Jal Satyagraha Ends? Khandwa Farmers Claim Partial Victory!

The watery ordeal of the Khandwa farmers was supposed to have finally ended on the 17^th day today after the government of Madhya Pradesh agreed to their basic demands. The state Chief Minister assured the traumatized farmers that the water level of the Omkareshwar Dam will be lowered from 196 to 189 meters and the affected farmers would be given ‘land for land’ compensation.

Media attention, though belated, finally brought the issue into national or even international focus and the authorities were forced to bow down to the demands.

But the farmers who stood in neck deep water for 17 days claimed only a partial victory as they felt that delaying tactics would be applied considering their present weary condition and therefore as per some reports they refused to come out of the water. They said that with the increased water level of the dam to 196 meters the expanding reservoirs had already submerged many low lying areas, and they actually wanted to see if water receded after the government assurance. They would come out only if the water where they continued to stand actually receded. 

For the moment let us welcome at least the partial victory that the farmers have managed out of the floundering system of the largest democracy of the world. And thank God there are no casualties except for some extremely sore, shriveled and bruised feet of the suffering agitators. The price for a ‘partial’ democratic victory? Meantime another watery movement is going on still in the adjacent Indira Sagar dam where the agitating farmers demand the level of the dam be reduced from 262 to 260 meters.

Farmers toil hard to feed the whole nation. Their interests must be protected.

Farmers Agitate Immersed In Neck Deep Water! Jal Satyagraha In Khandwa!

Fifty one farmers including old women had been staying immersed in neck deep water for the last fifteen days. Crabs and fishes were biting them and the limbs of many of them, particularly the old ladies, were deteriorating fast. They could not call it a day because they wanted their demands met first. The farmers had been protesting against what they considered wrong moves by the government. They say it is Jal Satyagraha (Water Movement for truth)-their final struggle even if it means death.

Even the media did not pay them attention for ten days, busy as usual covering the insane politicking going on all around. The state government finally thought of examining their demands and meeting them only on the 13^th day. A group of observers from the Central Government is likely to visit the agitating farmers today.

The agitating farmers were from the Khandwa district of Madhya Pradesh, a central state of India. They cultivated in the low-lying areas surrounding the Omkareshwar dam over the river Narmada. Since the river was flowing above the danger mark the government of Madhya Pradesh decided to open all the gates of the dam and to increase the height of the dam. The farmers protested that their low lying lands and villages would be submerged by the decision and that the decision had to be taken after first extending compensation and rehabilitation facilities to them. They claimed that a huge chunk of land had already been submerged and demanded the height of the dam to be reduced from 196 to 189 meters. Activists of the Narmada Bachao Andolan (Save Narmada Movement) that had been going on for decades joined in the protest. A ruling by the Supreme Court of India that says villagers must be rehabilitated at least six months before such moves are implemented was also quoted. 

Desperate needs mostly require desperate measures. With the state government not listening the farmers had no other option but to undertake a movement in a drastic and eye catching manner. Therefore, they decided to immerse themselves continuously in neck deep water to attract attention and ultimately to safeguard their subsistence cultivation to survive. Unfortunately even the desperate measures took a desperately long enough time to get noticed.

Such a scenario is only befitting the current degeneration that threatens to set in over the country’s political, social and economic existence. Political parties or leaders are busy exchanging charges or allegations or blackmail between themselves with nobody interested in a solution; the Indian Parliament, the supreme constitutional body of a democracy, gets stalled continuously leading to a washout of a full session; the pretentious fight against corruption only adding to the chaos and the poor masses who understands no economics and less politics getting ignored totally.

A mass watery grave is good enough to waken India’s leaders? Who knows!

Cricket Twenty20 Match Called Off! Yuvraj Singh Show Postponed!

What a pity! All the attention and expectations focused on cricket superstar Yuvraj Singh's comeback have finally come to nothing. The first Twenty20 cricket match in Visakhapatnam between India and New Zealand   had been called off due to incessant rains. The rains had been falling almost the whole day and hope of an encounter was diminishing. Rains became the perfect spoilsport for a match made momentous by the eagerness of the fans showered on it. The Yuvraj Singh show thus gets postponed. 

No reason to lose heart though as the brave-heart has already made the journey back into the game after winning a great battle against cancer. We can hopefully catch him in action on September 11 in the second and the last match of the T20 cricket Series to be played in  Chennai. And then all the excitement waits for you in the forthcoming T20 World Cup. 

Over to Chennai now. Make your appointment with Yuvraj Singh for sure!