More Power to Medha

Medha Patkar, leader of the Narmada Bachao Andolan, has been arrested and admitted to AIIMS. It was eighth day of her hunger strike. Here is small profile of Medha, some reactions on her arrest and a NBA press release.

Make a Choice

http://www.narmada.org/nba-press-releases/april-2006/medha.html

The Narmada Bachao Andolan and people all over India, who value democracy and equality, condemn the act of the Central government in hiding the real issue of illegal construction on the Sardar Sarovar Project (SSP), by forcibly removing Medha Patkar and Jamsingbhai on the indefinite fast to hospital, late night on April 5. The large contingent of police also arrested and manhandled about 250 villagers. Curiously, the police have not taken another activist on fast, Bhagwatibai. Thus this show is just a step in the larger game of making the 121.92 meters of the dam irreversible.
The Union government must not deal with the serious issue in such a frivolous way. Instead of intimidating protesting people, it should show courage to stop the crass injustice and illegality of continuing the work on the Sardar Sarovar project (SSP). The Union Ministers are merely making a show of meeting and persuading the fasting activists and appealing Medha Patkar to withdraw the fast. But for what?
Has there been any concrete progress in land-based rehabilitation of over 35,000 families below the height of 121.92 meters? Is there any possibility of resettling all these ousted families before the monsoon of 2006? For last 30 years, despite the best efforts, the three state governments have not been able to resettle more than 10,000 families, that too in a most shabby manner. Now, does it see the possibility to resettle all these 35,000 families, before this years' monsoon? The best and only course is to order immediate stoppage of the dam work beyond 121.92 meters before it became irreversible and inevitable.
For the last fortnight, since March 17, the Central government has been dithering on the issue. Even after the Union Water Resources Minister, Mr. Saifuddin Soz, clearly stated that the decision to raise the height of the SSP from 110.64 meters to 121.92 meters was unjustifiable, on 19 March, there was no action on his or the Prime Minister's part to stop the dam. What has the government been waiting for? Now the Union government has been announced plans to 'visit the valley and verify the contention and information provided by the Narmada Bachao Andolan'! This is to obfuscate the real issue regarding the people's lives and rights as people from the valley have been protesting on the streets of Delhi since March 17 and it has generated a lot of attention in the press and attracted support. The Union government could have done this even before when NBA approached every union water resources minister, time and again. The apparent confusion is but a strategy to allow the dam to be completed upto 121.92 meters at the behest of the national-international contractors-builders, corporates and communalists.
Center Must Stand Up
The real question is ? Does the political leadership in Union government has enough courage to restrain contain the pressure of Gujarat government and the adamant lobby of bureaucrats and engineers at the Center and in the states, for the sake of common people ? the farmers and Adivasis?
If the Prime Minister is sincere about his assurance of November 2004 and the Union cabinet has the respect for the rule of law, they should immediately call a halt to the work on the dam. They must start the process of identifying the real numbers of the affected people, the required cultivable land and undertake land based rehabilitation of all those who have been affected and will be hitherto by the submergence and displacement. The Union Government and the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) must show courage to counter the unholy alliance of bureaucrats in Narmada Control Authority (NCA), in the union water resources ministry and the Gujarat government. It should not indulge in contempt of the rulings of the Supreme Court and provisions of the Narmada Water Dispute Tribunal award. Most of all, the Union government must stand by the people ? the adivasis and farmers, discuss and review with these people and their organization, the Narmada Bachao Andolan, about the future course of the dam and displacement.
The people in the Narmada valley are upset over the deliberate stance of the Union government and its inaction aimed to help further submergence and displacement. They are going to intensify their resistance. The NBA has approached all the forums of the democratic system, but found most of them siding with the financial privileged sections of the society. The government, by its own behaviour, has rendered the non-violent and democratic action meaningless. What is the message it wants to convey to the people? It can talk and act on the dictates of all kinds of armed organizations, but it is trivializing the demands of the democratic and non-violent protests. What choice does the ruling class thinks that the common people will make?
The ball is in their court, they will have to make the choice.

