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dam-l Guardian: Woman Power Halts Indian Dam
Woman Power Halts Work on Disputed Indian Dam
The Guardian, London, 13 January, 1998
It was a scene Mahatma Gandhi would have applauded. After months of secret
preparations, the 10,000 villagers traveled in complete silence at the dead
of night under a full moon.
Led by women and dodging police roadblocks by taking to little-known paths
between villages and through the forests, they reached their destination at
dawn. In the half light they streamed down the steep valley to the huge
partly-built dam on the Narmada river in Madhya Pradesh.
Within minutes they had surprised the few guards and cut radio
communications between the construction camp and the outside world. By
6:30 AM one of the largest peaceful sit-ins in Indian history had begun.
Details of the capture of the Maheshwar dam by villagers who will lose
their homes or land if the 100 ft high barrier is completed are still
sketchy, but reports from Delhi last night suggested that 25,000 protesters
were at the remote site.
"Thousands of people from other areas are pouring in. At least 2,000
people are preparing to stay indefinitely," said a spokesman for the
Narmada Bachao Andolan (Save Narmada Movement), which has been mobilizing
people against the project.
The Maheshwar dam is part of the 23 billion Narmada Valley Development
project, which involves plans for 30 big dams, 135 medium-sized dams, and
3,000 small ones in the valley.
The World Bank pulled out of the controversial project five years ago
because of fierce local and international protests against proposals that
would have displaced more than 100,000 people.
The 400 MW Maheshwar dam, the first privatized hydroelectric power project
in India, will submerge the homes of more than 2,200 families in 61
villages and destroy thousands of acres of cotton, chillies and wheat.
Opponents claim it will produce electricity for only a few hours a day, and
that it has quadrupled in cost in 10 years. They say they have received no
compensation and that the dam will destroy the economy of a large area.
The government of Madhya Pradesh says the project will bring electricity
and economic development to areas hundreds of miles away.
Protests against the damming of the Narmada began more than 10 years ago
and thousands of women have said they are prepared to drown rather than
move. This is the first time that all work has been stopped on one of the
dam sites.
"The people have taken over the blasting and construction works area. They
are demanding complete stoppage of all work on the dam and a review with
people's participation. The siege will continue until the demands are
met," said a spokesman for the Delhi Forum yesterday.
Digvijay Singh, the chief minister of Madhya Pradesh, tried to appease the
villagers. Speaking yesterday in the state capital, Bhopal, he called a
meeting for Thursday and officially halted construction until then.
This was rejected by the villagers, "We have not stopped the work, not
him," a villager replied. "We will not go until all work has been
permanently stopped."
On October 3, villagers staged a rally of 10,000 people in the area,
calling for work on the dam to be stopped and the project reviewed in
consultation with the people. They received no response from the project
or the government; in fact, the work was speeded up.
"The people have now decided that they have given enough warning. They
have now decided that they will themselves stop the work," a spokesman
said.
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Aviva Imhof
Mekong Program Coordinator
International Rivers Network
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