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Thursday, December 18, 2014

From The Field - India


We are ready to fight!

Parvati*,Muttagi, India

I don’t have land, but I do have a house. I’m an agricultural labor on others’ land. I make bread at home and sell it for income. Actually my land was acquired for a dam long back, and I would never wish that to anyone. That’s why I’ve joined this movement against the NTPC (National Thermal Power Corporation Limited) power plant being built in my village. If the local farmers’ fields are lost, what will we eat? 

During the protest, the men told us to go in front so the police would not use violence. But when we reached the front of the NTPC thermal plant the police beat us with lathis (long sticks) -- even I got beaten. We were so scared. It was my first time in an agitation. The police chased us into hotels,the police station, even the train station!But the farmers’ movement told us not to be scared. One of my relatives is in jail. He’s a college student, and they just carried him off!

I am committed to fight against NTPC. When we women worktogether, you will see what we do! We don’t want the NTPC power plant. Whether they give us money, we don’t want the power plant. We don’t want diseases like TB, asthma etc. We don’t want the baby in the womb to be affected. Now we have learned the water surrounding the thermal plant is poisonous. 

We aren’t saying anything wrong. Let them shoot us if they want. Ultimately we don’t want to lose our land. We don’t want any loss of lives on their side or our side. They should have had a meeting with us farmers about the impacts of the power plant before starting work.
Why did the government acquire this land? Sure, they will get rich, but what will the poor do? What will the future hold for us? We are ready to fight.

*Name changed to protect identity
Nyéléni Newsletter | No. 19



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