma Bharti), Minister of Social Justice (Shri Thawarchand Gahlot), as well as CMs of M.P., Gujarat and Maharashtra.
3) Kindly issue statements on organisation’s letterheads and take appropriate measures to release and publicise those.
4) Do use social media along with the mainstream media to express your views, experiences, through writings, blogs, facebook, twitter etc.
5) Please do involve people around you as well as youths, by sharing films/documentaries on Narmada linking with other issues and struggles too. The latest of the documentaries on youtube are titled ‘Narmada Valley Revisited 1, 2…’, ‘Narmada Valley Rises’ as well as start interviews in ‘Narmada Chronicles’. There is another film ‘Schools of Life’ on youtube, which depicts NBA’s jeevanshalas. You can also show the film ‘Kaise Jeevo Re | How do i survive’ telling stories of people in early decades of Dam Construction. You may kindly use these to motivate youths and others to contribute to the Narmada Struggle in whichever way.
6) We are facing serious financial crunch although farmers of Nimad, Madhya Pradesh are taking much load and responsibility. Can you please take efforts to ask donors for contribution – before the submergence occurs.
Do suggest and plan any other action, programme or process of your choice that can help pressurising the power holders to address our demands which are as follows:
· Not to close the gates of Sardar Sarovar dam without completing rehabilitation of all submergence affected families
· No asset of any Project Affected Family (PAF) should be submerged without complete rehabilitation
· As per Land Acquisition Act 2013, the displaced should get back their ownership rights to their properties which were acquired before 2008 and on which is still in their actual physical possession
· The State Governments of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat should submit affidavits providing correct and accurate information on the true number of families left to be rehabilitated with land/livelihood and those who are still in the submergence villages and yet to be shifted to resettlement sites along with all civic amenities, as per rehabilitation and resettlement policy.
· The Jha Commission report on corruption around rehabilitation in Madhya Pradesh worth 1000-1500 crores should be immediately made available in the public domain and the hearings of High Court must be started immediately.
· Benefits from the Sardar Sarovar dam should be given to farmers, adivasis, and drought prone areas, instead of providing them to large private business, corporates such as coca-cola and automobile manufacturing companies.
Please let us know about your plan and any help you might need from our side.
In solidarity
Narmada Bachao Andolan
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