Knowing Medha Patkar

http://www.ibnlive.com/article.php?id=7856&section_id=3

Medha Patkar or Medha tai (aunt) - as she is popularly known ? has been fighting for the right to life and livelihood of those sections of people who get nudged to the sidewalks of life in a nation's search for growth and prosperity.
Her odyssey, spanning 21 years, is a struggle against an unjust system that deprives common people - especially the natural resource-based communities - who pay the cost for the benefit of those who already have much more with them.
Hers is a philosophy focussed on achieving marginalised people their rights. The following words, her own, best reflect her wisdom, her vision and the meaning of life according to her.
"I have raised the issue of mega projects, the development planning, democratic and human rights, economics and corruption of monitory and natural resources by such projects and suggested that just and sustainable alternatives in water, energy and other sectors are possible," says she.
"Most of those that I work with in the Valley are going to lose their lands, their homes, their forests, their community, their culture and indeed, their very identity because of this project. I have taken up their cause because I can feel their loss, I can identify with them they are indeed like my family. I will continue to fight for them in every forum and in every way that I can
Patkar was born on December 1, 1954 in Mumbai. Her father was a freedom fighter and later a trade unionist. Her mother worked in a women's organisation named Swadhar.
After earning an MA in social work from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, she worked with voluntary organisations in Bombay slums for five years as well as the tribal districts of North-East Gujarat for two years.
She left her position on the faculty of Tata Institute of Social Sciences as well as her unfinished PhD when she got immersed in the tribal and peasant communities in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat - which she eventually organised as the Narmada Bachao Andolan.?

Thank You Medha Patkar

http://silent-invader.livejournal.com/10635.html
The Police have removed Medha Patkar to a hospital, who was sitting on a hunger strike for more than a week. The action of police is very much in sync with law. Our law does provide such an authority to the state. The state can very well book an adamant agitating activist, whose situation has deteriorated to the worse because of hunger strike, under section 309 of Indian Penal Code (IPC) for attempt to commit suicide. So a week is all an activist has got to make herself/himself heard to the authorities.Now, it seems, Medha Patkar will be charge sheeted and prosecuted too; defense will expectedly fail and Medha Patkar will be sentenced to one year simple imprisonment in pursuit of justice and for maintaining the peace of the ?King?. In the meantime, the DAM(n) height will increase to 121.92 mts, and the so very desired development will take place. The people, who deserve, will not only set up industries but also private nuclear reactors with the direct assistance from the US. If the ignorant undeserving villagers, getting displaced, make noise and fail to shift, they will also be booked under SECTION 309 of IPC, for deliberately trying to get themselves drowned in the proceeding water (the insignia of development). Truly so, it is the problem of the villagers only. Why didn?t they apply wisdom and invest their cash compensations in the Euphoric Indian Capital Markets. They could have made a handsome gain, and in the process, become RICH. The state, through its policy towards enabling growing economy and the associated euphoria, did provide them an opportunity, they only failed. The incorrigible LOSERS! Then, someone else, in all its stupidity, will once again sit on a hunger strike, the state will once again save the lives of people by stopping them from committing suicides. Kudos to the state for acting so efficiently and responsibly and THANK YOU MEDHA PATKAR for making it do so. You have won already, and it?s not because of GOD but you yourself.

Medha Patkar "arrested"

http://dhans-diary.livejournal.com/19293.html

Yeah Delhi Police!! Go go go!! Show your might and your daring by "dramatically swooping" on a woman virtually on her deathbed. You have a Medha Patkar fighting for the displaced - a fight totally justified. She is using the method popularized by a certain Mahatma Gandhi to bring out in the open an issue forgotten by us. And what does the police, arrest her!! They use the same method used by the Britishers on the Father of the Nation. What then is the differance between them and the British?? Medha Patkar, a woman to be admired and idolized. A woman who on her own will has brought a huge and prestigious project on a standstill. And more importantly, on an issue totally justified and support worthy. Because what is the use of a development project if it ruins the lives of the very people who are supposed to be benefitted by it?? What is the use of the 13000 crores put in the Narmada project if a little amount is not spared to rehabilitate the displaced??And what does the Govt do?? It demonizes her. Medha Patkar is known as the most hated person in Gujarat (this was before Godhra, now she is second). And for what?? Asking for support to the people who are sacrificing their livelihood for other?? And they say, we are a free country.

Sad Day

http://chains-of-solitude.blogspot.com/2006/04/sad-day.html

Medha Patkar was arrested, admitted in a hospital and an FIR lodged against her. What was she doing ?she was on satyagrah, satyagrah for something she believed in, something that she has been involved in for 20+ years. Somehow, sometimes the voices of people need to be heard, sometimes the giants have to pause and for a second look at the lives they are trampling.Sometimes revolution has to be startedsometimes a blood bath is neededsometimes wheels have to be set in motionpeople have to rise and become giantsNobody should be allowed to rule us. nobody should be allowed to monitor. we have to rise above this feeling, this need, of order. Nobody wants to be killed, raped, duped, defrauded. no body wants to be ruled. If each one of us understands it, and accepts it, we will resolve all the issues we have.