Protests Against Development Projects in Panna

The slogan “Give us justice or kill us” echoes this time in Madhya

Pradesh, not from Chhatarpur but from Panna district

has arisen. Behind me, you can see that once again

a symbolic pyre and symbolic hanging protest

are being carried out. But this time, this protest is not limited only

to the Ken-Betwa Link Project. Rather,

a movement is underway in Panna district against the Majhgaon Medium Irrigation Project

and the Singrauli-Lalitpur Railway Project in Panna district.

They allege that after these projects,

the government neither paid them compensation properly

nor formulated any policy for their displacement.

Over the policy on displacement and

demand for compensation, these people have been continuously protesting.

Against all these projects, including the Ken-Betwa Link Project,

this is the third time a protest is being held. The protesters

allege that the administration gives them false assurances every time

Asking them to end the protest by giving [something], but their demands

have not yet been met. Let's speak to the protesters

and try to find out why, for the third time,

this pyre protest is being held in this manner. With us now

is social worker and founder of the Jai Kisan organization, Amit

Bhatnagar. Amit ji, my question to you is, this time, this

protest that is underway, which projects is it against?

Actually, it is the Ken-Betwa Link Project. It is causing severe

environmental destruction, and we want to tell the government

that there should be a discussion about whether

the projects are beneficial or harmful. Whether their benefits are greater or their losses

are greater. The Majhgaon Dam at present, the Runj Dam,

in which farmers are being deprived of their water, forests, land, their homes, everything.

Meaning, projects that rest on their sacrifice, but them

Justice is not being served. There is the Majhgaon Dam, where people's

lands, their villages, their forests, everything has been acquired.

But

neither has the law been followed here. The social impact

report, which includes a social assessment of

people,

what forests they are losing, what land they are losing, and how their

livelihoods will be impacted, none of this was done. That is why, because this was not

done, the lands that were irrigated have been rendered unirrigated.

Ineligible people are being included because there is blatant

corruption going on here. The result is that today, you can see that

the entire village, every home is being submerged, and it is not just this village and

these homes that are being submerged. Our country's Constitution is also being drowned.

The humanity of our officials and the leaders of the ruling party

is also drowning.