One for India
NARMADA BACHAO ANDOLAN PRESS RELEASE

December 24, 2005


**DHARNA CONTINUES IN BADWANI FOR THE 8TH CONSECUTIVE DAY**

**WHERE IS THE LAND? SARDAR SAROVAR-AFFECTED FAMILIES STILL HAVE NOT RECEIVED AN ANSWER FROM THE GOVERNMENT**

**GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS CHASED AWAY FROM MANY VILLAGES WHERE THEY WENT WITH FULL POLICE FORCE TO DOLE OUT CASH**

The dharna of Sardar Sarovar-affected families continues in Badwani for the 8th consecutive day, as people continue to sit in front of the office of the Narmada Valley Development Authority (NVDA), demanding to be rehabilitated with land and not with cash.


The Commissioner of the NVDA and the officials of the inter-state monitoring body, the Narmada Control Authority (NCA) are also avoiding a dialogue with the protestors since they have no answer to the question of land that people are demanding.


Meanwhile, the officials tried to go to several villages today WITH FULL POLICE FORCE to continue to coerce people to take cash. But they were sent back by villagers who are angry at the injustice being done to them. The officials and the police were SENT BACK TODAY from Bagud, Piplud, Kundiya, Picchodi, Kasrawad, Rajghat and Avalda villages (all in Badwani district).


As the dharna continues, we urge people to WRITE TO GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS to put pressure on them to act urgently. Situation is extremely urgent, since the Gujarat and M.P. government want to finish off the whole process by December 31 and then raise the height of the dam. Doing so at this stage would be completely illegal since thousands of families remain in the original villages. Even giving cash has not meant that people have left the villages. People are firm that they will not let the story of Harsud (a township affected by the Indira Sagar dam upstream) be repeated here, where people were brutally evicted by police and were given almost no rehabilitation. The people affected by the Sardar Sarovar Project vow not to leave their villages until they get justice.


Ashish Mandloi
Umesh Patidar
Kamal Awasya
Dipti Bhatnagar
Medha Patkar


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


FOR WRITING LETTERS:


Please send urgent letters/faxes/emails to the Prime Minister (fax: +91-11-23016857, +91-11-23019545 (PM Office), +91-11-23015603 (PM residence), E-mail: manmohan@sansad.nic.in


Smt. Sonia Gandhi +91-11-23014481/23012656 (Ph) 91-11-23018651 (FAX)


Ministry of Water Resources, fax: 011-23714200, Phone: 011-23714200


Mrs. Sarita Prasad, Secretary of Social Justice Ministry, and Chairperson of R&R Sub-Group of NCA (the one that takes decisions to raise the dam height!!) (011-23382683; +91-11-23385180)


Here is a suggested draft that you may use. Please modify. PLEASE DO SEND LETTERS.


December __ 2005


To,


Shri Manmohan Singh ji
Prime Minister of India
PMO, South Block, New Delhi



*Subject: Condemning the lathi charge on **Narmada** farmers and demanding that they be rehabilitated justly and legally with land not cash *


* *


Dear Sir,


We are writing to let you know that we collectively condemn the lathi charge done on Sardar Sarovar dam- affected farmers in Badwani, Madhya Pradesh on December 17, 2005, who were protesting peacefully against the illegal doling out of cash compensation instead of the land-for-land as the resettlement. The police attack left number of men and women injured, some of them very badly.


The Supreme Court's decision of 15 March 2005 makes it evident that the rehabilitation of affected families has not kept up with the raising of the dam height. The SC also laid down firm guidelines on land-based rehabilitation. However the Madhya Pradesh state government, instead of offering arable land to entitled families, has been offering and distributing cash compensation, which is dishonest and illegal, and will certainly lead to destitution of families. This is being pushed because Government of Gujarat is keen to raise the dam height beyond the current height of 110 metres, however, this would be a violation of the SC's orders since rehabilitation is far from complete.


The farmers affected by the Sardar Sarovar Project (SSP) recently commemorated 20 years of their continuous and ongoing struggle against unjust displacement. We believe that this is a true measure of India's success as the largest democracy in the world. Why then, were these unarmed citizens, upholders of India's democratic ethos, beaten by a craven state apparatus that refuses to safeguard the interests of its own people? We believe this is utterly condemnable act and it betrays the anti-farmer stance of those in power all over India. We urge you to take a strong stand not only on this recent most incident, but of continuing violations of the rights of affected farmers in the Narmada Valley.


The people will not be intimidated by such reprehensible actions by the state; in fact, the farmers are continuing to sit on *dharna* in front of the office of the Narmada Valley Development Authority (NVDA) demanding their rights. We urge you and Smt. Sonia Gandhi to intervene in the scenario urgently. Please stand by the people of the Narmada Valley, and not the corrupt and morally-bankrupt leaders of the nation.


Hoping for your urgent intervention,
Sd/-
 
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