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.

Right to walk, right to livelihood: Clearing footpaths 'can't mean' clearing out the urban poor

By Aseem Mishra* India’s cities are locked in a quiet but intensifying struggle over one of their most contested public spaces: the footpath. For pedestrians, a footpath is basic infrastructure—a strip of ground that should allow people to move safely, independently and with dignity. For millions of informal workers, the same stretch of pavement is a workplace, a source of daily income and often the difference between survival and destitution.

A fearless spirit lost: Rebecca Thomson dies at 17-hour Catalina Swim Mark

By Harsh Thakor On July 26, 2026, Rebecca “Becky” Thomson suffered cardiac arrest while attempting the Catalina Channel Swim — a marathon open water crossing from Catalina Island to the California mainland. After swimming for 17 hours, Thomson collapsed in the water. Despite the painstaking efforts of emergency responders and the medical staff at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, she succumbed to a devastating hypoxic brain injury and died Friday evening.

As luxury home prices surge, India’s affordable housing market faces a squeeze

Counterview News India’s housing market is increasingly showing two very different faces: affluent buyers are driving demand for premium homes, even as the supply of genuinely affordable housing continues to shrink.

Counterview

Search This Blog