Skip to main content

Narmada dam affected adivasi commits suicide: Oustees' "depression" at new height over not getting land, rehab package

Medha Patkar
By Our Representative
In a gruesome incident, Tembhrya Kutarya, an adivasi of Chimalkhedi village, barely 10-odd km from from the prestigious Sardar Sarovar Dam on Narmada river, consumed poison and committed suicide. Situated across the border in Maharashtra, the news from the village, says prominent social activist Medha Patkar, "reveals the actual dire reality underlying the false tall claims of rehabilitation by the Maharashtra government."
Revealing the incident, Patkar has said, while the adivasi committed suicide on July 9, till late evening on July 10, the dead body was decaying on the banks of the river Narmada in the village Chimalkhedy, as the government is “still thinking” how to take MBBS doctor there to do postmortem.
A doctor appointed on the riverine dispensary on the irregular medical barge was in Kevadia colony, where the Narmada dam is situated, but was not aware of the incident, such is the indifference towards the Narmada dam oustees, Patkar has alleged. Worse, he is not permitted to do postmortem, since he is BAMS, not MBBS.
"When the dead body was decaying, the height of the Sardar Sarovar Dam is being raised by 17 meters to 139 meters submerging several villages and thousands of adivasis. Only future will decide how many more may have to commit suicide as 2.5 lakhs people in the submergence area are being sacrificed", Patkar has alleged.
In a statement in the wake of the suicide, the National Alliance of People's Movements ((NAPM), apex body of tens of rights based organizations, has said the "story of Tembhrya Kutarya tells a lot. For the last 30 years, thanks to the Narmada Bachao Andolan's efforts, 11,000 families in Gujarat and Maharashtra have been giving land for land", even as compelling Madhya Pradesh government "to prepare rehabilitation sites."
"As of today there are 1,200 families in Maharashtra and 5,000 families in Madhya Pradesh who are yet to get land rights. Tembhrya Kutarya was one of those", NAPM said, giving details of how Tembhrya Kutarya failed to be rehabilitated. The simple reason was, Tembhrya’s name was misspelled; and despite repeated pleas "the government did not corrected the records." Worse, though he had land, he was "listing as landless."
Worse, "Tembhrya’s four sons were excluded too", the statement said, adding, he was also "not declared as landholder with joint landholding (with his brother) but was declared as adult son and was given only one hectare. Even this he could not actually obtain because only one of the four was given notice and the land is far away. Thus, he was not given his right to two hectares of land, nor were his sons given any land."
Pointing out that the claims of the adult sons were pending for last the last years, NAPM said, Tembhrya’s application for correction in his name was also sent to the Grievance Redressal Authority, formed by Supreme Court to look into the grievances of the Narmada oustees.
The authority did not take "any decision" on the matter, NAPM said, adding, sending back his application of Tembhrya’s sons to additional collector. All the four sons have now been labeled "non-eligible" because they could not show proofs like ration cards of 1987 and names in voting list. The land of this family was submerged since 2003.
"Frustrated over failing to get land, he ended his life by committing suicide. In fact this is the homicide of adivasis by the exploitative government system", NAPM has alleged, adding, the situation has reached a point that the Maharashtra government is stopped search for land for oustees is instead seeking to give cash instead.

Comments

TRENDING

Avoidable Narmada floods: Modi birthday fete caused long wait for release of dam waters

Counterview Desk  Top advocacy group, South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People (SANDRP), has accused the Sardar Sarovar dam operators for once again acting in an "unaccountable" manner, bringing "avoidable floods in downstream Gujarat."  In a detailed analysis, SANDRP has said that the water level at the Golden Bridge in Bharuch approached the highest flood level on September 17, 2023, but these "could have been significantly lower and much less disastrous" both for the upstream and downstream areas of the dam, if the authorities had taken action earlier based on available actionable information.

Biden urged to warn Modi: US can declare India as worst religious freedom offender

By Our Representative  During a Congressional Briefing held on Capitol Hill, Washington DC, Nadine Maenza, former Chair of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), has wondered why the Biden administration should raise issues of mass anti-minority mob violence  -- particularly in Haryana and Manipur -- with Modi. Modi should be told that if such violence continues, the US will be “compelled by law” to designate India as one of the world’s worst offenders of religious freedom, she urged.

