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dam-l Visit of Digvijay Singh to Maheshwar
Dear Friends,
Following a brief (??) report on the visit of Shri Digvijay Singh, Chief
Minister of MP to the Maheshwar Dam area. It may be recollected that
this visit had been organised under the intervention of the National
Commission for Women.
For those desiring a short cut, please see last few paras, starting
with the speech of Digvijay Singh to get the conclusions (and the first
few). The rest is for those needing details and the flavour of the
meeting.
Shripad, NBA
Report ________________________
The Chief Minister visited the Maheshwar area on 17.6.98 to hold what
was called tripartite discussions with NBA / other parties, NCW and the
GOvernment. The Chair of the NCW Ms Mohini Giri, and MEmebrs Dr. Saidaa
Hamid (who had visited Maheshwar area earlier) and Ms. Padma Seth were
also present. NBA representatives included Medha Patkar, Alok Agarwaal,
Chittaroopa Palit, Shripad and of course all main representatives from
the villages. Also present was a team from the reputed university Tata
Institute of Social Sciences (Mumbai) headed by Dr. S.Pararshuraman. The
TISS team has just completed a study on the Displacement and
Rehabilitation Issues in Maheshwar Dam. From the GOvernment, apart from
the CM, Shri Subhash Yadav, Deputy CM, Ms Vijaya LAxmi Sadho, local MLA
and minister for TOurism, Shri SC Behar, Advisior to CM and Chair of
the Task Force, and all the senior officials were present. ALso present
were Shri Vikas and Mukul Kasliwaal, owners of S.Kumars and senior
company officials.
The NCW first visited Baba Amte and then came to Mandeleshwar town. They
wanted to meet the women before the main meeting. The NBA had taken out
a rally on the same morning, converted later into a public meeting. The
NCW members came to this meeting and spoke with the women, trying to
understand their grievances, why they are struggling. the in\justices
done to them and the treatment by the State.
The meeting with the Chief Minster was also like a public meeting with a
large contingent of press and many local people also present.
The meeting began with S.Kumars and MPEB making presentations on the R&R
issue. Vikas Kasliwaal said that he and his brother had returned from the
US after studying at Harvard and were taking up this project because
"they wanted to do something for the country". He said he had offered
to ALok to work together to in a common endeavour of seeing the good
of the country (which he interpreted as working for rehabilitation of
the people) but ALok replied that NBA wanted a review of the project.
(which he somehow did not think was for the good fo the country). It is
now a matter of "dharma(yudhha)" (war of duty) - let them do their
dharma, we will do ours, and let us see on whose side Krishna is.He said
that NBA had put so many obstruction in their way over the last months,
but they had remained steadfast in their determination.
Shri Jain of SMHPCL gave an outline of what they are doing for R&R (the
preparation of land at Samrajya) and how they are ready to acquire land
at 15 other villages if Government gave them permission. They called on
the Govt. to strengthen the hands of the local administration to ensure
law and order. He also called upon the local NGO to help them in
rehabilitation. He also said they wanted to give information to the
local people but they were not allowed to go in the villages as there
were boards put up saying that "PRoject Officials are not allowed".
MPEB officials briefly recounted step taken for rehabilitation.
Alok Agarwaal, speaking on behalf of NBA pointed out the many issues
raised in context of the project, including the issue of the viability of
ht project. He emphasized that if the people were being asked to
sacrifice in National interest, they had a right to ask that this
national interest be established to them thru a participatory process.
This is exactly what the Task Force was expected to do. He also
explained the long and frustrating process that people went thru in
the initial year of the struggle when they tried to seek information and
participation from the GOvt. and the company and neither was forthcoming.
Ultimately, the people announced the occupation of the dam site on the
11 Jan. and on 10th Jan. the company printed some leaflets and
distributed to the villagers. Obviously the people were angry. He also
explained that now the people wanted that any dialogue goes thru the
organizations they would not like to talk individually with the
Government but as a group. Hence the boards outside the villages.
He also explained that NBA had taken the Task Force process seriously
and had attended the meetings etc. but the betrayal by the GOVt. in
starting the work had led them to start the agitation; even after that,
the participation in the TF continued but the agitation took away a lot
of their time. He appealed for the Govt. to give the TF process a proper
chance and stop the work till then. He said that if the project could
wait so many years for the clearance of the Central Electricity
Authority and the Ministry of Environment, why could it not wait for a
few months for the people's clearance ?
