THE NARMADA Dam has always united political parties in Gujarat, who see it as a panacea for the drought problem in Kutch, north Gujarat and Saurashtra. Now, 25 BJP and Congress MPs from Gujarat, have urged President K R Narayanan not to entertain the
activists of the Narmada Bachao Andolan for 'failing' to respect the Supreme Court's verdict on the Sardar Sarovar Project (SSP).
The MPs include Union Minister of State for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises Vallabhai Katheria, former Gujarat Chief Minister Shankersinh Vaghela and former Union Minister P S Gadhavi. Their action was apparently in response to the President's
reported remarks on the impact of dams on tribals inhabiting forests and river valleys, at a function to felicitate Baba Amte here on December 6.
Later, on December 13, nearly 300 NBA activists, led by social activist Medha Patkar and Booker Prize winner Arundhati Roy, sat in dharna outside the Supreme Court, demanding a review of the judgement allowing the construction of the dam.
The MPs cautioned Mr Narayanan against "entertaining representations and delegations of such organisations" as it "would send wrong signals to the people."
In a memorandum, the MPs said, "organisations which do not respect the fully deliberated judgement of the highest court, simply because it is not convenient to them, do not deserve any attention of your excellency's august office."
The memo urged Mr Narayanan to call for a probe into the organisation's "credentials and motives" and its source of funds. “The petitioner, NBA, instead of accepting the judgement of the highest court of our country, is now indulging in pressure tactics,"
they said.
