Bhopal48 minutes agoAuthor: Vijay Pratap Singh Baghel
Tribal protesters opposing the Ken-Betwa Link Project in Madhya Pradesh met the Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition (LoP) and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and raised concerns over displacement, villages facing submergence and rehabilitation.
The affected families explained the problems they were facing because of the project and sought support for their demands.
Rahul Gandhi said the project would affect the tribal community’s water, forests and land. He said villages where people had lived for generations were facing the prospect of being submerged, putting homes and livelihoods at risk.
He said this had forced affected families to launch a protest.
Rahul alleges police action against protesters
Rahul Gandhi alleged that police force had been used against tribal protesters who were holding a peaceful satyagraha, and that attempts had been made to suppress their right to protest.
He said the government should have opened a dialogue with the protesters. Instead, he alleged that the BJP government had chosen “injustice” over dialogue.
Tribal satyagrahis protesting against the Ken-Betwa project in Madhya Pradesh met Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
Families seek fair compensation and rehabilitation
Rahul Gandhi said that when homes and villages are displaced for a government project, affected families have the right to fair compensation and dignified rehabilitation.
He said water, forests and land were not merely resources for tribal communities but their lifeline and a vital part of their way of life.
Rahul assures support for their struggle
Rahul Gandhi assured the affected tribal families that the Congress would stand with them in their struggle.
He said he and the party would continue to support the fight for the dignity, rights and justice of tribal communities.
