Narmada oustees to protest in Badwani, as Modi prepares to 'celebrate' submergence

By A Representative
As the water level in the Narmada dam has reached 138.68 metres mark, which is the full reservoir level (FRL), ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's birthday, September 17, the Narmada Bahcao Andolan (NBA) has called for a major protest rally in Badwani, the town in Madhya Pradesh bordering Gujarat.
NBA said, the protest, which would be held on September 17 afternoon, near about the time when Modi will be celebrating waters overflowing the Narmada dam, has been organised "there is an outcry in the Narmada valley, which is surrounded in a thick veil of sadness, as millions of people do not even remember how many days it has been since they have either slept or eaten properly."
Criticising the Government of India for "cruelty and arrogance", NBA said, "The people of the valley are unable to understand that why the representatives they choose to uplift our country and society are instead drowning them today", regretting, "So far no orders have been issued by the Madhya Pradesh government, too, on the decisions taken in the full-day meeting between NBA and the state administration on September 9."

Pointing out that the Madhya Pradesh administration is failing to take action with regard to relief and rescue work for dam oustees, NBA said, "There are many villages where not even a single officer has reached yet. You will see more people from the villages than from the administration coming out to help the people trapped in this devastating situation."
"People, regardless of the condition of their house, without even thinking of the water which has reached the door of their houses, have come out in large numbers to help out others", NBA said, underlining, "On one hand, Modi will be celebrating the submergence of millions of people, on the other, we will take out a huge rally in Barwani and spread our voice to the whole nation."
Meanwhile, a senior Gujarat activist, DN Rath, said, "About 117 villages are marooned due to the flood water of Narmada. NBA leader Medha Patkar sat for 9 days' hunger strike to save the marooned people of Madhya Pradesh. Not only the villages of Madhya Pradesh , many villages of Gujarat also marooned . The city of Bharuch on the bank of Narmada is flooded and people are moving in boats. Bharuch district's 23 villages have been alerted."
Wondering why is the Gujarat government not releasing the stored Narmada water in the canals, Rath, who heads Movement for Secular Democracy (MSD), said, had this been done, "the flooding of the villages of Madhya Pradesh could have been saved. And the dry Narmada canals could have been used to help Gujarat farmers."
Regrets Rath, instead, the Gujarat government decided to store water to make it overflow and invite tourists to the spot. Chief Minister Vijay Rupani invited Modi to come to the Sardar Sarovar dam to celebrate his birthday. "What a vulgar way of celebration of birthday, it is shame! There is no iota of human feeling for the affected people of Madhya Pradesh."

Comments

From algorithms to exploitation: New report exposes plight of India's gig workers

By Jag Jivan The recent report, "State of Finance in India Report 2024-25," released by a coalition including the Centre for Financial Accountability, Focus on the Global South, and other organizations, paints a stark picture of India's burgeoning digital economy, particularly highlighting the exploitation faced by gig workers on platform-based services.

'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.”

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.

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.

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.

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

Over 40% of gig workers earn below ₹15,000 a month: Economic Survey

By A Representative The Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, while reviewing the Economic Survey in Parliament on Tuesday, highlighted the rapid growth of gig and platform workers in India. According to the Survey, the number of gig workers has increased from 7.7 million to around 12 million, marking a growth of about 55 percent. Their share in the overall workforce is projected to rise from 2 percent to 6.7 percent, with gig workers expected to contribute approximately ₹2.35 lakh crore to the GDP by 2030. The Survey also noted that over 40 percent of gig workers earn less than ₹15,000 per month.

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.

Death behind locked doors in East Kolkata: A fire that exposed systemic neglect

By Atanu Roy* It was Sunday at midnight. Around 30 migrant workers were in deep sleep after a hard day’s work. A devastating fire engulfed the godown where they were sleeping. There was no escape route for the workers, as the door was locked and no firefighting system was installed. Rules of the land were violated as usual. The fire continued for days, despite the sincere efforts of fire brigade personnel. The bodies were charred in the intense heat and were beyond identification, not fit for immediate forensic examination. As a result, nobody knows the exact death toll; estimates are hovering around 21 as of now.

Search This Blog