Appeal for support the struggle in Narmada Valley
Doobenge Par Hatenge Nahi!
(We shall be submerged but won't move out)
Pipri, Narmada Valley ,
29 October 2007
Friends, supporters and comrades,
Zindabaad!
After 22 years and three generations of struggle, the Narmada valley still reverberates with echoes of ladenge, jeetnge [we shall fight! We shall win!] In the last two decades, struggle in the valley has presented an entirely new worldview, based on the development and advancement of all people, not just wealthy few, and stood in solidarity with struggling brothers and sisters all across the globe against the imperialistic and capitalist onslaughts on people's natural resources.
Times are changing at an unprecedented scale and now it's the third generation of people in the valley who are in the struggle for their due rights and share in the development of the nation. As the struggle enters its 22nd year the Andolan is standing at a difficult and peculiar situation. In this period NBA has revealed the State's patently false claims of the affordable costs and the benefits of irrigation and power generated by the Sardar Sarovar Project, calling into question the very credibility of building big multi-purpose dams for economic development. This has not only increased the credibility of its just struggle but also strengthened the resolve to defeat the powers opposed to rights of the millions of victims of this development terrorism. Recently, they have also exposed the incessant corruption of government officials in the supposed resettlement and rehabilitation of the displaced villagers in the states of Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra. The Jabalpur High Court supported the rightful struggle in Zameen Haq Satyagraha at Taloon in July (Land Rights Satyagraha) and the claims of just rehabilitation. As a result Madhya Pradesh government is now engaged in a face saving exercise where its own officers and workers have been caught in high level of corruption, proving its claim of successful rehabilitation to be false.
THE DAM TODAY STANDS AT 122 MTS. AND WHAT REMAINS IS THE INSTALLATION OF 17 MTS. GATES. WE CANNOT ALLOW THE INSTALLATION OF THESE GATES. The assessment and experience from other dams in the region and country suggests that once these gates are put then the governments will completely disown all their responsibility. Nearly 2,00,000 people are already in the submergence areas of SSP even today and at least 1,50,000 families will be affected by the present height of the dam. Adivasi families who are already severely affected with their lands and houses submerged have not been rehabilitated. At least 25,000 hectares of land would be needed in all the three states to rehabilitate all eligible families.
THE ANDOLAN IS PLANNING A PROTEST ACTION AT THE NARMADA CONTROL AUTHORITY (NCA), INDORE IN COMING FEW DAYS AND URGES YOU TO LEAD SUPPORT ACTIONS, SEND LETTERS AT CITY/TOWN LEVEL PROGRAMMES WITH SUBMISSION OF MEMORANDUM AND SEND LETTERS, FAX AND MAKE PHONE CALLS TO THE NCA ON THE SAME DAY, AND ALSO AS THE PROTEST CONTINUES. WE WILL CONTACT YOU WITH MORE DETAILS OF THE ACTION PLANNED IN INDORE SHORTLY.
Friends and supporters of the Andolan have along shown their solidarity to the struggle through putting pressure on the government, building public opinion, raising resources, organising actions and in numerous other ways all along. It's now at this crucial juncture that everybody once again needs to come forward and show their solidarity in newer ways.
Some of the supporters and friends (Jansahyogis) of NBA met in Pipri, Badwani at the first death anniversary of the Dasrath Tatya Patil, one of the jansahyogis on October 28-29, 2007 to recollect the contributions of supporters from different walks of life- students, teachers, academicians, writers, artists, doctors, lawyers, and other professionals. Jansahyog has been an important pillar in the struggle in Nramada Valley and we Jansahyogis feel that there is a need to revive and strengthen the solidarity groups in various cities.
HENCE, WE APPEAL ALL OF YOU TO PROVIDE SUPPORT ONCE AGAIN TO THE ANDOLAN IN THESE WAYS:
- Carry out solidarity actions in your own home cities and villages while actions take place in the valley and at major cities.
- Send letters to the Central and State Governments of MP, Maharashtra , Gujarat asking them to fulfil their obligation under the Tribunal Award. [See
http://www.narmada.org/campaigns/govt.contacts.html. ] - Contact supporters to generate resources in kind and cash to support families who are facing starvation due to loss of their livelihood means and submergence.
- We also urge you to raise support for the 12 Jeevan Shalas in adivasi villages facing submergence. At least 1500 kids are studying and NBA needs support for their upkeep, maintenance, books, medicines, clothes and towards their content.
- Volunteers have always been the life of the Andolan and many have drawn inspiration from NBA and been engaged in the different walks of life now need to come back again, encourage new people to get involved, and keep visiting. We appeal to everybody to come and regularly send volunteers to the valley.
- The Andolan is constantly with their limited resources to reach out and update us regularly on the happenings in the valley and news of the struggle. In this gathering the supporters from Delhi and Maharashtra have together agreed to revive the Narmada Samachar (the mouthpiece of the Narmada Bachao Andolan) from this November onwards. We are hoping that others will help spread the news of struggle more widely by translation and dissemination.
Narmada Sanskriti, and the way of life has been a source of inspiration to many for their forms of cultural expression, Andolan urges artists, painters, filmmakers, singers, dramatists, and cultural troupes to come and visit the valley, and take the message to the world. The jeevanshalas are holding a Bal Mela (Children's fair) in the valley in mid February and urges our presence to encourage the morale and see the future of our nation in making. They have important lessons to teach of life and struggle.
Jeevanshala is yehi hai baat.
Ladai padhai saath saath
Let us all meet the Andolan again and in their / our struggles everywhere and in the valley.
In Solidarity
Friends and Supporters of NBA
For further updates and details contact :
Mumbai – Pervin Jehangir, pervinjehangir
gmail.com – 91-9820636335, 91-22-22184779
Pune - Suniti S R – 91-20-24251404, 91-9422048967
Delhi Solidarity Group : 91-11-26680883
www.narmada.org
Get in touch directly with NBA :
NARMADA BACHAO ANDOLAN
62 Gandhi Marg, Badwani, M.P. Ph. 91-7290-222464 nba.badwanigmail.com
Maitri Niwas, Tembewadi, Dhadgaon, Nandurbar, Maharashtra . Ph: 02595-220620
Contact Details of Narmada Control Authority
DR.AFROZ AHMED, Director (I.A.&R.)
Phones : 91-731-2558603 (O), 2574530 (R)
Fax : 2554333
dir.rehab.ncanic.in
M.K.CHAUHAN, Secretary
Phones : 91-731-2554477 (O), 2555028 (R)
Fax : 2559888
secty.ncanic.in
V.K.JYOTHI, Executive Member
Phones : 91-731-2557276 (O), 2557243 ?
Fax : 2559888
em_ncarediffmail.com
exe.mem.ncanic.in
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