[WSMDiscuss] India in movement…. : Fwd: Protection of life and livelihoods of over 40,000 families in Narmada Valley / NBA Condemns Imposition of NSA by MP Govt and Demands for Accountability and Transparency in a Democratic Society

Thu Jun 29 18:22:08 CEST 2017

Thursday, June 29, 2017

India in movement….

[Here are two posts to do with the closure of the gates of the Sardar Sarovar Dam in Gujarat, India, across the Narmada River.  The first is a petition for proper rehabilitation that some and perhaps many of you might want to sign; I have.  The second is a protest by the movement that has been fighting the dam since 1985, the Narmada Bachao Andolan (‘Save the Narmada Movement’) against the clampdown by the government in the region, to stifle protest.

[But even if I have signed the petition, I think I also have to be frank; in short, I’m not sure of the value of appealing to the conscience of an individual who has the record that he has as Prime Minister now, and before that as the Chief Minister of Gujarat when the massive pogrom of Muslims took place – and was widely seen as being accomplice, and more -, but perhaps even more importantly who, along with other Chief Ministers of Gujarat before him, used the building and the successful completion to its full height of the Sardar Sarovar Dam (the one that is the subject of this petition) as a primary symbol of Gujrati nationalism, and where everything, but everything, had to be swept aside in order to achieve this, and nothing could be allowed to stop it.  And who moreover likes being seen as a ‘strong man’, and has the habits of all such macho individuals… 

[But having ranted, yes, let me admit that this petition is not about not taking the dam to its full height – and so the Prime Minister should not feel challenged; it's about ensuring the proper rehabilitation of the 40,000 families (according to this petition) that need to be moved for the filling of the reservoir to its full height – a matter of minimum common decency, and of law :

Petition to the Prime Minister of India for the Protection of life and livelihoods of over 40,000 families in the Narmada Valley

Jayanta Bandyopadhyay

NBA Condemns Imposition of NSA by MP Govt and Demands Accountability and Transparency in a Democratic Society

Narmada Bachao Andolan

            Thanks, Jayanta, for forwarding this to me.

            In rage and in solidarity –

            JS

fwd

> Begin forwarded message:
> 
> From: Jai Sen <jai.sen2000 at gmail.com>
> Subject: Fwd: Protection of life and livelihoods of over 40,000 families in Narmada Valley
> Date: June 29, 2017 at 11:51:35 AM EDT
> To: Jai Sen <jai.sen at cacim.net>
> 
> 
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: Jayanta Bandyopadhyay <jayantab113 at gmail.com <mailto:jayantab113 at gmail.com>>
> Date: 29 June 2017 at 11:30
> Subject: Fwd: Protection of life and livelihoods of over 40,000 families in Narmada Valley
> To: jai.sen2000 at gmail.com <mailto:jai.sen2000 at gmail.com>
> 
> 
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: <espeasternzone17 at gmail.com <mailto:espeasternzone17 at gmail.com>>
> Date: 23 Jun 2017 11:07 p.m.
> Subject: Protection of life and livelihoods of over 40,000 families in Narmada Valley
> To: "ESPforum" <espforum at googlegroups.com <mailto:espforum at googlegroups.com>>
> Cc: 
> 
> Dear All,
> 
> A petition has been put out on change .org addressed to Honourable PM Narendra Modi to ensure protection of the right to life and livelihoods of over 40,000 families in Narmada Valley. These families are threatened of submergence by the closing of gates of the Sardar Sarovar Dam.
> 
> Jayanta Bandyopadhyay has put out the petition and ESP members have supported the publishing of the same.
> 
> 
> 
> Kindly log on to the link below to strengthen the voice of ESP Forum. Also share it further to ensure more support.   https://www.change.org/p/honourable-chief-minister-of-madhya-pradesh-protection-of-the-right-to-life-and-livelihoods-of-over-40-000-families-in-narmada-valley?recruiter=738405838&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=share_for_starters_page&utm_term=petition_management_at_publish&utm_content=nafta_share_post_title_en_3%3AFB_share_copy_3 <https://www.change.org/p/honourable-chief-minister-of-madhya-pradesh-protection-of-the-right-to-life-and-livelihoods-of-over-40-000-families-in-narmada-valley?recruiter=738405838&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=share_for_starters_page&utm_term=petition_management_at_publish&utm_content=nafta_share_post_title_en_3%3AFB_share_copy_3>
> 
> Thanks and regards,
> 
> Administrator
> 

> Begin forwarded message:
> 
> From: Narmada Bachao Andolan <nba.badwani at gmail.com>
> Subject: [Press Release | June 29, 2017] NBA Condemns Imposition of NSA by MP Govt. and Demands for Accountability and Transparency in a Democratic Society | नर्मदा घाटी के सदियों पुराने लाखों पेड़ों को डूबाने या काटने की तैयारी में सरकार
> Date: June 29, 2017 at 12:01:41 PM EDT
> To: napm india <napmindia at gmail.com>
> Reply-To: NAPM-India+owners at googlegroups.com

