By TCN News,
Badwani: As many as 150 supporters from across 15 different states have under taken 3 day long Narmada Adhikar Samvaad Yatra during which the group will tour various villages in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat that have been affected by the Sardar Sarovar project. The group began visiting these villages on 23rd August and will continue till 25th August while gathering real facts on the ground by speaking with the affected people.
The visit has been organized in the context of the recent controversial decision by the Modi Government to increase the height of the Sardar Sarovar dam by 17 meters and a plan to submerge the farms, homes and hearths of more than 2.5 lakh people living in 245 thickly populated villages who would be directly affected due to such a decision of government.
[Photo Courtesy: Medha Patkar]
The group of supporters joining people’s struggle in the Narmada Valley is an assembly of a hydrologist, environmentalists, farmer’s leaders, trade unionists, lawyers, academics, researchers, architects, social work students, representatives of various social movements and organizations as also some supporters from the Aam Aadmi Party.
On their first day of visit to village Khalghat (Tehsil – Dharampuri), the group observed the manner in which Khalghat and 55 other villages have been thrown out of submergence while hundreds of families in those areas, including poor workers and fisher people have faced submergence in the monsoon of 2012 and 2013.
A large gathering of more than 500 people expressed their vibrant support to the group in exposing the reality from affected regions. The support also came in from the former MLA Panchilal Meda who admitted to the group that not just in Khalghat but in numerous other villages in the Dharmpuri area thousands of families have not been rehabilitated so far by the government.
The women in particular, who were present in large numbers expressed a resolution to intensify their struggle in the days to come. Similar was the situation in villages Chhota Barda and Pipri where rallies were organized and hundreds expressed their support to the legitimate demands of the struggle.
The activists from Polavaram Dam struggle, Mahaan Sangharsh Samiti, Kudankulam anti-nuclear struggle, movements associated with National Alliance of People’s Movements, as also environmentalists from Gujarat participated in the meetings at various places. The team also halted at the tribal village Mandil which has been severely affected by the excavation by the Indira Sagar canals.
[Photo Courtesy: Medha Patkar]
After its first day of visit, the group has claimed to expose the Flawed Back Water Levels, Corruption and lack of Rehabilitation in the visited areas.
The group has planned a massive rally on Sunday which would be followed by a large public meeting at Badwani in which the group is expected to meet large numbers of people from many submergence affected villages. The people joining the meeting are anticipated to make a new declaration for the future course of the struggle.
On Monday, last day of visit, the group will tour hilly adivasi village at Manibeli after a road and boat journey.