Protest against Ken-Betwa project intensifies in Chhatarpur:Villagers announce symbolic hanging; Jal, mitti, and chita protests held simultaneously

The protest by tribals and farmers against the Ken-Betwa Link Project in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhatarpur intensified on Tuesday, with demonstrations taking place across multiple locations in the district. Villagers organised parallel forms of resistance — Jal Satyagraha (standing in water), Mitti Satyagraha (soil protest), and Chita Andolan (pyre protest) — to oppose displacement caused by the project. Protesters have also announced a symbolic hanging demonstration on Wednesday. A large number of villagers entered the Ken River and stood in the water for hours as part of the Jal Satyagraha. They said the river, after which the project is named, is now becoming the reason for their displacement. Calling it their “final battle for life and existence”, protesters said they would not give up their homes and land. ‘Will not leave ancestral land,’ say villagers Tuesday marked the second day of the Mitti Satyagraha. Villagers held soil from their fields and pledged not to leave their ancestral land under any circumstances. The Chita Andolan entered its tenth day, with people sitting beside symbolic funeral pyres to express their anguish over possible displacement. In several affected villages, residents observed a Chulha Band (no cooking) protest. Elderly people, women, and children joined the agitation by remaining hungry, leaving villages largely silent. Allegations of fake gram sabhas, irregular compensation Protesters levelled serious allegations against the administration, claiming that gram sabhas were conducted only on paper and that compensation remains incomplete. They alleged that gram sabhas related to Runj, Majhgaon, and Neguwa dams were fabricated, and that pressure is being exerted on villagers to vacate their land. Residents also claimed that middlemen are active in villages, making illegal deductions from compensation and extorting money in the name of identity cards. Amit Bhatnagar, leader of the Jai Kisan Sangathan, said talks with the administration remained inconclusive. “We are not against development, but we will not accept the destruction of tribals in its name,” he said, alleging that officials are relying on paperwork rather than ground realities. Symbolic hanging planned as agitation escalates Protesters have announced a symbolic hanging demonstration on Wednesday as a warning to the administration. They said losing land and livelihood would render life meaningless, and the planned protest reflects the depth of their distress. Thousands of villagers remain stationed at protest sites, with hunger strikes continuing. “We are standing in water, we are hungry, and ready to lie on the pyre — but we will not leave our land,” a protester said.