[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]
DAM-L LS: NBA Calls for Intensified Struggle (fwd)
----- Forwarded message from owner-irn-narmada@netvista.net -----
From owner-irn-narmada@netvista.net Mon Oct 30 15:18:22 2000
Return-Path: <owner-irn-narmada@netvista.net>
Received: from DaVinci.NetVista.net (mjdomo@mail.netvista.net [206.170.46.10])
by lox.sandelman.ottawa.on.ca (8.8.7/8.8.8) with ESMTP id PAA03404
for <dianne@sandelman.ottawa.on.ca>; Mon, 30 Oct 2000 15:18:10 -0500 (EST)
From: owner-irn-narmada@netvista.net
Received: [(from mjdomo@localhost)
by DaVinci.NetVista.net (8.10.0/8.8.8) id e9UJkI602504
for irn-narmada-list; Mon, 30 Oct 2000 11:46:18 -0800 (PST)
(envelope-from owner-irn-narmada@netvista.net)]
Date: Mon, 30 Oct 2000 11:46:18 -0800 (PST)
Message-Id: <200010301946.e9UJkI602504@DaVinci.NetVista.net>
subject: LS: NBA Calls for Intensified Struggle
Sender: owner-irn-narmada@netvista.net
Precedence: bulk
NARMADA BACHAO ANDOLAN
B-13, Shivam Flats, Ellora Park, Baroda, Gujarat. Telefax: 0265-382232
58, M.G.Road, Badwani, M.P. Tel: 07290-22464
----------
Press Note - 29.10.2000
Narmada Andolan, now for safeguarding the constitution of India.
After Bhopal, a sit in at Delhi. Non co-operation in the villages.
Intensification of the struggle.
The injustice delivered by the Supreme Court has not frightened the people
of the Narmada Valley. Men, women and children have once again expressed
their resolve and conviction. After the rally at Badwani, leaving behind
the festivities of Diwali, we have brought to the streets of Bhopal the
darkness from the villages and bastis and lives of the poor and downtrodden
of this country. Here we are at this square in Bhopal - brothers and
sisters, farmers and adivasis, after 15 years of struggle this new
challenge has given a new opportunity to the Andolan to express its
strength, to consolidate its thoughts, and to strengthen its relationship
with all other people's movements of this country.
In this 5 day fast on the occasion of Diwali has inspired us to move
on. While the work on the dam is to be started with a lot of pomp on the
31st, we have decided to intensify our struggle. This is not a matter of
opposing Gujarat. This is same Gujarat where 14% of the population that is
adivasis are suffering from deprivation from resources, where Col.Save, the
leader of fisherpeople fighting against displacement due to globalisation
is killed, where the drought prone areas of Kutch and Saurashtra are not
given the water that is locally available to them but fed on the dreams of
Narmada water only. The issues of the adivasis, dalits and farmers of the
same Gujarat of Gandhi are our issues. In their minds and thoughts they are
with us, inspite of the false promises and propaganda of the
Government. The drought affected may today have some temptation for the
Narmada waters but tomorrow when they wait in vain, they will be with us.
Today we ask them to demand from the government the information in every
village about how much water, to how many and which families, and in which
year will they get. Ask the government to put up boards with this
information in every village so that tomorrow people can keep a monitoring eye.
Till date our struggle has been against the corrupt systems, the false
concept of development and the undemocratic planning. In this struggle with
injustice from the judiciary in our hands, there is no other way for lakhs
of men and women but to take strong steps on all these three issues. If we
do not fight today, it is imminent that the dreams of those who want to
destroy the farmers, workers and adivasis of the Valley by the sheer power
of flooding waters will be fulfilled. Inspite of the judgement of the
court, will this unconstitutional step be acceptable to any society?
In this the first sacrifice will be of adivasis, just like it has been
happening in the history of "development". In the 5th schedule of the
constitution the adivasis have been assured of "peace and good
governance". But today development is defying the constitution by
destruction of their society that is based on unity and equality, their
self-reliance that is free of the government, . . . everything that is
theirs. With the destruction of the tribals, the governments are forcing
farmers and workers to commit suicide. Nowhere can one see any effort of
taking the rural society towards self-governance. The government is
selling the life giving resources of the people to the global market. This
is not only a game of the global market. Our politicians are also hand in
glove in this for their own vested interests. By talking of constitutional
amendments the government is trying to distract people's attention from its
actions that has been defying the constitution. We will not let this
happen. The Narmada struggle will now be a struggle to safeguard the
constitution. If neither politicians nor the administration and now not
even the judiciary is able to protect the constitution, how will the common
people of this country do it? That is what this movement will take on now.
· Tomorrow, on the 30th evening we will light torches and candles not
only to keep a vigil on Sardar Sarovar and the other large dams in the
Narmada Valley but also to protect the constitution. Support groups of NBA
will do the same all over the country.
· While the 20,000 hectares required to rehabilitate in all the three
states, that is not available (not even a single hectare is available in
Madhya Pradesh) and the government is ready to proceed with the work on the
dam even beyond 90 meters, the innocent people of the valley will not sit
silent. We will move on from here - take strength from the valley - not
only the strength of numbers but also of ideas of people oriented
development - and reach Delhi on the 11th of November. The contempt of the
issues raised by the Narmada movement by the Court is a contempt of all
people's movements and of the common people of this country. To give a
jolt to the centre of party politics and the anti - people system thousands
of tribals, farmers and workers from the valley will reach Delhi. We will
go in two groups via) Nandurbar -Mumbai and Badwani - Indore and camp in
Delhi. Alongwith the people from the Sardar Sarovar affected area, there
will be people living alongside the Narmada in the Maheshwar, Bargi, and
other dams in the valley. Fellow-supporters from others states will also
be with us. The strength from the lanes of the villages converge in
Delhi. They will call - No political power, we want people's power. No
large dams, we want a just water policy.
· This will not only be a show of strength in Delhi, we will also
have a People’s Hearing on the issue of Narmada. We will call for
answers not only from the administration, from the President, but also
from the representatives of civil society.
· The Andolan has already said that we do not want to reject the
judiciary. Rather we want it to become a protector of Constitution that is
in favour of people’s rights. Although we reject the confused, illogical
verdict of the court, we will still file a review petition on the verdict
in the very same court.
· With this the movement will be stronger in the valley. Narmada is
not a product for the market. Water is not a saleable thing. Narmada is the
name of a culture and water is a part of nature. These are governed by the
laws of nature -that is above all. If the drought and flood affected
people of the country and the people from the Narmada Valley discuss with
open minds all will agree to this. In this context, people in all
villages in the Narmada Valley will give a call of non-co-operation to the
government. People will not allow the government to enter the villages for
any dam related work. The alternative politics of the Narmada movement,
with co-ordination with all other people’s movements, will be
non-electoral. It will still remain a politics of people’s movement.
Medha Patkar Devram
Kanera Kamala Yadav
Kamalabai Patidar Alok
Agrawal Mohan Kumar
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>>>>> CAPITAL PUNISHMENT for Narmada Valley <<<<<
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe from this list, send a message to majordomo@netvista.net
with no subject and the following text in the body of the message
"unsubscribe irn-narmada".
----- End of forwarded message from owner-irn-narmada@netvista.net -----