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dam-l LS: 135 arrested satayagrahis on fast, waters still rising
Press Note 19-9-99
Medha Patkar and 135 arrested from Pipalchop. Medha begins fast.
Satyagraha on at Domkhedi and Jalsindhi. Waters continue to rise.
One hundred and thirty five satyagrahis including Medha Patkar,
Devrambhai Kanera, Kamlubehen Yadav, Rania Daya, Noorji were arrested
from the lowest house at Pipalchop at 5:30 pm on 18-9-99 after being in
waist deep water for several hours. More than a hundred police barged
into the house, breaking a side wall of the house they were in and
dragged the satyagrahies out- manhandling the people in the process.
The 135 satyagrahis gave a strong fight and could be pulled out of the
house only by force. The arrested Satyagrahis have been taken to
Dhadgaon where Medha Patkar has started fast since yesterday itself in
police custody, till the waters continue to rise and till several
Satyagrahis at village Domkhedi and Sikka continue to be in 1.5 to 3
feet water at Domkhedi, Sikka and Bharad since yesterday. Meanwhile, all
the 135 arrested are sitting on a dharna in the police station, refusing
to eat and demanding that they be released and taken back to the
satyagraha centres.
Meanwhile, the Satyagraha at Domkhedi is going on with more than 400
people near the Satyagraha house in which the Samarpit dal is standing
in 1.5 feet of water since yesterday. The satyagrahis are also sitting
in the lowest house at Jalsindhi in MP, where the waters have come
close to the house. The satyagrahis arrested on 17-9-99, have been
released yesterday and they have once again joined the satyagraha at
Bharad, Domhkedi and Sikka. Several fields and houses have been
submerged in many villages in both Maharashtra and MP once again this
season causing serious damage.
As the waters continue to rise, people are joining the satyagraha from
the plains, the tribal villages, and even from the submergence area of
Maheshwar dam. Protest actions against this human made destruction took
place at Poona, Bombay, Bhopal, Nagpur and supporters from all over the
country are appealing to the Government to stop such destructive
development. Meanwhile, relay fast in front of the collector office at
Badwani, MP, has started since yesterday. In an important
development, representatives of several peoples movements ,
writers, students, artists, intellectuals from all over the country are on
a week long Yatra, having public meetings and programs
against SSP in different parts of the country and in support of NBA are
on their way to Delhi and will be meeting the President tomorrow at New
Delhi. They will appeal to the President to take note of
the serious situation in the valley and the violation of the rights of
thousands of tribal families due to the Sardar Sarovar Project and do
the needful immediately.
The cause of this submergence is not just the heavy rains at
Jabalpur and Hoshangabad but is compounded by release of waters from
Barna, Tawa and Bargi dams in large quantity in Madhya Pradesh and due
to the obstruction of these waters by the Sardar Sarovar dam in Gujarat.
The satyagraha in the Narmada valley against this destruction is on
since 20th of June with the resolve that people of the Narmada valley
will drown but not move. The people in more than 50 villages likely to
be affected due to the increase in the height of the SSP this year by
6.5 mts., have continued to stay in their homes inspite of the certainty
of submergence with the determination - No one will move, the dam shall
not be built. Men, women and children continue to face waters in these
villages that have been affected the second time this season. It shows
the determination of the people of the Narmada valley that they shall
drown but not flee. The Government had expected that the people will
flee like rats when the waters rise but in every village, man, women,
old and young with children are sitting in their houses and are ready to
face waters and are facing waters.
Reports say that the waters are still rising at the dam site and are
expected to rise further as more water is being released from the Bargi
dam and rains continue at Jabalpur and Hoshangabad. People in the
Narmada valley are ready to face any eventuality and will continue to
face waters but not move from their homes , lands and villages.
Nandini Oza.
Baroda.
19-9-99
12:30 pm.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
<www.narmada.org>
Shripad Dharmadhikary, Baroda: nba@lwbdq.lwbbs.net Tel +91 265 382232
Jharana Jhaveri, Delhi: janmadhyam@vsnl.com Tel. +91 11 2211851
Pervin Jehangir, Mumbai: jehangir@giasbmc.vsnl.net.in
Tel. +91 22 2184779 / 2185832
Venu Madhav Govindu, New Jersey : venu@narmada.org +1 609 951 2823 (o)
Patrick McCully, California: patrick@irn.org
Tel. +1 510 848 1155 (o) +1 510 528 2930 (h) +1 510 499 9778 (mobile)
Peter Bosshard, Switzerland: finance@evb.ch Tel. +49 1271 6425
Alex Wilks, England: bwref@gn.apc.org Tel. +44 171 523 2170