Narmada Bachao Andolan rolls out political red carpet for Nitish in Barwani

BARWANI: Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Friday pushed his prohibition agenda amid a large crowd gathered under the banner of Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA), while backing the cause of dam oustees in the tribal bastion of Madhya Pradesh.
The NBA managed to pull influential tribals fighting for rehabilitation of dam oustees thereby giving a platform for Nitish to address people from Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat.
Nitish was welcomed by NBA activists with slogans like ‘Bihar se Madhya Pradesh tak ki ladai hai (the fight is from Bihar to Madhya Pradesh)’ as a crowd that took out a dragging long rally in the afternoon and waited for his arrival till 6.30pm.
“There is a lot of expectation from Nitish Kumar. He can work for the cause of people,” said NBA leader Medha Patkar.
Nitish has already put himself against the communal agenda of the Modi government. He has to take on development issues as he has promised, she said.
Nitish also expressed solidarity with NBA’s cause and had a message for Narendra Modi. “Pradhan Mantri ji, don’t close the gates of Sardar Sarovar Dam. Rehabilitate people not by giving cash, but giving them alternative land/employment. Don’t make plans to drown 2.5 lakh people by closing the gates,” he said in a statement released in Barwani.
Nitish has also got support from former Samajwadi Party MLA and social activist Dr Sunilam, who coordinated his visit from Bihar to Barwani.
Nitish’s road trip also received accolades from tribals, who were heard saying, "this chief minister moves on road, unlike mamaji flying in the sky."
Sunilam is leading the Nasha Mukta Bharat Abhiyan in the state. The anti-liquor campaign is also in tandem with Nitish Kumar’s Nasha Mukt Samaj, which was declared soon after his landslide victory in Bihar.
The former MLA pushed Nitish’s cause among the crowd as he told the tribals that it should have been Madhya Pradesh’s chief minister reaching Barwani to launch the anti-liquor drive.
Nitish using NBA’s platform to push his agenda received criticism from different quarters. BJP chose to remain silent and issued strictures to its leaders, but the discomfort was made known by local outfits with black flags shown to Nitish’s cavalcade on the route to the venue.
“What is wrong in politicians sharing the platform? We want more and more political parties to come out in open and at least fulfill promises made by them ahead of elections,” Medha Patkar said.