CREATING AWARENESS: Leader of the `Narmada Bachao Andolan' Medha Patkar interacting with tribal women at Chegondipalli in West Godavari district on Wednesday.

CHEGONDIPALLI (WEST GODAVARI Dt.): Medha Patkar, activist and leader of `Narmada Bachao Andholan' movement, on Wednesday suspected foul play in Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy's claim that the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest had accorded clearance for the Indirasagar Project.

``The Chief Minister's statement is misleading. What the project has secured from the Centre is only environmental clearance under the Environmental Protection Act, 1986.

But there is no forest clearance yet which is mandatory for any major dam as per the Forest Conservation Act, 1980,'' Ms Patkar said at an interface programme with the Adivasi project victims in this Koya habitation in Polavaram mandal of West Godavari district.

Call to tribals

Volunteering to spearhead the movement against the Indirasagar Project, she called upon the tribals to fight the Union Ministry of Environment for giving environmental clearance for the project in violation of the people's right to life and the right to livelihood guaranteed by the Constitution and in contravention of the people's will.

Ms Patkar urged the tribals to get the gram sabhas to adopt resolutions, launch a post-card campaign against the dam and conduct public hearings parallel to those sponsored by the Government.

Ms Patkar proved herself to be a leader with a difference in course of her interaction with tribals.

When the Adivasi women scrambled to garland Ms Patkar on her arrival, she politely turned down the offer.

Instead, she garlanded them, saying, "It's you, people involved in the struggle against the dam, to be honoured.'' She struck the right chord by sitting on the floor of the dais along with the village folk and preferred to hear the people instead of being heard.

Defiance

Madakam Mallayamma of Gajulagondi told Ms Patkar, "We don't want any help from the Government and we will not leave our birth place either, come what may.''

Surakka from Chegondipalli said the officials were browbeating the tribals by threatening to arrest them for their opposition to the dam.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail