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DAM-L LS: NBA PR on Cancellation Of Kalabagh Dam (fwd)



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Date: Fri, 1 Sep 2000 13:55:54 -0700 (PDT)
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subject: LS: NBA PR on Cancellation Of Kalabagh Dam
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NARMADA BACHAO ANDOLAN
B-13, Shivam Flats, Ellora Park, Baroda-390007 * 58, Gandhi Marg, Badwani, M.P.
Telefax: 0265-382232 and 07290- 22464.
Email: baroda@narmada.org;    medhapatkar@vsnl.com;    sanjay@narmada.org


Cancellation Of Kalabagh dam: A Victory for People in Pakistan
BOOST TO STRUGGLES AGAINST LARGE DAMS IN SOUTH ASIA

We congratulate the people of Pakistan, and particularly the people of 
Sindh province, for their victory in compelling their government cancel the 
ill-conceived Kalabagh dam and safeguard the life, resources and rights of 
the common people. It is the sheer determination, constant action and 
resistance on part of the people and the ingenuity of converting it into a 
larger issue for the nation, which made the government to take such an 
unprecedented step.

We appreciate the constant work done by the various activists, 
organisations and the affected people in Sinddh and other parts of 
Pakistan. Their work has compelled the political parties to join the 
protests against the dam. This is a classic example of how the people's 
politics can mould the conventional politics. This has also given a boost 
to the struggles in other parts of Asia, where the people have been 
resisting the unjust displacement and destruction. In the Narmada valley, 
people are resisting the Sardar Sarovar and Maheshwar projects. The people 
are prepared to face the unjust submergence in Narmada Satyagraha. The 
people's victory in Kalabagh reinforces the determination and resistance 
against the destructive dams in Narmada valley and elsewhere in Asia and 
Third World countries.

The people's movements in South Asia have been resisting the development 
fundamentalism of the political elite in the respective countries. The 
struggle in Narmada valley, against Kalabagh, Arun, Mahaveli, Pak Mun or 
other such Projects are the symptoms of such exploration of the sustainable 
and equitable development paradigm. The South Asian countries, including 
India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Bhutan, have to chart out 
the different course for the water management and the overall 
development.Only then the common people would have true liberty and freedom 
from the internal colonisation. This would safeguard already scarce natural 
resources of these countries.

The people in Sindh, and Pakistan in general, will have to be vigilant 
about the so called alternative arrangements, like Bhasha project- by the 
rulers. Still there may be a possibility of bring back the project through 
backdoor or having similar project elsewhere of equally disastrous 
proportions. This too will have to be resisted. It is the time for the 
organisations and people's groups to harp on the sane and sustainable 
solutions for the water and land management. We call unto the government of 
Pakistan, the WAPDA and other concerned agencies, to abandon the 
conventional ways of large dams for water and land management and implement 
the contemporary modes of sustainable, equitable and decentralized options, 
with the meaningful and decisive participation of the affected people and 
their organisations.

We call, here from the Satyagraha place on the banks of Narmada, for a new 
solidarity among all the people in South Asia, for a sane, equitable, 
sustainable and people oriented development and peace.

Baba Muhariya
Keshav Vasave
Seetaram Patidar
Medha Patkar


==========<medhapatkar@vsnl.com>==========


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