[Reader-list] 30 YEARS OF NARMADA STRUGGLE Jeevan Adhikar Satyagraha,

[Asit Das]

*30 YEARS OF NARMADA STRUGGLE*

*Jeevan Adhikar Satyagraha, Badwani, Madhya Pradesh*

*August 17, 2015*


*The Narmada Bachao Andolan has begun an indefinite Jeevan Adhikar
Satyagraha amidst thousands of oustees at Rajghat, Badwani against the
illegal displacement and destruction by the Sardar Sarovar Dam. They have
resolved not to move even in the event of rains and a rise in the reservoir
level, until the key questions raised by the Andolan on the displacement
and rehabilitation of 2.5 lakh people are answered.*


The Government’s claim that all the SSP-affected villages on the banks of
Narmada have already been acquired and rehabilitated is incorrect and is
nothing but a blatant lie.


Narmada Bachao Andolan, after a six-day yatra (August 6th – 12th, 2015)
across 25 villages in Madhya Pradesh continues to question the false
declarations, irrational policies and unlawful decisions of the government
authorities, in particular, the decision to raise the height of the dam by
17 mts which is in violation of the Award of the Narmada Tribunal and the
Supreme Court judgement on this matter in 2000 and 2005. The people began
the yatra in order to assert their right over their resources and
decision-making as per the PESA Act and New Land Acquisition Act and demand
complete rehabilitation of the affected people including, *Land for Land,
Sustainable Alternate Livelihoods.*


Hundreds of people affected by the Sardar Sarovar Dam participated in the
yatra and mobilized thousands of farmers, fishworkers, land less labourers,
artisans and many others for the Andolan’s future actions.


The Jeevan Adhikar Yatra culminated with the beginning of the Satyagraha
since 12 August, 2015 where the Andolan has declared its resolve not to
move from the banks of Narmada at Rajghat, Badwani until the government
resolves their issues. Many people from different walks of life are
continuing to visit Badwani in order to express their solidarity with the
Andolan including Former Members of Parliament, Academicians, Social
Activists, Environmentalists, Artists, Journalists, Students and many
others.


The government’s decision to raise the height of the dam upto 138.68 mts
will lead to the submergence of 244 villages and the huge township of
Dharampuri. The majority of this population comprises of tribals, landless,
fishing and other socio-economically marginalized population. These
villages would cover a population of nearly 2, 50,000 people who will be
submerged along with approximately 13,300 ha of pristine forest rich with
flora and fauna. In fact, the total number of displaced families by the SSP
in three states will be much higher, since more than 90,000 kms of total
canal network in Gujarat will require over 1lakh hectares of land.


It has been alleged in the last few years that there have been serious and
continuous discrepancies in the process of rehabilitation and resettlement
of the Sardar Sarovar Project and much of which is exposed and established
by Govt’s own records. The people’s intervention on this account has led to
the appointment of a Judicial Commission headed by Justice (Retd.) S.S Jha
in August 2008 to enquire into these discrepancies and widespread
fraudulent practices. The report of the commission is awaited.


Many of these discrepancies are clearly visible a glaring example of which
is the recent reduction in the back water levels, due to which the
Government now claims that 16,000 families who were stated to be ‘affected
by submergence’ are now ‘not affected by submergence’. According to Prof.
Raj Kachroo, a surface water hydrologist, the Central Water Commission,
Government of India declared in 1984 that the flood level at Gazipura/
Khalghat reached 150.34 mts, 148.40 mts in 1994, 146.64 mts in 2013.Whereas
the same CWC set the backwater level in Gazipura/ Khalghat at 144.92 mts.
(Source: Drowning a Valley: Destroying a Civilization. Fact Finding Report.
June 2015).


This is not only a question of mass displacement, submergence,
rehabilitation, and resettlement, but points to larger questions of rule of
law, justice and accountability.


As the country celebrates its 69th year of Independence we continue to
assert our rights and through democratic struggle we fight for a true
sovereign, socialist, democratic, secular republic.


The indefinite Jeevan Adhikar Satyagraha has begun where people have
resolved to not move even in the event of rains and rise in the reservoir
level, until the key questions raised by the Andolan are answered.


The schedule of the Jeevan Adhikar Satyagraha, over the next few days is as
follows :-


*Date*

*Programme*

21st August

Fishworkers’ Convention

24th August

Right to Land, Housing, Livelihood  Convention, Rajghat, Badwani.

25th August

Representatives of Peoples’ Movements across the country will be present in
solidarity of the Satyagraha


We urge everyone to participate in the Satyagraha in solidarity with the
struggling people.

For further details contact:

Ph- 09179148973, 09826811982, 09423571784, 09718479517, 09958797409