Ken-Betwa Displacement Struggle: 200+ Citizens and People's Organisations Demand Justice for Adivasi Communities Affected by Majhgawan and Runjh Dams

Delhi- As the ‘Chita Andolan’ of the Ken-Betwa project affected communities completes 25 days, more than 200 + concerned citizens and people’s organizations from across India wrote to the NHRC, NCST, Central Govt and Madhya Pradesh Govt, calling for action against police violence on adivasi communities and seeking fair, lawful rehabilitation of the Majhgawan and Runjh dam-affected.

The struggle assumes significance in the backdrop of rising water levels in some of the settlements impacted by the Majhgawan Dam, submerging homes and farms of the adivasi villagers. The signatories expressed outrage that, instead of resorting to dialogue to resolve the legitimate grievances of the protesting communities, the administration unleashed police violence on adivasi women and men, in the last week of September and arrested activists including Amit Bhatnagar of Jai Kisan Sangathan, Divya Ahirwar and Hisabi Rajput.

The signatories conveyed solidarity to the people, as they continue the struggle undeterred and expressed concern regarding Amit Bhatnagar, whose fast in state custody completes 8 days. They called upon the authorities to safeguard the rights of all the small farmers and adivasi communities affected by the Ken – Betwa River Linking Project and ensure their voices and futures are not drowned. The letters were addressed to the Chairpersons of the National Human Rights Commission, National Commission for Scheduled Tribes, National Commission for Women, Madhya Pradesh Human Rights Commission as well as to the Union Ministers of Tribal Affairs and Water Resources, Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh and the Water Resources Minister of MP, demanding compliance with the legal and constitutional rights.

The signatories include well-known activists, academics, lawyers, ecologists, researchers like: Prof. Roop Rekha Verma, Prof. Bhangya Bhukya, Medha Patkar, Prafulla Samantara, Ashish Kothari, Soumya Dutta, John Dayal, Shabnam Hashmi, Sudhir Vombatkere, Dr. K. Babu Rao, Dr. Gabriele Dietrich, Dr. Aditya Nigam, Cedric Prakash, Dipak Dholakia, Neelam Ahluwalia, Rajkumar Sinha, Aflatoon, Rajesh Ramakrishnan, Chittaroopa Palit, Kailash Mina, Chaya Datar, Ammu Abraham, Shripad Dharmadhikary, Arundhati Dhuru, Dr. Navsharan Singh, Dr. Sagari Ramdas, Dr. Suhas Kolhekar, Cynthia Stephen, Sujata Gothoskar, Abhijit Prabhudsai, Kalyani Menon Sen, Hasina Khan, Chayanika Shah, Thomas Franco, Anmol Ohri, Adv Mini Mathew, Adv Nikita Sonavane, Adv Pyoli Swatija, Adv Shalini Gera, Manshi Asher, SP Ravi, Nisha Biswas, Sujata Madhok, Preeti Sampat, Ishwor, Priyadarshini, Meera Sanghamitra and others representing numerous organizations.

Key Demands put forth by the signatories are:

1. Immediate release of all arrested activists from jail and stop any further repressive measures on the movement.

2. Full land and livelihood-based rehabilitation, housing with civic amenities and compensation to all the affected families and oustees, based on fair surveys and not excluding any eligible oustee.

3. Fair implementation of all provisions of the Land Acquisition and Rehabilitation Act, 2013, Forest Rights Act, 2006 and Biological Diversity Act, 2002.

4. An independent inquiry into the police action on peaceful adivasi protestors as well as corruption in the rehabilitation process and strict action against all violators, as per law, including under provisions of the SC & ST (PoA) Act, 1989.

5. A comprehensive review of the social-ecological, environmental and hydrological costs and benefits of the Ken-Betwa River Linking Project.

Co-issued by: National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM), National Alliance for Climate and Ecological Justice (NACEJ), All-India Rivers Forum (AIRF) and Delhi Solidarity Group (DSG).