Question 1: Which out of the following is closest to the ideology followed by the Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) with respect to the Sardar Sarovar Project (SSP)?
- Infrastructure projects like SSP should ensure appropriate rehabilitation and resettlement (R&R) for affected parties
- The R&R policy proposed by the government for the affected parties needs to be improved upon
- Infrastructure projects like SSP are not good for the society and should not be undertaken. Period
Question 2: Which out of the following is closest to the broad objective of the Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA)?
- Represent the project affected families to obtain adequate R&R compensation
- Ensure that the R&R policy is rolled-out effectively at a ground level
- Attempt to halt the Sardar Sarovar Project
Question 3: What does Aamir Khan endorse with respect to the Sardar Sarovar Project?
- Effective R&R for affected parties
- Umm… I am confused :(
Now for the answers. Simple – The option closest to the correct answer in all cases is C
If you thought that NBA stood for appropriate R&R for affected families, then you are wrong. That’s the Supreme Court’s stand, with which NBA clearly does not agree. And, if you thought the NBA represented the affected people in getting justice with respect to R&R, then again, you are not quite correct.
NBA’s stand has been very clear – Large Dams are not good for the society (Option C). The basis of this stand is that according to the NBA, adequate rehabilitation and resettlement is impossible.
“Big Dams are to a Nation's 'Development' what Nuclear Bombs are to its Military Arsenal. They're both weapons of mass destruction.” – Arundhati Roy (link)
“It is easy for an outsider to say, “Oh now why don’t you compromise and play a role in rehabilitating people?” But we know that rehabilitation is not possible” – Medha Patkar (link)
And coming to the more interesting aspect of Aamir Khan’s stand, he has left me in a state of utter confusion. First, he identifies himself with the NBA, and then he says that he stands for adequate R&R for the affected people, without realizing that the two are essentially contradictory stands. He even said that he was happy with the Supreme Court’s decision to ensure proper R&R pari passu, while the NBA was crying hoarse at how the Supreme Court has let them down by not stopping construction
A clarification – this post is not pro or anti NBA. It is designed to just showcase how our views are based on the general perception rather than reality and facts. I wonder how many of the people who have taken a stand on this issue, have actually made the effort to understand the facts that lie behind it. But then, all of them can take comfort in the fact that they are not alone… they have the great superstar Aamir Khan in their club too!
6 comments:
good piece da... proud off you.. i was also tending towards the group studded by aamir before reading this.:)
Though I am not sure I agree with everything that Siddhartha has mentioned in his article, I am in total agreement that celebrities like Aamir Khan need to get their facts right before making a public statement.
However, to his credit, he has been the only star to have come out and expressed an opinion rather than being a mere bystander. His stand was the right one (about R&R), and was obviously arrived at through the displacement data which would have been given by the NBA.
The only difference is that the NBA has taken an extreme anti-development stand using the same data, while Aamir (and the Supreme court) has taken a balanced stand. His only folly was to identify himself with the NBA. He even mentioned in a CNN-IBN interview that perhaps he was naive in supporting NBA.
I think rather than being chastized, Aamir should be given credit for expressing his opinion on a touchy subject
@Fart - Gee, thanks!
@Shyam - Couldn't agree more with you. And apologies if the post has come out strongly against Aamir Khan in any way. I read his interviews and one can sense his honesty and sincerety... as you said, his only folly was to jump into the middle of a political game. He is the only star to have the balls to express a strong opinion about something in the country, without worrying whether he was rubbing someone on the wrong side. Cannot imagine anyone else having this kind of conviction to do this.
do read this
www.aamirblues.blogspot.com
interesting perspective there...
But I'd just like to add that "facts" are also interpreted by diff people difeerntly sat times, according to perception...Ultimately..what the NBA stands for can be best answered by the people involved though they will never come outright and say that they r anti dams...they would aloways try and send out signals that they are anti-displacement and working for the good of the people involved.
Aamir Khan, in my opinion, doesnt really care either way, and is just using the opportunity to get pre release publicity for his film...the strategy backfired in this case n that is a diff issue....but as far as I know, he has neither any association nor aby concern for the NBA
@Cuckoo - Thanks for the link
@Chandni - Actually, you are right when you talk about interpretation of the so-called 'facts'. However, the NBA has made it amply clear that their stand is that the dam should be stopped, and not that people should be rehabilitated properly. They can argue that since the latter is not possible, they are asking for the former.
And about Aamir Khan, I think it would be best for the press to follow up on how he keeps up to his promise of personally helping rehabilitation, which he gallantly made when he was cornered.
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