He also explained i detailed how the R&R program was in total shambles.
He pointed out that even those people who had been displaced so far
had not been given land in spite of being displaced 10-few years ago
and the policy clearly specifying so. Many had been reduced to being
totally landless. He also pointed out that just because the company
publishes a booklet titled "R&R Plan" it does not mean there is a plan.
In the the so called Plan, for example the land availability shown is
bogus. The land shown as GOvt. land is either on the river bank and
likely to submerge, or is already encroached. THe land shown a private
land is just a figure mentioned - no owner has bee contacted for
actually checking if they are willing to sell the land. The land shown
as available is also scattered and not suitable for community
resettlement. The land actually being prepared for resettlement of Jalod
village is a rocky piece of land, being made cultivable by putting soil o
top. While people of Jalood have rejected this, many families who were
originally cultivating it (albeit with a very poor crop) or using it a
grazing land have been displaced.
Two local sarpanch (elected village heads) also spoke saying that even
the panchayat as the elected local body had not been given any
information about th project, submergence, rehabilitation etc. One of
them also said that in spite of the boards out side the village, he had
personally invited the company officials to come and speak to the people
in his village Amlatha, but they have not responded.
The Chair of the Women's Commisison, Ms Mohini Giri said that it is sad
that such repression has taken place on women. They said that the most
important thing is the trust between the people and the Government, and
she hoped that this can be built up once again.
Shri Behar described the process of the TF and said that good progress
was being made till some time back.
Medha Patkar also spoke on the long process of the struggle and how
this had led to the review and how this was bring out a range of
alternatives which represented the alternative vision itself. She also
emphsised how this was important not only for the Maheshwar project but
for th whole Narmada Valley. She said that NBA had been taking the TF
process very seriously and had attended all meetings except on on 23-24
April where it did not attend o the first day because of the police
action and repression, but attended on the second day and in spite of
grave provocation (in terms of continued repression, statement of the CM
in the Assembly that the Maheshwar project would be built in any case)
expressed continued support and participation in the TF process.
Shri Digvijay Singh said that the Govt. had not gone back on its
promise, and the construction going on was only for the protection wall.
He repeated that no other construction would be allowed till the Task
Force submitted its report. He also said that he was looking forward to
the report. However, he said that NBA was not taking the TF seriously
and had not attended many meetings - both contentions are false - as was
replied to by Medha.
After a long session, however, the conclusion was that the situation
remained as it was. The Govt. refused to stop the work on the wall, and
NBA reiterated that the agitation would go on till then.
Further, in a private meeting with the TF Chair later on, NBA reiterated
its commitment to the TF and it was decided that the Char would seek
an extension of the time limit, and the next meeting of TF was fixed for
3-4 July.
While the meeting did not seem to result in any change, we feel that the
following important gains were made :
1. The very fact that the CM came to Mandeleshwar was a victory for the
people.
2. It is clear that he is under severe pressure to keep the work on the
wall on, he made it clear that no other work would be started on the
project. In fact, he also strongly said that without proper
rehabilitation first, work would not be allowed. In fact, he also
admitted the state had failed in adequate R&R and also in transparency
at the Panchayat level.
3. The Women's Commission reiterated their stand that women should not
face the kind of treatment that was given by the State. Digvijay Singh
also said that the police official Mr. Anjana who was involved in the
worst repression has been transferred. NBA has asked for his suspensions
and a judicial enquiry.
4. The Women's Commission is still playing a very good role. The day
after the meeting, the Commission wrote to the CM saying that he should
reconsider the stand on the protection wall and that there should be no
repression on the Women.
Thus, the meeting was an important element in the process. However,
there has been some lack of communication at the end of the meeting, as
people angry at CM's refusal to stop the work shouted slogans and some
confusion resulted.
As a result the CM made an announcement to the press later on that he is
not going to extend the date for the TF as NBA is not cooperating with
the TF. He has been obviously wrongly briefed; and had not yet spoken to
the Chair of the TF with whom NBA had the private meeting. NBA is right
now in direct touch with him to clear the misunderstanding.
Shripad, NBA