Water Rising Up To The Necks Of Indian Villagers Protesting Forced Evictions
By Sri Lanka Guardian
04 September, 2012
Sri Lanka Guardian
Indian villagers in the Omkareshwar Dam catchment area, part of the Narmada Valley Project, are continuing a protest to the death. They demand redress for their forced evictions, and for compensation for what they have lost. They have submerged themselves in the water, which has been rising steadily, and is now up to their necks. They are now on the tenth day. All the villagers want is for the government to stop building the dam and to discuss the villager’s rehabilitation before taking further steps. The government has not sent a representative to talk to the villagers despite their ordeal.
The villagers have developed serious conditions from their prolonged protest. As Leela Bai and other protestors have said, they are going to stay there until the water rises and drowns them, or the government agree to give them fair treatment, rather than continue to rob them of their livelihood.
“This is taking the Ghandian method to the water,” says Basil Fernando from the Asian Human Rights Commission. “To be submerged in water continuously for so many days is more difficult, in fact, than fasting. This is the ultimate protest of an indigenous people, fighting in their own way to death, defending the most basic things they have needed and loved all their lives. In fact, I was shocked and moved to see this most unusual form of protest from a very old group of people, and I asked myself ‘Is this what being an Indian has come to mean?’ This is a final fight of a broken-hearted people from the Narmada Valley.”
Neck deep in stagnant water, villagers spoke.
Leela Bai
How many days have you been here for?
It's the tenth day out here.
What are your demands? Why are you doing this?
The government has not given us our land. Not even plots. They are not giving poor their rights. We will move out only after we get our rights.
What if the government increases the water level?
Then we will drown, what use living here in any case.
Is the government listening? Responding?
The government is listening but it is not giving anything. It's just saying it will. When? Only after we drown? Die?
Has the Chief Minister or any other official has come?
No. We are protesting for more than 2 months. We are in water for the last ten days. No one is listening to us. They are protecting the interests of someone else, not the farmers.
Ram Bharati
My name is Ram Bharati, from Goswami Ghoghar Village. We are sitting on this Jal Satyagrah for more than 2 months. It's the tenth day of being in water. We will not move out until government and NSBC rehabilitate us by giving lands for our lands, compensation of 250000 to the poor, until then we will not leave. We will not move till they bring the water level down.
The increase of water level has drowned thousands of acres of land in about 29 villages. We lost our crops, people have lost a lot. This is why we are asking the government to bring the water level down and meet our demands, rehabilitate us. It should give us what it owes to us, only then will we move out. We will die otherwise. Our legs have started giving way already. The Chief Minister should come himself and see our plight. We will die in two or three days if they do not bring the water level down. We will die, this is what we have to say, this is what our demand is.
A group of women
We are sitting here for our rights and we will not budge till we get our rights. Otherwise we will not move out of the water even if we die. Even if the government bombs us. We are ready to give our life. We want plots, rehabilitation, land and a compensation of 25000 for the landless labour, otherwise we will not move out. We are ready to sacrifice our lives.
How has being in water affected your body? Fever?
Yes, our hands and legs have already started rotting
Girijabai
I am Girijabai from Kamankheda. The government has gone blind. We are sitting in neck deep water for 10 days and no one is listening to us. Have they lost their eyes? Our lands, our village, they have snatched it all by deluding us. They deposited some money in our bank accounts and we do not even know about that. The government is committing atrocities on us. No one is listening to us. We have made Shivraj Singh's government. We can depose him also. He has become so atrocious that he is not even bothering about us. He has not even bothered to come to see our plight while going to nearby Badwani. This government has gone blind. It is supporting the liars. It is acting against the truth. This is a dishonest government. They are not with the farmers.
Until when will you fight?
Now we are in water. The water has come to our necks. We will not move out even if we die. We will not move out without getting our rights. We will accept land like ours' that has submerged, wells like ours' , houses like our houses they have drowned, only then we will come out of water. Otherwise we will die here. We are not bothered about that anymore.
Take Action
Action Alert: Water Reaches Up To Chin Level Of Omkareshwar And Indira Sagar DamOustees
By Narmada Bachao Andolan
Oustees Of Omkareshwar And Indira Sagar Dam fighting for their rights and life need your support Oustees standing in dam water for last 7 days
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