Reinstatement of Rift
Bhargav Parikh

Till now, Narmada Dam project was considered the lifeline of Gujarat. However, now it has become the animate power of the Adivasis & landless farmers of Madhya pradesh too. Between 1989 to 1998, I had visited the area of Narmada rift in MP four times. My feeling, at that time, was that fertile land of Manibeli, Badvani & Khargon would dip into water after such big project. 

When I roamed around with the huge tribe belt, while watching the farms of cotton & banana, I felt as if we are really snatching this away from the poor of uneducated Adivasis. I also thought that on whose sacrifice are we doing this progress, on that of the poor & uneducated tribe?

When I went last in 1993 to Badvani, I was surprised to see the Adivasi who come 25 to 30 km. walking being violent to save his land. However, when I reached at Khargon in Madhya Pradesh in September 1998, I came to know that the illiterate Adivasi had nothing to loose in this. On the contrary, he wishes that if the Narmada dam were constructed here, he would get land for farming & a house elsewhere.

What has happened within the five years from 1993 & 1998 that the rustic tribe who was strongly opposing constructions of Narmada dam now felt that the dam should surely be builds. When I met Savitri Devi, the Sarpanch of Jallud village, she told, If government support us our whole village is ready to settle down elsewhere. We are not interested in the protest anymore.

What Savitri Devi has told is reality. This whole village is in the hands of ‘Sand Mafia.’ In this, village people take sand from the banks of river Narmada. 150 trucks of sand go daily from Jallud & its surrounding areas to Indore & Bhopal. This sand has made many farmers of this area millionaires & billionaires.

Here poor Adivasis & landless farmers do the work of lifting sand & filling in the trucks. They are not concerned whether Narmada Dam is built or not. Nevertheless, if Narmada dam is built those Sand Mafia will lose lot of money as sandy banks vanished.

On the other side, many rich farmers are farming on huge area of land from many years. Farmers plough on 200 to 300 acres of actual land but surprisingly only 50 or 100 acres land are on name of particular farmers on government records. If Narmada dam is built, their land will be drowned, these farmers eligible for only 50 or 100 acres. Under the rehabilitation program they will receive that much land only. Such situation is there in 108 villages near surrounding area of Narmada.

Landless Adivasis work under the rich farmers & earn Rs.20 to 25 a day! Land owners gives financially support the leaders revolting against Sardar Sarover Nigam by doing the Narmada Bachao Andolan., which is supported by Medha Patkar & Co.

In Madhyapradesh, these landlords are known as ‘Patidaars’. They give a bag of grain & certain amount of money per month to revolutionaries. As a reward, whenever the ‘Save Narmada Program’ held in Delhi & Bombay, these tribes have to compulsorily remain present. If he does not,then he has to face charge with a fine of Rs. 500 !!

Before some time in Mandleshvar village of Khargon town a Road Blocking agitation was held under the banner of NBA & many tribes had taken imprisonment. Police did not arrest an old lady of 60 years. She was requesting the police to arrest her otherwise she would be charged a fine of Rs. 500/-

If one wants to away from protest he cannot break the laws implicate by the Patidaars. I feel strange that how could poor Adivasis, earning 600 to 700 a month, bare this punishment? After I returned from the village of MP one thing was understood clearly by me that there was a feeling of fear in tribes. In fact, nobody was interested whether the Narmada dam is built or not.

I met some tribes and searched when ‘fast’ were made by the leaders of ‘ Narmada Bachao Andolan.’ I was surprised to know that such activities were never held in farming season. This shows that when these landless farmers are free they join this revolt according to the instructions of Patidaars. If they do not join this revolt, yes, punishment is always there!

In addition, if all these viciousness intoxicated in valley, why politician can’t bake their brad?

Under Sardar Sarovar project, 179 villages are drowned in the area. These constitute cover 22 seats of Assembly & 4 seats of Parliament. Therefore, not even a single politician could speak a word against the NBA.

Chief Minister Digvijay Singh has much interest in on going of this revolt. Because this is the vote area of his main competitor & deputy CM Subhash Yadav, so to harass him Digvijay Singh indirectly helping this revolt. But when Subhash Yadav have started showing the Adivasis what loss they have suffered due to this revolt, they have started thinking about the advantages that will follow by construction of this dam.

Now tribes have started discussions why should the protest be there in Madhya Pradesh. The weak administrative systems have been unable to take advantage of this situation. If some one take initiation and launch proper campaign against NBA and the scattered Adivasis are collected, the process of rehabilitation will be done easily. Adivasis have now started thinking that if the Sardar Sarovar Dam is built according to Narmada project, landless farmers will get land & their social economic statures will be better. However, here the major question is that who will take leadership and unified the unorganised Adivasis?

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