A National Consultation on Development and Displacement – Priorities and Strategy’ was held at Gandhi Bhavan, Bhopal on July 7-8^th, 2006.  About 75 participants from all over the country participated in the event.

Dr. B.D Sharma inaugurated the Consultation by symbolically planting a tree. He pointed out the systematic displacement that is happening in the country with the adivasi and farming communities from land and livelihood.  Displacement can only be discussed if the consent of the affected families is taken and no development projects can take place without such consent.  Rehabilitation is not an alternative to displacement and forced evictions. 

The two day strategy meeting on Displacement and development has brought out the severity and brutality of uprootment of people the toiling farmers, farm workers, urban poor and others. This is killing the communities and not just displacement but forceful occupation of peoples resources for the corporates and the capitalist whose vulgar and unjustifiable profit making is supported by the state, law, judiciary and the elites who benefit of the same.

The scale and nature of displacement is changed to worse and the people have lost faith in the promise of rehabilitation without any resources and capacity to provide alternative livelihood.  The state therefore tries to use brutal force and betraying tactics, including bribes and bullets not to convince but coerce people living with natural resources

The meeting protests against the appropriation of land and other natural resources and changes in policies to allow such take over by corporate interests ably aided by the state. 

NAPM decided to lauch a nation wide campaign against National Urban Renewal Mission and other infrastructure projects and Special Economic Zones funded by Corporate and International Finance Institutions which displaces people and alienates them from their livelihood and privatize services include water and electricity.  The campaign will cover all the states and will culminate in National Action program against forced evictions. 

NAPM also gave an ultimatum to the UPA Government to adhere to their Common Minimum Program of not having forced evictions else to face the heat of a National Movement.  NAPM will have simultaneous protests all over the country against forced evictions by uniting people under the banner of ‘Anti displacement Forum’ on October 3^rd, 2006 which will lead to indefinite action at the national level in the coming days.

In summary, NAPM has decided to

• Launches nation-wide campaign against evictions
• Issues ultimatum to UPA Government against forced displacement/evictions
• Declares support to anti Reliance movement led by Former Prime Minster V.P. Singh in Dadri , Uttar Pradesh
• Will oppose urban and rural evictions and vows to fight state-corporate nexus
• To intensify struggles against privatization and globalization and corporate land grabbing in the guise of Special Economic Zones.

 - Medha Patkar, Gabrielie Dietrich, Ulka Mahajan, Mukta Srivastava, Rajendra Ravi