Ken-Betwa Activist Halts Fast, Vows to Continue Fight Until All Get Justice

After an 18-day indefinite hunger strike, activist Amit Bhatnagar, leader of the Jai Kisan Sangathan, has suspended his fast after the Madhya Pradesh government agreed to conduct fresh village-level surveys to identify families left out of compensation and rehabilitation in the Ken-Betwa Link Project.

Bhatnagar, who leads the Ken-Betwa Chita Andolan, announced the suspension from a hospital bed on Wednesday, stating that the agitation had achieved its "first success" but that the movement was far from over. "This struggle has not ended. From today, I am taking a pledge of 'Nyay Satyagraha'," he said, vowing to continue until every eligible person receives justice.

The protests centre on the rehabilitation of families affected by the Daudhan Dam submergence zone in Chhatarpur and Panna districts. Bhatnagar had alleged that hundreds of eligible families were excluded from rehabilitation lists, that compensation assessments were flawed, and that Gram Sabha proceedings contained irregularities.

His health had deteriorated during the fast, prompting appeals from civil society groups and political leaders to end the protest. The decision to suspend the fast came after district authorities agreed to form joint teams comprising officials and representatives of the Jai Kisan Sangathan to conduct fresh village-by-village surveys in Chhatarpur district and include every eligible family that had been left out.

Bhatnagar cited three reasons for suspending the fast: the moral pressure from women in affected villages who launched a "chulha bandi" protest, refusing to cook meals in solidarity; elderly people and children who also began fasting; and the government's positive approach. He said the agitation would now transform into a "Nyay Upvaas" (Justice Fast), under which he would abstain from food grains until all eligible families receive justice.

The development came after a stormy debate in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly, where Leader of Opposition Umang Singhar accused the government of irregularities in rehabilitation and compensation under the Rs 44,605-crore river-linking project. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav assured the House that complaints would be investigated and that the exercise would be completed within a month.

According to the government's written reply, 1,321 families in seven villages of Panna district had been displaced, and 3,718 families across 14 villages in Chhatarpur district were affected by land acquisition or submergence. The government maintained that all affected families had been sanctioned compensation and rehabilitation benefits, but acknowledged that complaints from Chhatarpur led to a fresh survey, which identified 638 additional eligible families.

Bhatnagar has made it clear that the movement will continue. "Now the struggle will move from the hospital to the villages," he said, adding that he would cooperate with every positive step taken by the administration and monitor every promise. The Ken-Betwa Link Project, a flagship river-linking initiative, has faced criticism over its social and environmental impact.