Rallies, hunger strike, demand for self-rule in Narmada Valley villages of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra

By A Representative
Following demonstrations and meeting in several villages of Madhya Pradesh protesting against the alleged failure to rehabilitate Narmada dam oustees, top anti-dam organization, Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA), in a statement, has regretted that the state government’s top functionaries, including the chief minister and his ministers, appeared to think that the World Indigenous Day, which it celebrated a week ago, was a religious festival.

NBA accused them of spending crores of rupees, "even as the question of ‘self-rule’ is being categorically denied to adivasis". NBA said, “Part IX of the Indian Constitution states that in spite of any other article or section, there will be independent administration for tribals. Article 243-N clearly states that after the 73rd amendment of the Constitution in 1992 any laws of states contrary to it will not be applicable after 1993.”

It added, “After the 73rd amendment came the Panchayati Raj (Extension to Schedule Areas) Act (PESA Act) in 1996, which was an addition to the Panchayati Raj Act 1993. But instead of extending the special powers given to villagers and panchayats to adivasi gramsabhas, their rights are being crushed. PESA is in cold storage.”
According to NBA, “States, including Madhya Pradesh, are rejecting the claim and ownership of adivasi gramsabhas to natural resources and right to participation in development planning of those resources. Widespread exploitation of natural resources are being undertaken without due process, consultation and consent of gram sabhas.”
Pointing out that “sonsent is the minimum required by law and still it is not being followed. Even Rules for PESA have not been made in Madhya Pradesh”, NBA regretted that the situation is not very different in other states. Thus, “There is death by starvation of dalit-adivasis in Jharkhand, malnutrition of adivasis of Nandurbar or Melghat (Maharashtra) or the displacement of tribals all over India is a result of this.”

NBA regretted, “In a valley like Narmada, where adivasis co-owned the rivers and mountains for generations, they were not even told of the disastrous consequences of damming the river, let alone rehabilitating them. The Narmada Tribunal in its 10 years of inspection hasn’t even met the tribal representation.”
“Even today”, NBA said, “In hilly areas adivasi homes have been broken by the administration without any hope to gain alternative house plot. After fighting for 33 years adivasis have secured their right to rehabilitation. But after submitting false reports the government wants to exclude thousands of adivasis from rehabilitation benefits.”
“Neither PESA Act, nor rehabilitation, nor prohibition of alcohol sales is being implemented by the state”, NBA said, adding, “The Forest Rights Act is not even implemented in single village situated on the banks of Narmada in Badwani, Alirajpur and Nandurbar districts.”

“Does the Madhya Pradesh government (or any other) have any right to ‘play empty drums’ in the name of adivasi rights?”, it asked, adding, it wasn’t without reason that on the occasion of the World Indigenous Day, relay hunger strike was undertaken in several of the villages, including “Pichhodi, Avalda, Kasravad, Rajghat, Kukra, Bhilkheda, Bagud, Piplud, Seganv, Dhanora, Nisarpur, Kapadkheda, Kadmal, Bajarikheda, Chikhalda, Gopalpura, Gangli, Kavthi, Bada Barda, Dharampuri, Navdatoli etc.”

As part of the protest, submergence villages hoisted the tricolour on the occasion of Independence Day, and special gram sabhas passed the resolution for the stay of the fake displacement process, NBA said, adding, “Until now, 192 villages and 1 town displaced by the Sardar Sarovar Dam have not been rehabilitated.”
Claiming that 35,000 displaced are yet to be rehabilitated by the Madhya Pradesh government, the Narmada Valley Development Corporation, and the Narmada Control Authority, NBA recalled, “Avalda, Pichhodi, Bagud, Kasravad, Chikhalda and Kaparkheda gram sabhas belong to Scheduled Areas and hence PESA Act is applicable.”

It said, “According to Section 4 of this act prior consultation and consent of gram sabha is mandatory before land acquisition. But since this is not followed in Madhya Pradesh, it is contempt of this law and of the gram sabha. The gram sabhas on August 15, 2018 condemned such an attitude, unanimously passed the resolution to keep the gates of the Sardar Sarovar Dam opened and let river Narmada flow.”

Comments

A comrade in culture and controversy: Yao Wenyuan’s revolutionary legacy

By Harsh Thakor* This year marks two important anniversaries in Chinese revolutionary history—the 20th death anniversary of Yao Wenyuan, and the 50th anniversary of his seminal essay "On the Social Basis of the Lin Biao Anti-Party Clique". These milestones invite reflection on the man whose pen ignited the first sparks of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution and whose sharp ideological interventions left an indelible imprint on the political and cultural landscape of socialist China.

From triple centurion to master coach: Bob Simpson’s enduring legacy

By Harsh Thakor* Former Australia cricket captain and coach Bob Simpson has died in Sydney aged 89. He leaves behind an indelible legacy, having shaped Australian cricket for more than four decades as a player, captain and coach. Beyond the field, he also served the game as a law-maker, referee and commentator, carving a permanent niche among the all-time greats of Australian cricket.

