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DAM-L LS: Massive Rally by Farmers to Fight Eviction and State Terrorism (fwd)
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Date: Mon, 15 Oct 2001 11:04:59 -0700 (PDT)
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Subject: LS: Massive Rally by Farmers to Fight Eviction and State Terrorism
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NARMADA BACHAO ANDOLAN
B-13, SHIVAM FLATS
ELLORA PARK
VADODARA 390007
Press Note: October
13, 2001
Farmers of Narmada took out massive rally:
Determined to fight eviction and State terrorism
More than 2000 farmers, labourers, adivasis from many villages of Badwani
and Dhar districts of Narmada Valley took out a huge rally at Manavar to
question and condemn the unjust, illegal and oppressive actions of the
Madhya Pradesh State government in the submergence area of controversial
Sardar Sarovar Project. The determined women & men, old and young led by
Rajesingh Tomar, Mansaram Jat, Devendra Tomar, Devram Kanera, Kamala Yadav
and Medha Patkar unanimously declared that they will not allow the dam to
go ahead violating the policy and provisions of resettlement and
rehabilitation stipulated in the Tribunal and Supreme Court Judgement.
In the name of survey the government was trying to intimate the villagers
by entry and march into the villages by hundreds of armed police, arrests
of prominent village leaders in Ekalbara after midnight and forcing them
to sign blank papers while in custody and making a mockery of survey by
measuring only the length and width of outer portion of some houses. The
arrogant officials refused to listen to the villagers who raised their
genuine and basic questions with regard to resettlement and rehabilitation
and many villagers were beaten up and kept under illegal custody, charging
various sections, for a few days without producing in the court. But the
farmers and labourers of Nimad villages, like Chotta Badada, Pipri, Bagud,
Bhavaria, Gopalpura, Kavati, Ekalbara, etc., expressed their wish in a
peaceful manner not to allow any survey of their houses and defeated the
designs of the state government by writing on the wall and cattle.
The farmers took out an impressive procession through the Manavar town and
held a huge public meeting near the main bus stand. The Sub Divisional
Magistrate (SDM) of Manavar who was in charge of police action in villages
was compelled to com out of his office and give a patient hearing to the
people but had no answers on the specific questions raised before him. SDM
conceded that he was acting only on the orders of NVDA and Madhya Pradesh
government. This itself gave the people the confidence in their belief and
struggle.
Farmers and their families could vow to fight the battle against State
terrorism, come what may, through a non-violent manner. People questioned
the government stating it is unjust and illegal to bring submergence
violating the Tribunal and Supreme Court order. Sajanbai, Rajkorbai,
Mansaram Jat and other farmers of Nimad in their thunderous speeches
reiterated that, if the government is not capable of rehabilitating the
affected people with land for land, it has no right to increase the height
of the dam beyond 90 mts, the present height, resorting to repressive
measures, distributing cash and thereby destitutionalising people.
While addressing the public meeting, in front of the office of SDM, Medha
Patkar said that the destructive Sardar Sarovar Dam which could not be
raised more than 2 metres (from 88 to 90) during last one year is a proof
of what the Narmada Bachao Andolan is saying for years. She also said that
the true development of villages and the people of Narmada lies in saving
their villages and farms from displacement, import of foreign farm
productions, escalating power price.
It may be noted that, on 2nd September 2001 in a meeting with the Chief
Minister, people have questioned about the forcible survey and illegal
distribution of cash, violating the Tribunal Award and Supreme Court
Order. While there is no land with the State for more than 3500 families
who are yet to be rehabilitated under 90 metres height of the dam, there
is no way one can talk about increasing the height to 100 metres. At the
end of the day, the farmers returned home with a vow and reiteration to
fight against State terrorism with more vigour in a non-violent manner.
Devram Kanera M.K.Sukumar Ajaykumar Ashish Mandloi
Geethanjali
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