Narmada project is symptomatic of "obnoxious" political culture, Yogendra Yadav tells anti-dam rally

By A Representative
In a move that may invite strong reactions in Gujarat, well-known academic Yogendra Yadav, who leads the nascent political outfit, Swaraj Abhiyan, has declared that the Sardar Sarovar Project (SSP) “is symptomatic of the obnoxious political culture of the country”. Yadav was addressing an anti-dam Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) rally in Badwani, Madhya Pradesh.
The top academic-turned-politician told the dam oustees, protesting against the ongoing construction of the dam from 121.92 metres to 138.64 metres, “The illegality and inhumanity of the SSP, is now exposed in the courts and on the field and the government must stop installation of the gates of the Dam forthwith.”
Throwing his weight behind the NBA, Yadav said, “Even as we have to resist the height of the SSP and weight of the political bigwigs tooth and nail, we must also move towards strengthening an alternative political culture and system, based on the cherished values of the movements of this country”.
“This is not development, it is political arrogance”, he declared, adding, “The politics of this country should learn from movements, if it must be truly pro-people.”
Oustees from the three states, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat, were present at the rally, where the effort of the NBA was to disprove the “claims of rehabilitation” being made by the respective state governments to state the need to take the dam height to the full reservoir level.

Medha Patkar, who has already thrown her weight behind the Swaraj Abhiyan, which broke away from the Aam Admi Party (AAP) early this year, questioned the reluctance of the Government of India to reviewing mega dam projects across the country, which she said have “led to massive environmental degradation and displacement of millions of people, over the past 60 years.”
Patkar said, “Sardar Sarovar is a classic example of failure of large dams”, adding, the government “must be held accountable to the nation; not only for the Rs 90,000 crores investment, but also for the sacrifice of 2.5 lakh people and its cozy relationships with the corporates. We will not allow the gates to be installed and we will fight with our life. 'Our challenge is greater than that of government's.”
The rally, which took place at Rajghat, on the banks of Narmada river in Badwani, off Gujarat borders, saw participation from activists from several civil society organizations, political groups, intellectuals, artists, ending after passing a Rajghat Resolve. The “resolve” reminded the authorities that the oustees were in fact the real owners”of their acquired lands and houses.
“Exactly a year ago, on August 24, 2014, thousands of oustees declared that they were the owners of the acquired properties as per the new Land Acquisition Act, since possession continues to remain with the people, since 10-15 years”, an NBA statement said.
Speaking on the occasion, activists NBA activists Shanta behan and Shanno behan, both oustees, said Modi was “busy rehabilitating those who have supported his party in the elections, including Adani, Ambani and Coca-Cola; but there is no rehabilitation or rights for us.”
Senior Gandhain Anil Trivedi said that the 30-years struggle of Narmada was “testimony to the fact that not just Gandhian thought, but the practical possibilities of non-violence struggle are still possible and even effective.”
Advocate Aradha Bharghav of Kisan Sangrash Samiti, Chhindwada, said the protagonists of the anti-farmer policies of the Central and state governments should know that “the country can survive without Collectors and corporates, but not without the crops of the common farmers.”
Peace activist and socialist Dr Sandeep Pandey, who just returned from the Veda Dam affected areas, stated that “in dam after dam and state after state, the issues, challenges and political insensitivity is similar”.

Comments

The golden crop: How turmeric is transforming women's lives in tribal India

By Vikas Meshram* When the lush green fields of turmeric sway in the tribal belt of southern Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat, it is not merely a spice crop — it is the golden glow of self-reliance. In villages where even basic spices once had to be bought from the market, the very soil today is yielding a prosperity that has transformed the lives of thousands of families. At the heart of this transformation is the initiative of Vaagdhara, which has linked turmeric with livelihoods, nutrition, and village self-governance — gram swaraj.