Press Release | New Delhi | June 29, 2017

NARMADA BACHAO ANDOLAN CONDEMNS IMPOSITION OF NATIONAL SECURITY ACT BY MADHYA PRADESH GOVT. AND DEMANDS FOR ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY IN A DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY

STOP ILLEGAL EVICTION AND DROWNING OF SARDAR SAROVAR OUSTEES

नर्मदा घाटी के लोगों ने पेड़ों की रक्षा का लिया संकल्प - विस्तृत जानकारी नीचे दी गयी है

New Delhi, 29 July 2017: The situation at one of the oldest sites of human civilizations – the Narmada valley of Madhya Pradesh is today worse than a battlefield where the humble, hard working farmers, fisher folk, potters and labourers are struggling day in and day out to simply survive against the onslaught of the Sardar Sarovar Dam in the Narmada river in Gujarat. They have resisted the dam for the last 32 years which was to drown their lands. Even then, they fought to get their due rehabilitation and compensation that was denied to them. Today, they are pushed to the brink of a crisis that seems difficult to tackle.

CHEAP VOTE TACTICS
-          According to Supreme Court, finalization of dam could be undertaken only after completion of all rehabilitation and compensation work among the Dam Affected People. The Supreme Court did give a deadline of 31 July. The governments of Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh in cohorts with the Central government has unilaterally taken the decision to close the gates of the dam well before rehabilitation work is completed, or even the court deadline has been met. It is said that the decision to forcibly close the dam gates is another BJP tactics keeping the upcoming Gujarat elections in mind.

CORRUPTION & COERCION
-          Completely corrupt practices are underway in the Narmada valley in the name of rehabilitation and compensation. Even after the momentous findings of the Jha Commission that pointed out huge irregularities in compensation money, the elected governments completely swept the report of the commission under the rug. People who lost out due to corruption still await justice. The present trend is ‘secretive’ administrative visits and giving clean chit to every incomplete work of rehabilitation and compensation. Every day engineers or patwaris are conducting random surveys and changing the affected person’s lists on whim. People in the submergence area don’t even know if their name is still on the list or not even if they live in the submergence areas. The entire Narmada valley is rife with such cases where people specially poor and landless find no mention in the lists and have nowhere to go. Tens of thousands of people are still inhabiting the submergence zone as they have not got compensation or rehabilitation.

-          Even those who have received paltry compensation are not enough to survive. Rehabilitation sites are marked by extreme government apathy. In some places there is no clean drinking water.

-          The entire state and machinery of Madhya Pradesh is more interested forcible eviction of people than to cooperate with the citizens of this country whose rights are undermined. Administrative officials and police are busier trying to cover up the stains their political masters have created.

STATE REPRESSION
-          In order to curb the emerging dissent, the government of Madhya Pradesh has enacted the Rajya Suraksha Kanun (RASUKA) (Gazette Notification 25 May) on the lines of National Security Act to declare any protest illegal which means complete suspension of human rights in a place which is hit by a man-made disaster (submergence due the dam). These people have not received their due and are not ready to leave their lands, homes, cattle, community centers, their entire life is at stake.

Narmada Bachao Andolan, at the forefront of the struggle of the farmers, farm labourers, fisher folk, potters, adivasis and women of the Narmada valley calls out to all democratic forces of the country and outside to raise their voice against the illegal injustice against a river, a valley and its people. As believers of non-violence, we rest our hope on the Constitution and collective will of the people of India who have earlier gained Independence through satyagraha to come together once again. 

Medha Patkar

for more details please write to napmindia at gmail.com <mailto:napmindia at gmail.com> or you can also check the link given below for recorded live video made by The Wire Hindi
Link: https://www.facebook.com/TheWireHindi/videos/469493463402858/?pnref=story <https://www.facebook.com/TheWireHindi/videos/469493463402858/?pnref=story>

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

बड़वानी, मध्य प्रदेश | प्रेस विज्ञप्ति | दिनांक 29/6/2017 
नर्मदा घाटी के लोगों ने पेड़ों की रक्षा का लिया संकल्प 
नर्मदा घाटी के सदियों पुराने लाखों पेड़ों को डूबाने या काटने की तैयारी में सरकार
एक तरफ पेड़ लगाने का ढोंग कर रही सरकार काटने वाली है लाखों सदियों पुराने पेड़ 

बड़वानी, मध्य प्रदेश | 29 जून, 2017: आज राजघाट बडवानी में नर्मदा घाटी के विस्थापितों के द्वारा पेड़ों को बचाने का संकल्प लिया गया है, इसके साथ अन्य गांव जैसे पिछोडी, अवल्दा, जांगरवा, बगुद इत्यादि गांवों में आज कार्यक्रम किया गया था। सरदार सरोवर परियोजना में लाखों पेड-पौधे डूबायेगी या काटेगी सरकार, इस एक सवाल के साथ हर गांव के विस्थापितों के द्वारा हर गांव में एक संकल्प लिया गया है, कि पेड़ों को काटने से पहले हमारी बलि लेनी पड़ेगी सरकार को, उसके लिए हम तैयार है, क्या सरकार की तैयारी है इस चुनौती को स्वीकार करने की। 

