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NBA Protests in Delhi

for more information about the Narmada Bachao Andolan (Save the Narmada Movement) visit
http://www.narmada.org

Please note that the NBA Press Release of 1st and 2nd January are pasted further below.

REHABILITATION FIRST - NBA DHARNA CONTINUES IN NEW DELHI

NARMADA BACHAO ANDOLAN
62-Gandhi Marg, Badwani, Madhya Pradesh-451551
Phone: 07290-222464, E-mail: nba.medhagmail.com/abaradarediffmail.com

3rd January 2007
Jantar Mantar dharna site
New Delhi

Press Release

The Narmada Bachao Andolan dharna in New Delhi today entered the 2nd day with hundreds of representatives of the affected adivasis and farmers in the Narmada Valley, who arrived here, resolving that they will not return till their demands, are met. The dharna, which began yesterday at the gate of Shastri Bhavan, continues at Jantar Mantar, after the agitating affected people were forcibly lifted and put into vans and brought to Jantar Mantar late last night. This police action is reprehensible not just because of the use of force on peaceful agitators, but also since it took place while the NBA delegation was in Shastri Bhavan, holding discussions with Smt. Veena Chhoutray, Chairperson R&R Sub-group.

NBA has, in its talks yesterday with the Dr. Meira Kumar, Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment and Smt. Veena Chhoutray, expressed deep anguish at the fact that construction up to 122m had been completed even after the Shunglu Committee Report had clearly found that R&R was not yet completed. Also, despite the directions of Prime Minister that R&R work must be accelerated, during the period when there would be stoppage of work at 119m, and completed before work on construction of the dam was resumed. NBA then pressed for the undertaking of R&R work on war footing without any further increase in dam height. Towards realizing R&R of affected people, NBA placed a list of demands that is enclosed with the press release. The sacrificing of the rights of the affected populations at the altar of Sardar Sarovar is the violation of the rehabilitation framework laid down by the Narmada Water Disputes Tribunal Award and the several judgments of the Supreme Court.

IT MAY BE RECALLED THAT IN THE ONGOING CASE IN THE SUPREME COURT, THE GOVERNMENTS OF MADHYA PRADESH AND MAHARASHTRA HAD FILED AFFIDAVITS STATING THAT THE R&R OF ALL PAFS UP TO 122M HAD BEEN COMPLETED. OWING TO THE NBA'S AGITATION IN MARCH/APRIL 2006 IN NEW DELHI, THE PRIME MINISTER DIRECTED THE FORMATION OF THE SHUNGLU COMMITTEE TO VERIFY THE R&R CLAIMS IN MADHYA PRADESH. THE FINDINGS OF THE SHUNGLU COMMITTEE, NOT ONLY VALIDATE THE CLAIMS MADE BY NBA, BUT EXPOSE THE LIES IN THE AFFIDAVITS OF THE GOVERNMENTS. THE REPORT ALSO BRINGS OUT THAT 25,000 FAMILIES (19000 DECLARED PAFS, OTHERS 'CLAIMANTS') CONTINUE TO RESIDE IN THE SUBMERGENCE AREA OF M.P ALONE WHO WOULD HAVE TO BE RESETTLED AND REHABILITATED, LISTS OF MAJOR SONS WERE YET TO BE COMPLETED, LAND YET TO BE PURCHASED BY THOSE WHO HAVE ACCEPTED SPECIAL REHABILITATION PACKAGE (SRP), TENS OF R&R SITES WERE YET TO BE EITHER ESTABLISHED OR DEVELOPED WITH AMENITIES AND THE GOVERNMENT OF MADHYA PRADESH DOES NOT HAVE CULTIVABLE LAND FOR REHABILITATION. THE REPORT OF YASHADA, PUNE, THE OFFICIAL MONITORING AND EVALUATION AGENCY APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNMENT OF MAHARASHTRA, HAS FOUND THAT 874 PROJECT AFFECTED FAMILIES ARE YET TO BE REHABILITATED. WHAT THIS GOES TO PROVE IS THAT THE AFFIDAVITS THAT HAVE BEEN PLACED BEFORE THE SUPREME COURT BY THE GOVERNMENTS OF MAHARASHTRA AND MADHYA PRADESH ARE FRAUDULENT.

One of NBA's demands is that there should be an investigation into the massive corruption in the disbursement of cash compensation in the name of Special Rehabilitation Package (SRP) in M.P. The figures presented by M.P., of the PAFs rehabilitated in Madhya Pradesh or of those who are shown to have supposedly purchased land, are fabricated. There is massive corruption of crores or rupees by the officials (almost all land acquisition officers and resettlement officers) and the middlemen (especially few local advocates), which has led to false registries and land purchases that have not actually occurred. In the past month or so, several government officials have been found guilty of corruption practices in relation to SRP. An investigation by a Central Agency would reveal the obscene levels of corruption pervading this entire process.

