The Chief Minister – Madhya Pradesh

Shree Shivrajsingh Chauhan

Fax: 0755 – 2441781 / 2540501 / 2559043

Dear Sirs / Madam,

It is to the eternal shame of the government of M.P. and the powers that be in our country that such an unbelievable and unacceptable situation has came to pass. First of all, all the laws of humanity, decency and the orders of the Supreme Court that insist that rehabilitation has to be completed before the height of the Sardar Sarovar Dam is increased, have been broken - as most of the oustees in MP, who have already lost their homes and farms and jobs to the reservoir of the SSP, remain stranded or marooned in uninhabitable pockets of land – year after year.

When about 500 of the oustees decide to hold a Satyagraha on government property (Zameen Haq Satyagraha) at Taloon, near Badwani, M.P., saying that they will live there and till the land there until they are rightfully rehabilitated, the MP. Government, instead of accepting the challenge of rehabilitating thousands of families affected by illegal submergence, take the unimaginable path of crushing resistance by calling police from various Districts to beat up the Satyagrahis ! 

Quite likely, the 500 strong police force realized the enormity of the crime they were asked to commit (or maybe not !), but they drank themselves silly in Badwani before proceeding to Taloon where they mercilessly attacked the peaceful satyagrahis who had pitched their tents and had started farming operations on land belonging to the Krishi Vibhag of the Government.

The police ire was spent on this gathering of adivasis and farmers, which included 150 school children from Bhadal and Bhitada Jeevanshalas run by the Narmada Bachao Andolan ( primary schools upto class 5 only ) and about  125 women, besides the men. Even the bullocks used for farming and the tents were mercilessly thrashed!!!! The children were piled into different vehicles and were dispersed without record! 

Atleast 7 children and 4 bullocks remain missing since last evening.

We, as concerned citizens of our country cannot but condemn these attrocities and request you to:

• Immediately locate the missing children and animals.
• Rehabilitate the oustees as per the land for land promised.
• Punish those who were involved in ordering and conducting this outrage.
  
• Release Satyagrahis immediately and unconditionally 

We hang our heads in shame,

copy to: 

2) The Governor – M.P.

Shree Balram Jakhar

Fax : 0755 – 2554711

3) Chief Secretary,M.P.

    Shree Rakesh Sahani

    Fax : 0755 – 2441751

4) Commissioner of Police – Indore

  Telefax :   0731 – 2435111

5) Minister – NVDA

Nagendra Singh

Fax : 0755 – 2441171

6) Prime Minister,

 Shree Manmohan Singh

011- 23015603

7) Minister of Water Resources

Shree Saifuddin Soz

Fax : 011 – 23714663 / 23710804

8) Chairperson UPA

Smt. Sonia Gandhi

Fax : 011 – 23014481 / 23018651