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dam-l Indefinite Dharna Against Arrests of NBA Activists
NARMADA BACHAO ANDOLAN
B-13, Shivam Flats, Ellora Park, Baroda.
(Contact Ph. Baroda 0265-382232; Dhule 02562-34519)
Press Release/ Dhule, September 25, 1999
INDEFINITE DHARNA IN DHULE AGAINST ARREST: NBA DEMANDS UNCONDITIONAL RELEASE,
DIALOGUE, COMPENSATION
Hundreds of adivasis and peasants from Narmada valley have launched the
indefinite dharna (sit-in) in front of Central Jail in Dhule ( Maharashtra), on
Saturday (25th) demanding unconditional release of about 375 men and women
arrested by the state government on Thursday (23rd), in Dhadgaon. They took out
the rally through the streets of the town braving the rains, while the groups
of village people continued to join in all day long.
They are also demanding revoking of the prohibitory orders under Section 144
of the Indian Penal Code, promulgated in Akrani tehsil preventing any mass
action against the
unjust submergence. The people, along with their supporters from Dhule,
Malegaon, Pune, Mumbai, Kerala, Karnataka have also demanded that the state
government must send some responsible and senior official to respond to the
basic issues regarding the submergence and displacement in the Narmada valley.
The people also demanded the assessment of the losses and destruction of farms
and houses due to the submergence.
The action follows the arrest and beating by the Maharashtra police of 375
tribal and peasant men and women, activists and supporters on September 23rd.
The police action is a sequel to the earlier action of taking in custody the
satyagrahis who were daring the neck deep submergence water in Domkhedi and
other villages. Among those arrested are the main activists like Dadlya
Karbhari, Noorji Padvi, Ranyabhhau Padvi, Luwariya Karbhari, Sitarambhai
Patidar, Devrambhai Kanera, Ashish Mandloi, Rvikumar, Dr. Sugan Baranth and
others.
"The Government of Maharashtra has arrested the Narmada satyagrahis not to save
them but to save itself from the responsibility to respond to the basic issues
raised by the people", said Medha Patkar while reacting to the claims made by
the state government officials regarding the Dhadgaon arrests. The arrest was
made after the people launched an indefinite dharna in Dhadgaon from September
22 to demand that the state government must send some senior and responsible
functionary to respond to the issues raised by the people. The government must
not hide behind the police action to sideline the basic reason behind the
satyagraha and talk with the people. However, the government has again chosen
the option of police action.
The Resolve And Reaction
The state government could not respond to the valiant struggle by the
satyagrahi people in the valley against the unjust submergence and
displacement. The "samarpit dal" ( Dedicated squad) of the satyagrahi,
including Medha Patkar, Devrambhai and Sitarambhai Patidar were in the neck-
deep swirling backwaters of the SSP submergence. They had asked other
satyagrahis to leave the place to take care of the future of the Andolan. The
police made a last minute appearance and made the arrestes after beating
the people.
When over 300 people were taken to Dhadgaon and released, they decided to
launch the dharna.
The way the Chief Minister of Maharashtra has reacted to the people's struggle
reflects his ignorance and misleading information provided by his officials
regarding the Andolan and its issues. We wonder whether he adequately
understands the seriousness of the life and death struggle by the satyagrahis,
staking their lives till the water came upto their necks in the swirling waters
of Narmada. He also did not the support base of the Andolan. Hs allegation that
the Andolan had encroached the land of the tribals is, to say least, comic and
his wishful thinking. Thereby, it seems, his advisers might be trying to
trivialise the issue of the earlier adivasi encroachers on the land earmarked
in Taloda and Akkalkua tehsils for the Narmada oustees. This is dangerous and
the Chief Minister must recognise that there has been a genuine problem of the
earlier encroachers, for which government's own policies have been responsible.
We reiterate that the claims of Government of Maharashtra regarding the
availability of the resettlement through the false affidavits in the apex court
have been exposed before the affected people in the valley. We assert that the
Chief Minister would not be able to break the people's movement as he had
recently claimed.
Meanwhile, the Andolan has received a message from the Prime Minister Atal
Behari Vajpayee, asking Medha Patkar and her colleagues not to resort to the
actions like 'Jal samarpan'. He conceded that the Narmada issue was a complex
one defying any facile solutions and rehabilitation issue a problematic one.
The Andolan would be responding to the concern shown by the Prime Minister. As
of now, suffice to say that such a complex issue needs to be addressed in a
democratic, participatory manner and be reviewed in a comprehensive manner
for the sake of the national interest. Any work on the dam and further
displacement of the people would make the issue more vexed.
The Satyagraha in Domkhedi is continuing with the villagers and supporters from
many parts of India camping in the village. The water had submerged the two
houses of Satyagraha in last week. Now, one hut is habitable and satygrahis
are camping there with the usual satyagraha chores.
Sanjay Sangvai