It has been eight days since Medha Patkar began fasting demanding for immediate suspension of increasing Sardar Sarovar Dam's height by the Government.
On Tuesday, when Union Water Resources Minister Saifuddin Soz met Medha and told that he will visit the Dam's site and look into the issue, she didn't budge. Promises and assurances are not new to her, even we know it, won't she?
The project planning to increase the height of the dam from 110 to 121 meters, if completed will displace 320,000 villagers and submerge more than 37,000 hectares of forest and agricultural land.
With the kind of corruption in the country, hardly few of the displaced people will get proper reallocation and compensation.
Patkar has been fighting against this since the inception of the idea in 1985. The way Medha Patkar has carried on this struggle despite all odds is inspiring. Patkar's never ceasing efforts made World Bank rethink and review the support it was giving to the project. When World Bank found out that the project was not planned properly, the final installment of the $450 million was cancelled.
On Tuesday, when Union Water Resources Minister Saifuddin Soz met Medha and told that he will visit the Dam's site and look into the issue, she didn't budge. Promises and assurances are not new to her, even we know it, won't she?
The project planning to increase the height of the dam from 110 to 121 meters, if completed will displace 320,000 villagers and submerge more than 37,000 hectares of forest and agricultural land.
With the kind of corruption in the country, hardly few of the displaced people will get proper reallocation and compensation.
Patkar has been fighting against this since the inception of the idea in 1985. The way Medha Patkar has carried on this struggle despite all odds is inspiring. Patkar's never ceasing efforts made World Bank rethink and review the support it was giving to the project. When World Bank found out that the project was not planned properly, the final installment of the $450 million was cancelled.
This is one of the many victories for Medha.
Through these years, she has never resorted to violent activities though she was at the receiving end many times. Irrespective of whether Medha is able to stop the government from constructing the dam or not,
She is the triumph of democracy.
Let's hope that she wins the battle and also recovers her health.
Doctors have said that the, next 48 hours are crucial to her health, lets pray that she will be well.
Along with Medha two others Jamsing Nargave and Bhagwatibai Jatpuria are also taking fast, lets pray for them also.
Good Luck, no sorry I will not say so, luck has never been her way. It's hard work, grit, determination which has bought her so far.
All the best, Medha. We are with you.
2 comments:
hey mayil... its me again...
i think its better i dont reveal my identity.. am gonna do lot of notorious things for which i feel i will conceal myself.. sorry... keep in touch
AGNI
What exactly did you do to claim that you are with Medha??? Reading about her in the newspaper and and writing a blog is not being with her. What can you do today to help her stance? What can anyone do to help her stance? Is her stance on the Narmada issue right? After all, rising the dam height would only provide electricity to 3 states. Yes it would displace a lot of economically deprived people, but you are talking about three states on the other hand!!!
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