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dam-l LS: Protesters Remain in Jail, Nir Jal Fast Continues
Narmada Bachao Andolan
B-13, Shivam Flats, Ellora Park, Baroda
Tel: 0265-382232 Email: <nba@bnpl.com> <nobigdam@bom4.vsnl.net.in>
_______________________________________________________
Press Note - 9.3.00
People continue to be in the Jail
Chittaroopa Palit enters the second day of her nir jal fast
Over 350 men and women, assaulted and arrested by the police at
Maheshwar yesterday continue to be in different jails, at Badwani,
Khargone and Maheshwar. NBA leader Chittaroopa Palit enters the
second day of her nir jal fast without food and water. Her condition
is said to be deteriorating. Others who are in jail are high in
spirits, though they have been cruelly assaulted and manhandled by
the police yesterday.
Meanwhile, protest letters and resolutions are pouring in from
different parts of the country and the world. Notable among them are
the National Alliance of People's Movements, Samajwadi Jan Parishad,
Association for India's Development and others. Janpat Panchayat of
Mandaleshwar, Zilla Panchayat member from Khargone Shri Shanker
Patidar and BJP Mandal of Maheshwar have faxed their protest
statements to the Governor of Madhya Pradesh.
Around 5-6 foreigners, who later identified themselves as officers
from [Swiss-Swedish engineering multinational] Asea Brown Boveri
(ABB), visited the dam site today. When the senior activists Karuna
and Mangat went to meet them and tried to talked to them, the
henchmen of S.Kumars pushed and dragged them and later taken them
away in a car and dropped at a far off place. It is now clear that
the action carried out by the Government yesterday is to make the
visit of these ABB officers 'smooth' and to appease the corrupt
S.Kumar company. To hide the fact that dam affected people are
strongly opposing the project, and are not willing to leave their
land and villages at any cost. Manhandling the peaceful agitators and
misbehaving with the women on the Internatioal Women's Day, cannot be
the way to placate the national and international exploiters.
A protest rally was taken out in Badwani by the people affected by
the Sardar Sarovar Project today. The notable include Mohan Patidar,
Jaganath Patidar and Medha Patkar. They marched to the Collectorate
and urged him to convey their strong protest against the inhuman and
irrational action of police yesterday at Maheshwar, demanding
unconditional release of all the arrested people and implementing the
Task Force report.
It should be noted that since last 24th, Narmada Bachao Andolan -
men, women and children, who are affected by the monstrous Maheshwar
Dam - is on a peaceful dharna at the gate of dam site. The demand of
the people on the indefinite sit in includes the stoppage of the work
on the project and revoking the environmental clearance to the
project. This demand is based on the recent report of the Ministry of
Environment and other Ministries, which clearly accepts that there is
no land for rehabilitation of the project-affected people. This
report of the Ministries recommend that in order for the ministry to
take a decision on whether to revoke the environmental clearance, the
project authorities must be asked to identify and demonstrate
sufficient agricultural land for the rehabilitation of the oustees
within three months. We also demand that the Government of Madhya
Pradesh should cancel the project and implement the alternatives
recommended by the Task Force constituted by the Government itself,
some months back.
The people are determined to take the struggle ahead, in spite of all
the repressive measures of the Government. From all these, they will
strengthen their resolve to fight till the land and houses of
thousands are saved and the state and country is saved from the
clutches of national and international forces.
(Alok Agrawal)
PS: Just now we received message that the Jails have received release
orders for all the arrested.