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Narmada Bachao Andolan
Press Note 23 Sept. 1999

386 ARRESTED IN DHADGAON AS POLICE CLAMP SEC. 144 : MANY BEATEN UP
BADLY, DRAGGED, WITHOUT FOOD

Three hundred and eightysix people sitting on an indefinite dharna
in Dhadgaon, (Maharashtra) were arrested today morning as the
authorities clamped Sec. 144. (*) in the this tehsil HQ. The police behaved
in a very bad manner, beating and badly dragging the people including
women. Medha Patkar, who is also among those arrested, was also dragged
by the police. Activists Ravi, Ashish were among those badly beaten.

The arrested people were presented before the Magistrate after the
arrest. The people unanimously refused to take personal bond for the
release but demanded that the police release them unconditionally as
they had committed no crime. The people have been charged under Sec.
144, 188 of the IPC and 37/1/35 of Bombay Police Act. It is not known
what orders the magistrate has made after the people refused personal
bond, but the police are taking them to some unknown place, possibly
Dhule or Aurangabad.

Just outside Dhadgoan, the police stopped for food but as there was not
enough food for everyone, the arrested people moved on to the roads and
blocked the road in protest. The people were still sitting on the road
block as this note was being written.

It may be recollected that Medha Patkar and 300 people were arrested and
brought to Dhadgaon, by the police late Tuesday night after an intense
fight by people of the Narmada valley, as the waters reached neck deep
level of the Samarpit Dal at the Domkhedi Satyagraha House and as waters
entered villages destroying fields and homes, for the third time this
season. After these, hundreds of tribals started moving towards
Dhadgaoan, and even as Medha Patkar and others were released, had
starterd an indefinite dharna (sit-in) in Dhadgaon since yesterday evening.

The dharna was started with a demand that the Government initiate a
dialogue with the people and answer their questions and to protest
against the suppression of the real issues through the police actions
against the satyagrahis who have been challenging the increase in back
water due to the Sardar Sarovar dam.

In a statement Medha Patkar had said "When people have been raising the
basic issues and have been challenging injustice, the response of the
State Government was to trivialize it with the police actions. This is
not at all a law and order problem but the situation has arisen due to
the wrong policies and actions regarding the dam and displacement on the
part of Maharashtra rulers. It is the question of tribals rights."

The people arrested  are demanding that the Government stop cat and
mouse game with them of arresting and releasing and rearresting. People
are serious on their demand and their resolve. The State Government
cannot shrink from its responsibility by hiding behind the police. They
demanded that the Chief Secretary or some such functionary of the State
Government must come to Dhadgaon where the people were detained and
answer their questions.

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

September 23, 1999/ Mumbai

MAHARASHTRA GOVERNMENT MUST TALK WITH NARMADA PEOPLE
ORGANISATIONS CONDEMN THE POLICE ATTACK IN DHADGAON

We condemn the brutal attack on the peaceful adivasi men and women by the
Maharashtra police at Dhadgaon (Dist. Nandurbar), on Thursday, September
23, 1999. The police attack was totally unprovoked and unwarranted. It was
ironical that the people from the Narmada valley have been on the
indefinite dharna (Sit-in) in Dhadgaon, with the demand that the state
government must deal with the serious issues regarding the people's
peaceful satyagraha (struggle for truth) with a dialogue through a suitable
high level official of the rank of the Chief Secretary and should not use
the police as a shield. The state government headed by Mr. Narayan Rane, has
instead chose to respond to the people in the valley with the brutal police
action.

On September 23, the Police has beaten, dragged the women, mercilessly
dragging them by hair; the young activists like Ashish Mandloi, Ravi were
mercilessly beaten, activists including Medha Patkar was dragged, scuffled.
It seems that the Government of Maharashtra wanted to teach the people in
the Narmada valley a lesson for their peaceful and tedious struggle for
their rights and for justice. As it is, it was criminal on the part of
Maharashtra to neglect and trivialise the Satyagraha of the people against
the unjust submergence and displacement. It was due to the false affidavits
regarding the resettlement submitted by the Maharashtra government that the
Supreme Court had permitted the increase in the height of the dam from 80.3
mts. to 85 mts. plus the three meters of the humps, thus effectively taking
the height upto 88 meters. This submerges the farms and houses of about
2500 adivasi (indigenous) families from 50 villages in Maharashtra, M.P. and
Gujarat. The entire tribal belt is severely affected by this step.

The Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) had held many discussions with the Chief
Minister, the Rehabilitation Minister about this and brought forth the
chicanery by the bureaucrats and politicians regarding the displacement
process. It also appealed the Government to review the Sardar Sarovar
Project (SSP) in the interests of the tribals and economy of the state.
However, despite the oral assurances the state government had continued
with its adamant attitude in and out of the apex court. The Satyagraha by
the people in the Narmada valley against this imposed submergence and the
unjust displacement through the threat of submergence has been a glorious
chapter in the history of the people's resistance to injustice in this
country. The people braved the swirling waters of Narmada, in Pipalchop,
Domkhedi, Bharad, Sikka and Jalsindhi. They did not move out even when the
waters were flowing upto to their necks and lips, before they were forcibly
taken in custody by the police.

The state government failed to respond to the serious issues raised through
this unique Satyagraha. It tried to neglect, trivialise the people's
resolve. Secondly, when the people demanded the civil solutions, by
demanding the presence of the responsible government functionary, the state
government chose to respond with the force. We condemn this highhanded and
insensitive approach towards a people's peaceful movement in the state. We
are apprehensive of the fate of the tribals' rights at he hands of such
people who do not recognise the relevance of the movements like NBA and
instead issue threats to 'deal firmly' with them. We oppose this fascist
trend, suppressing the depressed people's rights. We warn that we would be
a part of the intense struggle by the people of Narmada valley against such
suppression and atrocities. We appeal to all democratic minded people and
organisations all over India to restrain Government of Maharashtra and make
to see the truth of protecting its own adivasis and their interests.

SAMAJWADI JAN PARISHAD       BAND GIRNI KAMGAR SANGHARSHA SAMITI
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