Uproar in Narmada Valley: Medha Patkar on Indefinite Fast

Intensifying the movement against the closure of Sardar Sarovar Dam’s gates, Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) activist Medha Patkar and others affected by the project began an indefinite hunger strike on the banks of Narmada River in Badwani, Madhya Pradesh, on Thursday. The indefinite hunger strike follows the relay fast, currently going on at 21 different spots in Madhya Pradesh for the past 17 days.

The NBA said the rehabilitation sites were still not ready for the oustees, yet the dam’s height was sought to be taken to the full reservoir level (FRL) of 138.64 meters from 121.92 meters, as part of the “political game” in Gujarat ahead of the state polls in December 2017.

“There has been good rain across Gujarat, therefore the state does not need Narmada waters at least this year,” the NBA said. “As for Madhya Pradesh, it is not going to get any water from the dam. In any case, it is not interested in power from the dam’s power houses. Hence, there is no reason why the dam’s 30-odd gates should remain closed, endangering the oustees’ lives.”

Even though Gujarat has been battling floods for the past one week, the gates of the dam remain closed.

The Sardar Sarovar Dam project resulted in the forceful eviction of two lakh people from 192 villages and one township in Narmada valley. Barwani, Alirajpur, Dhar and Khargone are the districts that are mainly affected by the project. Without considering rehabilitation of the people who have been displaced due to closure of Sardar Sarovar Dam, the governments of Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh proceeded with the project.

Regarding the flood, Patkar said, “I want the gates of the Sardar Sarovar Dam to be opened and the oustees rehabilitated. Reservoirs in Gujarat are full with water due to the recent rains, and there is no urgency to store water in the Sardar Sarovar dam.”

Before starting the fast, Patkar said the officials were forcing the affected people to move to tin sheds built by the government. But the makeshift arrangement lacks even basic infrastructure, she added.

While addressing the media, Patkar said people living in the areas facing submergence were made to vacate their houses, farms and religious places – some of them hundred years old – despite the fact that colonies meant for rehabilitation are far from equipped with basic amenities.

On February 8, a Supreme Court order had asked the Madhya Pradesh government to complete the resettlement of all oustees by July 31. But none of the resettlement sites are ready and people cannot be forced to move out of their villages and live on the streets.

Earlier, before activists could sit for the fast in Badwani, the district administration with the help of Madhya Pradesh police dismantled the Mahatma Gandhi memorial at Rajghat. The 52-year-old memorial housed the ashes of Mahatma Gandhi and his wife Kasturba, along with Gandhi's private secretary Mahadev Desai. The memorial was facing a threat of submergence due to closure of gates of Sardar Sarovar dam in neighboring Gujarat.

Along with forceful land acquisition and displacement of people, demolition of the memorial has further angered the protesters. The 32-year-old non-violent movement with people’s power is still going strong on the banks of Narmada to get justice for the affected people.