Today, "Visthapan Parishad" (a public meeting of the displaced) was called to discuss the various issues related to displacement. Speakers, relating to experiences across India, strongly stated that displacement, without 'rehabilitation with replacement of livelihood', just mere uprooting of communities, has become the most serious national issue. On the one hand, the traditional displacement caused by dams, highways, mines, industries, etc. still displace lakhs, on a yearly basis. Now the new "land reform" movement of the government, namely SEZ, will further displacement like never before. Only humane considerations and a humanist value framework, which is enshrined in our constitution, can enable anyone and the State to take cognizance of the pain and anguish, the intensifying people's struggles, the issues of justice raised, rights to life and livelihood, asserted. The speakers included Ravindra Sahu speaking on Orissa, Shantaji (Sanjha Manch), Sandeep speaking on Singur, Rakesh Rafique, Lalbabu, Vimalbhai (Uttarkhand), Bijulal, Denzil, Kamala Yadav and Himanshu Upadhyay.

The dharna at Jantar Mantar will continue and that is the resolve of the people from the Narmada Valley. The NWDTA and Supreme Court judgments have to be implemented and the R&R of people must precede any further dam construction. Like Bhaijikaka, an adivasi from Gujarat affected by the dam, always says, "hamara hak aage hain, Sardar Sarovar peeche hain" (The rights of the affected comes first, projects can wait).

Ashish Mandloi,Kamala Yadav,Yogini Khanolkar,Noorji Padvi,Medha Patkar

NARMADA BACHAO ANDOLAN
62-Gandhi Marg, Badwani, Madhya Pradesh-451551
Phone: 07290-222464, E-mail: nba.medhagmail.com/abaradarediffmail.com

Press Release
2nd January 2007

Today (2/1/07), the NBA began dharna outside the Shastri Bhavan, which houses the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and met with the Dr. Meira Kumar, Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment. The NBA delegation was accompanied by Swamy Agnivesh and Shri Praful Bidwai. In a long meeting with the Minister, the NBA delegation updated the Minister on the developments with regard to the dam and rehabilitation of project affected persons. The Minister promised to look into issues raised by NBA and get in touch later. The Minister, however, stated that since she has visited the Valley as part of the Three Member Ministerial Committee constituted by the Prime Minister last year, she was aware of the problems in the resettlement process. NBA resolved that the dharna would continue until the demands were met.

NBA informed the Minister that the Sardar Sarovar dam was raised from 119 mts to 122 mts, the height that was approved in March 2006, but was, after a long struggle, investigations and continuing legal action, stayed. While the submergence caused by the 119 mts dam itself drowned and devastated adivasi families in the mountainous communities of Jhabua and Badwani (Madhya Pradesh), and Nandurbar (Maharashtra), there are altogether about 35,000 families, i.e. 1.5 lakh and more people living, even today, in the affected area of 122 mts.

It is the 21 year long struggle and its continuation that has resulted in about 11,000 families getting land based rehabilitation, notwithstanding the numerous problems still being faced by them. Despite this, more than two lakh people continue to reside in the submergence area of full dam height which is 138.68 mts, with the gates planned to be erected above the wall of 122 mts. Rehabilitation of all these as per law and court judgments is not in sight since the state governments have raised a cry of "No cultivable land available". In lieu of land, Madhya Pradesh government is trying to pay cash through corrupt officials-middlemen-politicians nexus illegally. This nexus has grabbed crores of rupees from the public money in the exchequer, permitted by NO MONITORING by the Centre.

Prime Minster's promise to the apex court never kept intact, instead, the process of promises and violation, fraudulent and false affidavits has been on. The weak report by the Shunglu Committee (Oversight Group) brought out the fact that thousands of families are far from rehabilitated. The Committee, however, expects all this to change by the end of this financial year i.e. March 2007! The Prime Minister had assured the Court in July that the dam construction would not be taken beyond 119m without a review in October, and importantly, until R&R was completed.

The Narmada Control Authority (NCA) and its R&R Sub-group, both held meetings and directed the State government to complete works at R&R sites to ensure that the affected get land as per eligibility, that all grievances are redressed and thousands of families shifted to the R&R sites, upgradation of the 49 average/poor R&R sites, etc. These are yet to be done. Yet again, even the Shunglu Committee has failed to ensure that R&R sites are established for the adivasi villages in Jhabua, where as of today, there are no R&R sites. Thousands of families thus do not have any place to shift.

