GANGES STILL IN FETTERS TARUN KANTI BOSE

hagalpur, situated on the River Ganges is 220 miles south east of Patna. Ganges at Bhagalpur wanders past the Rajmahal hills and changes its course southwards. Farakka Barrage built in 1975 was primarily to serve

the twin purpose of regulating the amount of Ganges water to flow out from the Indian territory into Bangladesh. It was constructed to ensure that sufficient water is diverted to Hooghly River to enable the regular flushing of silt at Calcutta port. Thirty five years after the Farakka Barrage was commissioned, the desired objective of the project has not been realised. Instead, the barrage has given rise to a host of environmental and demographic problems which is causing greater havoc in the region.

Farakka Barrage has compounded land erosion problems in Bhagalpur. Thousands of people living in the eroding embankments in Khairpur and

Kahalgaon area of the district had been displaced from their homes due to

erosion caused by shifting nature of the Ganges. Now they live in most abysmal

condition and are dejected and angry. With the rehabilitation measures are

still on the backseat of the governmental plans, they are compelled to live with

their families in makeshift polythene tents either on the roadsides or on some

government land-even now in the extreme heat conditions.

HOUSES AT THE ERODING EMBANKMENT OF GANGES IN KAHALGAON

Development projects, like Farakka Hydro electric project, National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) project at Kahalgaon, Mc Dowell Company on Gangetic-Farakka basin had resulted in large-scale displacement and loss of livelihood of people living on the Gangetic-Farakka basin. These projects are an obstacle to the natural flow of the river which results in diversion of the river path and cutting of the land besides the river. Thousands of acres of Char land (low land beside the river) that was previously used as the cultivable land

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remain flooded throughout the year. Almost 45-50 villages have been swallowed by the River Ganges changing its course. The increased silt in the rivers has increased alkalinity of the soil which has affected productivity. Fishermen have lost their livelihood due to depletion of fish in the river.

“In the beginning, it was quite a daunting task to mobilise the fisherfolk community against the ‘panidari’ system. Fearing reprisals from powerful zamindars, like Mahesh Ghosh and Mussarraf Hussain Pramanik, who had control over 80-kilometre stretch of the Ganges, from Sultanganj to Pirpainti, the fishing community did not have the guts to oppose these zamindars. In such an adverse atmosphere, I started organising the fishing community making them aware about their rights. It began from the settlements at the northern corner of the Ganges, by drumming a ‘dafli’ (daf) I used to sing, just to draw the attention of men, women and children from the fishing community. Even men from criminal gang used to gather and listen to me with rapt attention. The purpose was to stir the minds of the fishing community and motivate them to challenge the ‘panidari’ system. Fear had engulfed the fishing community Zamindars used to deploy dreaded criminals to collect taxes from the fisherfolk community. Whenever any of the fishermen failed to pay his tax, then zamindar’s armed men used to tie him up with a rope and rained incessantly blows with big thorny stick,” said Ram Pujan, Convenor, Soons Abhayaranya Virodhi Manch (Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary Protest Forum) & Organiser, Jal Shramik Sangh

RAM PUJAN

Ganga Mukti Andolan (GMA) was formed in April 1982 in Bhagalpur district to organise the fisherfolk community and boatpersons for raising the issue of depleting population of fish in the Ganges. GMA also began to involve the farmers in their struggle as the mismanagement of the riverine projects was throwing challenge on the peasantry, which had led to economic impoverishment resulting due to submergence and fertile tracts turning alkaline. The movement became popular through a long and arduous path,

which had been putting up brave front against the Government and local vested interests.

Dwelling on the origins of Ganga Mukti Andolan, Ram Pujan said “The Ganga Mukti Andolan has its origins in the resistance against the infamous panidari

system, which gave zamindars (landowners) exclusive rights to fish and run

boats over an 80-kilometre stretch of the Ganges, from Sultanganj to Pirpainti.

Panidari has flourished from the times of the Mughals, and it continued even

after zamindari was abolished in 1954 in the rest of the country. The stretch

was divided into two strips -- each under one zamindar -- and contracted out.

