There has been a wave of leaders visiting farmers in Maval since the agitation there against a water pipeline project led to police firing and the death of three farmers.
There has been a wave of leaders visiting farmers in Maval since the agitation there against a water pipeline project led to police firing and the death of three farmers. But in spite of the best efforts of ruling party politicians to calm tempers the farmers are firm on their stand that they will not allow the project to go ahead, saying it does not matter whether three or 300 of their people are killed if it can prevent the laying of the pipeline.u00a0
It's an injustice: Baban Mhaske, ex-sarpanch of Shivne, says it is
gross injustice to lay a closed pipeline to provide pure water to
Pimpri-Chinchwad while leaving impure water for villagers. Pic/Kaumudi
Gurjar
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The farmers believe that the killing of innocents was soon forgotten after Anna Hazare's national-level anti-corruption agitation took centrestage, and they feel frustrated about it. The families of the deceased Shyam Tupe, Moreshwar Sathe and Kantabai Thakar said they would join the agitation again without a thought and see to it that water is not transported in the enclosed pipeline.u00a0Shyamrao Gaikwad, president of Vandemataram Shetakari Sanghatana, said no enclosed pipeline would be allowed. "We demand that innocent farmers who died in the police firing be declared martyrs," Gaikwad said.
Kisan Tupe, cousin of Shyam Tupe, said: "Compensation and temporarily closing down the work will not solve the problem. We want the work stopped completely." Baban Mhaske, former sarpanch of Shivne, told MiD DAY: "We understand that the Pimpri-Chinchwad needs water, but it is gross injustice to supply it water through enclosed pipeline so that they get pure water while we are left with no choice but to drink water mixed with impurities. We will not tolerate this."
Navnath Thakar of Yelse told MiD DAY: "Promises were made at the time of the Pavana dam in 1965. But these promises of a job in PCMC and rehabilitation for 850 still remain only on paper. We don't believe in these empty promises. The cancellation of the pipeline is the only solution"
It's been pouring politicians in Maval
The list of politicians who descended on Maval after the police firing there includes Opposition Leader Eknath Khadse, Pandurang Fundkar, BJP leader Gopinath Munde, MNS leader Bala Nandgaonkar, Shiv Sena executive president Udhhav Thackeray, Pune Guardian Minister Ajit Pawar (who left for Mumbai without paying a visit to the families of the deceased), CM Prithiviraj Chavan and Congress president Manikrao Thakare. While Shiv Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray sought resignation of Dy CM Ajit Pawar and Home Minister R R Patil, BJP leader Gopinath Munde demanded a CBI inquiry into the August 9 police firing Promises made so far
> The project will stayed
> The Congress declared a compensation of Rs 1 lakh to the kin of the deceased
> BJP also declared a compensation of Rs 1 lakh to the kin of the deceased