New Delhi: He first stood in the river. Then they lay down near the funeral pyre. When he did not get any response from him, he went to the symbolic gallows.Over the past month, the ‘Chita Movement’ in Madhya Pradesh has transformed the local land acquisition dispute into one of the country’s most striking protest movements, which was forcefully ended by the administration citing threats to the protesters due to rising water levels.However, its horrific imagery highlights the fallout of the Ken-Betwa River Linking Project, a major infrastructure initiative that promises water security for millions but has also triggered a fierce battle over compensation, the impact it will have on local people, and questions over the resettlement and rights of tribal communities facing displacement.The movement gained further attention after activist Amit Bhatnagar completed an 18-day hunger strike, insisting that he had only suspended, not ended, his fast because “the fast will continue until the last person gets justice.”
cjp jantar mantar protest update
Bhatnagar broke the hunger strike because it involved villagers, especially women and children, and people including 400 prominent social workers from across the country Medha Patkar Appealed to him because his health had started deteriorating. But it was the government’s assurance of conducting a fresh survey to include the names of those left out of rehabilitation that changed their decision.Bhatnagar’s protest became the face of growing resistance to the ‘Ken-Betwa River Linking Project’, India’s first river linking initiative under the National Perspective Plan. The Central and Madhya Pradesh governments have described the project as a historic intervention that will transform the drought-prone Bundelkhand region through irrigation, drinking water supply and power generation. But for thousands of tribal families living along its path, it has become a fight for land, forests, livelihood and identity.Over the past month, villagers have staged some of the country’s most striking demonstrations. They stood in waist-deep river water in the ‘Water Satyagraha’, lay near symbolic funeral pyres in the ‘Pyre Movement’ and even climbed onto symbolic gallows in the ‘Phansi Satyagraha’. Police eventually evacuated the protest site on 19 July, citing security concerns due to rising water levels in the Barana River. The protesters alleged that they were forcibly removed, while the administration said that the removal was necessary to prevent loss of life and property.The movement has revived questions that India has grappled with since the Narmada Bachao Andolan: Can large infrastructure projects be built without sacrificing the rights of the communities who bear the greatest costs?
Timeline Ken-Betwa Project
A project decades in the making
The Ken-Betwa Link Project has its origins in the National Perspective Plan for Interlinking of Rivers proposed in 1980. After decades of planning, agreements and environmental clearances, the Union Cabinet approved the project in 2021, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone in December 2024.In this project the government proposed to transfer surplus water from Ken River to Betwa River through Daudhan Dam, tunnels and a 221 km long canal.The project is expected to irrigate 10.61 lakh hectares of land, provide drinking water to about 65 lakh people in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, generate 103 MW of hydro power and 27 MW of solar energy and reduce the water scarcity that has been prevalent in Bundelkhand for decades.Officials argue that this will boost agricultural productivity, reduce migration and improve groundwater recharge by restoring historic Chandela-era ponds.However, for supporters, it is a long-awaited solution to one of central India’s most persistent development challenges.
Surplus water of Ken River will be transferred from Daudhan Dam to Betwa River through a 221 km long link canal, providing irrigation and drinking water facilities to both MP and UP.
Why are people protesting?
For many tribal families in Chhatarpur and Panna districts, the project threatens the loss of ancestral lands without adequate rehabilitation.Bhatnagar says the issue extends far beyond compensation. “Our demand is that people should be given land in exchange for land. But even if the government only fulfills its promises, at least that much should be given.”He argues that forest-dependent tribal communities cannot rebuild their lives through financial assistance alone. “People displaced from forests should either be resettled in forest areas or, at least, they should be given land and a village to live in. This has been our main demand from the beginning.”The state government had in principle announced an increase in the rehabilitation package per eligible displaced family from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 12.5 lakh, the formal notification of which was awaited.However, Bhatnagar says revised compensation alone is not the solution to the problem. “The way these people lived in the forests and were dependent on the forests, just giving them Rs 12.5 lakh is not enough.”He claims that many displaced villagers have little experience navigating land markets and are vulnerable to exploitation. “Dishonest people are misleading them by offering fake land at cheap prices. They buy fake land or fake houses. Later they find out that the property was fraudulent. They lose both their money and then get stuck in legal disputes.”
