MEDHA PATKAR COMES TO THE RESCUE OF JOSHIMATH SUFFERERS ! SAYS NTPC PROJECT IS A BIGGEST THREAT TO HOLY TOWN !

Yesterday on May 22, famous environmental social activist and leader of Narmada Bachao Andolan Medha Patkar, in support of Joshimath disaster victims, to share their pain and suffering and show her solidarity with the Joshimath Bachao Sangharsh Samiti, which has been fighting continuously for the last two years reached Joshimath.

Medha Patkar also addressed the meeting organized in Joshimath’s disaster affected tehsil here in which she talked in detail about the nature of the environment and the people dependent on it across the country, continuously compulsorily compromising with the new policies of the government and facing subsequent attacks by the government agencies while struggling to get their genuine grievances redressed.

She also referred to the attacks on various sections of the society by the government in Uttarakhand- from the unemployed youths to to women dependent on forests, especially referring to the diabolical murder of Ankita Bhandari in Yamkeshwar Rishikesh and not an inkling of justice in sight.

The symbol of relentless struggle Medha Patkar while expressing her immense concern over the subsidence of Joshimath and immense plight of thousands of its inhabitants said that the failure of the government in Joshimath and its disregard for the demands of the people is extremely shameful and tremendously worrisome..

On behalf of the Sangharsh Samiti, its convenor Atul Sati put forth how after 108 days of dharna and one and a half years of agitation, the government has not taken concrete action on their 11-point demands even after the consent of the Chief Minister to do so.

Even the study report of top 8 institutions of the country is not being made public by the government said Sati adding that without the report coming, the work of bypass in the root of Joshimath has been approved, thus posing direct threat to its people and the holy town.

Badrinath Yatra, which the government has considered as its top priority, its arrangements are also messed up, and the local people are not getting its benefits said Sati. He expressed apprehensions that now since the rainy season is round the corner, people are forced to take shelter in damaged houses, which too are extremely dangerous.

He emphatically said that the government has completely failed to arrange/build temporary camps (construction of prefab huts) for the people. There is no information about the policy of permanent displacement rehabilitation.

From compensating the loss caused to the people, compensation to the work of stabilization of Joshimath, the government has proved unsuccessful.

The process of giving compensation to the damaged houses is not only very slow but also complicated on which no simplification was done despite the assurance of the Chief Minister added Atul Sati. Despite the instructions of the Chief Minister to the District Magistrate, neither the committee was formed nor the proposal was made, nor the District Magistrate remains available for contact said the convenor of Sang harsh Comittee while addressing the people at Tehsil in Joshimath.

Narmada Bachao movement leader and activist against large dams in the country Medha Patkar also mentioned about the shocking deaths of more than 200 people in the disaster of 2021 due to the irresponsibility of NTPC, while attributing the hydroelectric project being built here for the subsidence in Joshimath. She added that along with this, for the profit of big companies, through new policies, the continuous actions of the governments to endanger the lives and livelihood of the common people are also negatively impacting people in other parts of the country as happened in Joshimath. Medha Patkar also mentioned in detail about the similar big dams being entertained by the governments to make the richest of the rich happier in other parts of the country and putting the lives of the poor in danger and their existence under constant threat.
Medha Patkar appealed to the government to take action on the demands of the agitators of Joshimath and also talked about spreading the voice of the people of Joshimath across the country and helping the movement in every way.

She also promised to visit Joshimath again and spend time with the people in greater detail then. Medha Patkar criticized the powers that be for the division being done in the name of religion and caste singing a song related to this, thus calling upon the people to fight together.

On this occasion, the women of the Sangharsh Samiti also put their grievances in front of Medha Patkar in their addresses.

Poonam Devi, Pushpa Devi, Lakshmi Devi, Neelam Parmar and other women activists including Prakash Negi, Rohit Parmar, Deepak Tamta Manoj Kumar of Sangharsh Samiti kept their points.

Sameer Raturi of Himalaya Bachao Andolan also gave his statement in support of the affected people and the movement. Social media activist Prem Piram was also with Medha Patkar from Delhi.

Young comrades of Joshimath Bachao Sangharsh Samiti, Aman Hindwal, Hrithik Rana, Kunal Sanjay Ayush etc. encouraged the agitators by singing folk songs.
Hundreds of agitators, raising slogans along with Medha Patkar also demonstrated in Joshimath market.