The Violent Mangla
Dam Protests no one noticed
By
M Malkham
MIRPUR CITY: A strike was observed, streets were blocked
and the tightest security possible was imposed, yet several hundred
protestors burnt tires and rallied against the Government decision
to raise the height of the Mangla Dam, a project which will provide
more water storage capacity but displace thousands of area residents.
General
Pervez Musharraf inaugurated three important projects in Mirpur
and Mangla. Raising level of Mangla Lake (water reservoir) by
30 feet, supply of gas to Mirpur City and a Radio Station. The
official and print media highlighted his activities. What everybody
ignored was the protest in Mirpur City against Musharraf and his
government and the point of view of affectees of Mangla Dam.
When
Musharraf arrived in the city, police had cordoned off the area
where the development projects, supply of gas and radio station,
were to be inaugurated. Markets in the city were close
d
in order to register the protest. A fierce battle between the
police and protestors was going on. Police used tear gas and threw
stones.
The
Citizens of Mirpur had established an anti-dam committee headed
by Ali Muhammad Chacha, a former minister in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
At least 12 persons were injured in the fights between police
and protestors and the same number were arrested.
When
the General was inaugurating the Radio Station in city, police
was firing tear gas shells to control the protests. Shells were
fired on houses, making life miserable for women and children
inside.
Arif
Chaudhry, injured as result of police baton charge, told this
correspondent the government had besieged the whole city to enable
General Musharraf to inaugurate the projects. “This was
not the way to start development. The language of bullet and baton
is not good for Pakistan and General Musharraf.”
A
resident of Khark, the village which will have to be vacated due
to rise in lake level, said the government wants to destroy them.
“An army government made us homeless in 1967 when Mangla
Dam was constructed and now another army government is again making
us homeless”, said the old man.
Arif,
a resident of Mirpur, said a large number of residents and their
relatives were immigrants living in UK. “We come here just
to see our motherland. We bring our dead from UK to bury them
in this land. If this government is going to snatch it from us,
we will end our ties to the homeland.”
An
old man who runs a shop in the suburbs of Mirpur said: “Due
to persistent drought even the present lake was never filled to
capacity. Now government is going to raise its level at a cost
of Rs 47 billion. This is not a viable project, the only beneficiary
will be a lot of high ups who will get commissions and kick backs.”
A majority of the Kashmiri people questioned the decision to construct
a dam in a disputed territory. “If Pakistan needs more water
they should construct the Kalabagh Dam or Bhasha Dam. Why do they
always select the Kashmiri people for sacrifices needed by Pakistan.”
The
residents challenged figures of persons to be displaced given
by Musharraf. They said over 150,000 people and not 44,000 will
be hit when level of lake rises.
No
one believes the promises of rehabilitation of the displaced as
many who were hit by the original Mangla Dam in 1967 have not
yet been rehabilitated or compensated.
Email Story | 
Discuss Story
