Setback to Gujarat? Supreme Court forms committee to examine Narmada dam oustees' land allocation

By A Representative
In a move that is likely to impact on the future course of the prestigious Narmada project in Gujarat, the Supreme Court has decided to form a high-level committee consisting of senior lawyers and experts under its guidance to ensure allocation of land to the dam oustees in Madhya Pradesh.
To come up with recommendations on how to allocate land to about 1,589 oustee families, who have been identified by the Justice Jha Commission as having been fleeced by a nexus of government officials and agents, the committee is expected to “rise above individual interests” and come up with a “common list” of beneficiaries, who would be given 5 acres of land each.
Under what is called fake registry scam, the oustee families, majority of them tribals, are received first installment of cash to buy up land. The anti-dam Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) claims, the 1,500-odd oustees, identified by the Jha Commission, not been buy up any land because it is not available for the amount land they have been offered.
NBA has been insisting, instead of cash, the oustees should have been given land. The result is, these oustees’ rehabilitation has still not complete, despite claims to the contrary by the Madhya Pradehs government.
NBA says, the amount offered to each oustee family is half of Rs 5 lakh for five acres in first installment, which is “extremely small”, considering that the price of per acre fertile land acre in the state is Rs 50 lakh to Rs 1 crore per acre.
After hearing the NBA plea, the Supreme Court, announcing the need for the committee, said, it would “look into the market value of land which the oustees would need to buy, and would see whether the oustees’ rehabilitation is complete”, a source said.
The decision to form the committee was declared on January 31, 2017, by the Supreme Court bench consisting of Chief Justice of India Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar, Justice Chandrachud and Justice Ramanna.
The decision to form the committee came following the intervention of the NBA, which is fighting for the oustees’ land rights. The NBA petition in the Supreme Court was represented in the court by senior advocate Sanjay Parikh and joined by Medha Patkar, the NBA leader, who appeared in the court “in person.”
The state government pleader argued that the project has to “move on”, even as claiming that rehabilitation of the oustees is almost complete. However, Parikh, representing the oustees, questioned the government, saying the rehabilitation of the project affected families (PAFs), who are entitled to land, is “not complete” and what actually has happened is a major scam.
While the dam’s work is complete, the Gujarat government cannot close its 31 radial gates to fill up the full reservoir level (FRL) o f138.64 metres, because of “failure” of the Madhya Pradesh government to complete the oustees’ rehabilitation process. Filling up the dam at FRL would lead to submergence of major areas in the upstream, adversely affecting the oustees.

Comments

Telangana government urged to stop 'unconstitutional' relocation of Chenchu tribes

By A Representative The Nallamalla forests are witnessing a renewed surge of indigenous resistance as the Chenchu adivasis , a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG), have formally launched the Chenchu Solidarity Forum (CSF) on the eve of World Earth Day to combat what they describe as unlawful and forced relocation from the Amrabad Tiger Reserve .

Dhandhuka violence: Gujarat minority group seeks judicial action, cites targeted arson

By A Representative The Minority Coordination Committee (MCC) Gujarat has written to the Director General of Police seeking judicial action in connection with recent violence in Dhandhuka town of Ahmedabad district, alleging targeted attacks on properties belonging to members of the Muslim community following a fatal altercation between two bike riders on April 18.

Cracks in Gujarat model? Surat’s exodus reveals precarity behind prosperity claims

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* The return of migrant workers from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, particularly from Gujarat, was inevitable. Gujarat has long been showcased as the epitome of “infrastructure” and the business-friendly Modi model. Yet, when governments become business-friendly, they require the poor to serve them—while keeping them precarious, unable to stabilize, demand fair wages, or assert their rights. The agenda is clear: workers must remain grateful for whatever crumbs the Seth ji offers.

'Fraudulent': Ex-civil servants urge President to halt Odisha tribal land dispossession

By A Representative A collective of 81 retired civil servants from the Constitutional Conduct Group has written to the President of India expressing alarm over what they describe as the wrongful dispossession of tribal lands in Odisha’s Rayagada district. The letter, dated April 19, 2026, highlights violent clashes in Kantamal village where police personnel reportedly injured over 70 tribal residents attempting to protect their community rights.

India 'violating international law obligations' over Israel ties: UN rapporteur

By A Representative Francesca Albanese, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, has alleged that India is “violating its obligations under international law” through its continued association with Israel, including defence ties and alleged arms exports during the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

Why Tamil Nadu, Periyar, and the Dravidian model aren't just regional phenomena

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* The election campaign in Tamil Nadu this season is strikingly different. The alliance led by the DMK is consistently referred to as the “ DMK alliance ,” not the “INDIA alliance.” This distinction is unsurprising given the state’s history: Tamil Nadu remains the only state to decisively reject “national” parties. The AIADMK’s surrender to the BJP after J. Jayalalithaa ’s death represents, in many ways, a betrayal of the politics of Tamil identity—an identity Periyar envisioned as Dravidian, not narrowly Tamil.

The soundtrack of resistance: How 'Sada Sada Ya Nabi' is fueling the Iran war

By Syed Ali Mujtaba* The Persian track “ Sada Sada Ya Nabi ye ” by Hossein Sotoodeh has taken the world by storm. This viral media has cut across linguistic barriers to achieve cult status, reaching over 10 million views. The electrifying music and passionate rendition by the Iranian singer have resonated across the globe, particularly as the high-intensity military conflict involving Iran entered its second month in March 2026.

World Book Day: Celebrating the power of reading in the Indian context

By Mohd. Ziyaullah Khan* Written language is one of humanity’s greatest achievements, setting us apart from all other living beings. In a country like India, home to diverse languages, cultures, and traditions, books play an even more powerful role. They are not just tools of communication but bridges across generations, regions, and ideologies. When we read the works of Munshi Premchand or Rabindranath Tagore , we are not merely reading stories; we are engaging in a silent conversation with minds that lived decades, even centuries ago. That is the true power of books: they preserve thoughts, ideas, and emotions beyond time. Recognising this immense value, the world celebrates World Book Day , a day dedicated to honouring books, authors, and the joy of reading.

The aesthetic of new pain: Transforming social reality into poetry

By Ravi Ranjan* The poetry of Kumar Ambuj , specifically the twelve works published in 'Samalochan' in April 2026, serves as a profound and vibrant document of contemporary Indian society that intertwines personal wounds with deep-seated social structures. Ambuj’s sociological and aesthetic vision is one that peels away layers of reality without resorting to slogans, standing firmly in favor of democracy, secularism, and scientific consciousness while critiquing the minutiae of capitalist modernity.

Search This Blog