Madhya Pradesh Police End Tribal Protest Against Ken-Betwa Project; Hunger Strike Leader Hospitalised
The Madhya Pradesh Police on Sunday morning cleared a protest site where hundreds of tribals had been demonstrating against the Ken-Betwa river link project and other irrigation schemes in Chhatarpur district. The protest leader, Amit Bhatnagar, who had been on a hunger strike for 14 days, was taken to a hospital for medical attention.
The protest, primarily involving tribal women, had been ongoing for 15 days on the banks of the Barana river near Kupi village. Police dismantled the site, including symbolic pyres used by demonstrators, citing safety concerns due to rising water levels after heavy rains.
Chhatarpur Additional Superintendent of Police Aditya Patle stated that Mr. Bhatnagar had requested medical assistance, and a team of doctors and police escorted him to the hospital peacefully. He also said that women protesters were provided bus transportation to their homes.
However, videos from the scene showed some protesters refusing to leave, accusing police of using force and assaulting women. Footage showed personnel dragging women away from the riverbank. The protesters demanded improved rehabilitation and compensation packages, and inclusion of people allegedly omitted from displacement surveys.
The demonstration, which began in April, was relaunched earlier this month after negotiations failed. Protesters had used slogans like 'nyaya do varna maar do' (either give us justice or kill us) and engaged in symbolic acts such as lying on pyres in the river.
The removal of the protest comes a day after Delhi Police forcibly ended activist Sonam Wangchuk's 21-day hunger strike at Jantar Mantar, where he was demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged exam irregularities. The Ken-Betwa project, valued at ₹44,000 crore, is a central government initiative aimed at linking rivers to address water scarcity.