From 'Naatu-Naatu' to 'Nipah-Nipah': Dancing to the tune of western pipers?

By Dr Amitav Banerjee, MD*  Some critics have commented that the ecstatic response of most Indians to the Oscar for the racy Indian song, “Naatu-Naatu” from the film, “RRR” reeks of sheer racism, insulting visuals and a colonial hangover. It was perhaps these ingredients that impressed the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, one critic says.

A Hindu alternative to Valentine's Day? 'Shiv-Parvati was first love marriage in Universe'

By Rajiv Shah*   The other day, I was searching on Google a quote on Maha Shivratri which I wanted to send to someone, a confirmed Shiv Bhakt, quite close to me -- with an underlying message to act positively instead of being negative. On top of the search, I chanced upon an article in, imagine!, a Nashik Corporation site which offered me something very unusual. 

Why iconic Urdu book stall, publishing house Maktaba Jamia died an 'unnatural' death

By Firoz Bakht Ahmed*  We have all grown through the fragrant flavours and flairs of our childhood, one of them being our childhood mother-tongue historic magazines like, “Thakurmar Jhuli” (Bengali), “Khilauna”, Payam-e-Taleem" (Urdu), “Hans” (Marathi), “Parag” (Hindi), “Chitralekha” (Gujarati), “Chandamama” (Telugu), etc. I “drank” Urdu while suckling his mother and learnt the language not from any madrasa, school or college but from these publications only — my treasure trove!

Buddhist shrines were 'massively destroyed' by Brahmanical rulers: Historian DN Jha

Nalanda mahavihara By Our Representative Prominent historian DN Jha, an expert in India's ancient and medieval past, in his new book , "Against the Grain: Notes on Identity, Intolerance and History", in a sharp critique of "Hindutva ideologues", who look at the ancient period of Indian history as "a golden age marked by social harmony, devoid of any religious violence", has said, "Demolition and desecration of rival religious establishments, and the appropriation of their idols, was not uncommon in India before the advent of Islam".

Asset managers hold '2.8 times more equity' in fossil fuel cos than in green investments

By Deepanwita Gita Niyogi*  The world’s largest asset managers are far off track to meet the  2050 net zero commitments , a new study  released by InfluenceMap , a London-based think tank working on climate change and sustainability, says. Released on August 1, the Asset Managers and Climate Change 2023 report by FinanceMap, a work stream of InfluenceMap, finds that the world’s largest asset managers have not improved on their climate performance in the past two years.

Evading primary responsibility, ONGC decides to invest Rs 15,000 crore in sick subsidiary

By NS Venkataraman*  It is reported that Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) will infuse about Rs 15,000 crore in ONGC Petro-additions Ltd (OPaL) as part of a financial restructuring exercise. ONGC currently holds 49.36 per cent stake in (OPaL), which operates a mega petrochemical plant at Dahej in Gujarat. GAIL (India) Ltd has 49.21 per cent interest and Gujarat State Petrochemical Corporation (GSPC) has the remaining 1.43 per cent.

Sales, profits of Indian firms 'deteriorate', yet no significant increase in cost pressures

By Our Representative  The Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad's (IIM-A's) latest Business Inflation Expectations Survey (BIES), a monthly exercise, has said that while cost perceptions data does not indicate significant increase of cost pressures, sales and profits of the Indian firms have deteriorated.

Why Bangladesh is achieving 'new heights' amidst economic collapse of Pakistan

By Sufian Siddique*  Pakistan's economy is on the brink of bankruptcy like Sri Lanka's. Pakistan's foreign exchange reserves have fallen below $3 billion. They have asked the IMF for a 'bailout loan' a long time ago, but the IMF is trying to impose strict conditions that Pakistan's current ruling coalition has no capacity to meet. Even China and Saudi Arabia, Pakistan's long-standing loyal friends, are now reluctant to shoulder Pakistan's burden.