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Re: dam-l possible discussion topics concerning one list member and Dams in India

Dear Dianne,

Just to update things from here.

Medha Patkar, Baba Amte and over 2500 people who were arrested on 7th of this
month were released on the same day at various places in Delhi. I thought that
came out clearly from the newspaper reports I sent arround. The next day, the
Union minister for Social justice and Empowerment, Ms. Maneka Gandhi did meet a
delegation of about 25 people from the ralley of people. However, Medha could
not meet them as in early hours of that day, her father expired and she had to
rush to Bombay. The minister agreed with the delegation that there are serious
problems about resettlment and rehabilitation, about which her ministry is
responsible and agreed to appoint a three member team of senior officials to go
and do indepndent assessment of ground realities. The team left for field
yesterday, but the latest is that under pressure from Gujarat Govt, the Prime
minister has declared that there is no need for such a team or independent
assessment. This only shows that the government is so much afraid of an
independent assessment (actually it is not even independent as only govt
officials were going to do it) even R&R issues. In any case, the prime minister
had no business of stopping the central ministry from doing what is according
to the Supreme court and Narmada tribunal, its statutory duty.

Baba Amte (He is already 85 years of age, has had more than one by pass surgery
and is living on pace maker, who cannot seat, but only can stand or sleep), was
dumped in an open ward in an hospital by the police on 7th. In protest, he
remained there without food till next afternoon, when the senior police
officials went to the hospital to apologised and took him back to where he was
arrested. He is now sick due to this whole episode and in hospital.

So this is just a brief update to clarify matters. The case comes up for
hearing in Supreme Court on 15th of this month.

Sincerely,
Himanshu.

Dianne Murray wrote:

> 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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