Environmentalists in Kashmir are detained as Anti-Nationals

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By Syed Ali Mujtaba, Edited By TIO Bureau, The India Observer, TIO: New Delhi: More than 250 activists from different parts of India and diverse organizations signed on to a statement initiated by the National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM), strongly condemning the arbitrary detention of 6 environmental activists under the Public Safety Act (PSA) on Chenab river in Kashmir.

Those detained are part of the popular opposition to hydro-power, the mega infrastructure being constructed on the Chenab River. They are raising their voice about the environmental impacts of mega projects on their land and people and about solid waste management in the region.

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The government authorities claim that these persons were attempting to ‘obstruct projects of national importance’.

However, according to local sources from the Chenab Valley, the detained activists were voicing several specific concerns about the hydropower projects including infrastructure-related impacts and damages, environmental violations, denial of compensation and rehabilitation, etc.

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The local sources allege that their houses and properties suffered severe damage due to project-related blasting and that construction work reportedly caused ‘structural integrity issues’ in nearby buildings.

According to the local sources, 22 other persons have been placed under state ‘surveillance’ and the fear is that they may also be subject to arbitrary detention or arrests.

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The signatories of the NAPM memorandum called for the immediate release of the detainees and the withdrawal of all cases filed against them. ‘They should be allowed to exercise their legitimate right to raise ecological concerns’ the signatories stated.

“We are of the earnest view that the detention of these activists who have only been advocating for the protection of local ecosystems, people’s democratic rights, and truly sustainable development, undermine the right to hold authorities accountable, the right to peaceful protest and community involvement in decision-making processes. It also represents a troubling misuse of power and a suppression of fundamental rights, which should alarm every citizen who believes in democracy and justice,” said the signatories in a press release.

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Since the environmental activists are Kashmiri Muslims they are soft targets of the security forces to catch them as terrorists and anti-national.   The signatories supported the activists stating, “socio-ecological justice activism and raising legitimate concerns should not be mislabeled as “anti-national.

“Any attempt to silence dissent by branding it as “anti-national” weakens the foundations of democratic governance and hinders constructive dialogue on pressing social issues,” they said.

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The signatories criticized the government for championing the cause of protecting the environment and attending the 29th United Nations Climate Change Conference at Azerbaijan’s capital Baku (COP29COP), but back home it’s arresting those leading a struggle to combat climate change.

The signatories appealed to the organizers of the COP meeting to take note of the environmental defenders who have been arrested for safeguarding the climate in Jammu and Kashmir.

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More than half a dozen hydropower projects are under various stages of development on the Chenab River in the Kashmir part of India.

Even though there have been repeated warnings from environmentalists, geologists, and other experts about the dangers of unchecked growth of such projects, the government is going ahead with these projects undermining the ecological dimension and giving precedence to its national interests.

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According to G.M. Bhat, a geologist at Jammu University, “Chenab Valley is located in seismic zone 4, which is extremely vulnerable to powerful earthquakes that occur regularly … The government should construct small hydroelectric projects with tiny reservoirs, the water of which can be easily controlled, rather than creating big dams,” he appealed.

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Curated and Compiled by Humra Kidwai

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