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Words and deeds
Aruna Roy and Nikhil Dey on the Maan dam standoff.
June 2002:
“No big dams” is one of the NBA email ids that faithfully sends
out messages and news of dam related struggles. It is ironical
that the messages on the recent struggle and hunger strike in the
State of Madhya Pradesh relate to a big dam, where taking the “no
dam” position is no longer possible. The dam has already been
built. The issue in this case is one of compensation,
rehabilitation, and survival.
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This article was written on June 17, a day before the fast ended.
Update: On June 18, 2002, after 29 days on hunger fast, Chittaroopa Palit, Ramkuvar,
Vinod Patwa and Mangat Varma called off their resistance action. The MP government has
agreed to the completion of rehabilitation of the Maan dam oustees in a time-bound manner,
no later than July 31st, 2002.
- NBA Press note
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As the hunger strike by four people of the NBA on the Maan Dam
enters its 28th day, (read the update) and the waters of the Narmada tributary
begin to drive people out of their homes, the issue of which side
is right continues to be hotly contested. What is at stake along
with peoples lives and livelihood are also the larger critical
issues of the democratic functioning of a State, and the
credibility of a government (and its leader) that has built up an
image of being committed to principles of participatory democracy.
April 2002: A public hearing is held in Dhar District on the
Maan Dam issue conducted by the Indian Peoples Tribunal (IPT).
The panel is headed by Justice Loney, a former High Court judge
with two other members. The Government of M.P. is invited, but
refuses to attend.
May 8th 2002: A Jan Sunwai held in Bhopal on the Maheshwar Dam
issue by the National Campaign for Peoples Right to Information
(NCPRI) looks at questions of the use and misuse of Public
finance, power reform, and rehabilitation in the first dam to be
built by a private company in Madhya Pradesh. The panel is
chaired by the environmentalist –Shekhar Singh with Bharat
Dogra, Habib Tanvir , Dr. Ram Gupta and Aruna Roy as members. The
Government, and the heads of all concerned agencies are invited.
Not a single official of the Madhya Pradesh Government or its
agencies dealing with the dam attend the public hearing.
May 27th 2002: A public hearing is held on fishing rights on the Tawa
dam reservoir. This hearing focused on a rare and extraordinary
success story of a fishing co-operative on the dam reservoir,
which had ensured that atleast some of the fruits of the dam had
gone to poor communities, and those displaced. The public hearing
was warranted by tension built up at the time of the renewal of
the fishing contract – where it seemed that there were claims and
counter claims about the basis for renewal of the contract. The
panellists included the economist Jean Dreze, fisheries expert
John Kurien, Yogendra Yadav, Rajendra Singh, and Dr. Mihir
Shah. Here again, despite insistent invitations the government
and its agencies boycotted the hearing.
What is to be done when the Government refuses to even attend
such a public hearing? The hearing provides an opportunity for
public dialogue, and feedback. By participating, the Government
not only shows its respect for peoples voices and peoples
platforms but can perhaps even begin to forge a breakthrough on
issues which have reached an impasse. In the Maan Dam issue for
instance the opportunity should have been used to try and work
out a solution before it reached its current crisis. By non-
participation, a democratic government is cutting off its avenues
for understanding peoples perceptions, dialogue, and conflict resolution.
All three organising bodies of the different public hearings
issued press notes, held press conferences, and prepared reports
based on the evidence placed before them. They have recorded
their unhappiness with the Governments non-participation. And
they have once again stressed the importance of the Government
engaging in face- to- face debate, and answering questions raised
by affected people in an open public forum.
Representatives of local peoples organisations claim that the
reason the Government does not attend these hearings, is because
they have no answers. If that is the case, then there is an even
bigger burden on all of us to ensure that the truth comes out,
and that the Government be forced into following principles of
transparent and accountable decision- making.
The Madhya Pradesh Government has nurtured an image of being a
progressive government committed to issues of equity, social
justice, democracy and participation. The Chief Minister has been
hailed on several occasions for his commitment to “green issues”,
“democratic decentralisation.” and concern for the marginalized.
Several policy announcements and legal provisions helped sustain
this progressive image. However, it is by the deeds of a
government that it will be eventually evaluated. As competing
interests fight it out for meagre resources, Mr Digvijay Singh
will have to take sides, and his decisions will have to stand the
scrutiny of movements that insist on a transparent, accountable
and democratic mode of decision- making.
In the meanwhile, the Maan Dam agitation has reached a critical
point. It concerns only 1226 Tribal families. They are only
asking that the M.P. Government policy on rehabilitation be
implemented in letter and spirit. According to an estimate by
Nandini Sundar of JNU who was a member of the IPT, this will mean
spending only an additional Rs.5 crore or Rs. 40,000 per family.
Officials from the State Government are reportedly worried about
its implications for other larger dams to follow. Actually we all
should be watching this decision- those who are to suffer because
of the dams being built, and those who will benefit. The rest of
us who call ourselves concerned citizens. And most certainly the
Supreme Court, which has ruled in favour of the much bigger
Sardar Sarovar - as long as there is just and adequate rehabilitation.
This is a battle of rehabilitation. It is small. It is
manageable. And if it can set better standards of rehabilitation,
the Mann Dam oustees, the State Government, and the Chief
Minister will be able to take credit for being the first dam
where policies and pronouncements have matched actions on the
ground. That is the least we can do for an uprooted people.
Aruna Roy and Nikhil Dey
June 2002
The authors are activists with the Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan, and
the National Campaign for Peoples Right to Information.
www.narmada.org
Narmada Homepage on India Together
Maan dam coverage on India Together
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