Chhotu Vasava has also demanded a “judicial inquiry” into the police action against the protesting villagers. (File)
Gujarat tribal leader and Jhagadia MLA Chhotu Vasava wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi against the land acquisition in six villages of Garudeshwar taluka in Narmada district around the Statue of Unity (SoU), where tribals have been protesting against the fencing of a land by the Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Limited (SSNNL).
Vasava, in his letter, has said that the Gujarat government is forcefully acquiring lands of tribals in order to sell them to “millionaire businessmen” for construction of hotels.
Residents of six villages around the Statue of Unity — Limbdi, Kevadia, Vagadiya, Navagam, Kothi and Gora — have been up in arms since mid-May when SSNNL began the process of fencing the land. The department had sought the land, 60 years ago for the building of the Sardar Sarovar dam, but now intends to put the land to use for other projects allied with SoU. The villagers have contended that the land must not be used for commercial purposes and the SSNNL claim on the land should be invalidated.
In a ten-point letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging “resolution of problems faced by tribals”, Vasava, who is an MLA from Bhartiya Tribal Party, floated along with his son Mahesh Vasava –an MLA from Dediapada constituency in Narmada — has said, “The said land in question was acquired in the year 1961-62 from tribals for the construction of the Narmada Dam. Subsequently, the location of the dam was changed and the land remained unutilised. Now (the government) has begun acquiring the land in order to sell it to millionaire businessmen for building a hotel industry. This commercial sale of the land should be immediately stopped.”
Vasava has also demanded a “judicial inquiry” into the police action against the protesting villagers. The letter stated, “There should be a judicial inquiry into the police violence and torture meted out to the tribal families of these six villages by the Kevadia administration. These villagers are not even benefitted by the building of the Sardar Sarovar dam and its affiliated projects despite being locals.”
Vasava has also pointed out that several tribals across the country have been denied right to their own land due to the forceful acquisitions. “Even basic health care facilities are missing from these areas. They do not have access to even basic medicines and medical staff and have to turn to cities, travel long distances in case of medical problems,” Vasava has said. Jhagadia Assembly Constituency is located in Bharuch District.
Kevadia Colony in Nandod taluka of the district, which is home to the 182-metres tall Statue of Unity, does not yet have even a Primary Health Centre (PHC). The nearest PHC is located in Garudeshwar taluka, which is common to about 70 villages around, making up a population of close to 80,000.
On Tuesday, Narmada Police detained a 55-year-old man from Kevadia who threatened to immolate himself, under preventive action for a chapter proceeding under CrPC and produced him before an Executive Magistrate on Wednesday.