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Defeat of democracy, says Arundhati Roy

Onkar Singh in New Delhi

Novelist Arundhati Roy, who was leading the group of Narmada Bachao Andolan activists in the Supreme Court on Wednesday, in the absence of Medha Patkar, described the apex court's judgment ordering the resumption of work on the Narmada dam as "shocking, and a defeat of democracy".

Putting up a brave front, the Booker Prize winning author said, "The court doesn't know how much damage it has done... Some 33 million people have been displaced in India by dam projects that are coming up in various parts of the country."

Roy also claimed that they were not aware that the judgment was to be delivered on Wednesday.

The author lauded Justice S P Bharucha for giving a dissenting judgment, "wherein at least he has tried to understand the problems of the Narmada oustees."

"This was a peaceful, democratic movement and by rejecting it the court is telling the people to follow in the footsteps of Veerappan," she warned.

Prashant Bhushan, counsel for the NBA, said he was studying the verdict, and would decide on the course of action.

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