PRESS RELEASE
April 15, 2006
- FAST CONTINUES BY MEDHA, BHAGWATI, JAMSINGH; MEDHA PATKAR RESPONDS TO
THE DEADLOCK IN THE REVIEW COMMITTEE MEETING
- NBA SEVERELY CRITICIZES THE CRIMINAL ELEMENTS THAT ATTACKED THE NBA
OFFICE IN BARODA TODAY
- NBA REACTS TO SOZ'S OFFICIAL PRESS STATEMENT
The NBA severely criticizes the direct and brutal attack of its
office/residence in Baroda in Gujarat. Over 50 hooligans broke into the
office this evening and ransacked the place. The office was locked and
luckily there was no activist in the office, but the target certainly
seems to be the papers and files, which are the only weapon used by the
NBA against unjust displacement! NBA persons immediately informed
Commissioner of Police Deepak Swarup and Collector Rajiv Topno. Swarup
responded nastily saying that we should phone 100 instead of bothering
him. Topno was non-committal. The police who were present at the
location did nothing and just allowed the goondas to ransack the office
and throw files down from the first-floor office. We do not, as of now,
know who the perpetrators are but we certainly suspect the goondas of
the BJP and the Yuva Congress who are opposed to democracy and can only
be expected to resort to mindless violence. We know that this incident
has happened with the clear knowledge and guidance of Narendra Modi! As
of this writing, the NBA's files and papers still lay strewn around on
the road, while the police just looks on!
The Review Committee of the Narmada Control Authority (RCNCA) has in its
statement to the press (attached below), declared that there was "no
consensus" on whether to suspend construction of the dam, "...in view of
the fact that Rehabilitation and Resettlement of the Project Affected
Families in Madhya Pradesh has not been to the satisfaction of the
requirements laid down by the Hon'ble Supreme Court." If the RCNCA
recognises and acknowledges the fact that rehabilitation and
resettlement have not been to the satisfaction of the Supreme Court's
orders, it begs the question why they did not order to stop construction
of the dam, which is continuing in violation of the Supreme Court's
orders. After all, the duty of the RCNCA is to implement the NWDT Award
and the Supreme Court judgements. Clearly, political compulsions have
affected the RCNCA and the Rule of Law as well as reason has been thrown
aside.
The Supreme Court has itself, in its verdict of 18th October 2000,
empowered the Prime Minister to intervene and take a decision in case of
the deadlock in the RCNCA. Hence, one wonders why the RCNCA has chosen
to invoke the Supreme Court rather than the Prime Minister to resolve
the issue. It is the Prime Minister's duty to intervene and stop
construction of the dam, in view of the RCNCA's admission that
rehabilitation and resettlement of the project-affected families in
Madhya Pradesh is not according to the Supreme Court requirements. The
Prime Minister cannot abdicate his responsibility and pass the buck onto
the Supreme Court.
Official Press Statement of Water Resources Minister:
"The meeting of the Review Committee of the Narmada Control Authority
fully recognized that the Sardar Sarovar Dam needs to be constructed as
it will provide several benefits to the people in the States of Madhya
Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Gujarat. However, at the meeting,
there was no consensus on the issue whether construction of the Dam
should be suspended in view of the fact that Rehabilitation and
Resettlement of the Project Affected Families in Madhya Pradesh has not
been to the satisfaction of the requirements laid down by the Hon'ble
Supreme Court. Hence, it is open to the Hon'ble Supreme Court to
consider whether construction of the Dam should be temporarily suspended
till such time as Rehabitation and Resettlement of the Project Affected
Families is done in consonance with its directions. Minister of Water
Resources has not ordered suspension of the construction work of the
Dam.
At the same time, the Minister of Water Resources in his capacity as the
Chairman of the Review Committee of the Narmada Control Authority will
submit a report to the Hon'ble Prime Minister reflecting the points of
view expressed at the meeting including the views of the Hon'ble Chief
Ministers."