Contractors leased out the river to individual fish workers, collecting Rs. 700 to

Rs 2,000 from each person annually. Many of the criminal gangs also extracted

money from the fisherfolk and often took away their boats and nets. In 1975,

Farakka Barrage was commissioned, and after the fish catch started declining

in volume, then fisherfolk beginning to feel the pinch and started organising

themselves. Fishermen led by functionaries of the Chattra Yuva Sangharsh

Vahini launched their struggle that defied the 'Panidars' and started fishing

without paying taxes. Soon fishing community’s slogan ‘Jaal baans auzar

humara, Ganga par adhikar humara (‘Nets and bamboo are our tools, we have

a right over Ganges’) became the rallying cry all over Bihar. During its long

years of struggle the campaign organised marches, dharnas(vigils) and meetings

and attained a major victory in 1991, when the Bihar Government was forced

to abolish the deeply entrenched panidari system.”

DISPLACED VILLAGERS SHOWING POSSESSION LETTERS

A major setback is the sharp decline of fish. Said Joginder Sahni, a village level Ward Councillor and senior functionary of Jal Shramik Sangh from Kagzi Tola's fishing community, "Panidari was abolished, but we did not concretely gain because the number of fish has declined drastically and criminalisation in the area has increased sharply." Added, “The riverine erosion since 1983 had caused incalculable damage to the lives of fishing community. Still the erosion continued unabated. Villagers living on the eroding embankment were assured

land and home after the riverine disaster but none of the displaced had been rehabilitated. 165 houses on the banks of the river are in a dangerous position, waiting to be swallowed by the rampant Ganges. Since 1960s, thousands of houses had been gobbled up and it has gone beneath the water surface. State’s Irrigation department was asked to acquire land. Displaced villagers were issued possession letter but none of them had got an inch of land. Since 2006, the displaced villagers are stay putting at compound of the Bihar Government’s Irrigation department and had had built their jhuggies, devoid of basic facilities.”

CHARRED REMAINS OF THATCHED HOUSES IN KHAIRPUR DEVASTATED BY FIRE

Villagers living in Khairpur, predominately a dalit village, which was on the

eroding embankments of Ganges, had been displaced 6 to 7 times since 1965.

1100 bighas of land belonging to the villagers were swallowed by the river.

Bihar Government’s attempt to rehabilitate the villagers had pushed them

further to the corner. Villagers were allotted one and one-half bighas of land

but whenever they attempted to take its possession the land mafia and its gun-

wielding goons chased them away. The land mafia colludes with Government

officials and fuels them with wine and money.

Living in abject poverty, the villagers faced another rude shock when on 6th

March 2010, one hundred sixty five thatched houses of the village were

devastated in a fire and an infant girl was charred to death. A total of 12 cattle

were also charred to death in the fire, which resulted in a spark from a clay

oven and spread due to strong westerly winds.

Displaced oustees living in Bhagalpur district had been pushed to wall as their

problems got compounded. But still they have not lost hope as they figure in

the stories.

1 PUSHED TO DEPRIVATION

anges, the life-giver and provider of sustenance engulfed the lives of those living in Khairpur, predominanetly a dalit village, whose benign presence became a terror. Villagers have been displaced 6 to 7 times

and 1100 bighas owned by them had been swallowed by the river. Ganges, which flows 2 km. from the village where their house stood, is a source of recurrent sorrow and loss for them. Beleaguered villagers, who have lost everything to the river, faced another terrible shock, when in March 2010, one hundred sixty five thatched houses of the village were ravaged in a fire and an infant girl was charred to death. 12 cattle were also burnt to death in the fire, which resulted in a spark from a clay oven and spread due to strong westerly winds. In the aftermath of the fire, villagers living under polythene sheet face unbearable heat and their children suffer from chicken pox and diarrhoea. Children end up among the worst sufferers in the recurrent displacement and even in the recent fire, affecting their growth and development rendering them more vulnerable than ever before. As 14-year old Golden Kumar, a physically challenged boy studying in tenth class said, “Majority of the children in the village have been inflicted by chicken pox. When the hut was charred and all my books turned into ashes. My father is a daily wage labourer, whose land and house was gobbled up by Ganges. In 2009, again our house and land went beneath the water surface. Most of the children living in this village suffer from malnutrition. Children who are enrolled in nearby school, none of them are served mid-day meals.”

