Activist faces sedition charge for a book against river linking 

The face of the Anti-Methane Project Movement T Jayaraman has been booked for sedition charge for writing a book against river-linking.

According to the report published in the website The News Minute, a case against Jayaraman was filed on Sunday at Mayiladuthurai police station under Section 153 of the Indian Penal Code for while he was arrested by the Tamil Nadu police on Monday.

He was booked for speaking against the sovereignty of the country and national integration.

The activist wrote the book Nadhigal Inaippum Aarugalai Pidingi Virkkum India (Interlinking of rivers and India that snatches and sells rivers), during his 42 days of imprisonment. He along with his eight other friends was arrested in July for participating in protests against the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation’s oil extraction in Kathiramangalam. He was jailed at Tiruchirapalli Central Prison.

The case against Jayaraman was filed after he organised a book launch event in Mayiladuthurai on October 22.

Speaking to the The News Minute, he said the sedition case is against the freedom of expression.

“Are we not allowed to write against government schemes anymore? The Centre can’t take criticism and the state has forgotten its people and is pandering to pressure from the BJP government,” he was quoted as saying.

“My book argues that this ambitious project will not work and is merely deception on the part of the government to take away water bodies from the people and allow corporations to control them,” Jayaraman told The News Minute.

It is important to note that the river-linking plan was first proposed by Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA government in 2002. As per government’s own estimate, the centre will have to invest $87 billion in river-linking project for which bids from private players would be invited.

According to the plan, 37 Himalayan and peninsular rivers would be interlinked in next few years. Rivers with surplus water will be dammed, while the flow will be diverted to those rivers that need more water.

Ecologists have warned that the project will displace lakhs of people.