Timeline funeral pyre movement
The biggest disagreement is over the number of families affected. The government estimates that about 7,100 families are affected by the Ken-Betwa project. Bhatnagar disputes that figure.“In the Ken-Betwa project, the government says 7,100 families are affected. But the actual number is around 10,000, actually more than 10,000. If we talk about all the projects, around 50,000 people have been affected.”They allege that the survey teams have excluded the real beneficiaries. “The survey teams have included names of many fake beneficiaries. For example, in a village where Rs 11 crore was sanctioned for housing compensation, Rs 8 crore went to fake beneficiaries, while only Rs 3 crore reached genuine villagers.”While the administration has rejected allegations of corruption, a new survey team has been announced to identify families who may have been left out. TOI contacted Chhatarpur district magistrate and is still awaiting response from the administration. We will update the story accordingly.Bhatnagar had to postpone his hunger strike due to the government’s latest assurance. “The administration did whatever it could. It formed a new survey team for those who were left out. Our farmers’ organization has also been included in that survey team, so that the names of those who were left out could be properly verified.”“We remain optimistic. But the officers and employees working for the government work very slowly. Unless money is involved, his pen doesn’t work. We trust the government. But if the government does not do so, our protest will continue,” he warned while sounding optimistic.
This unique protest has drawn national attention.
How was ‘Chita Movement’ born?
Perhaps the most notable aspect of the movement has been its symbolism.The image of tribal families lying near funeral pyres drew national attention and was compared to the iconic Water Satyagraha of the Narmada Bachao Andolan.Bhatnagar says the idea emerged when protesters felt every avenue of democratic dissent had been blocked. “Wherever we tried to protest, Section 144 notices were put up. People were intimidated. When we were trying to go to Delhi, we were stopped, our vehicles were fined, our entire ration stock was looted. We were stopped at many places.”They allege that even after movement was limited to villages, essential supplies were stopped. “Food and water were stopped. Water tankers were removed. Even the borewell that supplies water was closed. We were forced to drink river water.”Then came the idea that gave name to the protest.Bhatnagar said, “If they are trying to kill us somehow, if our own government wants us to die, then let us light our own pyre.”As restrictions tightened, forms of protest evolved.“There were other forms of protest too, like standing in the river. Then Jal Satyagraha started. After that they stopped our ration, food, medicines and even doctors from reaching us. Then they threatened us and said that they would hang us. So we ourselves climbed the gallows. In this way the form of protest developed one after another.”
Why was the protest site evacuated?
The protests took another turn on 19 July, when police dispersed the protesters. Officials said incessant rains had raised the river level, making the site unsafe, and Bhatnagar was admitted to hospital after his health deteriorated.Bhatnagar alleges that the women were injured during the operation. “Women’s sarees were torn, many women lost their mangalsutras and many people were injured. Naturally, there is a lot of anger among the people,” he said.Despite the anger, he insists that the movement remains committed to nonviolence.“We follow Gandhian principles and believe in democratic values. We don’t want such things. Yes, there is tremendous anger.” It hurts. Our effort is to maintain a balance between that pain and anger and ensure that people get justice in the right way.”
multiple projects
While public attention is focused on the Ken-Betwa link, Bhatnagar says the movement also represents people affected by the Mazgaon and Runj irrigation projects.“There are five such projects in Chhatarpur and Panna where the law has not been followed.”He says that the survey has restarted only in a limited area. “Right now, the process has started only in a small area of 11 villages of the Chhatarpur project. The people of Panna district have not received any response yet.”
big debate
The Ken-Betwa project has also faced criticism from environmental groups concerned about the impact of the Daudhan Dam on parts of the Panna Tiger Reserve. Conservationists have raised questions about the subsidence of forests and loss of biodiversity, while the government says all necessary environmental clearances have been obtained and mitigation measures are being taken.Ultimately this dispute has become bigger than a dam or a canal.This reflects a recurring question in India’s development journey: can projects promising benefits for millions of people be implemented without leaving displaced communities behind?For the government, the Ken-Betwa project is a blueprint for India’s future water security.For many tribal families living along the Barana river, it is a fight to ensure that development does not come at the cost of their homes, livelihoods and identity.As survey teams begin their work once again, the success of the project ultimately depends not only on engineering, but also on whether the promises of rehabilitation and justice reach every family that has suffered the most.
