Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh "consent" closure of Narmada dam gates: What good would it do?, asks Patkar

By A Representative
Amidst “fear” in the upstream of the Narmada dam about massive submergence once its 30 gates, already installed, are closed, a top knowledgeable source close to the development has revealed that two states – Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh – have "given consent for closing down the gates." Only Maharashtra hasn't have yet given its nod.
Linked to the completion of the rehabilitation of the dam oustees, it is not known how Maharashtra will hold its decision on gates' closure, as its officials are under tremendous pressure to allow them to closed down”, the source said, adding, “The Government of India has directed the Narmada Control Authority (ANC) to take a decision on this at the earliest on the basis of the three states' formal consent.”
In Ahmedabad for attending a national convention on land rights, Medha Patkar of the Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA), which is the chief opponent of the Narmada dam, told Counterview, “If this is true, hundreds of families, who haven't yet been rehabilitated, especially in Madhya Pradesh, will face submergence because of the creation of a huge 214 km long reservoir.”
Addressing the three-day convention, which began in Ahmedabad's Gujarat Vidyapeeth, Patkar wondered what good the dam's completion is going to do the farmers of Gujarat. “Four lakh hectares (ha) of land from the 18 lakh in Narmada canal irrigation region has already been decommanded”, she said.
“With industries being the main focus of Narmada water in Gujarat, the farmers of Saurashtra and Kutch will remained deprived of it”, she said, adding how the proposed Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC), which overlaps the Narmada main canal “would mean 60 per cent of Gujarat's land would be open for acquisition for industry.”
“It is a huge conspiracy being played on the people, particularly of Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh”, Patkar said, adding, “There is a need to understand the whole issue in the context of the type of development that is afloat ever since 1991, when the new economic policy was floated. Based on this, one would need to fight economic, environmental, social and political battle.”

Kanu Kalsaria

Pointing out that the present government under Narendra Modi is only more aggressively following the NEP, Patkar said, “Under the previous UPA government, there was a space for discussion or consultation before any move to come up with changes in laws affecting the people. Under Modi, there is not such space.”
Insisting that the NBA is not against industrialization, Patkar said, “We are not fools to say that land, water, forests or minerals should not be touched. The point is understand how and for whom these resources should be touched.”
Held under the banner of Bhumi Adhikar Andolan (BAA), the national convention saw Aam Aadmi Party leader Kanu Kalsaria, a former Gujarat BJP MLA, praise Patkar, considered till recently a persona non grata for her alleged anti-Gujarat stance because of her opposition to the Narmada dam.
Kalsaria recalled an incident when he met Modi as BJP MLA in mid-2000s opposing a proposed small dam being built in the Saurashtra region of Gujarat. “I told Modi that the dam would displace people's livelihood. I was shocked to hear his argument: He replied, I was behaving like Medha Patkar, who is opposed to development. And, there the matter ended.”

Comments

From Kerala to Bangladesh: Lynching highlights deep social faultlines

By A Representative The recent incidents of mob lynching—one in Bangladesh involving a Hindu citizen and another in Kerala where a man was killed after being mistaken for a “Bangladeshi”—have sparked outrage and calls for accountability.

Gram sabha as reformer: Mandla’s quiet challenge to the liquor economy

By Raj Kumar Sinha* This year, the Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj is organising a two-day PESA Mahotsav in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, on 23–24 December 2025. The event marks the passage of the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 (PESA), enacted by Parliament on 24 December 1996 to establish self-governance in Fifth Schedule areas. Scheduled Areas are those notified by the President of India under Article 244(1) read with the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution, which provides for a distinct framework of governance recognising the autonomy of tribal regions. At present, Fifth Schedule areas exist in ten states: Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan and Telangana. The PESA Act, 1996 empowers Gram Sabhas—the village assemblies—as the foundation of self-rule in these areas. Among the many powers devolved to them is the authority to take decisions on local matters, including the regulation...

When a city rebuilt forgets its builders: Migrant workers’ struggle for sanitation in Bhuj

Khasra Ground site By Aseem Mishra* Access to safe drinking water and sanitation is not a privilege—it is a fundamental human right. This principle has been unequivocally recognised by the United Nations and repeatedly affirmed by the Supreme Court of India as intrinsic to the right to life and dignity under Article 21 of the Constitution. Yet, for thousands of migrant workers living in Bhuj, this right remains elusive, exposing a troubling disconnect between constitutional guarantees, policy declarations, and lived reality.

Policy changes in rural employment scheme and the politics of nomenclature

By N.S. Venkataraman* The Government of India has introduced a revised rural employment programme by fine-tuning the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), which has been in operation for nearly two decades. The MGNREGA scheme guarantees 100 days of employment annually to rural households and has primarily benefited populations in rural areas. The revised programme has been named VB-G RAM–G (Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission – Gramin). The government has stated that the revised scheme incorporates several structural changes, including an increase in guaranteed employment from 100 to 125 days, modifications in the financing pattern, provisions to strengthen unemployment allowances, and penalties for delays in wage payments. Given the extent of these changes, the government has argued that a new name is required to distinguish the revised programme from the existing MGNREGA framework. As has been witnessed in recent years, the introdu...

Aravalli at the crossroads: Environment, democracy, and the crisis of justice

By Rajendra Singh* The functioning of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change has undergone a troubling shift. Once mandated to safeguard forests and ecosystems, the Ministry now appears increasingly aligned with industrial interests. Its recent affidavit before the Supreme Court makes this drift unmistakably clear. An institution ostensibly created to protect the environment now seems to have strayed from that very purpose.

Making rigid distinctions between Indian and foreign 'historically untenable'

By A Representative Oral historian, filmmaker and cultural conservationist Sohail Hashmi has said that everyday practices related to attire, food and architecture in India reflect long histories of interaction and adaptation rather than rigid or exclusionary ideas of identity. He was speaking at a webinar organised by the Indian History Forum (IHF).

'Structural sabotage': Concern over sector-limited job guarantee in new employment law

By A Representative The advocacy group Centre for Financial Accountability (CFA) has raised concerns over the passage of the Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (VB–G RAM G), which was approved during the recently concluded session of Parliament amid protests by opposition members. The legislation is intended to replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).

'Festive cheer fades': India’s housing market hits 17‑quarter slump, sales drop 16% in Q4 2025

By A Representative Housing sales across India’s nine major real estate markets fell to a 17‑quarter low in the October–December period of 2025, with overall absorption dropping 16% year‑on‑year to 98,019 units, according to NSE‑listed analytics firm PropEquity. This marks the weakest quarter since Q3 2021, despite the festive season that usually drives demand. On a sequential basis, sales slipped 2%, while new launches contracted by 4%.

A comrade in culture and controversy: Yao Wenyuan’s revolutionary legacy

By Harsh Thakor* This year marks two important anniversaries in Chinese revolutionary history—the 20th death anniversary of Yao Wenyuan, and the 50th anniversary of his seminal essay "On the Social Basis of the Lin Biao Anti-Party Clique". These milestones invite reflection on the man whose pen ignited the first sparks of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution and whose sharp ideological interventions left an indelible imprint on the political and cultural landscape of socialist China.

Search This Blog