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The "Rally for
Valley", which began on July 31 from Indore, has once again focussed attention
on the horrifying plight of the displaced rural population by the Sardar Sarovar
Project on the Narmada river. The rally comprised 450 people from all over the
country, together with 41 journalists from India and 21 from abroad. They were
provided with all facilities, like buses, use of guest houses, etc., by the
Madhya Pradesh government — the same government which, in April 99, brutally
beat up the NBA activists on hunger-strike at Bhopal, molested the women and
sent a number of them into a state of shock. The Gujrat government banned the
Rally, stationed large contingents of police on the banks of the Narmada and
prevented its entry into Gujrat. The rally converged onto the village, Jalsindhi
(in MP), on the banks of the Narmada, where Medha Patkar and 50 others were on
satyagraha. Earlier, Patkar had announced that she would commit ‘Jal Samarpan’
(sacrifice in water) which, of course, was prevented by the police. This is the
second or third time that she had announced a plan for ‘Jal Samarpan.’
The Nannada project,
which began in 1988, entails the construction of 30 big dams, 135 medium and
3000 small darns. The total cost is expected to reach Rs. 40,000 crores
(officially Rs. 20,000 crores). If construction goes according to plan, 5 lakh
people (mostly tribals) will be displaced, while the government claims the
figure will only be 40,000. In other words, the government has planned
compensation to only 8% of the displaced persons — i.e., the rural elite in the
area. While displacing lakhs of poverty-stricken people, the advantages of the
project will only go to the rich and the powerful. The farmers’ lobby of Kutch
and Saurashtra will corner the irrigation potential, big business will gain from
the electricity generated, and drinking water will go to the elite in 132 urban
centres. Due to a Supreme Court stay, construction work had come to a standstill
since the last four years. But, earlier this year, the court allowed the height
of the dam to be raised another 5 metres (from 80m to 85m) which would result in
the inundation of large numbers of villages.
The Narmada Bachao
Andolan (NBA) which has been leading the agitation since its inception, has
mobilised thousands of Project Affected People (PAP) against the construction of
the dam. Particularly, a vast number of women have been drawn into the
agitation. They have had to continuously face the brutality of the police and
indifference of the government. They have effectively publicised the anti-people
character of big dams, in particular, and government development policy in
general. They have pointed out that, in these 50 years of so-called
independence, roughly 5 crore people have been displaced through the
‘developmental’ projects.... most of whom have been forced to live in sub-human
conditions, with little or no compensation. This publicity has gained a major
boost, by Arundathi Roy’s recent article ‘The Greater Common Cause’. The article
has also brought out the apathy of the middle classes towards the plight of the
masses, and has sought to provoke them into action. Of course, the vehement
opposition to the NBA comes from the rich and powerful who stand to gain from
the project — the industrialists, the builders lobby, the rural elite, the
government and the political pimps, and the entire entourage of hangers-on who
get the commissions, kickbacks and petty contracts.
But, constrained by
its peaceful methods, the NBA struggle is at a dead end. Repeated calls for ‘Jal
Samarpan’ which never take place, will soon lose their effectivity. Patkar and
Roy need to realise that the perpetrators of these projects are vultures that
prey on the lives of people for profit. They listen not to reason, but know only
the vocabulary of force. This has been proved by other movements that have
successfully stalled similar development projects. Particularly noteworthy is
the shelving of a few major projects in the Bastar/ Gadchiroli area of central
India after the militant mobilisation of tribals by the CPI (ML) [PW].
Besides, there must
be an alternative. Harnessing of rivers is essential for flood and drought
control, and also to bring irrigation to the mass of peasantry. This can only be
achieved by undertaking projects, built by the people, for the people, and under
the control of the people. It is either control by the moneybags or it is
control by the people. There is no middle path. A living alternative to these
big projects is there for all who care to see in the guerilla zones of
Dandakaranya and North Telangana which are under the sway of the CPI (ML)[People’s
War]. Notwithstanding the brutal police terror, under the leadership of that
party, the people have built a number of dams and reservoirs. Having set up
their own organs of power, the Gram Rajya Committees, the village people have
themselves built these projects, through shramdan, raising funds locally and by
confiscating the illgotten money of the local gentry. These projects serve their
own needs, are under their own control and are living examples of an alternative
course of development.
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