INTERNATIONAL APPEAL TO THE GOVERNMENT OF INDIA ON NARMADA BACHAO ANDOLAN
April 12, 2006 Current Status: The indefinite hunger strike by Medha Patkar and 4 other colleagues continues for the 14th day, in spite of arrest and hospitalization of Medha Patkar and Jamsingh bhai. Their health is deteriorating quickly, and our urgent action is critical. Team of 3 Union Ministers visited the Narmada valley on April 7th to assess the rehabilitation situation. Independent observers have reported that the Ministerial team was faced with numerous complaints about rehabilitation, and many families who got uncultivable land or only cash compensation. Even at the sites recommended by the officials, they found there were no water, no electricity, no sanitation, incomplete houses and no land for cultivation. However, after nearly 4 days, they haven?t made a public report yet! We need to pressure the ministers and the Prime Minister to make a true report of what they observed, and take action based on that! Immediate Action Required: A Flood of Phone calls and faxes to the Prime Minister, Sonia Gandhi, and the 3 ministers, Saifuddin Soz (Water Resources), Meira Kumar (Social Justice!) & Prithviraj Chauhan (PM Office) Letters to Editors of major newspapers Those of you in Delhi could go to the respective Ministries and urge immediate action! Phone Numbers, fax numbers and email addresses given at the end.
Talking Points: Ministers should immediately issue public report, and the report should reflect the exact truth of what the rehabilitation situation they saw. Why are they delaying? What was the purpose of their visit if they are not ready to share their report? They had promised to get back with some action by April 9th, and only then Medhaji will consider withdrawing the hunger strike. This was Medhaji?s public stance. Dam construction should be immediately halted. Until rehabilitation is ensured meeting the full norms as prescribed by the Supreme Court, how can the construction happen? That is a violation. Water Resources Minister Mr. Soz is the chairman of Narmada Control Authority, and he has the authority to not permit the increase in height. Certainly the Prime Minister has the authority! On the day after the go-ahead was given by NCA on March 11th, Mr. Soz told the press, ?"I am not at all satisfied with the resettlement and rehabilitation of the project-affected families... The clearance given by the resettlement and rehabilitation sub-group of the Narmada Control Authority to raise the dam height was premature.? How can he not take action? Medha Patkar and Jamsinghbhai should be released from the confinement, so that they can interact with the public and media. Even the British did not arrest and whisk away Gandhiji when he was on fast! Is the government afraid that if the public and media witness Medha?s fast, they will have to face the anger of the public?
INTERNATIONAL APPEAL TO THE GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
Dear Prime Minister Manmohan Singh:
We are individuals and groups writing from across Asia to express our deep concern on developments regarding the Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) and its fight for justice for the thousands displaced by the Sardar Sarovar Dam. We learn that activists, including Ms. Medha Patkar, Mr. Jamsingh Nargave and Mr. Bhagwati Patidam, have been on an indefinite fast for 2 weeks already to protest the gross negligence of your Government in providing timely and appropriate rehabilitation to those displaced by the project. It is indeed regretful that in response, your administration sent in a posse of over 400 police to forcibly arrest Ms. Patkar and Mr. Nargave. Media reports indicate that several peaceful activists of the NBA were beaten up. This violent and unjust response to peaceful and democratic protests is a violation of the democratic traditions of India and is a blot on your Government. It is well documented that the Sardar Sarovar Project has displaced tens of thousands of indigenous peoples and farmers, very few of who have been fairly compensated and rehabilitated. The move to further increase the dam height is completely unwarranted when families who were promised rehabilitation (and have still to receive it) are sitting for justice in the streets of Delhi. Independent reports estimate that thousands of people spread over 200 villages in the project-affected areas still await basic rehabilitation. In this context it is not surprising that two of your predecessors, Mr. V. P. Singh and Mr. I. K. Gujral, have called for dam construction to be halted until the rehabilitation issue is adequately addressed. Many of us have been deeply inspired by the non-violent resistance traditions of the NBA, which are rooted in the unique Indian concept of ‘satyagraha.’ The struggle by Ms. Patkar and her colleagues ask for nothing more from your Government than a reaffirmation of the Indian Constitution’s commitment to democracy and justice. Echoing the NBA’s demands, we call upon your Government to immediately undertake a thorough assessment of the Sardar Sarovar Project on economic, social, environmental and developmental parameters. Until such an assessment, with the active participation of affected communities, is done we believe that a standstill in project construction is a just and reasonable demand. We will remain in constant touch with our friends in India and will continue to help them in anyway we can in their fight for justice from your Government.
Contact Information
From India: Use STD code 011 From abroad: Use (international dialing code)91-11-
Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh Office: 23012312, 23013149, 23019545, 23016857 (Fax) Home: 23018939, 23018668, 23015470, 23015603 (Fax) Parliament: 23017660, 23019817, 23014255 (Fax) Mrs. Sonia Gandhi, leader of UPA, governing coalition Office: 23014481, 23012656, 23018651 (FAX) Prof. Saifuddin Soz, Minister of Water Resources Office: 23714663, 23714200, 23710804 (Fax) Home: 23782032, 23782034 Mrs. Meira Kumar, Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment Office: 23381390, 23381001, 23381902 (Fax) Home: 26910618, 26910639 Mr. Prithviraj Chauhan Office: 23010191, 23013719, 23017931 (Fax) Home: 23013132, 23017839 (Fax) Parliament: 23034963
