Terming the SilverLine project anti-democratic and corporate-friendly, social activist Medha Patkar has called for a mass protest at the ground level by people transcending party lines.
She was addressing a campaign organised by the K-Rail SilverLine Viruddha Janakeeya Samithi here on Friday. “If we have to change the development paradigm, we need people’s struggles. Legal battle along with ground-level struggles is needed against K-Rail,” she said.
“It is sad that a Left government that did great work during the floods and the pandemic has given a statement that the K-Rail is a green project. How can a project, which leaves thousands of people homeless and destroys so much agriculture land be a green project?” she asked.
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The activist said it was disturbing that even the DPR was not placed in public domain. “It has not been discussed in the Assembly in detail. No proper socio-economic assessment has been done.”
Assessment surveys
“Super infrastructure projects like K-Rail destroy nature. What the common man needs is pure drinking water and food. The Constitution gives the right for people to be part of the developmental process of the country. K-Rail cannot be implemented without your participation,” she said, calling for assessment surveys led by gram sabhas to assess the impact of the project in each area.
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“The ongoing land acquisition for the project is against the High Court order such a process. What is happening now is not acquisition, but occupation. Placing stones in private properties without intimating the owner is intimidation,” Ms. Patkar said.
Statewide ‘yatra’
She called for a Statewide ‘yatra’ against the project. People’s committees should be formed to assess the environmental impact. A detailed survey should be done about the victims. “It is claimed that economic growth and job opportunities justify such projects. Our previous experiences show that these claims are bogus.” The activist said that these projects could also be privatised later, going by “the way our airports and rail projects have been privatised”.
She said whenever people questioned distorted developmental activities they had been labelled as anti-development or anti-national. “This is a fight against the denial of justice to citizens. If they ignore the appeal, we have to challenge them,” she said.