N-power plant at Mithi Virdi: CRZ nod is arbitrary, without jurisdiction

By Krishnakant* A case-appeal has been filed against the order of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) and others granting CRZ clearance for establishment of intake and outfall facility for proposed 6000 MWe Nuclear Power Plant at Mithi Virdi, District Bhavnagar, Gujarat by Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) vide order in F 11-23 /2014-IA- III dated March 3, 2015. The case-appeal in the National Green Tribunal at Western Bench at Pune is filed by Shaktisinh Gohil, Sarpanch of Jasapara; Hajabhai Dihora of Mithi Virdi; Jagrutiben Gohil of Jasapara; Krishnakant and Rohit Prajapati activist of the Paryavaran Suraksha Samiti. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued a notice to the MoEF&CC, Gujarat Pollution Control Board, Gujarat Coastal Zone Management Authority, Atomic Energy Regulatory Board and Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) and case is kept for hearing on August 20, 2015. Appeal No. 23 of 2015 (WZ) is filed, a...

Fate of Yamuna floodplain still hangs in "balance" despite National Green Tribunal rap on Sri Sri event

By Ashok Shrimali* While the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Thursday reportedly pulled up the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) for granting permission to hold spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's World Culture Festival on the banks of Yamuna, the chief petitioners against the high-profile event Yamuna Jiye Abhiyan has declared, the “fate of the floodplain still hangs in balance.”

1857 War of Independence... when Hindu-Muslim separatism, hatred wasn't an issue

"The Sepoy Revolt at Meerut", Illustrated London News, 1857 By Shamsul Islam* Large sections of Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs unitedly challenged the greatest imperialist power, Britain, during India’s First War of Independence which began on May 10, 1857; the day being Sunday. This extraordinary unity, naturally, unnerved the firangees and made them realize that if their rule was to continue in India, it could happen only when Hindus and Muslims, the largest two religious communities were divided on communal lines.

Epic war against caste system is constitutional responsibility of elected government

Edited by well-known Gujarat Dalit rights leader Martin Macwan, the book, “Bhed-Bharat: An Account of Injustice and Atrocities on Dalits and Adivasis (2014-18)” (available in English and Gujarati*) is a selection of news articles on Dalits and Adivasis (2014-2018) published by Dalit Shakti Prakashan, Ahmedabad. Preface to the book, in which Macwan seeks to answer key questions on why the book is needed today: *** The thought of compiling a book on atrocities on Dalits and thus present an overall Indian picture had occurred to me a long time ago. Absence of such a comprehensive picture is a major reason for a weak social and political consciousness among Dalits as well as non-Dalits. But gradually the idea took a different form. I found that lay readers don’t understand numbers and don’t like to read well-researched articles. The best way to reach out to them was storytelling. As I started writing in Gujarati and sharing the idea of the book with my friends, it occurred to me that while...

Proposed Modi yatra from Jharkhand an 'insult' of Adivasi hero Birsa Munda: JMM

Counterview Desk The civil rights network, Jharkhand Janadhikar Mahasabha (JMM), which claims to have 30 grassroots groups under its wings, has decided to launch Save Democracy campaign to oppose Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Vikasit Bharat Sankalp Yatra to be launched on November 15 from the village of legendary 19th century tribal independence leader Birsa Munda from Ulihatu (Khunti district).

Spirit of leadership vs bondage: Of empowered chairman of 100-acre social forestry coop

By Gagan Sethi* This is about Khoda Sava, a young Dalit belonging to the Vankar sub-caste, who worked as a bonded labourer in a village near Vadgam in Banskantha district of North Gujarat. The year was 1982. Khoda had taken a loan of Rs 7,000 from the village sarpanch, a powerful landlord doing money-lending as his side business. Khoda, who had taken the loan for marriage, was landless. Normally, villagers would mortgage their land if they took loan from the sarpanch. But Khoda had no land. He had no option but to enter into a bondage agreement with the sarpanch in order to repay the loan. Working in bondage on the sarpanch’s field meant that he would be paid Rs 1,200 per annum, from which his loan amount with interest would be deducted. He was also obliged not to leave the sarpanch’s field and work as daily wager somewhere else. At the same time, Khoda was offered meal once a day, and his wife job as agricultural worker on a “priority basis”. That year, I was working as secretary...

Two more "aadhaar-linked" Jharkhand deaths: 17 die of starvation since Sept 2017

Kaleshwar's sons Santosh and Mantosh Counterview Desk A fact-finding team of the Right to Feed Campaign, pointing towards the death of two more persons due to starvation in Jharkhand, has said that this has happened because of the absence of aadhaar, leading to “persistent lack of food at home and unavailability of any means of earning.” It has disputed the state government claims that these deaths are due to reasons other than starvation, adding, the authorities have “done nothing” to reduce the alarming state of food insecurity in the state.

Counterview

Search This Blog