GILGIT, Feb 3: Poeple of 10 villages of Diamer district have expressed their displeasure over the governments decision to build the Bhasha Dam and said that it would disturb the peaceful lives they had been leading for centuries.

Amid protests that swept the whole district on Wednesday, villagers said they were unable to understand why the government was unwilling to build Kalabagh dam which would be more useful and cost less than Bhasha.

The villagers argued that they were already oppressed and deprived, but this new burden of dislocation and resettlement would increase their misery, and lead them nowhere.

“Decisions are thrust upon us because we have no representation in the Senate and National Assembly to support us. We are out of this equation as we have no members in parliament who could threaten to dislodge governments,” a former member of the Northern Areas Legislative Council Haji Ameer Jan told the protesting villagers in the Chilas town of Diamer.

This (dam) was not an issue about losing some pieces of land, but of losing an entire culture and ecology, he added.

Villager Samandar Khan, 70, said they had been living in Diamer for 200 years and irrigated their village Gonar Farm in 1896, when the British Raj had constructed a water channel for them.

He said he did not understand the logic of the decision which would destroy their area. The proposed dam would wipe out their whole village and “we don’t want to die in other areas in disgrace, no matter how high the compensation rates are”.

Village elder (numberdar) Ahmed Mir, 79, said he was sad to learn that a dam was being built in his area. “This will deprive us of the memories attached to our ancestors, the land, cows, goats, crop-fields and traditions which would vanish for ever.”

He said he had worked as government servant, but never thought that one day he would be forced to leave his village.

Mir said that he was against the construction of Bhasha dam, but being an old man, he could do nothing to stop the project.

In Gonar Farm village, Ghulam Rasool, 70, said they were feeling helpless after realising that their village would be lost to the dam.

“We are happy in these mountains with agriculture and agro-pastoral activities. But we don’t know what would be the new means of earning for us in a new place as we are unskilled to adopt other trades,” he said with a sigh.

Another villager, Zaboor, 35, however said he personally supported the dam as it would benefit the country and if people went to oppose dams, it would be difficult for the government to meet the power and irrigation requirements. The question of resettlement, royalty and jobs were the main concern, he said.

In Bonardass, villager Ghulam Haider, 80, said everyone in the region had voiced concern over the issue of the dam. He said locals would not be having any objection if they were compensated beforehand, but they were being ignored in all decision-makings.

He said they were against resettlement, even in the United States, as they would lose their cultural ties and identity. “We have rendered many a sacrifice for Pakistan, despite the fact that we are still deprived of our fundamental rights. This new project will be another blow to us. We request President Musharraf to withdraw his decision and let us live peacefully,” he remarked.

Another village elder, Shah Alam, 70, said the proposed dam would inundate Gonar Farm, Dadang, Gasse Bala, Gasse Pain, Bonar Dass, Goherabad, Shing Nallah, Raikot, Bunga, Dogah, Thaleechi, Gumbass and Kultoshing.

The proposed dam was controversial, as they had strong reservations regarding the payment of royalty, jobs and compensation, he said.