Showing the height of insensitivity to the issues raised by the Maan dam affected people, last evening (12 June 02) more than 300 police force descended upon the dharna site while the Andolan representatives were dialoging with the Chief Minister's adviser, Mr.Sharad Chandra Behar. NBA foiled the attempts of the government to put the agitators behind bars and diffuse the issues by breaking the fast forcefully. All the four fasting activists evaded the police arrest, not succumbing to the gimmicks of the state.

Standing firm on their resolve, fasting activists continued their fast on the 24th day, under ground. For the ones, who are armed with only non-violent means and when the State uses her might to silence them, there isn't anyway out than to truthfully follow the Gandhian way, staking their lives.

The condition of all four fasting activists, especially Ramkuvar, the 22-year-old tribal girl from the first Maan affected village Khedi, is precarious. Any untoward happening to the four fasting activists will be the sole responsibility of the State government.

People have been on the streets of Bhopal to for last 30 days in order to raise the issue of forced displacement and the threat of impending submergence at the outset of monsoon. All they want is proper implementation of the rehabilitation policy made by the government itself. But instead of redressing these issues and immediately taking steps to rehabilitate all the affected people, the government once again resorted to the inhuman tactic of trying to arrest the activists, divert the basic issues and silence them.

On the 23rd day of the indefinite fast and 29th day of the dharna, the Chief Minister for the first time called a high level meeting of all concerned officials including the Chief Secretary, to discuss the Maan dam issue. But the outcome of the meeting was hopelessly disappointing. The communication to NBA by the Narmada Valley Development Authority said that the officials and the CM "concluded" that all the Maan dam affected people were resettled as per the rehabilitation policy long back. Banking upon the falsehood, they claimed that each tribal family was given a choice between cash compensation and land-based rehabilitation. People's rehabilitation was completed as per their choice. The letter urged the people to end the dharna, and vacate their homes. NBA outrightly rejects this.

The fast by the 4 activists and the dharna of over 300 representatives of Maan dam affected still continues at Bhopal. Only meaningful resolution of the issues will convince the activists to withdraw the fast: not any arm-twisting tactics.

Alok Agarwal