The "big" debate of small vs large dams need not detain us. For the present, the issue is actually quite simple and easily resolved—of providing fair, speedy relief to those whose lands and lives will be submerged, or those who will be displaced. In India, distribution of relief is invariably tardy, slow, corrupt and inefficient. Therefore, no one should be surprised if thousands of farmers are found to have been seriously gypped. If Rs 30,000 crore can be spent on the Sardar Sarovar project, surely Rs 5,000 crore can be spent on mitigating farmer misery. I would go further: the state should walk the extra mile while fixing compensation. A farmer earmarked to receive Rs 50,000 should get Rs 1 lakh keeping in mind the dislocation and disruption caused to his livelihood.
We need, however, to obtain an accurate picture of ground realities for which the Centre should rely neither on Narendra Modi's state machinery, nor on Medha Patkar's NBA. That Mr Modi, who sees the NBA as his enemy, will shortchange farmers needs no stating. Likewise, the NBA is not beyond exaggerating data. That said, if there is a minor dispute in figures, say whether 100 or 150 farmers are project-affected, the Centre should err on the side of excess.
Finally, whether Aamir Khan should have jumped into the fray is entirely Aamir Khan's business. If he is making a fool of himself or manipulating the agitation to boost his image, it is again his business. You can mock him or applaud him but you can't take away his right to express his opinion just because he is a film star.
