20,000 Narmada dam oustee families "not calculated" as project affected, just 50 resettled in Madhya Pradesh

By A Representative
Top social activist Medha Patkar has accused the Madhya Pradesh government of “constantly fudging” the backwater level data (click HERE) of the submergence zone of the Narmada dam, thereby keeping approximately 20,000 project affected families (PAFs) out of the number of beneficiaries.
Calculating the outees without any “scientific and legal” basis, Patkar says, “The government has denied them their due resettlement and rehabilitation (R&R) share – initially 4,374 PAFs and then another 15,900 PAFs.”
Pointing out that in three decades of struggle, the NBA “succeeded” in ensuring land to 14,000 oustees – Adivasis, Dalit farmers and their families in Gujarat and Maharashtra – the petition says, “But Madhya Pradesh is a different story; only 40 to 50 displaced families have been allotted land.”
Asserting this in an online petition, Patkar says, “Villages that lie in the submergence zone are full of life and activity with its houses, panchayats, temples, mosques, shops, markets and lakhs of trees which cannot be submerged without proper resettlement violating the Narmada Water Dispute Tribunal and Supreme Court judgments of 1992, 2000 and 2005.”
The petition, which is proposed to be sent to Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan, simultaneously asks Prime Minister Narendra Modi to first ensure completion of R&R of all Narmada dam oustees – whose number she estimates to be a whopping 40,000 – even as asking the Gujarat government to “stop construction of the dam” till then.
The petition asks Chauhan “to make public the Jha Commission report on corruption in land distribution to the Narmada dam oustees public, and send the guilty officials to jail.”
Pointing out that the organization she heads, Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA), has “challenged the government’s false affidavits on the question of complete R&R and exposed the massive corruption involved in the process”, Patkar says, “Through our petition, the Madhya Pradesh High Court constituted a Commission of Enquiry under Justice SS Jha.”
She adds, “The Jha Commission submitted its report after nearly seven years of detailed hearings into cases of corruption involving influential people and accepted the massive fraud to tune of Rs 1,000 crore.”
Objecting to the NBA being denied access to the report, the petition says, “The State of Madhya Pradesh has challenged our access to this report of enquiry in the courts citing privilege of the State Assembly.”
Recalling that there has been a massive protest against failure to rehabilitate dam oustees, Patkar says, “From April 27 to 29, thousands gathered in Bhopal, the capital of Madhya Pradesh in a ‘Chetavani Upwas’ with a set of demands for the state and the Centre. Solidarity actions were held in Hyderabad, Bhubaneshwar, Delhi, Bihar, Jharkhand and other places.”
Asking the signatories to also write directly to the Prime Minister of India and Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, pressing for the demands, the petition insists on organizing “solidarity actions, programmes, discussions wherever you are, schools, colleges, streets, villages, cities and so on.”
“Take to social media, post solidarity messages, postcards, memes, or whatever it takes to create the buzz and pressure on authorities to act”, the petition says, adding, “The NBA has survived on the support and cooperation from the people and in future. It has been three long struggle filled decades since the people of the Narmada valley have been non-violently opposing the Sardar Sarovar Dam.”
---
Click HERE for online petition

Comments

Wave of disappearances sparks human rights fears for activists in Delhi

By Harsh Thakor* A philosophy student from Zakir Hussain College, Delhi University, and an activist associated with Nazariya magazine, Rudra, has been reported missing since the morning of July 19, 2025. This disappearance adds to a growing concern among human rights advocates regarding the escalating number of detentions and disappearances of activists in Delhi.

How community leaders overcome obstacles to protect forests and pastures in remote villages

By Bharat Dogra Dheera Ram Kapaya grew up in such poverty that, unable to attend school himself, he would carry another boy’s heavy school bag for five kilometers just to get a scoop of daliya (porridge). When he was finally able to attend school, he had to leave after class five to join other adolescent workers. However, as soon as opportunities arose, he involved himself in community efforts—promoting forest protection, adult literacy, and other constructive initiatives. His hidden talent for writing emerged during this time, and he became known for the songs and street play scripts he created to promote forest conservation, discourage child marriages, and support other social reforms.

‘Act of war on agriculture’: Aruna Rodrigues slams GM crop expansion and regulatory apathy

By Rosamma Thomas* Expressing appreciation to the Union Agriculture Minister for inviting suggestions from farmers and concerned citizens on the sharp decline in cotton crop productivity, Aruna Rodrigues—lead petitioner in the Supreme Court case ongoing since 2005 that seeks a moratorium on genetically modified (GM) crops—wrote to Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on July 14, 2025, stating that conflicts of interest have infiltrated India’s regulatory system like a spreading cancer, including within the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR).

The GMO illusion: Three decades of hype, harm, and false hope

By Sridhar Radhakrishnan Three decades of hype, billions of dollars spent, and still no miracle crop. It's time to abandon the GMO biotech fairy tale and return to the soil, the seed, and the farmer. “Trust us,” they said. “GMOs will feed the world.” Picture a world where there is plenty of food, no hunger, fields grow without chemical pesticides, children are saved from malnutrition, and people live healthily.

Sandra Gonzalez Sanabria: An inspiring life from Colombia’s Amazonian valley

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* In the village of Héctor Ramírez, known as Agua Bonita, in La Montañita, Caquetá, Colombia, a vision of peace and renewal is unfolding. In the pre-2016 period, this would have been nearly impossible for outsiders to visit, as it was the epicenter of violent resistance against state oppression. However, after the Peace Accord was signed between the Colombian government and former revolutionaries—marking the end of a 70-year insurgency that claimed over 400,000 lives until 2025, including civilians, rebel fighters, and security personnel—things began to change. Visiting Agua Bonita during the Global Land Forum in Bogotá revealed a village of hope and resilience. Former FARC revolutionaries have settled here and transformed the village into a center of peace and aspiration.

Indigenous Karen activist calls for global solidarity amid continued struggles in Burma

By A Representative At the International Festival for People’s Rights and Struggles (IFPRS), Naw Paw Pree, an Indigenous Karen activist from the Karen Human Rights Group (KHRG), shared her experiences of oppression, resilience, and hope. Organized with the support of the International Indigenous Peoples Movement for Self-Determination and Liberation (IPMSDL), the event brought together Indigenous and marginalized communities from across the globe, offering a rare safe space for shared learning, solidarity, and expression.

Activists allege abduction and torture by Delhi Police Special Cell in missing person probe

By A Representative A press statement released today by the Campaign Against State Repression (CASR) alleges that several student and social activists have been abducted, illegally detained, and subjected to torture by the Delhi Police Special Cell. The CASR claims these actions are linked to an investigation into the disappearance of Vallika Varshri, an editorial team member of 'Nazariya' magazine.

India’s zero-emission, eco-friendly energy strategies have a long way to go, despite impressive progress

By N.S. Venkataraman* The recent report released by OPEC’s World Oil Outlook 2025 has predicted that by the year 2050, crude oil would replace coal as India’s key energy source. Clearly, OPEC expects that India’s dependence on fossil fuels for energy will continue to remain high in one form or another.

Gender violence defies stringent laws: The need for robust social capital

By Dr. Manoj Kumar Mishra* The tragic death of Miss Soumyashree Bisi, a 20-year-old student from Fakir Mohan College, Balasore, who reportedly self-immolated due to harassment, shocked the conscience of Odisha. Even before the public could process this horrifying event, another harrowing case emerged—a 15-year-old girl from Balanga, Puri, was allegedly set ablaze by miscreants. These incidents are not isolated; they highlight a disturbing pattern of rising gender-based violence across the state and the country.

Search This Blog