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 About 15,000 people including 4 AID volunteers participated in the 20th anniversary of the NBA. Below is the NBA press release with pictures from Ravi and Aravinda (high res versions available on request). Dr. Sukumar Azhikode (former chairman of National Book Trust and winner of Ezhuthachan Puraskaram, Kerala's highest literary award) released AID-India's book 245 Villages: A NARMADA TUTORIAL in the august gathering.  58, Mahatma Gandhi Road, Badwani, M.P.- 4515551(Ph. .07290-222464/ badwani@narmada.org) B-13, Shivam Flats, Ellora Park, Baroda,Gujarat-390007 (0265-2282232, , baroda@narmada.org ) Press Note/30/11/2005 After 20 Years, Narmada People Resolve to Intensify Struggle: Sardar Sarovar 110 meters ab bas Over 15,000 men-women from the Narmada valley villages raised the slogan of the “Sardar Sarovar Dam at 110 m. and that is enough” (ek sou das- ab bas), as they resolved to intensify their struggle against the destruction and displacement and for the equitable and sustainable development, at the 20th anniversary congregation of Narmada Bachao Andolan at Badwani, on November 27. It was a strong message to the four state governments (Gujarat, M.P., Maharashtra and Rajasthan) and the Central government, preparing to raise the height of the height of the SSP dam and other dams like the Narmada Sagar and Maheshwar in the valley. The representatives of organizations and prominent people from all parts of India and abroad expressed solidarity and full support for their cause. Number of youths, students and activists from Kerala-Karnataka, Maharashtra-Gujarat to Bengal-Delhi participated in the march through the valley from November 23-26 and later in a day long people’s seminar, before the large public meeting. Despite 20-years long and arduous struggle, in which people borne the threats, humiliation, defamation, repression, corruption and submergence at the hands of the officials, police and political leaders all through the democratic and non-violent struggle, we are against ready to intensify our struggle against the SSP. It is also a struggle for our right over the natural resources and our democratic and human rights, said the septuagenarian Jagannath kaka, Pinjaribai, Bawabhai and Medha Patkar. The struggle also has creative side, as the NBA has been running 14 jeevan shalas (schools), and the people have built two micro hydro-electrical plants. The NBA is a struggle for an equitable and sustainable development, said Medha Patkar while giving background. The Left Front Member of Parliament, Abani Roy hoped that the Narmada Bachao (Save Narmada) would be extended to desh bachao (save the country). The renowned octogenarian Malayalam author Dr. Sukumar Azhikode saluted the peoples tenacity and strength for all these years, even as the political system is growing insensitive and rulers becoming greedy and cruel by each day. He even commented that the name of the famous Sardar Patel, the first Home Minister of India, and champion of peasants rights, should be delinked from the Sarovar (dam), which is destroying the peasants farms and lives. The Magsasay Award winner water- activist, Rajendra Singh made a passionate plea to stop the commercialisation of basic natural resources like water and felt that the message of the NBA-like movements is to establish peoples right over the water.  Dr. B.D. Sharma (President of Bharat Jan Andolan) asserted that the struggle in the Narmada valley has been the struggle of the peasants against the national-international capitalist powers out to exploit the common people and their resources. The leader of Kisan Sangharsh Samiti, and MLA from Madhya Pradesh Dr. Sunilam came heavily down upon the state government for misleading the farmers. The former state Chief Secretary Dr. S.C.Behar admitted that the capitalist forces influence the decision-making at political and bureaucratic levels. Medha Patkar dwelt on the strength of the peoples power in the valley, particularly the tenacity shown by women. According to her, opposition to Sardar Sarovar and other Narmada dams is a part of the larger war against destructive development, against the usurpation of peoples resources and rights by the national-multinational neo-imperialistic and capitalistic powers like the World Bank, World Trade organization.  The organizations and prominent persons issued a declaration at the meeting.