Skip to main content

Veteran Gujarat politician apologises to NBA for opposing anti-Narmada dam movement


By A Representative
Is the support for the Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA), considered an "untouchable" by politicians of all hues, growing in Gujarat? It would seem so, if one goes by what a veteran leader from Saurashtra, Pravinsinh Jadeja, former Gujarat environment minister, had to say at an NBA-sponsored meet in Badwani, Madhya Pradesh, where hundreds of displaced persons had gathered in a protest rally.
Jadeja told the NBA meet that he would like to apologize to those displaced because of the Narmada dam on behalf of the people of Gujarat. He said, "We had been demanding water in the name of Kutch and Saurashtra, even as opposing NBA's anti-dam stance. But we have been proved wrong. All that NBA said is proving to be true today."
According to him, "While Kutch-Saurashtra farmers haven't received water, those displaced because of the dam are suffering in Madhya Pradesh because of the dam. On the other hand, Narmada waters are being diverted to big industries, to Adanis-Ambanis."
Taking a similar stance, fisherfolk leader Bharat Patel said, US Supreme Court ruling on a plea by Kutch fisherpeople recently has allowed them to file a case against the World Bank, which has funded a big power plant at Mundra, Kutch, displacing them and causing environmental damage, in the same way as the Narmada dam has done. The World Bank had taken the stand that it could not be challenged in the court of law.
Patel said, the victory of the displaced fisherpeople against the World Bank following their struggle on the ground and international support reminded one of the victory of the people affected by the Narmada dam in early 1990s under NBA. NBA successfully fought against the World Bank, which was forced to withdraw its decision to fund the dam.

Comments

Post a Comment

NOTE: Hateful, abusive comments won't be published. -- Editor

TRENDING

Beyond the 'silent relocation' narrative in Bangladesh's Chittagong Hill Tracts

By Dr. Mohammad Asaduzzaman*  In recent years, a narrative has emerged from the rugged and forested terrain of the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT), portraying the region as the site of a “silent relocation” — a mass forced migration of Bangladesh’s non-Muslim ethnic communities into neighboring India and Myanmar.
Post a Comment
»

Ram, Bam and Bengal: Memories of a Left turn toward the Right

By Rajiv Shah   The BJP ’s massive electoral win in West Bengal is being interpreted across political persuasions — except, of course, by the BJP itself — as the result of the alleged deletion of around 90 lakh voters from the electoral rolls during the controversial intensive revision process. This may well be true, given my own experience in Gujarat regarding the shoddy manner in which electoral revisions have often been conducted. In West Bengal, there also appeared to be a political angle to the exercise. But I am not interested in discussing that here, as enough has already appeared in the media on the subject.
Post a Comment
»

India's housing boom hits a wall: Prices soar, buyers struggle

By Rajiv Shah  India's residential real estate market recorded near-flat growth in the January–March quarter of 2026, with sales volumes dipping year-on-year even as property prices hit a historic milestone — crossing ₹10,000 per square foot for the first time.
1 comment
»