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dam-l possible discussion topics concerning one list member and Dams in India
Hello list members:
OK, I know this ends up usually being more of an information
sharing list than a discussion list, perhaps because people
don't know what to discuss or out of shyness or something else,
but in any event, I would like to start a discussion here. I must admit
I'm not entirely clear on whether I ought to frame this as a question
or what.
So let me start with facts. As some on dam-l will know, and
as I posted in some forwards to the list over the last week, one of our
members, Medha Patkar, has been arrested, along with her colleague,
Baba Amte.
For those who don't know, Medha is one of the leaders of
the Narmada Bachao Andolan [save the Narmada Movement:
I'm sure Himanshu Thakkar can correct me if I've mistranslated
that ;-]. She is also a memeber of the World Commission on Dams [WCD].
The arrest is as a result of her work on behalf of the adivahsis,
the indigenous farming peoples of the Narmada Valley. The valley
and the Narmada basin is one of India's most important food production
regions, which for reasons that frankly escape me [as with the
large-scale damming of the Yangtse River [Three Gorges Project,
or TGP], the Indian and Chinese governments, two of the most populous
nations on earth with a huge need for arable land, which is itself in
short supply] are willing sacrifice, though there is no comparable
arable land to replace the areas that are being flooded/ are to be flooded.
There are others on this list who are involved with the WCD [Achim Steiner,
for instance, who heads the commission up]. A WCD delegation was fairly
recently refused admission by the Indian government to inspect Sardar
Sarovar. :-/
It's not as if the WCD is a radical organisation -> The World Bank is
well represented on it and was instrumental in is formation. Still
they were unwelcome
I apologize for reinforming those on this list who already know
the situation and the players -> I am hoping that they might lead a
discussion concerning this! ;-)
I have a couple of ideas which may be fodder for discussion:
Feel free to shoot them down, steal them, whatever. <smile>
Do list members want to draft a letter to the Indian government
on behalf of Medha Ptakar and Baba Amte [who is spritually strong but
not exactly a triathalon candidate... :-( ] calling for their release and
asking that negotiations take place between th Indian government and all
of the displaced people?
How does the WCD, well, feel isn't quite the right word but I'm not
sure at this late hour how to put it...
about being tossed out on its ear and now having one of it's
members imprisoned somewhat on the heels of that?
Are there any plans on behalf of the WCD to do anything on behalf of Medha,
given their treatment by the Indian government?
-Dianne
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