22 December 2000

NBA HOODWINKING PRESIDENT, SAY MPs

From Jal Khambata

NEW DELHI: Twenty-four Congress and Bhartiya Janata Party MPs from Gujarat on Friday submitted a memorandum to President K R Narayanan expressing their anguish at the Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) carrying on its Media campaign against the Sardar Sarovar Dam on the Narmada despite losing the case in the Supreme Court and even trying to mislead him with concocted submissions to secure his sympathies.

"Organisations, which do not respect the fully deliberated judgment of the High Court, simply because it is not convenient to them, and who have no compunction in defiling the dignity of the judiciary and who have been opposing critical developments projects in the name of poor people, do not deserve any attention of your excellency's august office," the MPs said in a three-page memorandum.

They urged him to direct the Government to institute an inquiry into the credentials and motives of NBA, as they pointed out that their funding and patronage from abroad are suspect and they wonder whether NBA formed part of "vested interests who look to India as a big market for surplus agriculture produce and dairy products and who want India to be dependent on petroleum imports for its energy needs,were behind the anti-dam movement.

The MPs, who rushed to the President to counter NBA deputation led by Medha Patkar impressing upon him a few days ago to ask the Government to review the Narmada project, pointed out to the President that the Supreme Court judgment on the NBA petition had established "a complete balance of development needs of our country, the fair deal to the affected families and environmental concerns."

While permitting construction of the dam as per the Tribunal Award, the Court has also stipulated strict compliance with "pari passu" rehabilitation, alongwith consultation of the independent authorities and environment steps. The MPs' memorandum said: "Such a balanced judgment should set at rest all doubts and apprehensions in this matter."

They pointed out that the NBA was not only refusing to accept the judgment but it was now indulging in pressure tactics and gone to the Press making "unwarranted, graceless and contemptuous remarks" against the Court judgment. "This only means that the NBA is not genuinely interested in welfare of displaced or in environment. Otherwise, they should use their energy in helping and acting as constructive watchdog in these functions," the memorandum said.

The MPs urged the President "to consider that every entertaining presentations and delegations of such organisations would give wrong signals to the people."

"Should any person who shows scant regard for the decision of the Highest Court of the land, be allowed an audience with the Highest and final Constitutional authority of our country," the MPs asked while telling the President "that is the issue, sir" that has brought them all to him to plead not to entertain NBA. They sought to impress upon him that "they oppose large dams per se, but posing issue like displacement and environment as a cover" and that he should not fall for it.

The memorandum detailed how the Sardar Sarovar Project being opposed by NBA with nefarious motives would mitigate large parts of Gujarat, Rajasthan and Maharashtra which are perennially drought-affected, economically backward and include some tribal pockets. The project would also help in generation of 1450 MW of hydro power and provide irrigation coverage to 4.9 million acres, the memorandum said.

"Besides the national behefits of hydro power and irrigation, over 8200 villages and 138 urban centres of drought prone Kutch, North Gujarat and Saurashtra will get drinking water, relieving specially the rural women folk from severe miseries and hardships. The project would also arrest ecological degradation in the area of Barmer, Jhalore, Kutch, little run of Kutch where desert is advancing due to scanty rainfall. ... These are the benefits to the people at large, which are in the base of this important project," the memorandum added. END.