60. Fast Indefinite

I hope you have read my earlier post on the same blog - Development?? 

Unfortunately the story continues. 

Four of them (two women and two men) enter into 8^th day of their indefinite fast.

Kamal Mohite,  Balkrishna Patil,  Dilip Kadam, and Suniti S R are fasting along with number of villagers at the gate of Collector Office, Satara (Maharashtra).

 The Wang Marathwadi dam affected people are fighting peacefully for their rights for many years and have recently intensified their fight. What are their demands?

  They seem to be simple and rightful. They are:

1. Rehabilitate in the same area (in the villages that are going to be benefited by the dam)
2. Until the rehabilitation is complete, don’t store water in the dam (which submerges living villages for last 3 years)
3. The loss of crops for last three years should be compensated.
4. Complaints registered again peaceful protesters should be withdrawn. 

As a person who is not at all connected with these villages, I don’t understand what is wrong in these demands and why government has failed to implement its policies regarding rehabilitation.

Even after a week-long fast the energy levels of these four persons is very high; they are actively involved into proceedings. This shows their commitment to the cause.

Today everybody gathered at the fast site too will observe fast. Not only that; today the dam affected villages have decided to observe “Chulha Band” – nobody will cook and nobody will eat except for the patients and young children.

Hope the meeting with the Chief Minister of Maharashtra today is fruitful. I hope that government understands the reality and the rightful demands are met at the earliest.