Demolition of Gandhi Samadhi in Badwani, use force on fasting NBA activists: Protests held in Delhi, Karnataka

Gandhi Samadhi being removed in Badwani

Even as Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) leader Medha Patkar, accompanied by Sardar Sarovar dam affected communities, started indefinite mass fast against the alleged Madhya Pradesh government attempt at "drowning and forcefully evicting people from Narmada Valley without complete and Just rehabilitation", her supporters gathered at Jantar Mantar in Delhi in solidarity protest.
Before Patkar and her supporters could sit for fast in Badwani, off Gujarat border next to Narmada river, in an early morning operation on July 27, the Madhya Pradesh police dismantled the Mahatma Gandhi Samadhi at Rajghat with the help of JBC. As the police was seeking to take away the Mahatma's remains, NBA activists stopped them, protesting against the "disrespect" to Gandhiji.
The samadhi had ashes of Gandhiji, Kasturba Gandhi and Mahadevbhai Desai, Gandhiji's life long secretary. Facing protest, the police tried to forcibly remove the protesters from the spot and asked those sitting on fast, led by Patkar, to vacate the spot.
Failing to do it, the cops retreated, but not before dismantling a few shops in the neighbourhood. In a communique, NBA alleged, "It is clear that police acted as per the government instructions. It is part of its strategy to use violent means to evict communities and try hard to deter the strength of people holding indefinite fast peacefully along with Medha Patkar."
Meanwhile, NBA supporters in Delhi began protest against the use of "brute force" by the Madhya Pradesh police. The Delhi Solidarity Group and the National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM) gathered in Delhi at Jantar Mantar in solidarity with Narmada oustees, NBA and Patkar against the "forceful eviction and drowning of not only a valley but a civilization, a culture and whole communities living in Narmada Valley."
Sanjeev Kumar from the Delhi Solidarity Group briefed those who had gathered for the protest at Jantar Mantar about the "injustices happened in last 32 years of struggle led by the people and communities of Narmada valley along with NBA.

Medha Patkar (right), supporters off Gandhi Samadhi

CPI-M leader Hannan Mollah, as representative of the land rights movement Bhumi Adhikar Andolan, said that the government was producing "false information in courts, and attacking people with force when they asked for rehabilitation". He added, "On the behest of corporate forces and for the sake of interests of few industrialists, the government has stopped listening to people for genuine demands of the people and the NBA, which fought for the rights of people for the last 32 years."
Bhupendra Singh Rawat from Jan Sangharsh Vahini criticized the government’s plan of holding Narmada Mahotsav, the celebration of formal closure of sluice gates of the Sardar Sarovar dam, scheduled on August 12." He added, the celebration was being planned, even as 40,000 families residing in Narmada Valley "faced eviction without complete and just rehabilitation."
Soumya Datta, renowned environmentalist, refuted two basic claims of the government to close the gates of Sardar Sarovar dam: One, electricity supply to Madhya Pradesh, and two, water for Gujarat.
Datta said, "Gujarat has failed to utilize the water stored at the dam height of 121.92 metres with gates open as the canal work is not complete. Also, major portion of water is only going to Coca Cola and industries rather than the claimed farmers in Gujarat."
He added, "The other claim of the need of electricity has no basis, as Madhya Pradesh is already a power surplus and is facing corruption charges in purchasing electricity at higher rates from private companies by keeping public sector electricity power plants closed."
Rajesh Singh from the Delhi Solidarity Group, Inamul Hassan from the Khudai Khidmatgar, Rishit Neogi from NAPM, and farmers from Tamil Nadu protesting at Jantar Mantar also expressed their solidarity and raised slogans against government attempt of "silencing" the voices of minority, farmers, workers, women, adivasis and fishworkers of the Narmada Valley and NBA activists.
In yet another show of solidarity with fasting NBA activists and people of the Narmada Valley, supporters from Karnataka held a day-long fast at Talukdar Headquarters in Challekere, Karnataka. Activists assembled and fasted for the whole day and raised slogans in support to the demands of Narmada dam oustees and NBA.

