Chhatarpur, Madhya Pradesh – Tribal families affected by the Ken-Betwa Link Project and Runjh-Majhgua Dam launched a protest in the district which has now reached its 11th day.
As per news from the area, close to a thousand tribal men and women are continuously protesting their demands for land acquisition, rehabilitation, and compensation after which they have been occupying localities. The protest also includes a symbolic assembly called the ‘Panchatatva Movement’ by locals.
Protesters claim that even though they have made several requests, no high-level administrative officials have visited the site for the dialogue, yet. They want written assurnaces confirming to them guaranteed rights to their lands as well as proper relocation before the authorities proceed with any displacement of the project, the protestors said.
The government has not issued any significant public statement about the protest that has been going on. Meanwhile, the police are not only at the protest site but also in the nearby areas so that they can make sure that there will be no unrest. According to the residents, the demonstration has been non-violent to a large extent, as the protesters had been sitting and chanting mainly slogans calling for the government’s help.
Recently, the Ken-Betwa Link Project, an inter-state river linking project of enormous scale, has instilled fears among the people in the project areas due to the issues of displacement and environmental degradation. Moreover, the present protest is coinciding with the discussions on rehabilitation policies and getting tribal consent for infrastructure projects. The district administration and project staff will likely give more details soon.
