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DAM-L LS: SOS from Children of Narmada Valley to the President (fwd)
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Date: Thu, 16 Aug 2001 09:30:33 -0700 (PDT)
Message-ID: <200108161630.f7GGUXD03101@DaVinci.NetVista.net>
Subject: LS: SOS from Children of Narmada Valley to the President
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Narmada Bachao Andolan
B - 13, Shivam Flats, Ellora Park, Baroda, Gujarat
Telefax: 0265-282232
Press Note - August 16, 2001
Jeevan Yatra Flagged off from Narmada banks
SOS from Children of Narmada Valley to the President
Octogenarian social activist Sadhana Amte blessed and flagged off the
Jeevan Yatra from village Kasaravad, on the banks of river Narmada. About
70 children representing the thousands of children of Narmada valley, whose
houses and fields will submerge in this monsoon in the monstrous Sardar
Sarovar and Maan Dams, are travelling to Delhi to meet the President of
India. This is to demand that the homes, schools and fields of the villages
of Narmada Valley, be saved.
Along with the men and women of the Narmada valley children have always
been integral part of the struggle and effort to challenge injustice and
save the valley from devastation. This monsoon brings the threat of
submerging Jeevan Shalas - schools started and run by the Narmada Bachao
Andolan. Jeevan Shalas symbolize Valley's aspiration for sustainable and
equitable society; hope for the future... It is in this context that the
'Jeevan Yatra' of the children becomes significant.
The children of 'Jeevan Shalas' (schools set up in the valley with local
expertise and innovative syllabus) will travel from the Satyagraha venues
to Delhi proclaiming their right to childhood, education and life itself.
The children will invite the President of India to visit the valley and see
for himself the truth. They will present him children's manifesto together
with a 'basket of life' containing symbolic representation of all that the
valley holds dear, and may lose forever.
Travelling via Indore, Bhopal, Gwaliar (Madhya Pradesh) and Mathura (Uttar
Pradesh), the Yatra will reach Delhi on the 21st and return to valley on
the 29th August via Jaipur, Bisalpur and Udaipur (Rajasthan).
The Supreme Court verdict of Oct. 2000 has spelled a death knell for the
valley. Raising the height of the dam from 85 to 93 mts. (including the 3
mts. of humps) has put at least 5000 families, 11 Jeevan Shalas and the
entire tribal belt in danger of submergence without any provision for
rehabilitation, in this monsoon. Out of over 44,000 families to be affected
by the reservoir less than 20 % have been relocated in last 20 years. Many
displaced some 10 years back have uncultivable, less or no agricultural
land at all. It has been demonstrated time and again that rehabilitation of
all the people affected by the dam is impossible. Forcing people out of
their homes and villages, without ensuring rehabilitation is not just
illegal, but utterly inhuman.
Joe Athialy
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