Comments

Irrational? Basis for fear among Hindus about being 'swamped' by Muslims

I was amused while reading an article titled "Ham Paanch, Hamare Pachees", shared on Facebook, by well-known policy analyst Mohan Guruswamy, an alumnus of the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, and the Graduate School of Business, Stanford University. Guruswamy, who has also worked as an advisor to the Finance Minister with the rank of Secretary to the Government of India, seeks to probe, as he himself states, "the supposed Muslim attitude to family planning"—a theme that was invoked by Narendra Modi as Gujarat Chief Minister ahead of the December 2002 assembly polls.

Why's Australian crackdown rattling Indian students? Whopping 25% fake visa applications

This is what happened several months ago. A teenager living in the housing society where I reside was sent to Australia to study at a university in Sydney with much fanfare. The parents, whom I often met as part of a group, would tell us how easily the boy got his admission with the help of "some well-meaning friends," adding that they had obtained an education loan to ensure he could study at a graduate school.

Tracking a lost link: Soviet-era legacy of Gujarati translator Atul Sawani

The other day, I received a message from a well-known activist, Raju Dipti, who runs an NGO called Jeevan Teerth in Koba village, near Gujarat’s capital, Gandhinagar. He was seeking the contact information of Atul Sawani, a translator of Russian books—mainly political and economic—into Gujarati for Progress Publishers during the Soviet era. He wanted to collect and hand over scanned soft copies, or if possible, hard copies, of Soviet books translated into Gujarati to Arvind Gupta, who currently lives in Pune and is undertaking the herculean task of collecting and making public soft copies of Soviet books that are no longer available in the market, both in English and Indian languages.

Gujarat slips in India Justice Report 2025: From model state to mid-table performer

Overall ranking in IJR reports The latest India Justice Report (IJR), prepared by legal experts with the backing of several civil society organisations and aimed at ranking the capacity of states to deliver justice, has found Gujarat—considered by India's rulers as a model state for others to follow—slipping to the 11th position from fourth in 2022.

Punishing senior citizens? Flipkart, Shopsy stop Cash on Delivery in Ahmedabad!

The other day, someone close to me attempted to order some goodies on Flipkart and its subsidiary Shopsy. After preparing a long list of items, this person, as usual, opted for the Cash on Delivery (popularly known as COD) option, as this senior citizen isn't very familiar with online prepaid payment methods like UPI, credit or debit cards, or online bank transfers through websites. In fact, she is hesitant to make online payments, fearing, "I may make a mistake," she explained, adding, "I read a lot about online frauds, so I always choose COD as it's safe. I have no knowledge of how to prepay online."

A conman, a demolition man: How 'prominent' scribes are defending Pritish Nandy

How to defend Pritish Nandy? That’s the big question some of his so-called fans seem to ponder, especially amidst sharp criticism of his alleged insensitivity during his journalistic career. One such incident involved the theft and publication of the birth certificate of Masaba Gupta, daughter of actor Neena Gupta, in the Illustrated Weekly of India, which Nandy was editing at the time. He reportedly did this to uncover the identity of Masaba’s father.

Of lingering shadow of Haren Pandya's murder during Modi's Gujarat days

Sunita Williams’ return to Earth has, ironically, reopened an old wound: the mysterious murder of her first cousin, the popular BJP leader Haren Pandya, in 2003. Initially a supporter of Narendra Modi, Haren turned against him, not sparing any opportunity to do things that would embarrass Modi. Social media and some online news portals, including The Wire , are abuzz with how Modi’s recent invitation to Sunita to visit India comes against the backdrop of how he, as Gujarat’s chief minister, didn’t care to offer any official protocol support during her 2007 visit to Gujarat.

Area set aside in Ahmedabad for PM's affordable housing scheme 'has gone to big builders'

Following my article on affordable housing in Counterview, which quoted a top real estate consultant, I was informed that affordable housing—a scheme introduced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi—has deviated from its original intent. A former senior bureaucrat, whom I used to meet during my Sachivalaya days, told me that an entire area in Ahmedabad, designated for the scheme, has been used to construct costly houses instead.

Just 5% Gujarat Dalit households 'recognise' social reformers who inspired Ambedkar

An interesting survey conducted across 22 districts and 32 villages in Gujarat sheds light on the representation of key social reformers in Dalit households. It suggests that while Dr. B.R. Ambedkar's photo was displayed in a majority of homes, images of Lord Buddha and the 19th-century reformist couple, Savitribai Phule and Jyotiba Phule, were not as commonly represented.

Search This Blog