India's chief justice to hear on Aug 8 plea against "forcible" displacement of Narmada dam oustees of Madhya Pradesh

NBA activists in support of Medha Patkar's hunger strike

By A Representative
In a major relief to the anti-dam Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) led by well-known social activist Medha Patkar, the Chief Justice of India will be hearing Sardar Sarovar project-related cases on August 8, 2017, especially the NBA plea that there cannot be any forcible displacement without full compliance with all the orders by the Supreme Court.
The decision follows the Supreme Court on Monday hearing what the NBA considers as "serious concerns" over massive displacement due to the decision to take waters in the Sardar Sarovar dam to the full reservoir level, 138.64 meters, by closing the dam's 30-odd gates.
A special leave petition (SLP) against the interim order of the High Court of Madhya Pradesh -- where the NBA claims 40,000 project affected families (PAFs) are yet to be rehabilitated -- contented that the the resettlement and rehabilitation (R&R) sites in the state do not have all basic amenities and hence it is impossible for thousands of families to shift to such sites.
The SLP said, the state government has still not complied with the Supreme Court order dated February 8, 2017, and R&R packages for farmers have not been implemented in at least 50% of cases. It added, instead of R&R amenities, temporary resettlements of tin sheds in thousands have been planned. Besides, the PAFs' cultural and religious needs are not being taken care of in the proposed sites.
The writ petition under Article 32 (right to life) was filed by eminent persons, including former Justice Panachand Jain, Kuldip Nayar, Aruna Roy, Hanan Mollah, Manoranjan Mohanti, Soumya Dutta and Annie Raja, with the prayer to save all the displaced farmers and landless.

Protest in Indore against "forcible" displacement

The petitions was listed before Justice R Nariman and Justice S Kaul, but the bench forwarded it to the Chief Justice, whose order of February 8, 2017 is under reference.
The Chief Justice heard senior advocates Sanjay Parikh and Prashant Bhushan, assisted by advocate Clifton Rozario immediately. He was told about "serious crisis" and "huge scale" of displacement and impact on up to 40,000 families as and when floods take place.
The Chief Justice agreed to hear the case, in spite of a writ petition pending before the High Court, and fixed the date of August 8, 2017.
In a communique, the NBA said, it welcomes the openness shown by the Apex Court by taking cognizance of the serious issues and situation that would lead to violation of right to life and devastation of age-old communities and their resources.
NBA further said, the Government of India, and the governments of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, must "immediately decide against any violence and brutal forcible eviction of a few lakh people. There should be no filling of reservoir with water to drain the life and livelihood."
Meanwhile, the hunger strike by Patkar and others activists. Those on hunger strike include Gayatri Bahen, Kadmaal, Vimla Bhai, Khaparkheda, Dharmendra Kanhera, Khaparkheda, Bhagwati Bahen, Nisarpur, Manjula Bai, Nisarpur, Pushpa Bai, Nisarpur, Rameshwar Awalda, Bau, Awalda, Rukmani bai, Nisarpur, Chota Badda, Sevanti Bai, Chota Barda, all c.aiming to be representatives of various sections and categories of the displaced Sardar Sarovar affected families.

Comments

Whither space for the marginalised in Kerala's privately-driven townships after landslides?

By Ipshita Basu, Sudheesh R.C. In the early hours of July 30 2024, a landslide in the Wayanad district of Kerala state, India, killed 400 people. The Punjirimattom, Mundakkai, Vellarimala and Chooralmala villages in the Western Ghats mountain range turned into a dystopian rubble of uprooted trees and debris.

Election bells ringing in Nepal: Can ousted premier Oli return to power?

By Nava Thakuria* Nepal is preparing for a national election necessitated by the collapse of KP Sharma Oli’s government at the height of a Gen Z rebellion (youth uprising) in September 2025. The polls are scheduled for 5 March. The Himalayan nation last conducted a general election in 2022, with the next polls originally due in 2027. However, following the dissolution of Nepal’s lower house of Parliament last year by President Ram Chandra Poudel, the electoral process began under the patronage of an interim government installed on 12 September under the leadership of retired Supreme Court judge Sushila Karki. The Hindu-majority nation of over 29 million people will witness more than 3,400 electoral candidates, including 390 women, representing 68 political parties as well as independents, vying for 165 seats in the 275-member House of Representatives.

Jayanthi Natarajan "never stood by tribals' rights" in MNC Vedanta's move to mine Niyamigiri Hills in Odisha

By A Representative The Odisha Chapter of the Campaign for Survival and Dignity (CSD), which played a vital role in the struggle for the enactment of historic Forest Rights Act, 2006 has blamed former Union environment minister Jaynaynthi Natarjan for failing to play any vital role to defend the tribals' rights in the forest areas during her tenure under the former UPA government. Countering her recent statement that she rejected environmental clearance to Vendanta, the top UK-based NMC, despite tremendous pressure from her colleagues in Cabinet and huge criticism from industry, and the claim that her decision was “upheld by the Supreme Court”, the CSD said this is simply not true, and actually she "disrespected" FRA.

Gig workers hold online strike on republic day; nationwide protests planned on February 3

By A Representative Gig and platform service workers across the country observed a nationwide online strike on Republic Day, responding to a call given by the Gig & Platform Service Workers Union (GIPSWU) to protest what it described as exploitation, insecurity and denial of basic worker rights in the platform economy. The union said women gig workers led the January 26 action by switching off their work apps as a mark of protest.

'Condonation of war crimes against women and children’: IPSN on Trump’s Gaza Board

By A Representative The India-Palestine Solidarity Network (IPSN) has strongly condemned the announcement of a proposed “Board of Peace” for Gaza and Palestine by former US President Donald J. Trump, calling it an initiative that “condones war crimes against children and women” and “rubs salt in Palestinian wounds.”

With infant mortality rate of 5, better than US, guarantee to live is 'alive' in Kerala

By Nabil Abdul Majeed, Nitheesh Narayanan In 1945, two years prior to India's independence, the current Chief Minister of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan, was born into a working-class family in northern Kerala. He was his mother’s fourteenth child; of the thirteen siblings born before him, only two survived. His mother was an agricultural labourer and his father a toddy tapper. They belonged to a downtrodden caste, deemed untouchable under the Indian caste system.

Stands 'exposed': Cavalier attitude towards rushed construction of Char Dham project

By Bharat Dogra* The nation heaved a big sigh of relief when the 41 workers trapped in the under-construction Silkyara-Barkot tunnel (Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand) were finally rescued on November 28 after a 17-day rescue effort. All those involved in the rescue effort deserve a big thanks of the entire country. The government deserves appreciation for providing all-round support.

MGNREGA: How caste and power hollowed out India’s largest welfare law

By Sudhir Katiyar, Mallica Patel* The sudden dismantling of MGNREGA once again exposes the limits of progressive legislation in the absence of transformation of a casteist, semi-feudal rural society. Over two days in the winter session, the Modi government dismantled one of the most progressive legislations of the UPA regime—the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).

India’s road to sustainability: Why alternative fuels matter beyond electric vehicles

By Suyash Gupta* India’s worsening air quality makes the shift towards clean mobility urgent. However, while electric vehicles (EVs) are central to India’s strategy, they alone cannot address the country’s diverse pollution and energy challenges.

Search This Blog