Kisan
Sangharsh Samiti Intensifies Agitation; Support Pours in From Across
Country
Chindwada,
November 4 : The situation in Chindwada continues to remain tense
with heavy police presence deployed to intimidate the farmers,
labourers and adivasis protesting illegal commencement of work on the
Pench Water Diversion Project.
Medha
Patkar, National Convener, NAPM who travelled from Indore and
Chindwada and reached in the wee hours today was stopped and checked
at virtually every station by the police and also surrounded by 50
police men at the Chindwada station, where the Tehsildar and other
officials tried to restrain her from proceeding further, insisting
that she must go to the Circuit House.
She
was told that Sec 144 has been imposed in Chindwada and the entry of
people in three tehsils of Chhindwada, Amarwada and Chouri has been
prohibited from October 30th - orders have
been issued. When asked for the copy of the same she was denied
that. This is baseless and illegal, since on Novembr 3rd,
Shri Sartaj Singh, Forest Minister, GoMP held a public
programme distributing tendu patta bonus, same day BJP Kisan Morcha
also held a convention in Chourai. At the same time Deen Dayal
Antyodaya Mela was organised as well as adventure sports programme
was organised too in Tamiya. “Is the Section 144 for only for
activists going to Bamanwara?” asked Medha Patkar.
A
huge police force has gheraoed the house of Adv. Aradhana
Bhargava, leader of Kisan Sangharsh Samiti, who was arrested on
false charges under Sec 151 IPC on November 3rd itself and
has been sent to judicial custody. Today police also arrested
Brajkishore Chaurasia, Yuva Kranti Dal and Dr. Rajkumar
Sanodia of KSS.
The
farmers and people are not being allowed to meet Medha Patkar and
others by the police. Protesting the high handedness of the
district administration Medha Patkar along with Mukesh Bagoria,
Rahul Yadav of Narmada Bachao Andolan, Advocate Sushma
Prajapati, Akhil Bhartiya Gondwana Kisan Mahapanchayat, National
Vice President; Devaki Marawi and Rajesh Tiwari of
Bargi and Bheemgarh Bandh Visthapit Sangh; Jameel Khan of KSS
and other representatives of the Pench Project and Adani Power
Project affected families have sat on Satyagraha, until they are
allowed to proceed to the villages.
It
needs to be noted that for past few days police has been spreading
canards and terrorizing them too. Even then villagers have been
protesting at Vamanwada, 3 kms away from Machagora and have been on a
peaceful sit in. More than a thousand police men are surrounding the
dharna site. The agitation will continue until the forceful and
illegal eviction and acquisition of land is stopped.
NAPM
has decided to extend complete support to the struggle and in absence
of Dr. Sunilam and Aradhana Bhargava, (both are NAPM Conveners) Medha
Patkar and others will lead the struggle in Chindwara and Multai and
fight for the rights of farmers and farm workers.
Support
has been pouring in from different movements across the country. Hind
Mazdoor Kisan Panchayat, State Advocate D K Prajapati, Madhya
Pradesh Pensioners Association, State Secretary T M R Naidu,
Samta Party State President Suresh Sharma, Akhil Bhartiya
Gondwana Kisan Mahapanchayat President Shri Chand Chauriya, Azadi
Bachao Andolan, Chindwara J L Mishra, Ashok Choudhary and Roma
from NFFPFW, Anurag Modi of Jan Sangharsh Morcha,
Madhya Pradesh and others have condemned the incidence and lent their
support to the movement.
Background
: It needs to be noted that
agitation against these two project Pench Water Diversion Project
(PWDP) and Adani Pench Power Project (APPP), Chindwara has been
ongoing in a peaceful manner since 2004. PWDP involves construction
of a 51 meter dam on Pench river, submerging 5600 Hectares of land of
31 villages. The project planned in 80s got a one page
clearance from Department of Environment in 1984 (MoEF was not there
then) for irrigation purposes. The clearance is no longer valid and
requires a fresh clearance under Environment Protection Act 1986 and
also under EIA notifications.
Acquisition process was started back then, some farmers were given
throw away compensation but acquisition process was never completed
since the work didn't start. Till today farmers continue to cultivate
and grow 2-3 crops in a year from the fertile land.
After
the agitation, the compensation was increased to nearly a lakh rupee
an acre but 90 percent of the farmers have refused to accept it and
are not willing to part their land. In 2011, May Dr,.
Sunilam and Adv Aradhana Bhargava were attacked by the goons which
they survived but the administration failed to take any action. Many
of the farmers in fact along with Aradhana Bhargava spent more than a
week in jail on false charges of arson, loot and obstructing public
officials.
PWDP
today is to be constructed for supplying water to the APPP, diverting
water meant for the farmers. Last year KSS along with NAPM met
Environment Minister, Ms. Jayanti Natarajan
, who informed the delegation that no clearance has been granted to
the PWDP and under the law they are supposed to have prior
Environment Clearance. The PWDP is going to threaten the forests of
Pench National Park and Tiger Project too. So, in all senses it makes
no sense to be constructing this but even then MoEF has not
taken any action. Mr.
Kamal Nath, MP and Union
Minister from Chindwara has been personally involved in ensuring that
the project goes on and been supporting the APPP as well. Madhya
Pradesh Government on the other hand has been in complete hand in
glove with Mr. Kamal Nath. It is no wonder that Dr. Sunilam
and other activists of KSS got life sentence in a case where 24
farmers were killed by police on January 12, 1998. None of the police
officers have been punished till date, not a single FIR has been
filed in that case. It is a clear case of conspiracy and collusion
between BJP and Congress in the interest of Adani.
For
details call NAPM : 9818905316 or 9179617513
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