Author: Pioneer News Service
Publication: The Pioneer
Date: July 8, 2006
Anti-dam crusader Medha Patkar received a
nasty jolt on Friday when the Supreme Court admitting a plea to investigate
the anti-national activities of Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) issued notices
to the Centre, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh Governments, to respond on actions
taken against Patkar's organisation.
Hearing a public interest litigation filed
by a non-government organisation, the National Council for Civil Liberties
(NCCL), the Bench of Chief Justice YK Sabharwal and Justice CK Thakker also
issued notices to NBA and one Rahul Banerjee, alleged to be a close associate
of NBA. Banerjee was arrested by the Madhya Pradesh police for receiving foreign
funds on behalf of NBA into his bank accounts.
However, the Bench restrained from making
Patkar a party in the case and served a notice through the NBA as sufficient
material was not found personally against her. The court also did not entertain
the petitioner's plea to let Central Bureau of Investigation investigate the
case. The Bench opined that the stage had not yet arrived.
The petition was based on allegations against
NBA in a vigilance report prepared by the Madhya Pradesh Government following
an incident of firing in which four persons were killed. Police had swooped
down on Rahul Banerjee, a close associate of NBA and seized several documents
from his possession which indicated that the organisation had received US
$ 42,000 from McArthur Foundation (USA) and Oxfam (UK) and Goldman Foundation.
The petition alleged these funds were used
for running NBA secretariats and Jan Sahyog trusts and for lobbying in its
favour in the USA. The vigilance report further indicated that a sum of more
than Rs 35 lakh was deposited in various fictitious accounts maintained by
Banerjee. In this regard, a first information report (FIR) was lodged in the
State.
Raising its concern over the alleged "anti-national"
activities of NBA, the petitioner through counsel Amar Dave contended that
despite such serious charges being framed in the vigilance report, no action
was being initiated against Patkar or the NGO by the State Governments.
The petition also highlights a slew of FIRs
pending against Patkar for organising attacks on Government officials and
creating hurdles in the smooth implementation of the various Government projects
by vandalising rehabilitation centres, schools and hospitals. In this regard,
the petitioner demanded the State Governments to submit an action taken report
(ATR) based on the vigilance report and the investigation conducted.
In the past, the Madhya Pradesh Government
in its affidavit submitted before the Supreme Court had conceded the role
of NBA in discouraging people from taking up the rehabilitation packages offered
by the State in lieu of displacement caused on account of construction of
dam over river Narmada. Expressing satisfaction over the Supreme Court's verdict,
NCCL president VK Saxena said, "this is a step in the right direction."
Commenting on notices being issued by the court to NBA and Banerjee, he commented,
"this has vindicated our stand that the NBA is engaging in anti-national
activities which requires thorough investigation."
