Kothi, Kevadia Colony affected Village
“We have a river nearby. The (sewerage) water flowing from the colony had to be stopped by us (from flowing into the rivulet). With that acidic water that went flowing (into our rivulet), many of our livestock died; many buffalos died too. We were drinking that water. We used to drink the water from the stream; from the rivulet. Our river was flowing through the gorges. And we drank that flowing water. And so, we stopped that (sewerage) water from flowing in. We showed strength; we went to the offices, we said “stop the flow of this filthy water”.
They said it is not within their powers (to stop the sewerage water from flowing in). We said why do you not have the power? Is it within your powers to stop the filthy water from flowing in or is it within our powers? Then, they turned the flow towards other gorges. So, our buffalos and small calves went to graze and drank that water, the stomachs of the young ones blotted up; and the calves would die. Then again, we went to the office and told them that our young calves are dying. Intestines of buffaloes are damaged. And we went again. It was then that they built wells for the filthy water. One filter (plant) was installed nearby. That is when the filthy water stopped flowing (into our rivulets)… We are already like the dead. You have already taken away (snatched) our lands. What shall we do by staying alive? Our children; they are just like the birds that eat grains, sister (and fly away); similarly, when the construction of the dam was going on; and as there is a colony, we earned by doing labour work. But imagine; when these lands are not there, where would our children wander? In (cities like) Surat? How would they survive without land? How would they survive? We had gone to construct the dam, we did labour work, we cleaned utensils (at the homes of officers); but whose utensils will our children clean? Then, they will fly away like birds, and will come together only in the evening. In this way our children would also meet the same fate (as ours). We did cultivation (of our lands) till we had lands, but now; there is no place (land left) for our children. There is no land remaining even to urinate! No one has anything left. What would be the condition of our children? You just think about this. If I begin to tell our tale I will begin to cry, sister. If the government were to give us (lands), we would feel good…Our sit – in/ demonstration continues even now. If government is to give us our dues, our children can remain happy. That is our hope. ”
These are only some of the many small and big struggles the adivasis whose lands were acquired (in 1961) for the construction of the Sardar Sarovar Dam colony, named Kevadia Colony – now named Ekta Nagar after the completion of the dam and construction of the world’s larges statue, The Statue of Unity, have had to fight and continue to fight.
This interview is the history of the early struggles of the adivasis of the villages of Kevadia, Kothi, Limdi, Navagam, Gora and Waghadia in the Narmada district of Gujarat. This is the history of how the people of these six villages fought when their lands were acquired and hundreds of adivasi families lost their agricultural lands, forests, grazing lands, water sources, etc. This interview will not let us forget how the adivasi families affected by Kevadia colony that today boasts of the world’s tallest statue and one of the biggest dams have been deprived of their fundamental rights and dignity. This interview helps understand what is the condition of the schedule tribe communities, whose lands were acquired for a big dam project, the SSP, which holds central position in Gujarat’s model of development that the rest of the country is trying to emulate.
Interview Duration:
0:49:47
Language:
Gujarati, Subtitles in English
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