STATEMENT RELEASED BY MEDHA PATKAR
The Review Committee of the Narmada Control Authority (RCNCA) has
finally met and discussed the issue of raising the height of Sardar
Sarovar Dam to 121.92m. In any case, the utterly illegal and false basis
of the NCA's decision was more than proved, not only through NBA's
analysis and submission of field level reports, but also from the
Ministerial Team's visit to the Valley on 7th April 2006, where they
heard hundreds of oustees. Indeed there was no need to refer the
decision to the RCNCA. In fact the official bodies could have reviewed
NCA's decision, which is in total contempt of Court and in violation of
laws and policies, if they were interested in the welfare of the oustees
or if they were compelled to do so by the Ministries.
However, it is Modi's politics, now hand in glove with Ahmad Patel,
leader of Gujarat Congress, that gave the process a turn by making the
matter referred to RCNCA. A tie and no conclusive decision from the
RCNCA are not at all unexpected. Thanks to the BJP's politics, not only
Modi, but the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh also has, with full
knowledge of the gravity of the ground reality, decided to support Modi
at the cost of farmers and their fertile lands, populated villages and
the world's most ancient civilization. Without fulfilling the minimum
conditions of rehabilitation, the government of Madhya Pradesh wants to
sacrifice its people and interests, at the altar of not development but
politics.
The tie indeed is between truth and untruth and between vulgar and
selfish party politics and democratic values and processes.
As per the Tribunal in the case of urgency and disputes the Minister of
Water Resources as Chairman of the RCNCA can stay any decision of the
NCA, and as per the judgement of the Supreme Court in 2000; " If for any
reason serious differences in implementation of the Award arise and the
same cannot be resolved in the Review Committee, the Committee may refer
the same to the Prime Minister whose decision, in respect thereof, shall
be final and binding on all concerned."
We wait and watch for the Prime Minister's decision, hoping that it
would not breach the trust that the Supreme Court has placed in his
position and stature.
We know that this is not a question related to one dam but to the future
of democracy and peoples rights. It poses a challenge before us - the
nation and the State. If after years of struggle, multitude of
officials, laws and polices in black and white, and the Supreme Court
judgments, nothing but politics stand to dominate and win, it would be a
big blow to civil society's and especially the victimized populations
faith in approaching and relying on democratic channels. The alternative
they would resort to would obviously be not just non - cooperation but
even violence in self-defence. No one would be able to question the same
on any grounds.
Modi and BJP politics, known to the whole world, to have won electoral
politics in the name of religion and through communal massacre are now
moving ahead to kill the riverine populations of the Narmada Valley,
unfortunately taking Gujarat Congress and other parties, claiming to be
secular along with them. This is one of the most condemnable examples of
regionalism that is trying to make the democratic fora and even the
Constitution, especially principles of democracy, justice and the right
to life, subservient to itself. There is no doubt that Modi and BJP have
succeeded in making the Congress ally with them on the agenda of winning
the next elections, even when Gujarat's rehabilitation is a sham and
Madhya Pradesh's is only on paper.
The three BJP states have thus committed contempt of court and moreover
the contempt of their own people, especially adivasis and farmers.
It is in this context that the Prime Minister's vision and commitment is
to be tested. His decision would give a message to the country whether
or not there is any concern for not only the Common Minimum Programme
but for the human face of development.
We three - Jamsingh bhai Nargave, Bhagwatibai and myself - decide to
continue our fast, which is committed to reversal of the NCA decision
and stoppage of dam construction that will bring death to the Narmada
Valley. Our lives are to be put at stake, not for any perverse cause or
stubbornness but for the lives of lakhs of people which are more
precious that our own lives.
Dipti Bhatnagar, S.P. Biniwale, Clifton Rozario, Bawa Mahariya,
Bhanabhai, Noorji Padvi, Siyaram Padvi
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