MANIBELI VILLAGERS DRAGGED OUT OF HOUSES AS WATER REACHES
CHEST HEIGHT
SAMARPIT DAL ANNOUNCED FOR 6 AUGUST
Numerous houses, including 33 in Vadgam, Gujarat, and 18
in Manibeli, Maharashtra, were flooded last night.
Villagers in Manibeli, who refused to move from their
houses, were forcibly dragged out of the water by the
police. People are reported to have been up to their
chests in water when the police pulled them out of the
house of Narayanbhai Tadvi, the headman of Manibeli.
Narayanbhai's house and 14 others in the lower hamlet in
Manibeli are now totally submerged. Houses in at least 5
other villages in Maharashtra and one in Gujarat are
thought to be flooded. The water reached 75m in what is
thought to be a 1-in-20 year flood.
The people evicted from their houses in Manibeli are
refusing to stay in the tin sheds constructed above the
village or to accept any food from the police. The NBA
are now arranging to get food to them. The people have no
shelter and most of their possessions have been washed
away.
People from 18 Vadgam families evicted during the past
week have been summoned to give evidence before the
Gujarat High Court on Monday in the case of contempt of
court against the government. The NBA claim that the
government has broken the stay order against forcible
evictions in the Gujarat submergence villages which has
been in force since last year. The NBA believes that the
summons are a "landmark happening" as this is the first
time that oustees have been asked to give evidence to the
High Court.
The Nigam officials have argued in court that all the
Vadgam families were in face resettled three years ago
and that under the Narmada Water Disputes Tribunal Award
they had no right to hand back the deeds to the lands
they were given at the resettlement site of Malu. They
also claim that the families have shifted of their own
accord and are being supplied with food and shelter by
the authorities.
Forty-two people from Vadgam and Kevadia have gone to
Ahmedabad today for a dharna organised by local groups in
protest against the forced evictions. The authorities
have denied permission for the dharna.
SAMARPIT DAL, SATAYAGRAH AND SOLIDARITY DAY
The NBA announced at press confernces held today that
unless a "comprehensive review process gains momentum",
the Samarpit Dal (Save or Drown Squad) will go and sit in
the valley on Friday, 6th August. Medha said that "we
will not stand by while the villages are being submerged.
We have no option but to go back to the villages and
fight along with the people against this injustice." The
activists emphasised that the struggle is not only to
stop SSP but also to ensure "just resettlement" for the
people displaced by the Bargi, Tawa and other dams in the
Narmada valley which have caused a "human tragedy". The
NBA stressed that the government was totally unprepared
for the submergence and did not know how high the waters
would rise or which land would be affected.
It was also announced that activists and oustees from the
3 states will leave for Delhi with Baba Amte on
Monday, 19th July and will begin a dharna in the capital
on the 22nd. The people will then return to the valley
for a satayagrah in Manibeli starting on 31st July.
Supporters from all over India will attempt to get to the
village.
An international Solidarity Day was announced for
Wednesday 28th July. Can NAC members do something on this
day? If so please keep in touch with Baroda and The
Ecologist.
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Compiled by Patrick McCully with information from Sanjay
and Alex Wilks in India.