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DAM-L LS: Medha Patkar and 7 Others Begin 5-Day Diwali Fast (fwd)
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subject: LS: Medha Patkar and 7 Others Begin 5-Day Diwali Fast
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NBA Press Note 25.10.2000
Medha Patkar and others begun fast.
Appeal to Civil Society to Stand by Justice
As a symbolic gesture of protest against the denial of justice, and
to mark the beginning of a new phase of the struggle Medha Patkar and
7 others have started a 5-day fast today in Bhopal which is also an
appeal to the civil society to stand by justice and deny injustice.
Medha Patkar will also be observing maun (silence) through out the
day, except for 2 ours of talk in the evening.
Young activist Mamata Rajesigh (Vill. Ekalwara), Manorama Patel
(vill. Balgao), Gita bahen and Mahadev Patidar (vill. Badada), Kamala
Patidar (Vill. Pathrad, Mahesshwar dam affected), Leela bahen (Vill.
Nisarpur) and Mohan Kumar (supporter of the Andolan from Kerala) are
others who are on the 5 day fast.
Addressing the few hundred representatives from Nimad and tribal
areas affected by Sardar Sarovar Project, representatives of
Maheshwar and Bargi affected people along with supporters from
different parts of the country, Kamla Patidar said that the recent
judgement of the Supreme Court, allowing to raise the dam is not
acceptable to the people of the Narmada Valley and numerous people
who are affected by the cascade of dams here. All of them will join
hands to oppose injustice and will fight to save the valley from
devastation”. Raniya bhai, a senior representative from Mukhadi
(Maharashtra) said “We, the tribals will not succumb to the designs
of the state. We have faced many betrayals in the past. Even at this
present juncture we will gather more strength and fight on...”
A statement was released by the people observing fast which is
attached below. More and more organizations from Madhya Pradesh and
other parts of the country will join the struggle and have sent
solidarity messages.
Statement by people on fast
‘Narmada ghati kare saval, jeene ka haq ya maut ka jaal? (The Narmada
Valley asks; right to life or trap of death?) was the slogan that
rose in 1990, but it has acquired a deeper meaning for the struggle
today. The future of adivasi, farmers, fish-workers and farm
labourers living on the banks of the Narmada river for generations,
will now be decided. Despite the ‘final’ decision of the highest
court over the land, the right to life is with the people.
During the first 10 years of struggle, people had to go to different
courts at several times. But it was in 1994, people decided to go to
the judiciary demanding a comprehensive review of Sardar Sarovar
Project - to expose the horrifying human and environmental impacts,
blatant violation of fundamental rights granted by the Constitution
and the process of ‘developmental planning’ which excludes people at
every stage of planning and implementation. But instead what we got
through the Court is complete neglect of complex reality,
non-recognition of the rights and illogical, self-contradictory
judgment that hail large dams without sound reasoning! We cannot
accept this.
We, who respect justice, judicial system, and who want to strengthen
the judiciary, consider this verdict as a big setback. Natural
resource based communities have always been at the receiving end for
the prevalent model of development. The capitalist forces are making
all attempts to crush people’s movements, who aspire for bringing
true democracy, through the participation and power of farmers,
labourers, adivasis and others, belonging to the oppressed and down
trodden classes. This court verdict has only enhanced promotion of
flawed water policy of large dams that proceeds at the cost of
destroying people and the nature. Nor did they ensure safe drinking
water to the millions in the last 50 years.
Allowing the height of Sardar Sarovar Project to be raised from 88mts
to 90 mts. is complete violation of the Narmada Tribunal Award. State
governments which have been able to relocate just 20 to 25 % affected
people in 20 years (1979-2000) are themselves saying that they do not
even have enough land to rehabilitate people affected at the present
height of the dam.
The Govt. of Madhya Pradesh which has maximum number of affected
people, did not stand firm on demanding a complete review of the
project. Instead, it took a compromising stance of reducing the
height of the dam to 436 ft. and preparing itself towards offering
cash compensation (instead of land for land) and hence failed to
protect farmers and adivasis’ interests.
Then how come this judgment? Who will take the responsibility of
destroying cultural and biological diversity nurtured in the tribal
villages, their community life, the most fertile lands in western
Nimad, the human tragedy that will caused by destroying these
thriving villages.....? What about the catastrophic ecological
impacts in the upstream and the downstream of the river valley and
the command area of the dam? What about the injustice on drought
affected regions of Kutchch and Surashtra which is at the tail end of
canal system and which will remain high and dry..... ? They have been
cheated by false promises while allotting meager share of SSP waters.
Who will encourage small, decentralised real solutions to drought in
Kutchch?
It is only due to the 15 year long people's struggle that the court
could not allow construction beyond 90 mts. all that easily. They
have underlined and restated Tribunal's conditions and the
preconditions for mitigating the social and environmental impacts.
But by delivering this verdict, the Court has entrusted the
responsibility of monitoring rehabilitation and environment on the
government agencies themselves (whose failure to comply those have
led people to Court) and thus clearing the path of raising the dam
height to 139 mts., which is injustice. For people to suffer this in
the name of development, for the sake of glitter in cities, is not
acceptable. People are bound, not by law but by life. And hence
people cannot think of any other option but to fight till their last
breath, and that is what we have decided.
This year during five days of Diwali, we are observing fast against
the conspiracy to force people in the Narmada valley with darkness.
This fast is not just against violation of people's right to life,
but also an appeal to the civil society to save the Narmada Valley
and be with us in this time of battle for life. The President of the
country and the Governor of this state, entrusted with special
responsibility for tribal areas, can still intervene to protect the
tribal area, which is first to be threatened by submergence. If
people stick to their determination, voice of the downtrodden, who
are crushed in the name of development and globalisation, is sure to
rise, upholding their right to life and replace inequity inherent in
consumerism by equity. By observing silence (maun) during these five
day long fast, have taken the challenge of a just and sustainable
development, not just in the Sardar Sarovar region or in the Narmada
valley, but all big dams in the country. We are preparing ourselves
to save the valley from the death trap by rising to the ultimate
moral plain of our non-violent struggle.
Medha Patkar
Geeta bahen, (Vill. Badada, Tal. Thhikri)
Mahadev Patidar, (Vill. Badada, Tal. Thhikri)
Manorama Patel, (Vil. Balgao Tah Kasaravat))
Mamata Raje Singh, (Vill. Ekalvara, Tah. Manavar
Leela Behen, Vill. Nisarpur, Tal. Kukshi
Kamala Patidar, Vill. Pathrad, Maheshwar dam affected
Mohan Kumar, Kerala
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