[Reader-list] Rally for the Valley SAVE NARMADA, SAVE LIFE!

Tue May 23 08:36:35 CDT 2017

*Rally for the Valley*

*SAVE NARMADA**, **SAVE LIFE!*

*Indore- Maharashtra- Gujarat | June 5-7, 2017*

Dear Saathis,

For three decades and more the people from Narmada Valley have faced the
wrath of the hegemonic development, global capital and the violence of the
State in the name of greater common good and the sacrifices people of
Narmada Valley have been asked to make. We have stood the ground along with
the supporters from all over the country and many other parts of the world.
We have succeeded in many of the struggles - kicking the World Bank out
from the funding of the Sardar Sarovar Dam; getting land based
rehabilitation for 14500 families; landmark judgements with implications
for many other similar cases; bringing displacement issue on the political
agenda; developing a critique of the current development paradigm; and
contributing to the struggle to repeal the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 and
enactment of the 2013 Land Act.

In these 31 years, there have been moments when everyone felt we will be
defeated but we have not been defeated. There have moments of despair but
we have stood our ground of truth and justice. We have stood against the
adversities and managed to revive our movement and kept it relevant until
the justice is achieved for the people of Narmada Valley.

You have been with us in all these moments. The time has come again, when
the BJP government in Centre, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat have
together formed an unholy alliance of lies and web of deceit to drown
thousands of families from the 192 villages and one town by closing the
gates of the Sardar Sarovar Dam. We have exposed their lies of complete R &
R, proved as recently by the February judgement of SC, but callous as they
are, they violate every order of the SC and many orders of Grievance
Redressal Authority, in Madhya Pradesh even today the Resettlement sites
remain incomplete. There is almost zero environmental compliance in the
submergence area. A few hundred families in Maharashtra are yet to be
resettled with land and new sites to be established and those resettled in
Gujarat years ago are on the roads asking for their due rights which still
remain unfulfilled.

*The latest update from the valley is that the police and revenue officials
with vehicles are plying into the village after village with drone cameras
to photograph long distance visuals, obviously to plan the upcoming attack.
They are facing questions and wrath of people who are not ready to move out
without all rehabilitation and entitlement. However the Govt of Madhya
Pradesh has already announced that they will evict 8200 families from
district Badwani, 6132 families from district Dhar, tens of families from
Khargone... which are underestimates. All this without even full compliance
with the latest order of Supreme Court that directs complete rehabilitation
and vacating the lands on receiving the cash packages by farmers. The
landless are not granted any special relief and both the landholders and
the landless from communities with various social, cultural sites and
public services functional till date cannot move out into “tin sheds” that
is being imposed by the government with force.*

Thirty-one years on and every prediction of ours has come true. The Dam
has  brought in devastation in the downstream; the communities with forest
and farmland upstream have been destroyed and impoverished; the profits
have been pocketed by the rich corporates and diverted for the benefits of
the urban centers; neither the MP nor Maharashtra is not getting a single
drop of water from Sardar Sarovar while it’s reserved for Coca-Cola, Adanis
and Ambanis. Gujarat’s own farmers are on the streets condemning the same.
MP does not require any electricity with access produced and hence many
power plants closed but even then they want to close the gates and drown
everyone. This is illegal, Unjust and completely unconstitutional.

We cannot allow this. We are challenging this injustice, as we have done
this always and we know you will be with us as you always have been.

*Do come and join us on the World’s Environment Day, June 5th till June **7th ,
2017 for the “Rally for the Valley” to stand with the thousands of people
of Narmada Valley who have been fighting for their rights; a fight against
the hegemony, devastation in the name of development, corporate loot of
natural resources and to protect their life that comes from Narmada.*

After the official ‘Narmada Seva Yatra’ ended with a fanfare, after having
spent crores of rupees and made flimsy announcements, this Yatra by
concerned citizens, eminent activists to artists, researchers and
youngsters, farmers and labourers will bring forth the truth and challenge
the falsehood, no doubt.

*We await your arrival in the valley with your own statements, resolutions,
banners and anything that you think would support this struggle at this
critical time.*

*Kindly reach Indore, early morning on June 5th. From there we will proceed
towards Khalghat, Badwani- Dam affected Villages- Maharashtra- Gujarat. The
return will be from Baroda on June 7th, late evening. Kindly book your
tickets and organise your itinerary accordingly. Your contribution towards
the interstate travel of few people will be highly appreciated. Food and
local travel will be taken care of. *

*For further details Contact: Rahul - 9179617513 | Himshi- 9867348307*

*With regards,*

*Rahul Yadav, Devram Kanera, Wahid Mansuri, Bhagirath Dhangar, Kamla Yadav,
Pemal Behan Koli, Devi Singh Tomar, Shyama Macchuara and Medha Patkar*

NARMADA BACHAO ANDOLAN

Narmada- Ashish

Navalpura, Badwani,

Madhya Pradhesh

*******************************************************************************************

*Documentary*
क्या ये गांव डूबाया जा सकता है ?
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPtuExbqIa4>

Suffocating the villagers - Story of Haridkumar Patidar
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEFTWd9t7Do&feature=youtu.be>

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