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

Love letters in a lifelong war: Babusha Kohli’s resistance in verse

By Ravi Ranjan* “War does not determine who is right—only who is left.” Bertrand Russell’s words echo hauntingly in our times, and few contemporary Hindi poets embody this truth as profoundly as Babusha Kohli. Emerging from Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, Kohli has carved a unique space in literature by weaving together tenderness, protest, and philosophy across poetry, prose, and cinema. Her work is not merely artistic expression—it is resistance, refuge, and a call for peace.

Authoritarian destruction of the public sphere in Ecuador: Trumpism in action?

By Pilar Troya Fernández The situation in Ecuador under Daniel Noboa's government is one of authoritarianism advancing on several fronts simultaneously to consolidate neoliberalism and total submission to the US international agenda. These are not isolated measures, but rather a coordinated strategy that combines job insecurity, the dismantling of the welfare state, unrestricted access to mining, the continuation of oil exploitation without environmental considerations, the centralization of power through the financial suffocation of local governments, and the systematic criminalization of all forms of opposition and popular organization.

Echoes of Vietnam and Chile: The devastating cost of the I-A Axis in Iran

By Ram Puniyani The recent joint military actions by Israel and the United States against Iran have been devastating. Like all wars, this conflict is brutal to its core, leaving a trail of human suffering in its wake. The stated pretext for this aggression—the brutality of the Ayatollah Khamenei regime and its nuclear ambitions—clashes sharply with the reality of the diplomatic landscape. Iran had expressed a willingness to remain at the negotiating table, signaling a readiness to concede points emerging from dialogue.

Buddhist shrines were 'massively destroyed' by Brahmanical rulers: Historian DN Jha

Nalanda mahavihara By Rajiv Shah Prominent historian DN Jha, an expert in India's ancient and medieval past, in his new book , "Against the Grain: Notes on Identity, Intolerance and History", in a sharp critique of "Hindutva ideologues", who look at the ancient period of Indian history as "a golden age marked by social harmony, devoid of any religious violence", has said, "Demolition and desecration of rival religious establishments, and the appropriation of their idols, was not uncommon in India before the advent of Islam".

False claim? What Venezuela is witnessing is not surrender but a tactical retreat

By Manolo De Los Santos The early morning hours of January 3, 2026, marked an inflection point in Venezuela and Latin America’s centuries-long struggle for self-determination and independence. Operation Absolute Resolve, ordered by the Trump administration, constituted the most brutal and direct military assault on a sovereign state in the region in recent memory. In a shocking operation that left hundreds dead, President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores were illegally kidnapped from Venezuelan soil and transported to the United States, where they now face fabricated charges in a New York federal detention facility. In the two months since this act of war, a torrent of speculation has emerged from so-called experts and pundits across the political spectrum. This has followed three main lines: One . The operation’s success indicated treason at the highest levels of the Bolivarian Revolution. Two . Acting President Delcy Rodríguez and the remaining leadership have abandone...

The selective memory of a violent city: Uttam Nagar and the invisible victims of Delhi

By Sunil Kumar* Hundreds of murders take place in Delhi every year, yet only a few incidents become topics of nationwide discussion. The question is: why does this happen? Today, the incident in Uttam Nagar has become the centre of national debate. A 26-year-old man, Tarun Kumar, was killed following a dispute that reportedly began after a balloon hit a small child. In several colonies of Delhi, slogans such as “Jai Shri Ram” and “Vande Mataram” are being raised while demanding the death penalty for Tarun’s killers. As a result, nearly 50,000 residents of Hastsal JJ Colony are now living in what resembles a state of confinement.

The price of silence: Why Modi won’t follow Shastri, appeal for sacrifice

By Arundhati Dhuru, Sandeep Pandey* In 1965, as India grappled with war and a crippling food crisis, Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri faced a United States that used wheat shipments under the PL-480 agreement as a lever to dictate Indian foreign policy. Shastri’s response remains legendary: he appealed to the nation to skip one meal a day. Millions of middle-class households complied, choosing temporary hunger over the sacrifice of national dignity. Today, India faces a modern equivalent in the energy sector, yet the leadership’s response stands in stark contrast to that era of self-reliance.

Search This Blog