BURNT HOUSES IN KHAIRPUR

Ram Pujan, a functionary of Jal Shramik Sangh, said “Children have to face the major brunt caused by displacement and the recent fire. Either the primary school went beneath the water beneath the water surface or parents shift their

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locations. Even the class begins after few weeks either under the tree or in a small rooms, as the school buildings becomes a distant dream Situation like this eventually affects the attendance in schools and there are obvious chances of dropouts.” However in 1965, villagers owned 1100 bighas of land but with the Ganges changing course and eroding its bank the villagers have been displaced for 6 to 7 times, since then. Villagers had to shift from place to place, according to the river's whims and moods. It was in 2009 that the villagers last surrendered their hearth and home to the river. "Even today, you see we are not safe where we stand. The fire had burnt majority of the huts, it had turned into ashes whatever we possessed," said Chaturi Das. When Chaturi Das shifted to the new location in 2009, the river was 2 km away from his house. The entire Khairpur village, where he had his land, went beneath the water surface. The septuagenarian said, “Displaced villagers were distributed one to one-half acre of land under the Bihar Land Reforms (Fixation of Ceiling Area and Acquisition of Surplus Land) (Amendment) Act. But the land mafia, connived with the officials and fuelled them with money and wine, usurped our land, even though we have the possession letter. The mafia deployed gun-wielding goons which numbered to 80 chased us and drove us away.”

GOLDEN KUMAR

Sitting next to Chaturi on the cot, Mahendra Das said, “We are all BPL (Below Poverty Line) card holder, seldom have we got ration. After the fire broke out, Government distributed Rs. 2000 and 50 kg. of rice to each affected family. But now we are facing a terrible time without food and shelter. The Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar calls us as ‘mahadalits’ but in the recently-held Bihar Diwas celebrations we have been relegated to nought. On 6th March, the fire broke out at 11 am, strong westerly winds were blowing. Spark erupting from a clay oven came from 500 metres and fell on the thatched roof and then, the fire engulfed the village causing devastation. Whenever there are strong winds,

women of our village do not cook food. 200 houses of Khairpur are built on 75 dismil plot (30,000 square feet) devoid of any basic amenities. Water which we drink has huge contents of iron. Pregnant women drinking this water suffer from excessive bleeding. When our houses were on the banks of Ganges, we got pure drinking water.” Gowli Devi said, “Since my marriage forty years back, we have been shifting locations. Recurrent displacement has economically hit us badly. The fire, which burnt most of the houses, had added to our burden. We have failed in providing our children, what they needed the most. Whatever minimum we had, has been consumed by fire. We had no money and even if we have money but it’s quite less to purchase medicines, clothes and foodstuffs, so many things. When I see grown up children, it hurts me more. Our children are worst sufferers. See how our children are suffering from chicken pox, diarrhoea and fever.”

CHILDREN WITH ITCHY RASHES AND BLISTERS OVER THE BODY

Abodh Kumar and Suresh Das, like hundreds of affected people have lost everything to the Ganges as it inexorably eaten into its banks. Villagers face

erosion not only in rains but in summer too. Both of them take us 2-3 kms, away from the village on the banks of the river, show where Khairpur earlier stood.

VILLAGERS SHOW WHERE KHAIRPUR STOOD

Abodh and Suresh’s father have been losing their land and home since 1965 in erosion by the Ganges. "The place where my house stood is now a little more than 2 km inside the river. My father have had been shifting six to seven times

in the last 45 years. And after 2009's floods and katav (erosion), my parents, wife and children had been living on the side of the road. After the fire we are

living under a polythene sheet," said Suresh Das. “Katav swallowed up our land and house. The recent fire pushed us to deprivation snatching away everything from us whatever we possessed.”

2 FISHING COMMUNITY WAIT FOR THE NEXT DISASTER

arakka barrage situated some kilometres away from Kahalgaon across the Ganges and it has compounded land erosion problems in Bhagalpur district. Sweeping currents inundated their houses in the rains of 2009

and rendered them homeless. Some of the houses on the banks are hanging in the edge, which would be swallowed in the next erosion. Bihar’s Irrigation department decided to seal the breaches of Ganges embankment and acquired the land of fishing community living on the eroding embankment. Fishermen living in Kahalgaon were assured 12 dismil (4800 sq. ft.) plot and brick-paved houses under Bihar Land Reforms (Fixation of Ceiling Area and Acquisition of Surplus Land) (Amendment) Act. But still they have not got anything.

