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dam-l LS: Narmada Satayagrahis Released, Fast to be Withdrawn
NARMADA BACHAO ANDOLAN
B-13, Shivam Flats, Ellora Park, Baroda-390007 (Ph. 0265-382232)
Camp: 16, Ashoknagar, Dhule- 424001 (Ph. 02562-34519, 37367)
_____________________________________________
Press Release/ Oct. 5, 1999
NARMADA SATYAGRAHIS RELEASED BY NANDURBAR COURT
Dharna and Fast by Medha and Others to Be Withdrawn on Wednesday
The Nandurbar sessions court today ordered release of 376 villagers and
activists of Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) on personal bond, after 13 days
in the Dhule jail. The order on Tuesday ( 5th Oct.), has paved the way for
ending the four day old fast by Medha Patkar and her six colleagues against
the injustice. Meanwhile, the people in the Narmada valley and the
detainees who will be freed on Wednesday, will held a major rally in Dhule
before returning back to their villages.
The sessions court order came after an adverse order from the lower court
at Taloda on Monday (4th) which denied the release of the detainees. The
judge offered the release of the satyagrahis on the bail of Rs. 3000 each.
The NBA refused to oblige and challenged the order in Sessions court today.
The order came during eleven-day old dharna by hundreds of adivasis and
peasants from the Narmada valley and the indefinite fast by Medha Patkar
and her six colleagues that was started on October 2.
Apart from hundreds of people from the various parts of the Narmada valley,
number of representatives of organisations from Kerala, Bengal, Delhi,
Karnataka, Gujarat, Maharashtra participated in the Dharna.
This period was also marked by the baseless allegations by the Chief
Minister of Maharashtra, Mr. Narayan Rane against the NBA and Medha Patkar.
NBA has refuted these allegations with detailed facts and analysis. It
declared the decision to issue the legal notice through the lawyer to Mr.
Rane. A delegation of the supporters of NBA met the Deputy Chief Minister
Mr. Gopinath Munde on Monday in Dhule and asked him why the state
government was bent upon repressive police action as against the NBA's
demand for a discussion through any higher official. However, the
government again chose to deal with the satyagrahis through the police. The
people have been demanding, even from the jail, that the Chief Minister
must prove the availability of the 2200 hectares land for rehabilitation
which has been repeatedly claimed by him during last some days. The
satyagrahis were previously arrested from Domkhedi, where they were daring
the submergence in the neck deep waters.
As the satyagrahis were in the jail and the dharna was going on the
solidarity programmes were organised in Nashik, Nagpur, Chennai, Dhule and
other parts of the country. The Dhule action has once again exposed the
falsehood of the government of Maharashtra regarding the resettlement and
displacement aspect.
Prof. Shyam Patil Shripad Dharmadhikar y
Sanjay Sangvai