SOCIAL ACTIVIST TAKES ON THE GOVERNMENT

THE NARMADA BACHACAO ACTIVIST TAKES ON THE GOVERNMENT 19/11/2011

During her visit to Sambalpur,Odisha Social Activist Medha Patkar on Friday , 18th November enlightened the farmers and the peasants and desired for a equal rehabilitation policy for the land ouster and of the displaced people.

She criticized the Land acquisition act which is a curse and land reforms policy in Odisha . She lambasted the government in Odisha because of poor policy and not showing concern for landless and the development politics that is rampant in Odisha now. Odisha has become now an epicenter of investment for many corporate houses and industrialists and in the long run the poor people and specially the farmer loss their land. Development for the sake of development is not development. She further said that the government is because of the people and the people give their mandate. It will take no time for the same people to vote them out.

She supported the farmers’ agitation in western Odisha , especially the division/sharing of the Hirakud dam water among the farmers’ and the industries. Many activist from Odisha participated in the rally among them eminent social activist Prafulla Samantray, farmers’ leader Ashok Pradhan were leading the masses. They also served a copy of the memorandum to the government through the RDC, supporting their cause.

Land has become a key issue for both neoliberal capitalism and for people's movements. Land Acquisition Act of 1894 is used to take over land of indigenous and rural peoples today in the name of the common good. India has had 55 million people displaced by large dams.

She said, “Dam-based development is a gendered process with profound impacts on social and gender relations, identities and the ways in which resources are distributed between men and women. Because planners have largely ignored women's interests, gender inequalities have been worsened by the construction of large dams. Gendered protest against dams has highlighted the need for equity and questioned conventional notions of costs, benefits and loss.”

She said to an intellectual mass in a evening summit at the Sambalpur District auditorium regarding the global economic crisis depicting the example of call of wall street, “ On one hand, no doubt, it’s taking away the jobs in India, because, unfortunately, the Indian economy is linked with the global markets and money coming from the foreign centers and the lenders more than what should be necessary for the Indian economy, and hence this globalization is inevitably having an impact of whatever happens out and away from India.

But on the other hand, if it really cuts down the outsourcing from the countries such as yours, we would be more than happy. Although the immediate impacts would be negative, I think the long-term impact would be coming out with our own indigenous and self-reliant alternatives, which would not be market-based as much as it would be the natural and the human resource-based.”

Medha patekar puts stress on Jan Andolans and want the People of Odisha to join hands with Anna Hazares’ cause “ Jan Lokpal Bill “. It will bring transparency in the governance.” What all the movement got is due to only one man - ANNA. He is the person who has succeeded and therefore all citizens have expectations from this simple and genuine man only. The members of the so called core team may come and go will not have any effect. It would be better for Anna to work according to his wishes and take on issues related to common man one by one,” she opined.

Now Odisha has become one of the most favorite places for investments in different sectors and thereby looting the mineral rich resources by the industrialists is a matter of grave concern. She further stated that the Posco project in Odisha violates the Forest Right Acts and constitutional rights of the people. The unholy nexus of bureaucracy, legislature and corporate houses has become a dangerous trend.
She demanded that any mega project which is opposed by the local people must be stopped instantly.

Lastly, Odisha has rich cultural and mineral resources. But the way government is manipulating it in the name of development according to their whims and fancy is highly condemnable.

May the times remember and forever her deeds to make an example of how a woman can make so many things happen to protect the ignorant from the clutches of the powerful.

SIDDHARTHA SHANKAR MISHRA,
BUREAU CHIEF,
THESE DAYS,
ODISHA.