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The Rediff Interview/ Arundhati Roy

'I am with the people whatever they decide'

Booker Prize winner Arundhati Roy was a late entrant to the Narmada Bachao Andolan. But when she went to the valley and camped there, she hogged all the media attention.

When the Supreme Court delivered its historic judgement on the Sardar Savovar Dam on October 18, Roy was once again focus of the media attention.

Roy, in an interview to Onkar Singh, described the majority judgment by the apex court allowing the Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh governments to raise the height of the dam to 90 metres as a 'defeat for democracy' and a major setback for those who believe in peaceful demonstrations.

What is your reaction to the judgment that allows the construction of the Sardar Sarovar dam to 90 metres and also allows further raising of the height subject to mandatory environment and rehabilitation clearances?

I think it is a very sad moment in the history of democracy. I think there is no other word to describe the judgment than to call it absolutely disgraceful. I think it is not just democracy that is being attacked but the whole notion of non-violence.

Here you have a people's movement fought with intellectual rigour and political restraint. I would say that this is one of the most spectacular movements in the history of the Indian democracy. I am talking about 400,000 people who are losing their homes because of the dam. It is sad that the court did not even mention fundamental rights. The whole thing was decided on some superficial technicality.

The judgment says the construction should proceed in accordance with the tribunal's award. We all know that in the last 15 years the tribunal's ruling has been violated a number of times. It is an order that contradicts itself. The order effectively says that you can violate the tribunal but we will pretend that the tribunal is being implemented.

But if you had won the case you would have said that this is victory for democracy. Is that right?

Of course I would have said that. If the judgment had been in our favour it would have been a tremendous victory for the people who have been involved in the NBA.

What do you plan to do next?

I am an individual person. I a writer who completely supports a cause. We the urban people have a lot of respect for the Supreme Court of India. But the people in the valley are losing jobs and their houses. I can say it is okay we lost, I am going away and I am going to write another book.

I have an option while they don't. I do not know what course of action they will take in future. But whatever they decide I am with them.

I would go a step further and say that what has happened on Wednesday is worse than before. For five years we have fought a battle and now we are told that in the case of a dispute, the prime minister of India would decide what to do and how to resolve the differences.

What the hell does it mean? Are you trying to say that this country is a banana republic? I have no respect for this kind of thing totally. I am absolutely devastated by this judgment. It is absolutely shocking.

Do you feel guilty that because of your agitation the cost of the project has gone up?

Why should I feel guilty? You know that for the last 15 years people have not been rehabilitated. Do you feel guilty for that? The tribunal said everyone who is going to be submerged should be rehabilitated a year before.

Long after their lands have been submerged, people have been wandering around and they have not yet been rehabilitated. Why should I feel guilty? I feel terribly sad about the fact that we live in a country where the voice of the poor is not heard at all.

The cost of the project can go up even by ten times, but I can tell you that this project is not for the poor people.

But this is not the only project which is suffering because of demonstrations. Other projects like Tehri have also run into similar problems.

I agree with you but you should also keep in mind that the big projects have so far displaced 33 million people. This is shocking.

How do you produce electricity if you don't have dams?

They are not needed. Dams are old technology. Dams in India produce only 17 per cent of the total electricity. And over 70 per cent of our rural population still does not have the benefit of electricity.

The Gujarat government claims that the drought in the state is due to the hurdles in the completion of the dam.

You look at the map, you see where the drought areas are and where the command area of the dam is. There is no overlap. They can claim that Sardar Sarovar can give you bed-tea and breakfast. Will you believe them?

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