Vadhavan Port documentary film: Cops summon organisers of public screening

The film examines the anticipated impact of the Vadhavan Port project on indigenous communities in Palghar’s Dahanu taluka

Mumbai: The Mulund (West) police summoned the organisers of a public screening of the documentary – On the Way to Vadhavan – on Friday evening. The film examines the anticipated impact of the Vadhavan Port project on indigenous communities in Palghar’s Dahanu taluka.

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Nishant Bangera, founder of Thane-based NGO Muse Foundation (which frequently works with independent filmmakers to organise public screenings of environmental films), said, “The police questioned me for around 30 minutes. My colleague Pranav Tripathi, who has been volunteering with us for six years, also accompanied me to the station. We were asked about our political motivations, whether we are communists, associated with any farmers union, or some such outfit. I explained that we are just a youth group that is trying to raise awareness about environmental issues.”

Sambhaji Jadhav, of the intelligence wing at Mulund West police station, said, “We were acting on inputs given to us about possible ulterior motives of the filmmakers and organiser. They have been questioned today. We have instructed them to keep the screening short and civil.”

The documentary, made by independent filmmakers Shubham Karnick and Neha Rane, is scheduled to be screened for free at a privately-run co-working space in Mulund, at 6 pm on Saturday.

A synop of the movie, shared on social media by Muse Foundation, reads: “JNPT & State Govt’s proposed port at Dahanu is set to reclaim large swathes of land from the sea, displace coastal communities, especially fishers, adivasis, farmers and die, makers, causing loss of livelihoods and destroy the ecologically fragile area. However, these coastal communities have been putting up great resistance through creative and innovative ways. Watch their ongoing fight that has kept the sea and its biodiversity safe as yet at Muse’s next public screening.”

This is the second time in less than a month that individuals associated with the dispute around Vadhavan Port have been approached by authorities. “In January, I was approached by an official of the Intelligence Bureau who came to my office and questioned me about why I am opposed to the project. I was also questioned about an RTI that I had filed seeking details of a security assessment for Tarapur Atomic Power Station, in the context of the Vadhavan Port which is proposed 11kms away,” said Devendra Tandel, president of the Akhil Maharashtra Machimaar Kruti Samiti, who has been campaigning to protect the interests of Koli fisherfolk who will be impacted by the project.