Why Should India Be Held Hostage to Medha Patkar?

Doesn't the title of the article sound exact oppostite to the content??
Nice thoughts by the way.
Another point to observe is that even tho' the govt. may rehabilate the tribals..the value of the lands they are willing to let go will be much higher in monetary & emotional aspects. One can't deny their rights on what they have.

I would agree, I think you sat on the fence too long for this one, Mayank, albeit the valid points you do raise.

If not the cities, where they will indubitably land up in shanties, where would you have the government resettle the affected tribals?

Intrestingly Aaman, I was reading an editorial in The Hindu.I was under the impression that at least the tribals will be provided with shanties in cities. But even this is apparently not on offer.

According to The Hindu, 'In Madhya Pradesh, which faces the largest displacement from the Sardar Sarovar Project, the Government has continued to violate a provision of the Narmada Waters Dispute Tribunal Award that oustees must receive land as compensation for displacement. Instead, it has given out cash compensation witch which it expects the oustees to purchase land'.

So if we believe The Hindu for their accuracy (and there are no reasons for not trusting its research team), what is actually happening is that the tribals are being doled out a thick bunch of currency notes. I have not been very intimate with their life style but I think that they must not be used to that kind of money and we can well imagine that most will perhaps be tempted to an injudicious spending of that amount. And definitely one can not expect them to be well aware with real estate buying.

India has different standards for different people.

As for you wondering where ought the government resettle the affected tribals, why can't they be given lands in some river valley whose physical landscape resembles their previous homeland. And if that is not possible, there must be special townships built for them equipped with proper schools and hospitals and with proper conselling facilities to help them adapt to a different environment. They should undoubtedly have access to modern conviniences but they should be given a choice to retain their tradition and customs. That's the least we owe them.

Mayank,

A couple of years back, in a wrangling between the three affeced states - MP, Maharashtra and Gujarat - MP and Maharashtra had made it clear that they do not have any land to rehabilitate the "oustees" (that's the official term). Gujarat agreed to give land to some of them, but most have come back, due to hostility of their new neighbours.

Morover, even the cash compensation is very small (in Harsud town, the govt offered around 25k for each house), and is given only to those who owned land. Large number of tribals are landless, but live off the land... and so are left without any livelihood.

Mostly, the land given for rehabilitation (that is, when it is) is not even fertile. Special towns are out of question, since the project cost of this whole venture has already overshot by many multiples - so there is no money to add some more cost.

Yes, some of these oustees land up in city shanties, some just disappear, some join the growing naxalite/maoist cadres in the hiterland, and some even commit suicide.

Madhukar,
After reading your comments, I'm feeling like a fool. I confess myself to be terribly uninformed else why would I be shocked by the details you wrote!

This is so disturbing.

Today there was an op-ed piece titled 'Ram, Roti, Romance' by one Saubhik Chakrabarti in the Delhi edition of Indian Express which actually equated Patkar's fast with Advani's Rath Yatra! It accused Patkar of needless romanticising. I am surprised as to how could supposedly well-informed, thinking people can shape their opinions to such interpretations. It is very sad.

There is another mysterious thing in all this episode. A very strong view mantains that Medha Patkar is needlessly agitating and that rehabilitation of the 'oustees' have been done with complete satisfaction to all the sides. If that is so then why don't our TV channels, our nespapers, our magazines, send their reporters to the affected ares to uncover the truth themselves. If indeed the government reports are accurate and not covering the facts, then it is fine and wonderful. And if it is not (which, sadly, is more likely) than we should stop calling Narmada actvists die hard romantics and work towards proviidng those tribals with some justice.

It is such a cruel world..

Mayank,
sorry... the purpose of my comment was not to contradict or show errors - but to share whatever little bit I know about the issue.

In a way, we all live in a sort of "media matrix" and our knowledge of - and sensibilities to - issues gets molded by whatever is churned out by the MSM.

Though to be honest, once in a while the MSM also wakes up - during last week, I have seen at least 2 coverages on rehabilitation (or rather lack of it) of the oustees on NDTV. Similarly, a year of two back when Harsud town got submerged, Outlook had come out with a cover article on it, which was quite educative.

But this happens only once in a while, when suddenly some topic becomes 'hot'. After that the MSM goes back to it tittytainment.

I agree with you that the Narmada activists are far from romantics, or anti-development junkies. Most people who criticise them don't even realise that Narmada Valley project is not about one or two dams - it is 30 large dams, 135 medium dams and about 3,000 small dams. If one of them -the 2nd largest, Sardar Sarovar dam - will have a reservoir whose length will be 214km, one can imagine how many displacements we are talking about - and the scale of natural, social, archeological, ecological and anthropological impact it will have.

...yes, agree, it is a not a just world - but perhaps that is how history moves..
:(

Madhukar, you misunderstand me. I'm not upset with you and you do not have to be sorry. Infact your earlier comment was an eye-opener to me. I really value your comments. Thankyou.

The whole purpose of Narmada Valley Project is to provide water for irrigation and power to the state of Gujarat and as well a part of Madhya Pradesh. Benefiting at once a population of 40 million. Those opposed to this project oppose the welfare of 40 million Indians. If a few thousand tribals have to suffer for this , so be it. Its a question of numbers.

And contrary to what the writer suggests , Medha Patkar and the rest of the NBA gang have a very selfish stake in their agitation. After all , who would have heard of them if not for this ? Publicity and a few $$$ thrown here and there by some anti-India forces abroad.

The natural instincts of leftists is to oppose anything and everything that is good for India.

By the way, we are a democracy , why dont people like Patkar stand in the election , get into power and implement their policies the way they want it ? I will tell you why. They tried. And failed.Miserably. Patkar lost her deposit, got less than 1% of the votes in the Lok Sabha seat she contested in the last general election.

Unfortunately for her , her support base is limited to a few hundred losers at the commie breeding ground , Jawaharlal Nenru University.

Raj Mehta (you may be Narendra Modi himself using a pseudonym for all I care), you haven't made a single cogent argument against the points raised here. Empty rhetoric will not convince anyone. If you have some facts in defense of the states, speak now or forever hold your peace.

Nitin Karanani , you may be the writer's gay lover for all I know , but what are the 'points' specifically raised by the writer ?

That Medha Patkar and her commie gang have no personal stake in their agitation ?

.....does the writer have any proof to back his assertion or is it just his opinion ? She only does her fasting and shouting for them poor tribals. Once we get that clear first , we can proceed further.

After all , there is a school of thought that Patkar and her commie gang are just suckers for publicity. Isn't that motivation enough ?

Or are they just sticklers for the commie ideology ? Oppose progress at every turn ?

And whats with commies and Narendra Modi ? Anybody opposing commies is a Narendra Modi ? Hahaha.