Oustees of Sardar Sarovar Project get widespread support

The agitation by the oustees of the Sardar Sarovar Project on Monday entered the 13th day as a number of social activists from across the country joined the protests.

The agitation by the oustees of the Sardar Sarovar Project on Monday entered the 13th day as a number of social activists from across the country joined the protests.

Thousands of oustees of Sardar Sarovar Project and the NBA supporters passed ‘Rajghat Resolve’, in Barwani. (HT photo)

Expressing concern for the 30-year long struggle by people of Nimar and the Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA), the social activists said Prime Minister Narendra Modi was anti-farmer and pro-corporate.

More than 100 social activists joined the protesters at the ‘satyagrahha sthal’ on the banks of Narmada River in Barwani district’s Rajghat and passed ‘Rajghat Resolve’.

“The Sardar Sarovar is one of the worst symbols of political conspiracy and corporate loot and we will intensify the 30-year long struggle to ensure justice to the lakhs of people and environment of the valley and also to assert our development paradigm, based on justice and equity,” the activists and the dam outstees said.

NBA founder Medha Patkar said the Sardar Sarovar Project is a classic example of the failure of large dams and the governments must be held accountable for it to the nation.

“We will not allow the gates to be installed and we will fight with our lives,” she said.

Representatives of people’s movement, political groups, social organizations, intellectuals, artists, and activists passed the ‘Rajghat Resovle’ in the middle of Narmada River in the presence of thousands of tribal, farmers, fishermen, landless workers and potters.

Former AAP leader Yogendra Yadav said Sardar Sarovar Project is symptomatic of the obnoxious political culture of the country.