NGO demands release of Medha Patkar, writes to NHRC

An NGO has written to the National Human Right Commission (NHRC) for immediate release of activist Medha Patkar and 21 others arrested on Sunday evening in Madhya Pradesh's Chhindwara district.

In a letter to the NHRC, the NGO People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) stated that it would like the commission to immediately intervene and ensure the release of Patkar and other activists.

Patkar, of the National Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM) and the Narmada Bacaho Andolan (NBA), was arrested from the house of activist advocate Aradhana Bhargava.

Patkar was leading protests by Kisan Sangharsh Samiti (KSS) against evictions of people from lands required for two power plants coming up in Pench in the district.

Farmers, labourers and tribals have been protesting what they claim illegal commencement of work on the Pench water diversion project for the power plants.

According to the letter, the Madhya Pradesh administration and the police want to speed up evicting people living in the area.