Bhopal: Social activist Medha Patkar, who launched indefinite fast on July 27 demanding proper rehabilitation of people affected by Sardar Sarovar Dam (SSD) project, was forcibly evicted from the demonstration site at Chikalda in Madhya Pradesh’s Dhar district late on Monday evening.
The police also took her into custody. She along with 11 others who had joined her in her hungerstrike were taken away in an ambulance after the police took over the site where they had been on hungerstrike for 12 days, a senior district police officer told this newspaper. “Her health condition was deteriorating. A medical team which visited her on Sunday had cautioned that her condition might worsen if she did not end her fast immediately. Hence, she was taken in an ambulance to Indore for treatment along with 11 others who also were on hungerstrike along with her,” the police officer said, unwilling to be quoted. Earlier, high drama prevailed in the area leading to eviction of Ms Patkar from the demonstration site with social activists and villagers facing displacement by the dam, preventing the police from breaking her fast.
“Tension prevailed in the area. We have deployed police force,” the police officer said.
Ms Patkar, however, said she would continue her fast till her demand was granted by the state government. Earlier, an official delegation led by Dhar district collector had met her, appealing her to end her fast.
She, however, spurned his request. While the state government said rehabilitation of people in 178 villages facing submergence by the dam has been completed, Ms Patkar said 40,000 people facing displacement by the project were yet to be rehabilitated.
