On the 19th day of the protest, social activist Amit Bhatnagar and several affected people were arrested. Bhatnagar alleged that police used force and behaved abusively with protesters, including women, for the past three days.
Bhatnagar and his supporters voluntarily offered themselves for arrest. He said the protest would continue even from inside the jail.
The protest by farmers and tribal families affected by the under-construction Majhgawan Medium Irrigation Project in Panna district continues.
A video recorded on the night of September 27 showed a confrontation between police and protesters at the demonstration site. Bhatnagar accused the police of assaulting women protesters. On September 28, he released a video on social media announcing an indefinite hunger strike.
On the evening of September 28, police arrested Divya Ahirwar and Hisabi Rajput, who were leading the protest. On Tuesday, September 30, Bhatnagar arrived in Ajaygarh in Panna district with hundreds of affected people to court arrest.
Bhatnagar and some of the protesters accompanying him were arrested at the Hanumatpur police outpost in Panna district.
From July’s protest to the September funeral pyre protest
In July, Amit Bhatnagar staged a prolonged protest and hunger strike in Kupi village of Chhatarpur district. Families displaced by the Ken-Betwa River Linking Project, the Runjha-Majhgawan Medium Irrigation Project, and the Barethi Solar Project took part in the protest.
The demonstration ended after police action on July 19. Subsequently, people affected by the Runjha-Majhgawan project were transported by buses from Chhatarpur to Panna.
After the protest ended, fresh surveys began in villages affected by the Ken-Betwa project. Madhya Pradesh Water Resources Minister Tulsi Silawat also visited the affected areas.
However, families affected by the Runjha-Majhgawan project say their grievances related to compensation and rehabilitation have not been resolved. Following this, the current protest began in Panna on September 11 under the banner of the Jai Kisan Sangathan, led by Amit Bhatnagar.
Satyagraha continues amid rain and waterlogging
Despite continuous rain and waterlogging, affected families have continued their satyagraha in Banherikala Tapariya, located in the catchment area of the dam in Ajaygarh tehsil of Panna district.
The protesters have been demanding long-pending compensation, rehabilitation, and an assessment of losses.
During the protest, affected people have adopted different forms of protest, including the symbolic funeral pyre satyagraha and water satyagraha.
On September 24, protesters also conducted a ‘chain satyagraha,’ symbolically putting iron chains around their hands and feet.
The protesters said water has begun entering the submergence zone even before the compensation and rehabilitation process has been completed. According to the protesters, several villages affected by the project, including Mandaliya, Tapariya, and Kunwarpur, experienced waterlogging.
They claim that water has entered some houses to a depth of two to three feet, damaging grain, clothes, and household belongings.
The protesters also said that several women and other participants have fallen ill after staying in rain and standing water for prolonged periods. Some people have reportedly developed wounds on their feet and skin-related problems.
What is the Majhgawan Medium Irrigation Project?
The Majhgawan Medium Irrigation Project aims to provide irrigation facilities to around 1,360 hectares of land. Around ₹693 crore has been sanctioned for the project. The project is expected to benefit around 38 villages in the Ajaygarh tehsil of the Panna district.
According to a project document from the Madhya Pradesh Water Resources Department, the Majhgawan project requires approximately 1,523 hectares of land, including revenue land, private land, and forest land.
More than 930 hectares of agricultural land could be affected by the project, while around 999 families are estimated to face displacement.
Long-standing dispute over compensation and rehabilitation
Affected families say several years have passed since the land acquisition process began, but not all eligible families have received full compensation. According to protesters, some families have received only around ₹5 lakh against the announced package of ₹12.5 lakh.
They also allege that payments for houses, wells, trees, and other assets remain pending in several cases.
Citing legal provisions related to land acquisition, rehabilitation, and resettlement, protesters have demanded that the displacement process should move forward only after affected families receive full compensation and rehabilitation. They have also demanded an immediate survey of losses caused by rainfall and waterlogging.
The administration, meanwhile, said the Panna district administration is conducting a fresh survey of affected families and distributing compensation.
The main points of dispute between the administration and protesters concern the amount of compensation, identification of eligible families, assessment of assets, and the status of rehabilitation.
Meanwhile, protesters have made it clear that the satyagraha will continue until their demands are met.
The movement around the Majhgawan project remains focused on full compensation, rehabilitation, and assessment of losses suffered by families affected by waterlogging.
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