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  URGENT NEWS/ 24.4.2006

 

 

 

 

As the Sardar Sarovar dam affected villagers, along with their supporters all over nation are to start the 'Pol-Khol Rally' (Expose` campaign), on Tuesday, 25 April, the Narmada valley was rocked by the suicide by Santosh Prabhulal Paliwal(42) ousted by the upstream Narmada Sagar dam, as he dide not get any resettlement and compensation for over two years, despite his dogged efforts. To whitewash the incident, the officebearers of the Narmada Hydro-Electric Corporation (NHPC) promptly passed an Award of Rs. 4,38,000 in his wife's name. They also claimed that they 'cannot understand' why Paliwal has committed suicide.

 

Santosh Paliwal's dead ody was found on the railway line near the Naya Harsud, the desolate 'resettlement site' for the oustees in Harsud town. on April 22, with a note in pocket tha, "The NHDC is responsible for his suicide".

 

Santosh was living in Harsud town, which resisted displacement but was had to face compulsory displacement and resettlement at Naya Harsud, some two years back. After displacement, his name was not found in the oustees' list. He despeartely tried in every government office for inclusion of his name in the oustees' list and a certificate for land-acquisition and compensation. He was living with his father-in-laws for al this time.  When his name was not found in the list of oustes even on April 17, he was frustrated and driven by extreme humiliation and  poverty he ended his life. 

 

However, the Director of NHDC hold the newspersons that Award of Rs. 4 lakn and 30 thousands was passed in his wife's name. However, this amount too was not there when checked immediately after that. This was then last straw and Santosh comitted suicide.

 

Despite such desolate conditions, the Madhya Pradesh officials, political bosses  haughtily claim that 'everything is well'. Not the Madhya Pradesh government, but a non-responsible body like NHDC oversees the work of these dams.

 

" This is not the suicide but a murder (yeh atmhatthya nahin hatthya hain)", was the furius reaction of Medha Patkar of the Narmada Bachao Andolan. The oficials and NHDC should be booked for that. They ruthlessly demolish the houses of Narmada Sagar and Onkareshwar dam oustees.  and the government is  playing the same dangerous game in the Sardar Sarovar, she said.  "These are deranged and sadist fellows, when they can pitilessly demolish the houses of the civilized people, even on the day like Rakhi-festival. They should be punished harshly, but before that thereshould be psychological test of these officials", reacted Rakesh Dewan, editor of Sarvodaya Press Service, sharply.  The same insensitivity and sadist atitude is being reflected in the Sardar Sarovar. Thedams have made not only Narendra Modi, but the lesser officials also go amuck", he said.

 

ON this background the Sardar Sarovar affected persons are preparing for the 'Pol khol Yatra' from March 25 to 27 though the villages in the Narmada valley and if possible in the resettlement villages in Gujarat.Apart from the thousands of vilagers rom the Narmada valley, scores of people's movements from Karnataka, Delhi, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bengal and even the Gujarat are participating in the march, along with the prominent persons like Swami Agnivesh, Magasaysay Award winner social activist Dr. Sandip Pandy, peeasants leader Dr. Sunilam, educationist Dr. Anil Sadgopal and others.Medha Patkar and the main activists in the valley will welcome the rally at Khalghat. The raly would witness the fraud the Madhya Pradesh government is playing with the people, media and the truth.