(enclosed) The Convention The 20th year anniversary programme started on 26th November, as noted legal luminary and secular activist Girish Patel started the discussions, Sardar Sarovar, Large dams, Alternatives and Peoples Movements, about the issues, outcome and future strategies against the SSP and large dams. Dr. Bhar lighted the lamps in the memory of the departed martyr activists of the NBA. Noted environmentalist, Ashish Kothari highlighted the illegality and violation of norms and regulation in the SSP and environmental perils due to the project. Archeologist Anjali Paranjape pointed out that Narmada valley has the uninterrupted chain of evidences from pre-history to historic periods and all that needs to be listed and explored before any decision to submerge them. Himanshu Upadhyay came heavily down upon the bankrupt economics of the project. Activists Noorjibhai, Ashish Mandloi, Deepti Bhatnagar along with Medha brought out the impossibility of resettlement of the oustees in Gujarat, M.P. and Maharashtra. There were group discussions on the SSP- specific and larger strategy to safeguard people's rights, their resources and environmental sustainability. Gautam Bandyopadhyay, Sanjay M.G., Maj.Gen Vobatkere, Shripad Dharmadhikari, Jai Sen, Roy Laifungbam and others took part the deliberations.  About 50 delegates from the organizations from various countries attended the meet and extended their solidarity. The convention and public meeting was adorned by the photo-exhibitions on the 20 year-long struggles. Representatives from the struggle against Maheshear, Bargi, Narmada Sagar, Goi dams in the Narmada valley, along with the struggle against Tehri dam and the large dams in the North Eastern India participated.20 - YEARS OF THE NARMADA STRUGGLE PEOPLES DECLARATION, Badwani, Nov 27, 2005 We, the thousands of tribals, peasants, fisherpeople , workers, traders and craftspeople from the Narmada valley, along with supporters from all over India and abroad, gathered in Badwani (Madhya Pradesh), on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Narmada Bachao Andolan, do hereby declare that: The Sardar Sarovar Project (SSP), that is being built in the Narmada valley, has endangered well settled and prosperous villages, fertile agriculture lands, dense forests along with ancient pre-historic and historic cultural heritage dotting this beautiful and bountiful valley. With such dams, hundreds and thousands of people are being evicted from their lands, even when it is clear that thousands of them could not be provided land-based resettlement. The government has been trying to displace them either through the lure of the cash compensation of through the pressure, intimidation and repression. The benefits of such development projects, which violate all the legal norms and human rights, are uncertain and at best insignificant, as the drought prone areas of Kutch and Saurashtra will get next to nothing from the SSP. The India Country Study of the World Commission on Dams made it clear that the large dams have contributed barely 10% increase in the production of food grains. While the problem of water scarcity remains as it is despite 4500 large dams our country has built, they have aggravated the intensity of floods. Yet, despite the adverse cost-benefit ratio of the large dams, the government continues with the spree for such large-scale projects. All this leads to the centralization of the peoples resources in a few hands of national and multinational capitalists. We condemn the attempts to privatise and corporatize the natural resources like water, land and forests disregarding the rights of the communities over them, and we reject all such decisions and policies. The peoples struggle against the multinational company like Coca-cola for its unmindful extraction of the groundwater, at the same time the government seems to be keen on undertaking the impractical megalomaniac project of The interlinking the rivers, which would result in large scale destruction of environment, untold suffering to the people and astronomical costs along with the privatisation of water. We warn that if such a burden is imposed on the nation, without any basic studies or getting peoples consent, we will be with the people in the different river-valleys and from various sectors to fight against such a scheme. We insist that the optimum use of land and water should be made from the smallest unit to the river valley, with equitable distribution fulfilling the basic needs of all. Instead of the chemical fertilizer, water-intensive and centralized agriculture, we must have large scale land-reforms and sustainable agriculture, based on indigenous seeds and organic manure. All the development planning in rural and urban areas must be done by decisive participation and right of the gram sabhas or basti-sabha( community council). The struggle in Narmada valley is not confined to one river valley, but it has become a symbol of such struggles and movements all over India, which challenge the prevalent development policy and paradigm and strive for an alternative or true development, based on equality, justice, environmental sustainability and decentralization incorporating the peoples rights and their meaningful participation in the decision making. On the 20th anniversary of the Narmada Bachao Andolan, the organization and movements along with all those who are committed to justice and democracy, resolve to strengthen the Narmada movement and realize, strengthen the values of alternative development, to all parts and sectors of India and the world.
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