Ken-Betwa river-linking: Tribal women launch 'hanging satyagraha' in MP

Chhatarpur (MP), Jul 10 (PTI) Tribal women on Friday escalated their agitation against the Rs 44,605-crore Ken-Betwa river-linking project, launching a symbolic "hanging satyagraha" by placing nooses around their necks, demanding full rehabilitation or state-sanctioned euthanasia. The protest, which entered its eighth day on the banks of the Barana River near Kupi village, about 80 km from the district headquarters, follows previous rounds of "pyre" and "water" satyagrahas by displaced families alleging illegal evictions, loss of livelihoods, and irregularities in the project-affected persons' lists. Talking to PTI, Chhatarpur Collector Parth Jaiswal said that officials were holding talks with the agitators to understand and resolve their grievances. The Ken-Betwa Link Project (KBLP), India's first major river interlinking initiative, aims to transfer water from the Ken basin to the Betwa basin. Estimated to cost Rs 44,605 crore, the project is expected to irrigate 10.62 lakh hectares, provide drinking water to 62 lakh people and generate 130 MW of power. Amit Bhatnagar, who is leading the agitation, has been on an indefinite hunger strike for the past five days. Protesters have alleged that the administration had failed to fulfil assurances given to them in April. Bhatnagar claimed that people affected by the river-linking project, and the Majhgaon and Runjh irrigation projects, had not received justice. Displaced families had lost their land, forests, water resources, livelihoods and cultural identity, he claimed, and also accused the authorities of registering false cases against several people, illegal eviction and power disconnection. Bhatnagar disputed the administration's claim that 638 families, earlier excluded from the list of project-affected people, had since been included. The names of 114 people from Mainari village were still missing from the list, he alleged and demanded that the administration stop intimidating villagers and display the lists of affected families in the villages. Protesters claimed that construction work on the dam cannot begin until the displacement and rehabilitation process is completed. The agitation had earlier included "chita satyagraha", in which protesters lay on symbolic pyres, and "jal satyagraha", which involved them standing in the waters of the Barana River. Tribal women leading the agitation accused the government of making false promises and said they should be allowed euthanasia if it could not give them justice. The Chhatarpur district administration, however, maintained that the demands raised during the agitation in April had been fulfilled. Jaiswal said the protesters were from the adjoining Panna district, and officials from both districts were holding talks with them. "The Madhya Pradesh cabinet on Thursday enhanced the relief and rehabilitation package, but now they want more," he said. Tribals in Panna district have also been affected by the river-linking project. PTI COR LAL ARU