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DAM-L LS: PR: Narmada Villagers to Launch Long March - 'Call for Justice' (fwd)



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subject: LS: PR: Narmada Villagers to Launch Long March - 'Call for Justice'
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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  5.11.2000

NARMADA VILLAGERS TO LAUNCH LONG MARCH - 'CALL FOR JUSTICE' FROM NOVEMBER 6:
DHARNA IN DELHI FOR PEOPLE'S RIGHTS:
PROTEST ACTIONS CONTINUE ALL OVER

Villagers from Narmada valley would be proceeding towards Delhi with 
a "Call for Justice" (Nyay ki Pukar) to expose the recent judgement 
on Narmada issue by the Supreme Court and give a call for 
transforming judiciary to be truthful, committed to the 
Constitutional value of protecting the rights of the depressed 
classes and be accountable. The March would reassert the people’s 
rights as against the rights of the corporate interests and 
power-holders. There will also be a public hearing on the Narmada 
issue in which many jurists and experts would participate. The Long 
March will also appeal to the President to use his powers to stop 
further devastation of the Valley and destitution of the people.

In the Long March Adivasis from the ranges of Satpuda from 
Maharashtra would come to Dhadgaon, the nearest tehsil place, on 
November 6 and demonstrate at government offices and then proceed 
towards Shahada and Taloda on 7th, District headquarters, Nandurbar 
and Jalgaon on 8th November. Next day (Nov. 9th) the people would 
converge in Mumbai (Bombay) alongwith the organisations and 
supporters from various parts of Maharashtra and South India, to 
confront the Maharashtra government. The role played by Maharashtra 
government in furthering the work on the dam has caused the 
submergence and the forcible displacement of the adivasi oustees.

Another group would leave from Badwani, in Nimad in Madhya Pradesh 
towards Indore. They will be holding the protest demonstrations at 
the office of Narmada Control Authority (NCA) on 10th November. 
Supporters and organisations from all parts of Madhya Pradesh will 
accompany them. The Supreme Court has assigned the job of deciding 
about the construction schedule to the NCA, which has failed 
miserably all these years to protect the rights of the oustees.

Both the groups would converge at Delhi on November 11. A dharna (sit 
in) will start on that day, with an appeal for the President of India 
to have a dialogue with the people from the Narmada valley and 
restore the constitutional rights of the people and the sanctity of 
the Constitutional values.

On November 14, a Jan Sunvai (Public Hearing) is organised on Narmada 
issue and the social, environmental and economic impacts of the 
Sardar Sarovar Project. People from the valley will present their 
case before a group of eminent persons from different walks of life. 
Government bodies will also be invited to present their case in the 
Public Hearing, organised by the Indian People’s Tribunal, Bombay.

Meanwhile the people’s organisations from all over India have 
continued their mass actions against the injustice by the apex court, 
expressing solidarity with the Narmada issue.

Protest Actions Across India, World

Madurai

National Alliance of People's Movements, Madurai, held a support 
action to condemn the murder of justice in the Supreme Court 
Judgement of 18.10.2000, regarding the SSP. About 200 people 
representing slum dwellers, workers in unorganised sector, small 
peasants, women, environmentalists, lawyers and a large number of 
students and intellectuals, attended the Struggle. About 20 speakers 
from different walks of life gave their perspective on the Narmada 
Struggle, the judgement and the situation of people's movements in 
today's situation.All the speakers condemned the murder of justice 
and the cynicism of the corrupted ruling classes denying the right to 
life and livelihood to lakhs of Adivasis and other small peasants. 
Local struggles like slum eviction, airport extension, ring road were 
also highlighted.

Maharashtra

In Nashik. Over 150 representatives of trade unions, other 
organisations took out a rally and a daylong dharna, fast against the 
injustice. Veteran Trade Unionist, Shantaram Chavan made an 
impassioned plea for the protection of the constitutional and 
democratic rights of the workers, adivasis, peasants and depressed 
classes against the onslaught of the capitalist powers. He lamented 
that the Supreme Court too has been conniving with these capitalist 
forces.

In Pune, the representatives of various organisations took out a 
Silent March by about a through the main city on October 28. Senior 
journalist and feminist writer, Ms. Vidya Bal, Dr. Vidyut Bhagawat, 
Taherbhai Poonawala and R.P. Nene alongwith young activists 
participated in the march. It started from the statue of Dr. B.R. 
Ambedkar, the architect of Indian Constitution. The young activists 
made it clear that they consider the Narmada verdict by the Supreme 
Court as an attack on the Constitutional values adhered by Dr. 
Ambedkar. Norted jurist, Dr. S.P. Sathe also attended the protest 
march which was concluded at the statue of Senapati Bapat, the leader 
of the Mulshi Satyagraha, the first anti-dam movement in India in 
1921. The activists also held demonstrations on October 31 in front 
of Collector office. They gave a memorandum in the name of Chief 
Minister of Maharashrtra through the Collector of Pune. The 
memorandum asserted that after the Supreme Court judgement, the 
Maharashtra government must protect the interests of its tribals and 
the interests of the state as such. They asked the Chief Minister to 
strongly protect the interests of Maharashtra oustees in the NCA, 
Chief Ministers' Review committee and if needed before the Prime 
Minister. Henceforth, Maharashtra government must not allow any more 
submergence and displacement, they said.

Abroad

Around 150 protestors gathered on October 31 in Parliament Square of 
London. The day began with a rally outside the House of Commons in 
protest at British involvement in the construction of the Ilisu dam 
in Turkey. Afterwards protestors made their way to the Indian High 
Commission in central London to demonstrate their solidarity with the 
Narmada Bachoa Andolan who are struggling to uphold the 
constitutional rights of people in the Narmada valley after the 
Supreme Court of India's recent ruling chose to set aside these 
rights.

Outside the High Commission protestors wearing T-shirts with 
different letters on them spelt out the words "STOP THE DAM" in a 
human chain for all passers-by to read. Speakers then spoke of the 
illogical and absurd reasoning of the majority verdict of the Supreme 
Court decision, written by Justice Kirpal and signed by Chief Justice 
Anand. The verdict, said one speaker, clearly ignores all the issues 
and has almost totally ignored all the points raised by the Narmada 
Bachao Andolan and the evidence presented by it. What sort of justice 
is that, it was asked?
28 people of Indian origin in United States observed solidarity fast 
from 25th  28th of October. This was the time when eight people from 
the Narmada Valley and outside were on fast, appealing to the civil 
society in the wake of the recent Supreme Court judgment. A few among 
the ones who observed fast are: Neerja Bhatt (SunnyVale, California), 
Payal Parekh (Boston), Aniruddha Vaidya (Santa Clara, California), 
Girish Bhatt (SunnyVale, California), Kiran Vissa (Maryland), Subbu 
Vincent (Fremont, California), Subbu Sastry (Madison), Mahesh Marina 
(Cincinnati), RaviShankar Arunachalam (Pittsburgh), Vinay Kumar 
(Boston), Vinod John (Schenectady, New York).

Protest actions are also planned in Canada in the next few days.

(Sanjay Sangvai)			(Joe Athialy)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Whatever Your Law Says......
Narmada Valley is Ours....
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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