Politicians' forked tongue on the Kalu dam issue

After having fought a lonely battle against the state in their protest against the illegal Kalu and Shai dams in Murbad tehsil of Thane district, locals were surprised to find BJP, Shiv Sena, MNS and Congress representatives turning up in large numbers at a dharna against the dams at the Kalu base camp. The dams will cause major submergence, destroy dense forests and displace thousands.

The villagers, many of whom had walked over ten kilometres to reach the venue of the dharna, demanded that the contractor, M/s FA Enterprises, be forced to dismantle all equipment at the base camp and go away. The sizeable presence of politicians and their followers led to the remote spot (around 100 kms from Mumbai) becoming a police garrison with over 500 personnel deployed there.

Many are linking the politicians’ aggression and participation in the protest to the forthcoming zilla parishad (ZP) elections. “These politicians know that the dam issue will galvanise voters, given its emotional appeal with the local population. That’s probably why they all came together on one platform even if they can’t see each other eye-to-eye otherwise,” joked Kisan Alam, a local and panelist on the Kalu Dharan Viruddh Kriti Samiti (KDVKS).   

Rebel returnee to BJP and ex-MLA Digambar Vishe, who has the maximum at stake in the ensuing polls, took centrestage in the agitation. The BJP has been out of power in Murbad for a while now. “We will not allow displacement of a single adivasi,” he said in his speech and warned, “The administration shouldn’t misconstrue peaceful protests as fear. Things could change quickly.” He, however, conveniently brushed aside any link to the polls. “I am a local and have my roots in this place. That is why I’m here,” he told DNA.

Others like Subhash Gharat from the Shiv Sena, who tried to storm into the base camp a month ago, squirmed when we spoke to him. His party, fighting with its back to the wall to retain power in Mumbai, claims that the dams are a solution to the city’s water problems incidentally. “These people are my voters and I have to think about them,” he said. Quiz him about the contradiction between what his party and he himself wants, and his response is: “The higher leadership can bother about the conflict of opinion. I am a local man and my concerns lie here.”

The local MNS man, Namdeo Gaikwad, perhaps got wind of DNA’s line of questioning and fled the scene abandoning the protest. The Congress’ Harishchandra Gholap too did not see any contradiction despite his party being in the ruling alliance. “Irrigation is the NCP’s responsibility, not ours,” he said, but had no answer to whether he will convey his opposing stand to the CM, under whose portfolio the MMRDA falls.

The NCP, on the other hand, was conspicuous by its absence, given the fact that sitting MLA Kishan Kathore is from the party. “It would be weird for him to be here when his party leader is going out on a limb to push for this project,” says Alam, who is still sore about the way state irrigation minister Ajit Pawar treated KDVKS at a Mantralay meeting last month. “We are resolute in our stand: no dam. He kept talking of ‘farmers’ greed for more and more compensation’.”