NARMADA BACHAO

ANDOLAN
Narmada Bachao Andolan(NBA) is asocial
movementconsisting
ofadivasis,farmers,environmentalistsandhuman
rightsactivistsagainst a number of large dams being
built across the Narmada River, which flows through
the states ofGujarat,Madhya
PradeshandMaharashtra, all in India.Sardar Sarovar
Damin Gujarat is one of the biggest dams on the river
and was one of the first focal points of the movement.

Sardar Sarovar Dam

History of the project

After

1947, investigations were carried out to

evaluate mechanisms for using water from
theNarmada River,which flows into theArabian
Seaafter passing through the states ofMadhya
Pradesh,Gujarat. Interstate differences in
implementing schemes and sharing of water made
the Narmada Water Disputes Tribunal be
constituted by theGovernment of Indiaon 6
October 1969 to adjudicate over the disputes.

 In

1985, after hearing about the Sardar

Sarovar dam, Medha Patkar and her
colleagues visited the project site and
noticed that project work being checked
due to an order by theMinistry of
Environment and Forests, Government of
India. The tribunal investigated the matters
referred to it and responded after more
than 10 years. On 12 December 1979, the
decision as given by the tribunal, with all
the parties at dispute binding to it, was
released by the Indian government

The reasons for this was cited as "non-fulfillment

of basic environmental conditions and the lack of
completion of crucial studies and plans".What she
noticed was that the people who were going to be
affected were given no information but the offer
for rehabilitation. Still, the villagers had many
questions from why their permission was not
taken to whether a good assessment on the
ensuing destruction was taken. Furthermore, the
officials related to the project had no answers to
their questions.

Objectives of this movement

Thedams

is estimated toproduce 2700 megawatt

of hydel power and also supply irrigation water to
cultivable land. The two largest dam reservoirs
are named Sardar Sarovar and Narmada Sagar.
Sardar Sarovar will be in Gujarat and Narmada
Sagar in Madhya Pradesh. These dams have raised
protests all over the world.

The

names of Baba Amte and Medha Patkar have

become well-known in the protest-movement
launched in India.

Popular support
received by the
movement

Their mode of campaign includeshunger strikesand

garnering support from film and art personalities (notably
Bollywood actorAamir Khan). Narmada Bachao Andolan,
with its leading spokespersonsMedha PatkarandBaba
Amte, received theRight Livelihood Awardin 1991.
Amongst the major celebrities who have shown their
support for Narmada Bachao Andolan areBooker
Prizewinner

Arundhati RoyandAamir Khan.

 In

1994 was the launch ofNarmada: A

Valley Rises, by filmmakerAli Kazimi. It
documents the five-week Sangharsh Yatra
of 1991. The film went on to win several
awards and is considered by many to be a
classic on the issue. In 1996, veteran
documentary filmmaker,Anand
Patwardhan, made an award-winning
documentary:A Narmada Diary.Alok
Agarwal, current member of theAam Aadmi
Party, is an active figure in the movement.

Arundhati Roy
Suzanna

Arundhati Roy(born 24 November

1961)is anIndianauthorwho is best known for
her novelThe God of Small Things(1997), which
won theMan Booker Prize for Fictionin 1997. This
novel became the biggest-selling book by a
nonexpatriate Indian author. She is alsoa political
activistinvolved inhuman
rightsandenvironmental causes.

Future of this movement

The Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) has reached its

quarter century landmark of resistance to the megaprojects in the Narmada valley, becoming an international
icon of non-violent protest against destructive
development. The NBA is a mass movement; its sustained
non-violent and peaceful efforts for equity and justice in
the face of severe provocation, and its model of
leadership make it a shining example of Gandhian ideals in
an era of extreme corruption in morals and ethics.

Narmada Water Disputes

Tribunal
The

Narmada Water Disputes Tribunal

(Narmada Tribunal) was set up in 1969 to
resolve the river water sharing dispute
between Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and
Maharashtra. Additionally, the Narmada
Tribunal aimed to set out conditions
regarding the resettlement and
rehabilitation of those displaced by the
dams.

 Chaired

by then-sitting Supreme Court

Justice V. Ramaswami, the Tribunal was
assisted by technical experts. Notably
absent from this team of experts were any
sociologists, anthropologists or
environmental engineers.

Criticsm
The

dam's benefits include provision of drinking

water, power generation and irrigation facilities.
However, the campaign, led by the NBA activists,
has held up the project's completion, and NBA
supporters have attacked on local people who
accepted compensation for moving.Others have
argued that the Narmada Dam protesters are little
more than environmental extremists, who
usepseudoscientificagitpropto scuttle the
development of the region and that the dam will
provide agricultural benefits to millions of poor in
India.

Vinayak Gupta
VIII-F