In a final, desperate plea to the Indian government, villagers have walked into the Omkareshwar Dam catchment area and stayed. They have been submerged in the rising water for 11 days. Their request is for the government to “rehabilitate and resettle” them before flooding more of their land. Standing neck-deep in water, villagers make a final plea. They will die there unless their basic request, for the government to keep their promise to give land for their land and compensation to the displaced landless laborers, is met. So far, the Indian government has not sent a single representative to talk to them. As Ram Bharati from Goswami Ghoghar Village told Bikyamasr.com, “The increase of water level has drowned thousands of acres of land in about 29 villages. We lost our crops, people have lost a lot … Our legs have started giving way already. The Chief Minister should come himself and see our plight. We will die in two or three days if they do not bring the water level down.” Upon being asked until when she will fight, Girijabai says, “Now we are in water. The water has come to our necks. We will not move out even if we die. We will not move out without getting our rights. We will accept land like ours that has submerged, wells like ours, houses like our houses they have drowned, only then we will come out of water. Otherwise we will die here. We are not bothered about that anymore.” Another lady says, “We are ready to give our life. We want plots, rehabilitation, land and a compensation of 25000 for the landless labor, otherwise we will not move out. We are ready to sacrifice our lives.” When asked about their physical state, she responds that their arms and legs have begun rotting. This cannot be ignored by anybody who believes in peaceful protest. The water levels have now risen to their necks, and still nobody from the government has come to see them. The plight of these human beings is a matter for all people, we must urge the Indian government to intervene before their callous actions lead to the deaths of these broken-hearted protesters from the Narmada Valley.