एक तरफ 2 जुलाई 2017 के रोज बडवानी जिले में 25 लाख पौधे लगाने की बात पर मीटींग कर रही है प्रशासन, परन्तु जो बडवानी जिले के लाखों स्थित पेड़ों को डूबायेगी सरकार उस पर जवाब नहीं दे रही। जो पेड़ अभी लगाये जायेगे उसका देख रेख कौन करेगा उसका पालन या निगरानी कैसे किया जायेगा वह कब बडे होगे उसकी कोई भी चिंता सरकार को नहीं है। 

नर्मदा सेवा यात्रा के समय भी जहां सरदार सरोवर बांध से प्रभावित गांवो गांवो में वृक्ष लगाये वह आप सूख चुके है, उसकी कोई भी निगरानी नहीं की गई है, तो 2 जुलाई को जो लाखों पेड़ लगाए जायेंगे, उसका क्या होगा? उसकी भी कोई ठोस कार्य योजना सरकार के पास नहीं है। नर्मदा घाटी के लाखों पेड़ सैकडो साल पुराने भी है, उसको डूबायेगी या काटेगी सरकार, इसको बचाने का तो हम नर्मदा घाटी के विस्थापितों ने पहले से ही किया है और आगे बचाने का भी संकल्प आज ले रहे हैं। 

पेड़ों को काटने या डुबाये जाने से भूकंप आने का भी खतरा भी है, और बडवानी की जलवायु भी परिवर्तन होगी इस कोई भी सरकार के पास सुझाव नहीं है। 
नर्मदा बचाओ आंदोलन भी वृक्ष रोपक्ष का समर्थन करता है, परन्तु जब लाखों पेड़ों को डूबाया या काटा जाएगा, उसकी जिम्मेदारी कौन लेगा। क्या सरकार उसकी भरपाई कर सकती है? क्या जलवायु परिवर्तन और पर्यावरणीय प्रभाव को होने से रोक पाएगी सरकार?

पेड़ बचाओ, जीवन बचाओ। सरकार लाखों पेडो को काटना बंद करो, पर्यावरण प्रभावित होंगे। पेड़ हमारे जीवन का हिस्सा है, जब तक उनमें जान है, हममें जान है। पेड़ हमारी शान है। ऐसे नारों के साथ एक संकल्प लिया गया है कि पेडो के बचाने के लिए हमारे जीवन का भी बलिदान देना होगा तो देंगे। 

भागीरथ धनगर   कमला यादव    राहुल यादव    मुकेश भगोरिया   जयदीप भाई 
संपर्क नं. 9179617513

-- 
------------------------------------------------
Narmada Bachao Andolan        
Address: Narmada-Ashish Office, Kasravad Road, 
Navalpura, Badwani, Madhya Pradesh, Pincode - 451551
Ph: 07290-291464  | 291938 | Fax: 07290-222549
M:  (+91) 9179617513
------------------------------------------------

______________________________

Jai Sen

jai.sen at cacim.net <mailto:jai.sen at cacim.net>
www.cacim.net <http://www.cacim.net/> / http://www.openword.net.in

Now based in New Delhi, India (+91-98189 11325) and in Ottawa, Canada, on unceded Anishinaabe territory (+1-613-282 2900) 

Recent publications :

Jai Sen, ed, 2016  – The Movements of Movements, Part 1 : What Makes Us Move ? (forthcoming in 2017 from New Delhi : OpenWord and Oakland, CA : PM Press), ADVANCE PREFINAL ONLINE MOVEMENT EDITION @ www.cacim.net <http://www.cacim.net/>
Jai Sen, ed, 2013 – The Movements of Movements : Struggles for Other Worlds, Part I. Prefinal version of Volume 4 Part I in the Challenging Empires series. New Delhi : OpenWord.  Prefinal version 1.0 available @ http://www.into-ebooks.com/book/the_movements_of_movements/ <http://www.into-ebooks.com/book/the_movements_of_movements/>
FORTHCOMING PUBLICATIONS  :

Jai Sen, ed, 2017a – The Movements of Movements, Part 1 : What Makes Us Move ?.  Volume 4 in the Challenging Empires series (New Delhi : OpenWord and Oakland, CA : PM Press).  Available for pre-order at PM Press <http://www.pmpress.org/>
&

Jai Sen, ed, 2017b – The Movements of Movements, Part 2 : Rethinking Our Dance.  Volume 5 in the Challenging Empires series (New Delhi : OpenWord and Oakland, CA : PM Press)

CHECK OUT CACIM @ www.cacim.net <http://www.cacim.net/>, OpenWord @ http://www.openword.net.in <http://www.openword.net.in/>, and OpenSpaceForum @ www.openspaceforum.net <http://www.openspaceforum.net/>
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