More join Medha's hunger-strike
by Maya Singh

      New Delhi: Following the arrest of Medha Patkar, Narmada Bachao Andolan's (NBA) pioneer, several other supporters from different organisations joined a one-day hunger-strike today to show their solidarity with Patkar at Jantar Matar here. Around 25 people who are on one-day fast are from traders, children and women groups and human rights activists. "We condemn the attitude of the government on the issue raised by NBA sitting on dharna and hunger strike at Jantar Mantar in Delhi, The government has chosen to act disagreeably to break the hunger and place Medha under arrest, but shows a continued unwillingness to carry out its duty to halt the ongoing construction of dam," Nirantar (women's organization representative), Ditta Bhog said. Apart from Patkar, two of her colleagues Jamsinh Nargave and Bhagwatibai Patidar who were on a hunger strike for the past eight days, other seven people also joined the indefinite hunger strike.

      Patkar along with the displaced tribes has been staging a protest demanding height of the 110.64 meter Narmada Dam remains unchanged as they believe that it would lead to the displacement of another 35,000 people, mostly tribals, from the Narmada Valley. "We will continue our protests. The government decision on the Narmada issue will displace all of us. Soon rainy season will approach, our villages will submerge in water," Victim from Chota Baruda village (Madhya Pradesh), Kamla Yadav said while shouting slogans "Sarkar hamse darti hai police ko agae karti hai". According to Patkar, the construction for raising the height of the dam by another 11-metre has already begun without any clear resettlement of many more villages that will now be flooded. Environmentalists have over the years fiercely opposed the Sardar Sarovar dam project on the Narmada River saying that the fallout of displacing millions by the project far outweighs the benefits flowing from the dam. Estimates say at least 40,000 families have already been displaced in the reservoir area of the Sardar Sarovar dam and thousands more are in the wait.

Medha Patkar's health condition stable
by Ashok K. Sah

      New Delhi: Doctors at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) said on Thursday that the health of environmental activist Medha Patkar is stable, hours after police forcibly picked her up from a demonstration site in a near-unconscious state and admitted to the hospital. The hospital's medical superintendent, D K Sharma said: "Ms. Patkar's condition continues to remain stable, her vital signs like pulse and blood pressure are normal." Since this morning, Patkar has been given 600 mililitres of oral fluid with salt and lemon, Sharma added. One personal attendant is constantly with her in addition to normal nursing and medical staff in the ICCU for taking appropriate care, he said. Replying query as to when Patkar would be taken out of ICCU, Sharma said, "She has been kept in ICCU for constant observation and monitoring...as soon as team of doctors observe her they (doctors) will keep her out of the ICCU." Patkar, who was forcibly removed to the hospital on the night of the eighth day of her hunger strike, and 27 of her supporters were arrested by the police in an overnight swoop. As per the reports by police sources, FIR has been lodged against Patkar on charges of an attempt to commit suicide. She is likely to be arrested after her health improves.

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