New commitment: Yamuna Satyagraha activists tying a rakhi on a tree at the Commonwealth Games Village site on the banks of the Yamuna in New Delhi on Tuesday as part of their ongoing agitation to save the river and its flood plains
THE HINDU- 29-08-2007
NEW DELHI: To reaffirm their commitment to saving the Yamuna and its flood plains, Yamuna Satyagraha activists tied “rakhis” on a tree at the site chosen for construction of the upcoming Commonwealth Games Village here on Tuesday.
The activists led by “Waterman” Rajinder Singh and environmentalist Vandana Shiva tied the rakhis on a shisham tree in the shade of which a 24-hour sit-in on the banks of the Yamuna has been organised.
“Satyagraha means a fight which is not based on violence. We want to tell everyone that our fight is based on principles. We are agitating against the killing of rivers. Everyone knows that rivers and people are more important than land developers and Games Village,” said Rajinder Singh.
A rally organised around the site chosen for the Games Village saw the participation of villagers, farmers and students apart from the activists themselves.
“A large number of families have been uprooted and people have been rendered jobless by the Government by forcibly taking the land they cultivated. We are trying to focus attention on these irregularities,” Mr. Singh said.
In a statement issued by Navdanya, the activists claimed that 58 acres of the Yamuna flood plains were grabbed for the totally illegal Akshardham temple. Farmers were uprooted in spite of a stay order from courts.
Land worth Rs. 500 crore was given to Akshardham for a mere Rs. 44 crore. Now 42.5 hectares in the flood plain, where no construction should take place, has been acquired for the Commonwealth Games Village and related projects.”
The activists led by “Waterman” Rajinder Singh and environmentalist Vandana Shiva tied the rakhis on a shisham tree in the shade of which a 24-hour sit-in on the banks of the Yamuna has been organised.
“Satyagraha means a fight which is not based on violence. We want to tell everyone that our fight is based on principles. We are agitating against the killing of rivers. Everyone knows that rivers and people are more important than land developers and Games Village,” said Rajinder Singh.
A rally organised around the site chosen for the Games Village saw the participation of villagers, farmers and students apart from the activists themselves.
“A large number of families have been uprooted and people have been rendered jobless by the Government by forcibly taking the land they cultivated. We are trying to focus attention on these irregularities,” Mr. Singh said.
In a statement issued by Navdanya, the activists claimed that 58 acres of the Yamuna flood plains were grabbed for the totally illegal Akshardham temple. Farmers were uprooted in spite of a stay order from courts.
Land worth Rs. 500 crore was given to Akshardham for a mere Rs. 44 crore. Now 42.5 hectares in the flood plain, where no construction should take place, has been acquired for the Commonwealth Games Village and related projects.”
