‘Hanging Satyagraha’ Highlights Tribal Anger Against Ken-Betwa Project Displacement Issues

Tribal communities in Madhya Pradesh's Chhatarpur and Panna districts have intensified their agitation against the ₹44,605-crore Ken-Betwa River Link Project , India's first major river interlinking initiative. The project, located in the Bundelkhand region spanning Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh , seeks to transfer water from the Ken River , which originates in Madhya Pradesh, to the Betwa River , a tributary of the Yamuna.

On the eighth day of protests near the Barana River in Kupi village, Chhatarpur district , tribal women staged a symbolic "hanging satyagraha" , placing nooses around their necks to demand complete rehabilitation and justice for families facing displacement. The latest demonstration follows earlier "chita satyagraha" and "jal satyagraha" , through which displaced families protested alleged illegal evictions, inadequate rehabilitation, exclusion from official beneficiary lists, and loss of land, forests, water resources, livelihoods and cultural identity .

Activist Amit Bhatnagar , who has been leading the agitation and is on an indefinite hunger strike, alleged that authorities had failed to fulfil assurances made earlier this year. Protesters also demanded that the government publicly display the list of project-affected families and complete rehabilitation before any further construction.

The Ken-Betwa Link Project (KBLP) aims to irrigate 10.62 lakh hectares , provide drinking water to 62 lakh people , and generate 130 MW of hydropower across the drought-prone Bundelkhand region. While the government describes it as a transformative water infrastructure project, it has drawn criticism from tribal communities and environmental groups over displacement, rehabilitation, forest diversion, and the project's impact on wildlife and local ecosystems , particularly around the Panna Tiger Reserve .

Chhatarpur Collector Parth Jaiswal said officials from Chhatarpur and neighbouring Panna district were holding discussions with protesters. The administration maintained that earlier rehabilitation commitments had been fulfilled and noted that the Madhya Pradesh Cabinet had recently enhanced the relief and rehabilitation package.

The agitation underscores the continuing debate over balancing large-scale infrastructure development with tribal rights, environmental conservation, and fair rehabilitation for displaced communities.