Rahul Gandhi Meets Ken-Betwa Protesters, Puts Tribal Displacement Row In Spotlight

Leade
of
Oppositio
Rahul
Ga dhi
o
Thu sday
met
a
delegatio
ep ese ti g
commu ities
p otesti g
the
Ke -Betwa
Rive
Li ki g
P oject,
b i gi g
e ewed
political
atte tio
to
o e
of
ce t al
I dia’s
lo gest- u i g
e vi o me tal
a d
displaceme t
moveme ts.
The
meeti g
comes
as
oppositio
to
the
ambitious
ive -li ki g
scheme
co ti ues
to
g ow
ac oss
Madhya
P adesh’s
Bu delkha d
egio ,
whe e
t ibal
eside ts,
fa me s
a d
local
activists
have
bee
esisti g
the
p oject
th ough
sustai ed
demo st atio s
fo
mo ths.
P oteste s
a gue
that
the
developme t
i itiative
th eate s
thei
homes,
livelihoods
a d
fo ests,
while
suppo te s
mai tai
it
is
c ucial
fo
imp ovi g
wate
secu ity
i
d ought-p o e
a eas.

Rahul
Ga dhi
Backs
Dialogue
With
Affected
Commu ities

Ga dhi’s
i te actio
with
the
delegatio
ma ks
the
latest
political
i te ve tio
i
the
dispute
su ou di g
the
Ke -Betwa
Rive
Li ki g
P oject
(KBLP).
Rep ese tatives
f om
the
affected
villages
used
the
meeti g
to
highlight
co ce s
ove
displaceme t,
ehabilitatio
a d
the
e vi o me tal
impact
of
the
p oposed
i f ast uctu e.

The
discussio
has
o ce
agai
pushed
the
Bu delkha d
agitatio
i to
the
atio al
co ve satio ,
pa ticula ly
as
co st uctio
activity
a ou d
the
p oject
co ti ues
to
accele ate.

Police
C ackdow
I te sified
The
Sta doff

The
e ewed
focus
follows
a
majo
police
ope atio
ca ied
out
i
the
ea ly
hou s
of
July
19
i
Kupi
village
of
Chhata pu
dist ict.
Autho ities
disma tled
a
p otest
camp
that
had
bee
set
up
alo g
the
Ba a a
ive
st eam,
whe e
hu d eds
of
village s
had
bee
stagi g
a
sit-i
fo
ea ly
two
weeks.

Most
of
the
demo st ato s
belo ged
to
t ibal
commu ities
opposi g
both
the
U io
gove me t’s
Ke -Betwa
Li k
P oject
a d
two
i igatio
schemes
i t oduced
by
the
Madhya
P adesh
gove me t.

Du i g
the
ope atio ,
police
detai ed
activist
Amit
Bhat aga ,
fou de
of
the
Jai
Kisa
Sa gatha ,
who
had
bee
o
a
i defi ite
hu ge
st ike
fo
14
days
befo e
bei g
admitted
to
a
gove me t
hospital.
A ou d
150
othe
p oteste s,
la gely
f om
eighbou i g
Pa a
dist ict,
we e
t a spo ted
back
to
thei
villages
afte
the
clea a ce
d ive.

The
evictio
took
place
less
tha
a
day
afte
Delhi
Police
emoved
activist
So am
Wa gchuk
f om
his
hu ge -st ike
p otest
at
Ja ta
Ma ta ,
d awi g
compa iso s
betwee
two
high-p ofile
p otest
dispe sals
occu i g
hu d eds
of
kilomet es
apa t.

ALSO
READ:
Activist Deve d a Mahto Seeks Civil Su geo ‘s Nod To Retu F om Hospital To Ra chi P otest Site

” h ef=”https:// ews.abplive.com/ ews/i dia/deve d a-mahto-jha kha d-stude t-p otest-seeks-civil-su geo – od-to- etu -f om-hospital-to- a chi-site-1861798″ ta get=”_self”>
Activist
Deve d a
Mahto
Seeks
Civil
Su geo ‘s
Nod
To
Retu
F om
Hospital
To
Ra chi
P otest
Site

Why
The
Ke -Betwa
P oject
Remai s
Co t ove sial

The
Ke -Betwa
Rive
Li ki g
P oject
is
I dia’s
fi st
ive
i te li ki g
i itiative
a d
ca ies
a
estimated
cost
of
₹44,000
c o e.
At
its
ce t e
is
the
p oposed
Dodha
dam,
which
is
expected
to
t a sfe
wate
f om
the
Ke
basi
to
the
Betwa
basi
i
a
effo t
to
add ess
wate
sca city
ac oss
pa ts
of
Madhya
P adesh
a d
Utta
P adesh.

Howeve ,
c itics
a gue
that
the
p oject’s
locatio
withi
the
Pa a
Tige
Rese ve
poses
se ious
ecological
isks
while
also
th eate i g
the
displaceme t
of
lo g-settled
t ibal
commu ities
ac oss
Chhata pu
a d
Pa a
dist icts.

Co st uctio
ea
Dho dha
village
has
gathe ed
pace
i
ece t
mo ths,
coi cidi g
with
i te sified
effo ts
to
elocate
eside ts
f om
the
affected
a eas.
I
espo se,
local
commu ities
have
o ga ised
sit-i s,
demo st atio s,
oad
blockades
a d
ghe aos
outside
gove me t
offices
u de
the
leade ship
of
Bhat aga
a d
othe
g ass oots
campaig e s.

ALSO
READ:

UN
Repo t
Li ks
Al-Qaida
I
I dia
Subco ti e t
To
Nov
2025
Red
Fo t
Blast
That
Killed
11

Villages
Face
Subme ge ce
As
Resista ce
Co ti ues

The
scale
of
the
p oposed
displaceme t
emai s
o e
of
the
moveme t’s
biggest
co ce s.
Acco di g
to
p otest
g oups,
24
villages
lie
i
the
dam’s
impact
zo e.
Eight
villages
face
complete
subme ge ce,
while
the
emai i g
16
a e
set
to
become
pa t
of
the
expa ded
Pa a
Tige
Rese ve.

Ea lie
this
yea ,
p oteste s
also
ma ched
to
Delhi
to
p ess
thei
dema ds,
while
wome
i
the
affected
villages
o ga ised
the
symbolic
“Chita
A dola ”
to
co vey
thei
dete mi atio
to
esist
displaceme t
despite
mou ti g
p essu e.

E vi o me tal
objectio s
have
also
pe sisted.
The
p oject
is
expected
to
affect
ea ly
30
pe
ce t
of
the
tige
ese ve’s
co e
habitat,
a d
the
Sup eme
Cou t-appoi ted
Ce t al
Empowe ed
Committee
has
p eviously
aised
co ce s
ove
the
p oject’s
co cept
a d
desig .

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