In Maharashtra, the situation remains unchanged for those hundreds of affected families facing submergence year after year but awaiting to be "declared" as affected persons and those who are declared but not yet rehabilitated. The problems of those affected families who still remain in their original villages in Gujarat, falls on deaf ears. The thousands of complaints received by the Grievances Redressal Authorities of these two states, points to the problems faced by even those who have shifted to the R&R sites.

Despite all this, the dam was taken up to 122m! This is murderous. This is an utter violation of legal and human rights guaranteed by the law of the land and against the ethos of our constitution. Are the Courts watching?

And on the top of it all, these sacrifices of huge displacement and burial of thousands of years old culture and cultural habitation went in vain. The speculated benefits from the very dam in terms of generating electricity, distribution of drinking water and irrigating of drought prone area still remain a distinct utopian dream.

The people will have to challenge this state of affairs and this State! The dharna at Delhi will continue till all demands are met.

Ashish Mandloi Kamala Yadav Noorji Padvi Medha Patkar

NBA Press Release
01 January 2007

Urgent Appeal: Two lakh people, adivasis and farmers, from the Narmada valley cry halt to destruction

NBA
62, Mahatma Gandhi Road,
Badwani,
Madhya Pradesh - 451551
Tel: 07290-222464
Email: badwani[at]narmada.org

It is more than shocking that Gujarat, in connivance with the other states- M.P, rajasthan & maharashtra, and with no monitoring from the centre, has raised the height of Sardar Sarovar dam to 122 metres. They are also building a foundation for the gates to be put up between 122 & 138 mts, even when there are at least 35,000 families ( 1.75 lakh people) still residing in the submergence area of 122 mts & more than 40,000 families (2 lakh people) in the area to be affected at 138.68 mts, the full height.

The struggle of the last 21 years and the long battle in Delhi (march to may 2006), the much trumpeted survey by the PM appointed shungulu committee (oversight group), our critique of it, is known to you all. When the shungulu committee's report was submitted to the supreme court, the prime minister himself had stated through a report that dam construction (stopped at 119 mts, in july) would not commence without a review of resettlement and rehabilitation, in October.

No real review of the ground level situation was ever carried out. The R&R subgroup of Narmada Control Authority (inter-state) has not visited the valley since 2000, till date. The NCA chaired by the secretary, water resources, at the centre, does not monitor R&R. All false reports, fake registries showing land purchase, incomplete record of oustees; betrayal & criminal act of submerging adivasi lands & houses in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra till 2006, is neither truthfully reported, nor taken cognisance of. Both Madhya Pradesh (with thousands - about 10,000 families eligible for land) and Maharashtra (at least 1000 and more adivasi families) not rehabilitated with cultivable, irrigable land, is violation of law, sc judgements, promises, propoganda and affidavits on oath. These governments do not even offer good, cultivable land and hundreds of adivasi families in Gujarat stand cheated due to bad, uncultivable land allotted.

It's a total betrayal and a clear message for all adivasis (indigenous communities), farmers, fishworkers, labourers and urban poor to traders; all who are being promised rehabilitation only to be ousted, forcibly evicted in the name of development. While the lakhs of people in narmada valley who continue to stay put in the area to be flooded and already flooded, when the dam waters are far from being effectively utilized to satiate the thirst of the needy, when 40,000 crores worth sardar sarovar project is not proved to be the solution to Gujarat's water or M.P/Maharashtra's power crisis, when crores of rupees worth compensation and R&R funds are pocketted by corrupt officials and leaders, the struggle has to continue, challenging no rehabilitation for sardar sarovar affected, asserting no more displacement.

Before all adivasis, large and small villages, townships, houses - pakka & kachcha, schools, dispensaries; temples & mosques; shops & markets; lakhs & lakhs of trees of neem, teak, mango, anjan, mahua, chironji, amla, ber, what not; best of agricultural land in nimad with record agri-produce (wheat, cotton, soya, sugarcane, papaya, banana, oranges & lemons, all fruits...) and in satpuda-vindhyas with jowar (millet), makkai (maize), sesame, hilly millets; everything in this oldest of the civilisations in the world, narmada valley, is drowned.

The submergence, you know, would be up to 214 kms long area (i.e. Mumbai to nashik or delhi to agra & beyond)...& will bring devastation, not rehabilitation.

Do act with the urgency & commitment as ever -

CONTACT NO: YOGINI KHANOLKAR - 09423944390 RAJENDRA RAVI - 09868206316 ASHISH MANDLOI 09993449644
MEDHA PATKAR - 09869446684

YOGINI KHANOLKAR, KAILASH AWASIA, ASHISH MANDLOI, MEDHA PATKAR

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