Before Modi visit, Narmada protesters end year-long fast

The move comes ahead of Modi’s scheduled visit to Kevadia Colony to inaugurate the newly-installed gates of Narmada Dam, which will raise its height to 138 m.

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Bhupendrasinh Chudasama, who assured the families that the government was willing to accept all their demands, ended their symbolic relay hunger strike by offering them water. (FILE)

The Narmada project-affected families ended their year-long relay fast in Kevadia Colony here in presence of Gujarat Revenue and Education Minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama on Tuesday. Chudasama was in the district to take stock of the preparations for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit on August 12, during which he would pay obeisance to River Narmada.

Chudasama, who assured the families that the government was willing to accept all their demands, ended their symbolic relay hunger strike by offering them water. The families had begun their protest on July 15, 2016, after submitting a list of 27 demands to the state government.

The main contention of the mainly tribal population, affected by the Sardar Sarovar Project, was the rehabilitation policy as per which, each displaced family would get five acre land. Besides, the major sons (who attained 18 years of age by January 1, 1987) of each land-holder will get separate plots of five acres. The families have been demanding that the cut-off date for identifying major sons should be January 1, 1994. The group also demanded government jobs for one family member each.

The move comes ahead of Modi’s scheduled visit to Kevadia Colony to inaugurate the newly-installed gates of Narmada Dam, which will raise its height to 138 m. Modi will also perform a puja to conclude Maa Narmada Mahotsav, which will start from July 27, Chudasama said.

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