FAKIA DEVI

As Fakia Devi said, “In 1993, our land was acquired for plugging the breaches in the embankment. Due to our persistent effort, though we could get the possession letter in 1995 but till now practically, we haven’t got any possession. Very few among the displaced families could take possession of their land. When our pleas were falling on deaf ears, then we decided to launch a united effort and get organised. We demanded land from the Irrigation department but it failed and retracted back. In 2006, forty five displaced oustees along with their families barged inside the compound belonging to the Irrigation department and built their shack in it. Devoid of any basic amenities, women have to take bath and wash clothes in the water contaminated with fly ash from Kahalgaon’s National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) plant. The District Collector dubs the 40-45 families stay putting here as ‘encroachers’ and sees that none of the minimum facilities should reach us.” Dejectedly, she added, “We want that we should be put behind the bars.”

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Neglect and denial of facilities by the district administration had intensified the woes of the displaced. As Anjani Devi said, “We have been denied basic amenities, even the water we get after 10 days. Majority of the families stay putting in the compound are from fishing community, who earn their livelihood by catching fish in the river and selling it in the market. But whenever they applied for loan, they were refused. Neither have we been issued NREGA job card nor BPL cards. Most of us have shown their interest in setting up small cottage industry but never we have been imparted any training nor we have been given any loan.” Asked do her children go to school, she replied, “As we both go to work so our children stay at home. There is no anganwadi centre in the compound.” Karia Devi Masomat, a widow, “In 2009, when there were incessant rains, we went and met the Sub Divisional Officer (SDO). Then he assured us that first we would be given land and then, the home. But we haven’t got anything.”

STAY PUTTING AT IRRIGATION DEPARTMENT’s COMPOUND

Frail-looking Manoj Kumar said, “Penniless and homeless, we are forced to stay put here. We live here under constant fear as we are threatened that any time we would be driven out.” “The lives of fishing community depend on the river,” Joginder Sahni, Village level Ward Councillor tells us, “Recurrent erosion since 1980 had devastated the lives of the fishing community. It has been wreaking havoc on them by snatching everything whatever they possessed. 165 houses, which are dangerously placed on the banks, would be inexorably eaten up in the next erosion. Ours was a big village but the intermittent erosions had gobbled up the major portion of the village. Despondency and despair descended over the village and many among the displaced migrated to Punjab and Haryana to farm

labourers. Even, some of them migrated to Delhi, Mumbai, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh etc. to pull rickshaws or work as industrial or domestic worker.” Another Ward Councillor, Nirmala Devi, comes forward and requests to listen to her, she said, “Among the displaced oustees, children and women are the worst sufferers. Dispossessed from home and hearth, women have to bear the major brunt. Children of the displaced parents have either drop out or discontinue going to school. Facing the financial burden for running the family, parents give vent to their anger by inflicting physical violence on their children. Abused and humiliated children either runaway or start earning by doing obscure jobs and share the domestic financial burden. Some of the children also adapt to unethical means of livelihood by falling in the trap of the criminals. Displaced families had been distributed land but not officially.” Asked, “Near the Block Development Office (BDO) office there is a land lying vacant, why does not the Government allot it to the displaced families?”

HOUSES WAITING TO BE SWALLOWED IN THE NEXT EROSION

Then, Joginder Sahni intervened and said, “We approached the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP, Shahnawaz Khan, elected from Bhagalpur for allotting us land for proper rehabilitation. In 1998, enraged by the Government’s callous attitude towards us then we stopped the water supply. Then, the Bhagalpur Municipal Corporation Chairman turned up and requested to release water. He assured us that he would intervene and get plot allotted to the displaced families. We very well knew that he was making false assurances. Even the water effluent emptied by NTPC Kahalgaon in River Ganges has also accentuated erosion.”

“Kagzi Tola’s fishing community met the Bihar’s Fisheries Minister, Ram Ashray Sahni and was urged to allot land to the displaced families. Even, Bihar Legislative Assembly’s chief, Sadanand Singh, who belongs to Kagzi Tola was requested to intervene in matter. But all have gone in vain. In the parliamentary elections held in 2000, when it was declared by the fishing community that it would boycott the polls. Then the Deputy CM, Sushil Modi and RJD leader, Shakuni Choudhury turned up to tone down our anger. Since childhood we have been fighting relentlessly for our rights. We are heading towards prime of life but still we have no house,” added fish workers leader. Kesia Masomat, a widow, “After my marriage I came to Kagzi Tola. My daughter was born, who has now grown up children. Since then, I have been shifting locations without any home of my own.” And so the fishing community of Kahalgaon waits for the next riverine disaster to displace them again.

[Stories were done with support from Child Rights & You (CRY)]