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DAM-L LS: Brutal Lathi Charge in Chhota Badada (fwd)
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Subject: LS: Brutal Lathi Charge in Chhota Badada
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PRESS NOTE 25 NOV 2001
BADWANI
BRUTAL LATHI CHARGE IN VILLAGE CHOTTA BADADA ON PEACEFUL PROTESTORS: OVER
15 HOSPITALISED: TWO BYSTANDERS ALSO BRUTALLY BEATEN, ONE STILL
SEMI-CONSCIOUS : M.P. GOVERNMENT ATTEMPTS FORCIBLE SURVEYS WITHOUT
ANSWERING PEOPLE'S FUNDAMENTAL QUESTIONS
The M.P. Government continued its spree of police repression in the Narmada
valley as it brutally lathi charged, without any warning peaceful
protestors in the village Chotta Badada (Dist. Badwani, M.P.) badly
injuring more than 15 people who have been under arrest, and admitted in
the hospital at Badwani. In a demonstration of utter callousness and
brutality, the police also let lose their wrath on some innocent bystanders
who had come to the village for cremation of a deceased relative. Two of
these visitors are also admitted to the hospital and one of them is as yet
semi-conscious.
Since last 2 months or so, the M.P. Government has been trying to carry out
surveys in the villages affected by Sardar Sarovar Narmada Valley in an
attempt to prove that they are doing something to resettle the people.
However, the people of the valley have been opposing these surveys as
they are saying that the Government has no readiness to resettle the
people, the arrangements for resettlement are not in place and there is no
land available for the same. Given this, the people are saying that these
surveys are merely being undertaken for covering up the total failure of
the Government in resettlement. These surveys are being carried out only to
make a show that some work is being done on resettlement.
Given this, the people have continuously raised the issue that the
Government should first answer their fundamental questions and only then
carry out the survey. However, the Government has totally refused to do
this, and in village after village, has been carrying out the surveys with
police force and threat. In the last couple of months, the police have
carried out similar lathi charge in several villages and have arrested
large number of peaceful protestors.
The people had also said, to demonstrate their most reasonable attitude,
that even after this, if there were people in the villages who wanted to
get their property surveyed voluntarily, the officials were free to do so,
but they should not carry out the survey of those who had fundamental
issues.
Today (25 Nov. 2001), the SDM Shri Tikam called some representatives of the
village Chotta Badada in the morning and told them that the Government
wanted to do surveys in the village. The villagers reminded him that last
time he had come along with the officials for survey in last week of Sept.
2001, he had carried out a brutal lathi charge and many people had been
injured and hospitalised. Later, he had promised that he would answer the
people's questions before doing any further surveys. Today, he told the
people that he would do nothing of that kind, that he was concerned only
with carrying out the survey. The people told him that if there were people
in the village who wanted to voluntarily get surveyed, the Government could
carry out these surveys. He too agreed to this, and assured that the survey
would be carried out only in case of those volunteering for it, and in case
of those challenging it, the officials would not carry out the survey.
In the village, the people then closed their doors, put up black flags on
their houses and slogans saying they were opposed to these surveys which
were merely a show.
However, when the team with large number of police and the officials
entered the village in the afternoon, the very first survey was begun on
the lands of a person who was opposing it. As a few people gathered to ask
the SDM as to how this was being done in spite of his assurance, he abused
them and the ordered the police to take them away. The police pounced on
these people and started immediately beating them up. Then they let loose
terror on whosoever was around. The depths to which the police went can be
gauged from the fact that some visitors to the village too were not spared
in spite of their pleadings to the officers that they had just come for the
cremation of a relative. One of these persons is so badly beaten that he
is still semi-conscious (as of late night). More that 15 people were badly
injured, some who are suspected to have suffered fractures also.
The police cruelty can be seen from the fact that after this beating also,
they did not admit the people to the hospital but took them to Badwani jail
(20 kms from Badada), where too they were kept waiting outside for an hour.
It is only after the people vehemently protested that they were finally
admitted to the hospital, where even till late night many of them were
still awaiting to get their x-rays done or the results of tests.
The survey continued in the village even after this.
It may be mentioned here that just three days ago, on 22 Nov. 2001, the
police had similarly lathi charged and beaten up people in village Pipri,
without any warning. 16 people were arrested and were in jail in for three
days and let off only after executing personal bonds. A few weeks ago,
police had arrested at 2.30 am, active workers of the NBA in village
Ekalbara in the night before they carried out the survey in the village.
Later during the day, many others were arrested and beaten up and were in
jail for 6 days.
The Narmada Bachao Andolan condemns this attitude and approach of the
Government of M.P. which is clearly doing all this in a bid a somehow crush
the legitimate issues raised by the people and make a show that it is
carrying out the work of the rehabilitation of the oustees.
It maybe recollected that unless this work of resettlement is carried out,
the height of the dam cannot be raised. Since more than a year after the
Supreme Court judgement in the Sardar Sarovar Case of 18 Oct. 2000, the
Governments have not been able to raise the height of the dam more than 2
meters that had been permitted by the Court. This clearly shows the total
failure of the rehabilitation and indeed exposes the fundamental problems
in the process, and shows that rehabilitation of the affected people is
impossible.
Gitanjali
Dr. Gajendra Patidar
For Narmada Bachao Andolan
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
NARMADA BACHAO ANDOLAN
62, Mahatma Gandhi Marg
Badwani, Madhya Pradesh 451551
Tel: 07290-22464
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