Medha Patkar's health deteriorates as anti-Narmada dam protest fast enters ninth day; solidarity action in Delhi

By A Representative
The health of prominent Narmada Bachao Andolan(NBA) leader Medha Patkar, on indefinite hunger strike along oath 11 of her colleagues for the ninth day in Chikhalda village of Kukshi tehsil, is said to have deteriorated. An official communique by NBA said, her supporters spent "sleepless night" on Thursday, as the situation of Patkar and three others turned "critical."
In an early morning statement on Friday, NBA has asked all those who stand by her "cause" of seeking full and final rehabilitation of an estimated 40,000 families who, it is alleged, might face submergence in case the Narmada dam's waters are taken to the full reservoir level of 138.64 meters by closing its 30 gates, to "pressure" governments of India and of Madhya Pradesh to open a dialogue with her.
The statement comes amidst Medha supporters beginning protest hunger strike at Jantar Mantar in Delhi, in which those who participated include well known political scientist, Swaraj India'sYogendra Yadav, top Gandhian and Magsaysay awardee Sandeep Pandey, Aam Aadmi Part's Alok Agrawal, senior environmentalist Soumya Dutta, and activists Dr Sunilam, Kamla Yadav and Kailash Awasya.

A rehabilitation site offered to oustees

Amidst reports that those who have declared solidarity with her include senior RTI activist and Magsaysay awardee Aruna Roy, Gujarat Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani and others, hundreds of oustees from Narmada Valley have reached Jantar Mantar demanding "just" rehabilitation.
Dr Sunilam, who has begun indefinite solidarity fast in support of Patkar, said their struggle is against "illegal submergence and forced eviction", adding, he challenges ministers of the Madhya Pradesh government to go and live in the rehabilitation sites for 24 hours in tin shades offered to "forcefully resettle the people of Narmada Valley."
Alok Agarwal, referring to the claims of the Madhya Pradesh government about electricity generation from the Narmada dam, and of the Gujarat government of providing water to parched lands, said, Madhya Pradesh is "already a surplus state in terms of electricity generation. And, around 200 people have already died from flood in Gujarat due to negligence of Gujarat in planning and construction of decentralized water reservoirs."
He added, "Neither Gujarat is deficient of water nor Madhya Pradesh of electricity."
Yogendra Yadav said that NBA has challenged the discourse of "so-called development causing huge displacement and taking away people’s rights of life and livelihood", adding,"More than 15,000 people affected from Sardar Sarovar project have been able to get the land for land due to consistent struggle led by NBA."

Toilets without gates at a rehab site

However, he said, "The government is insensitive and producing false affidavit in the Supreme Court causing injustices. More than 40,000 families in Narmada Valley are still waiting for rehabilitation not the submergence."
Sandeep Pandey spoke about the achievements of the NBA and plight of the people, adding, "Development cannot be done at the cost of people and their democratic rights. The government has neither done development nor been able to protect the fundamental rights of people till now."
Others who spoke on the occasion included activists Anjali Bhardwaj, Rajendra Ravi, Faisal Khan, and Madhuresh Kumar, who talked the attempt of forceful eviction that the government is trying consistently in the valley without ensuring the rehabilitation of the Narmada dam affected people.
They criticized the game of implicating NBA activists and villages into false cases of abducting officials, pointing out that the health of 11 people of Narmada Valley and Medha Patkar sitting on fast was deteriorating as the indefinite continued.

Solidarity action in Delhi

Around 30 children from the Nav Jagriti Collective from Madhya Pradesh joined the indefinite solidarity fast and talked with officials about NBA and its struggle and achievements.
Others who joined the Jantar Mantar protest included Prof KB Saxena, Advocate Sanjay Parikh and activist Manoranjan Mohanty, Annie Raja of the National Federation of Indian Women, AAP spokesperson Ashutosh, and Swaraj India general secretary Navneet.

Comments

Manufacturing, services: India's low-skill, middle-skill labour remains underemployed

By Francis Kuriakose* The Indian economy was in a state of deceleration well before Covid-19 made its impact in early 2020. This can be inferred from the declining trends of four important macroeconomic variables that indicate the health of the economy in the last quarter of 2019.

Why Indo-Pak relations have been on 'knife’s edge' , hostilities may remain for long

By Utkarsh Bajpai* The past few decades have seen strides being made in all aspects of life – from sticks and stones to weaponry. The extreme case of this phenomenon has been nuclear weapons. The menace caused by nuclear weapons in the past is unforgettable. Images of Hiroshima and Nagasaki from 1945 come to mind, after the United States dropped two atomic bombs on the cities.

Civil society flags widespread violations of land acquisition Act before Parliamentary panel

By Jag Jivan Civil society organisations and stakeholders from across India have presented stark evidence before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Rural Development and Panchayati Raj , alleging systemic violations of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (RFCTLARR) Act, 2013 , particularly in Scheduled Areas and tribal regions.

Food security? Gujarat govt puts more than 5 lakh ration cards in the 'silent' category

By Pankti Jog* A new statistical report uploaded by the Gujarat government on the national food security portal shows that ensuring food security for the marginalized community is still not a priority of the state. The statistical report, uploaded on December 24, highlights many weaknesses in implementing the National Food Security Act (NFSA) in state.

Incarceration of Prof Saibaba 'revives' the question: What is crime, who is criminal?

By Kunal Pant* In 2016, a Supreme Court Judge asked the state of Maharashtra, “Do you want to extract a pound of flesh?” The statement was directed against the state for contesting the bail plea of Delhi University Professor GN Saibaba. Saibaba was arrested in 2014, a justification for which was to prevent him from committing what the police called “anti-national activities.”

The soundtrack of resistance: How 'Sada Sada Ya Nabi' is fueling the Iran war

By Syed Ali Mujtaba* The Persian track “ Sada Sada Ya Nabi ye ” by Hossein Sotoodeh has taken the world by storm. This viral media has cut across linguistic barriers to achieve cult status, reaching over 10 million views. The electrifying music and passionate rendition by the Iranian singer have resonated across the globe, particularly as the high-intensity military conflict involving Iran entered its second month in March 2026.

Protesters in UK cities voice concerns over alleged developments in Bastar region

By A Representative Demonstrations were held across several cities in the United Kingdom on March 28, as groups and activists gathered to protest what they described as state actions in India under the reported “Operation Kagar.”

Concentration of wealth in India at levels 'comparable to colonial times', says new report

By Jag Jivan A new report published in March 2026 by the Centre for Financial Accountability and the Tax The Top campaign paints a stark picture of deepening economic disparity in India, documenting a concentration of wealth that it argues is “comparable to colonial times.” Titled Wealth Tracker India | Tax the Top. Close the Gap , the compilation presents data from the World Inequality Database and the Hurun Rich List to illustrate the meteoric rise of the ultra-wealthy alongside the stagnation and debt burdens of the majority.

Beneath the stone: Revisiting the New Jersey mandir controversy

By Rajiv Shah A recent report published in the British media outlet The Guardian , titled “Workers carved the largest modern Hindu temple in the west. Now, some have incurable lung disease,” took me back to my visits to the New Jersey mandir —first in 2022, when it was still under construction, though parts of it were open to visitors, and again in 2024, after its completion.

Search This Blog