Ken Betwa Project: 15-day protest ends after MP police clear demonstration site; here is why the tribals protested | Today’s news
The Madhya Pradesh Police on Sunday ended a 15-day protest against the Ken-Betwa Link and other development projects after clearing the agitation site and sending the protesters back to their villages.
Some villagers claimed that the leader of the movement, Amit Bhatnagar, had been detained, while the police denied any arrests, news agency PTI reported.
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The tribal protesters are demanding the legal implementation of the Ken-Betwa project while protecting the constitutional rights of affected individuals. They expressed concerns about land acquisition, restoration and environmental protection.
Madhya Pradesh police intervened by arriving at the protest site early in the morning, where they reportedly removed the protesters and took them back to their villages, denying that any arrests had been made.
Protesters engaged in various forms of protest, including observing jal satyagraha, chita satyagraha and symbolic faansi satyagraha, led by movement leader Amit Bhatnagar, who was on hunger strike.
Supporters see the project as controversial due to its potential negative impacts, including displacement of local families, environmental impacts and damage to local wildlife, particularly in the Panna Tiger Reserve.
The 15-day protest ended after police actions cleared the demonstration site, combined with the deteriorating health of protest leader Amit Bhatnagar, who was hospitalized after a prolonged hunger strike.
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Here is what happened
On Sunday, protest leader Divya Ahirwar claimed that a large contingent of police officers arrived at the demonstration site around 5 am and detained the movement’s leader along with several protesters before he could speak to the media about what she described as allegations. ₹A corruption scandal in the amount of 400 million crowns is connected with the project.
However, a police official noted that protesters were holding demonstrations under a bridge under construction and in a river where rising water levels posed a serious security risk.
The official added that Bhatnagar was hospitalized as he was on a prolonged hunger strike, adding that his condition was deteriorating.
Quoting Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Aditya Patle, PTI said the protesters were taken to their native villages in buses. Those from Panna district were sent there while those from Chhatarpur and nearby areas were dropped in their villages. The official denied that any protester had been arrested or detained.
Patle also claimed that all the protesters were residents of Panna district and should have staged a demonstration in the district in case of complaint, adding that they had no connection with the place where they were protesting.
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Why are the tribals protesting the Ken-Betwa project?
Ahirwar said the protesters demanded that the administration implement the project in accordance with the law while protecting the constitutional rights of the affected.
Indigenous women in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhatarpur district have been protesting on the banks of the Barana river near Kupi village for the past two weeks. During the protest, protesters observed jal satyagraha, chita (funeral pyre) satyagraha and symbolic satyagraha faansi. The movement was spearheaded by Bhatnagar, who has been on an indefinite hunger strike for 11 days now, demanding action on alleged irregularities in the implementation of the project and seeking compliance with environmental and legal provisions.
The Ken-Betwa Link Project, which is India’s first river-linking project under the National Perspective Plan, aims to divert excess water from the Ken River to the Betwa River to provide irrigation and drinking facilities in the drought-prone Bundelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
The protest, led mostly by indigenous women, was launched on July 3 on the banks of the Barana River near Kupi village, opposing the Ken-Betwa river link project along with other development works.
The Ken-Betwa Link project has faced strong opposition from sections of affected families and environmental groups due to concerns about displacement, restoration and its potential impact on forests and wildlife, including areas in the Panna Tiger Reserve.
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The agitation attracted attention as the protesters alleged that they were violating laws related to land acquisition, rehabilitation, environmental protection and project implementation. However, the administration has rejected all the allegations and insists that the development project is in accordance with the law. The administration also noted that the Ken-Betwa Link project is of national importance and will improve irrigation, drinking water supply and overall development in the Bundelkhand region.
(with agency inputs)
