Where is Tawa Matsya Sangh dam …

Tawa Matsya Sangh is a federation of fishworkers’ cooperatives. It is an organisation fighting for the rights of displaced forest dwellers of the Satpura forest in Madhya Pradesh. In 1994, the government gave private contractors the rights to fish in the Tawa reservoir. However, these contractors drove the local people away and got cheap labour from outside for their work. Also, the contractors threatened the villagers, who were unwilling to leave, by bringing in hoodlums. The villagers stood united and decided that they had to set up an organisation and do something to protect their rights. This is how the Tawa Matsya Sangh (TMS) was formed. The Sangh organised rallies and a chakka jam (road blockade). In this manner, they demanded their right to continue fishing for their livelihood.