| Issue 22 Vol I, August 31, 2006 | Archive |
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Narmada Oustees Cry for Justice WE are all witness to the long, long battle on issues related to the Narmada dams and the Sardar Sarovar Project affected, in particular. Lakhs and lakhs of people in the Valley to be thrown out of their generations old habitations, environs - social, cultural, and economic, based on natural resources have always received your support, your solidarity - that has helped us carry on for over two full decades. Your presence and participation, during the March to May 2006 struggle in Delhi, was most valuable. While neither the Prime Minister, the Central Government nor the Supreme Court played their role or used their authority to stop devastation, protect Adivasis and farmers, and to question the false reports and affidavits, the people had to remain firm and determined to face come what may, assert their rights at least to just and fair rehabilitation as a precondition to dams and displacement. That is exactly what has happened since we went back to the Valley. The monsoon, heavy enough, has brought in flooding. If it is in more than one river valley in Western India this year, it is the dams that have contributed to the floods everywhere, as we all know by now. In the Narmada, the Sardar Sarovar, even though it has been stopped at 119 mts instead of 122 mts, has caused flooding, destroying land and everything associated with it, homes and hearths, trees and forests, gods and graves, agriculture and forest produce. It is certainly a killer wave that has tried to finish off the river valley civilization which is the oldest in the world. Can this be acceptable? Hundreds and thousands of Adivasis have become landless, many homeless but they have shown the tenacity and perseverance to build their own houses at a higher level up in the mountains, with small patches of farms left behind, all land drowned. They are the ones who have to continue with their struggle for survival. The government is almost absent in this region even today when the crisis is of survival, there are no proper rationing shops when even the right to food is at stake. The age old habitations in Alirajpur (MP), Akkalkuva, Akrani (Maharashtra) tehsils and some in Badwani (M.P.) are cut off from each other and much more isolated from the rest of the world today than they were before. There is no public transport. Private transport by machine boats is unaffordable. There are no schools (but for the Jeevanshalas of NBA), no dispensaries (except the honorary doctors put up by Government of Maharashtra in a few villages on a temporary basis, and the floating dispensary gifted by the European Commission to Maharashtra government, which is more stationary than mobile!). A few minimally trained health supervisors are in some villages in Alirajpur tehsil since the last few days, with meager medicine - not even any anti-snake venom. Snake and scorpion bite cases have zoomed and locating snakes and crocodiles which are yet to attack is becoming a full time occupation, since both the flora and the fauna are totally disturbed. There is no government service or government servant available except for some boats in M.P., which carry food supplies for police and government employees only. In Maharashtra, there are a few police patrols and some government employees and officials who move in barges, touch "satyagraha” centres for dialogue on limited issues and they have made some promises. The governments have no cultivable land to offer and hence thousands of families those who have already lost all their private holdings and much of their common property resource base as also the others who are threatened with immanent loss have no place to go. Still the Satyagraha is on. The Shunglu Committee Report has been criticized and an affidavit filed before the Supreme Court on this and the governments continue to be questioned, through one mass action after another. You cannot remain silent at this critical point. You, along with others, have helped us sustain the movement and spread our mission. We expect you to be with us in every way to challenge the system and the callous, criminal onslaught on communities that is happening across the country, the implementation of anti-people projects and plans, which benefit corporates, the political vested interests, the global market what not, by devastating the already poor and marginalizing them even further. Satyagraha is on the river bank in Chimalkhedi (Maharashtra), Bhitada (Jhabua District, M.P.) and in Chikhalda (near Badwani, M.P.) Please write in periodicals and disseminate information, build an opinion on displacement caused by development, by large dams and water policy, democratic processes of planning and other issues and challenges specific to the Narmada valley. Also, raise funds, in cash (Cheque/ DD) or kind, support and mobilize supporters as “Janasahayogis" so as to guarantee at least survival to the struggling Adivasis, who have lost their lands/homes but neither the spirit nor the struggle. We would earnestly request you to come to the Valley yourself and relate with those victimized - not just with your support but also your love. You should challenge the governments in the states and the centre, at whichever forum, question the representatives, and write letters, hold action programmes. And finally do suggest what else you think of and can act on, of course at the earliest, before more and more people - literally lakhs of them - all get drowned and lost at the altar of "development". Cheques/DDs can be made in the name of "Narmada Nav Nirman Abhiyan" and send to: Pervin Jehangir 261, Jupiter Apts, 41, New Cuffee Parade, Mumbai 400 005 Ph: 022-22184779 80G IS AVAILABLE. CONTACT: Priya priya@aidindia.org |
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