Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra oustees protest Narmada dam at Indore, prepare to leave for Delhi

By A Representative
Representatives of the Sardar Sarovar dam affected from three states – Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra – thronged the streets of Indore in Madhya Pradesh as part of their six-days yatra to “challenge” the “unlawful” decision of the BJP-led government in Delhi to raise the height of the Sardar Sarovar Dam by 17 meters. Saying that the Government of India decision “would lead to a watery grave of 45,000 families”, the anti-dam organisation Narmada Bachao Andolan's (NBA's) statement said, adding, “The oustees questioned the false claims of rehabilitation.”
Pointing towards the Rs 1000-crore corruption scam which is being investigated by a Judicial commission in Madhya Pradesh, the statement said, “Hilly Adivasis from Maharashtra demanded rehabilitation with land. Oustees from Gujarat challenged the lack of rehabilitation in the state and false claims of rehabilitation and resettlement (R&R), deprivation of land to hundreds of them. A strong demand was made to recognize the ownership rights of the oustees under the new Land Acquisition Act.”
The NBA said, “In the past six months thousands of oustees have been carrying out massive protests in Badwani, Dhar, Indore, Bhopal and Delhi demanding the government to recall its illegal decision and review the actual status of rehabilitation of the thousands of adivasis, farmers, fish-workers, potters, labourers etc also the actual costs and benefits of the Sardar Sarovar Project. Medha Patkar, walking along with the protesters, demanded immediate halt to the construction work at Sardar Sarovar and claimed that the decision is largely motivated by corporate thirst for Narmada waters and command area land, rather than the interests of farmers.”
Among those who participated in the rally included many senior social activists and progressive social organizations from Indore – senior Gandhian and advocate Anil Trivedi, Sarvoday Press Service's Chinmay Mishra, Ashok Dubey, Roopankan, Ajay Lagoo, Pramod Bagdi, Jayaprakash bhai and others. “They stood in solidarity at the Regal Chouraha, where a homage was paid to Gandhi Statue, and the Prime Minister was reminded of the Gandhian approach to respect the lives and livelihoods of the villages, which is the heart of India”, the NBA said.
“Many elderly farmers, women and children walked the streets of Indore shouting slogans, distributing leaflets and exhorting the residents of Indore to standby the struggle in the Narmada valley since the issues of land and water management in Nimad and Malwa region are interconnected. Representatives of the Indira Sagar and Omkareshwar canal-affected farmers also participated demanding review of the canals and halt to Omkareshwar-Kshipra Link Project which is planned more in the interest of corporates rather than the rural masses”, the statement said.
The Yatra began at Badwani on November 28 paying homage to the freedom strugglers at Shaheed Stambh followed by a meeting at Anjad. The Yatra shall proceed to Ujjain and Ratlam tomorrow where also public rallies and meetings shall be held to raise awareness and gather solidarity on the issue. The Yatra will reach Delhi on the December 1, where Yatris would be joined by hundreds of oustees from the Narmada valley for a massive rally at Jantar Mantar on December 2.

Comments

Overriding India's constitutional sovereignty? Citizens urge PM to reject WHO IHR amendments

By A Representative A group of concerned Indian citizens, including medical professionals and activists, has sent an urgent appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to reject proposed amendments to the International Health Regulations (IHR) before the ratification deadline of July 19, 2025.

Designing the edge, erasing the river: Sabarmati Riverfront and the dissonance between ecology and planning

By Mansee Bal Bhargava, Parth Patel Across India, old black-and-white images of the Sabarmati River are often juxtaposed with vibrant photos of the modern Sabarmati Riverfront. This visual contrast is frequently showcased as a model of development, with the Sabarmati Riverfront serving as a blueprint for over a hundred proposed riverfront projects nationwide. These images are used to forge an implicit public consensus on a singular idea of development—shifting from a messy, evolving relationship between land and water to a rigid, one-time design intervention. The notion of regulating the unregulated has been deeply embedded into public consciousness—especially among city makers, planners, and designers. Urban rivers across India are undergoing a dramatic transformation, not only in terms of their land-water composition but in the very way we understand and define them. Here, we focus on one critical aspect of that transformation: the river’s edge.

FSSAI defies Supreme Court order on food warning labels, citing 'trade secrets' for withholding vital information

By A Representative India’s food regulator, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), is facing strong criticism for deliberately delaying the implementation of crucial warning labels on High Fat, Sugar, and Salt (HFSS) food products. This comes despite a clear Supreme Court order on April 9, 2025, which mandated the completion of the "entire exercise" within three months. Adding to the controversy, the FSSAI is reportedly hiding expert reports and over 14,000 public comments under the pretext of "trade secrets."

Ecological alarm over pumped storage projects in Western Ghats: Policy analyst writes to PM

By A Representative In a detailed letter addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, energy and climate policy analyst Shankar Sharma has raised grave concerns over the escalating approval and construction of Pumped Storage Projects (PSPs) across India’s ecologically fragile river valleys. He has warned that these projects, if pursued unchecked, could result in irreparable damage to the country’s riverine ecology, biodiversity hotspots, and forest wealth—particularly in the Western Ghats.

‘Act of war on agriculture’: Aruna Rodrigues slams GM crop expansion and regulatory apathy

By Rosamma Thomas* Expressing appreciation to the Union Agriculture Minister for inviting suggestions from farmers and concerned citizens on the sharp decline in cotton crop productivity, Aruna Rodrigues—lead petitioner in the Supreme Court case ongoing since 2005 that seeks a moratorium on genetically modified (GM) crops—wrote to Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on July 14, 2025, stating that conflicts of interest have infiltrated India’s regulatory system like a spreading cancer, including within the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR).

Civil rights coalition condemns alleged abduction of activist Samrat Singh by Delhi police

By A Representative The Campaign Against State Repression (CASR), a collective of civil and democratic rights organisations, has strongly condemned what it describes as the illegal abduction of psychologist and social activist Samrat Singh by a team of Delhi Police officials. The incident occurred on the evening of July 12, 2025, at Singh’s residence in Yamunanagar, Haryana.

Gurdial Singh Paharpuri: A lifetime of revolutionary contribution and unfulfilled aspirations

By Harsh Thakor* Gurdial Singh Paharpuri, a Central Committee member of the Communist Party Re-Organisation Centre of India (Marxist-Leninist) (CPRCI(ML)), passed away on July 2, marking a significant loss for the Indian Communist Revolutionary movement. For six decades, Singh championed the cause of revolution, leaving an enduring impact through his lifelong dedication to the global proletarian movement. His contributions are considered foundational, laying groundwork for future advancements in revolutionary thought. He is recognized as a key figure among Indian Communist revolutionary leaders who shaped the mass line, and his example is seen as a model for revolutionary communists to follow.

Historic Supreme Court ruling grants tribal women equal right to inherit property

By Raj Kumar Sinha* The Supreme Court of India has delivered a landmark judgment declaring that denying tribal women inheritance rights solely based on gender is unconstitutional. The court affirmed their equal right to ancestral property, stating that refusing a share in such property to a tribal woman or her legal heirs on the basis of sex is both unjust and unconstitutional.

A disconnect between data and daily life: India's inflation puzzle

By Hemantkumar Shah* In recent news, the government has announced that the inflation rate has reached a six-and-a-half-year low. According to the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, the Consumer Price Index (CPI)-based inflation for June stood at just 2.1 percent, down from 2.82 percent in May. This is the lowest rate in 77 months, and the ministry even claims that food prices have fallen by 1.06 percent compared to last year.

Search This Blog