Sardar Sarovar dam affected begin hunger strike

Badwani, MP, Apr 16 (UNI) People affected by the Sardar Sarovar dam, began their 24-hour hunger strike at Rajghat near Narmada river, five Km from here, to protest the attack on the Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) office in Gujarat's Vadodara, NBA leader Ashish Mandloi said today.

Mr Mandloi said the strike is also against Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi starting 51-hour hunger strike today to protest the Centre's stand on the Sardar Sarovar dam height issue.

He said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh must take immediate decision on the basis of report of three Central Ministers, who visited dam-affected areas recently.

Mr Mandloi claimed that the report proved that the Supreme Court directives regarding rehabilitation of the dam's affected had not been followed.

''The ball is in the Prime Minister's court after the Narmada Control Authority (NCA) meeting failed to achieve consensus over the issue,'' the NBA leader said, adding that the Apex Court had authorised the Prime Minister to take decisions in such matter and he must give directions to halt raising the dam's height.

He criticised demonstrations against actor Aamir Khan in Gujarat saying everybody had freedom of expression in democracy and Aamir had raised the issue as a part of that freedom.

UNI XC-PS ARB KP1838