Skip to main content

Historic Chikhalda, temples, mosques submerged, activists 'rescue' Gandhi idol

By Medha Patkar
The first farmer of Asia was born in Chikhalda, if one is to believe archaeological researchers. A historic village, 50 percent of its population is of Hindus and 50 percent of Muslims, yet it has always remained peaceful. Chikhalda has struggled to save water, land and people along Narmada river.
Here, farmers would cultivate wheat, cotton and corn on a very fertile land. It had an agricultural produce cooperative society, which ran its own warehouse. This is the place which would give away lakhs of rupeees as insurance premium.
Teak trees, banana cultivation, papaya orchards etc. abounded here. Fisherfolk lived along the bank of Narmada river, doing their fisheries business. On the other end, there were kutcha houses of 100 Dalit families.
There were 36 religious places in Chikhalda, some of them of 10th or 12th century – Neelkantheshwar, Narasimha, Shri Ram temples, to name a few. There were Masjid-e-Pir Dargah and Jamat Khana, also a Jain temple, belonging to the family of the beloved young sarpanch of the village, late Nirmal Kumar Patodi.
There were many government buildings, primary and secondary schools in the village... Children used to get education. Government doctors would compete with their private counterparts to provide best of treatment. Tens of shopkeepers would serve passengers on arrival of buses at the Chikhalda Chowk. The village is known to be supplying milk to nearby villages. Sweets produced here were equally famous.
On the banks of Narmada was situated a temple built by the family of Sakubhai Darbar. The family made its name in banana business. Many poor Bhil Adivasis and Dalits would earn a living working on the fields of cultivators like him.
Khaparkhera is just two kilometres away from Chikhalda. Devrambhai Kanaira, a popular activist of the Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA), would live here. Every NBA activist or supporter would visit him, and none would be allowed to go without having meal. Even archaeologist SB Ora camped here. He was involved in excavation, digging out thousands of years old bird barns, utensils, other paraphernalia. This was widely covered in newspapers.
A spot which is known for hiding treasures of rich human history, Narmada became a point of attraction for well-known historian Romila Thapar, too. She said it needed excavation for 100 long years. There was a time when Narmada would be an attraction of institutions like Archaeological Survey of India, Anthropological Survey of India and Geological Survey of India. But now it attracts only ignorant ministers of Gujarat and the Centre, and their propaganda machinery.
Today Chikhalda is no more, neither farming, nor home. Submerged, only Gandhiji remained seated here. Led by Mohanbhai, the statue was recovered by us from the submerged village by activists with great difficulty.
It was donated by the Ranka Charitable Trust of Rajasthan and was installed in 2018 in the presence of charismatic activists like Sawai Singh of Rajasthan, Vimalbhai of Uttarakhand and Namdev of Gandhi Bhavan in Bhopal. Thousands of people were present at the time of installation of the beautiful statue.
The pillar on which the statue stood was constructed in 1996, when Baba Amte had come here. It is under water. I still remember the blessings of the Baba, which would give me and the struggle all the necessary strength and inspiration. The affectionate short but lovely poems of Tai wouldn’t be heard any more.
This was the spot where a major struggles took place. During one such struggle, the police ran after the agitators. Even Nana Patekar and Maneka Gandhi had come here.
In 2017 all the villagers gathered here during our satyagraha, when we sat on a 17-day fast, followed by 15 days in jail. Not just police force, Chikhalda’s trees and farms were also witness to our non-violent struggle.
Today, Chikhalda stands ravished. Yesterday, when we were recovering Gandhiji’s statue, we saw a Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan board hanging a little way, as also a school building, shops and a temple – all under water. Till date, the idols from the Narasimha Temple and the Neelkantheshwara Temple have not been removed. The Supreme Court order granting Narasimha Temple to the Compensation Committee has been violated. 
We could hear the blast of a signle-storey building, as one of its walls collapsed. We could see hungry 40-50 dogs and 10-20 pigs roaming around on rooftops. Chikhalda’s decades old trees were under water. What will happen tomorrow, nobody knows, especially in this era of climate change. Chikhalda is inundated, and so are its agricultural plots, its beautiful houses. The poor have lost their only dwellings for ever.
However, we succeeded in rescuing the statue of Gandhiji, the perpetual satyagrahi...
---
Free translation from Hindi of the article by tje Narmada Bachao Andolan leader

Comments

TRENDING

Wave of disappearances sparks human rights fears for activists in Delhi

By Harsh Thakor*  A philosophy student from Zakir Hussain College, Delhi University, and an activist associated with Nazariya magazine, Rudra, has been reported missing since the morning of July 19, 2025. This disappearance adds to a growing concern among human rights advocates regarding the escalating number of detentions and disappearances of activists in Delhi.

How community leaders overcome obstacles to protect forests and pastures in remote villages

By Bharat Dogra  Dheera Ram Kapaya grew up in such poverty that, unable to attend school himself, he would carry another boy’s heavy school bag for five kilometers just to get a scoop of daliya (porridge). When he was finally able to attend school, he had to leave after class five to join other adolescent workers. However, as soon as opportunities arose, he involved himself in community efforts—promoting forest protection, adult literacy, and other constructive initiatives. His hidden talent for writing emerged during this time, and he became known for the songs and street play scripts he created to promote forest conservation, discourage child marriages, and support other social reforms.

‘Act of war on agriculture’: Aruna Rodrigues slams GM crop expansion and regulatory apathy

By Rosamma Thomas*  Expressing appreciation to the Union Agriculture Minister for inviting suggestions from farmers and concerned citizens on the sharp decline in cotton crop productivity, Aruna Rodrigues—lead petitioner in the Supreme Court case ongoing since 2005 that seeks a moratorium on genetically modified (GM) crops—wrote to Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on July 14, 2025, stating that conflicts of interest have infiltrated India’s regulatory system like a spreading cancer, including within the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR).

The GMO illusion: Three decades of hype, harm, and false hope

By Sridhar Radhakrishnan  Three decades of hype, billions of dollars spent, and still no miracle crop. It's time to abandon the GMO biotech fairy tale and return to the soil, the seed, and the farmer. “Trust us,” they said. “GMOs will feed the world.” Picture a world where there is plenty of food, no hunger, fields grow without chemical pesticides, children are saved from malnutrition, and people live healthily.

Sandra Gonzalez Sanabria: An inspiring life from Colombia’s Amazonian valley

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*  In the village of Héctor Ramírez, known as Agua Bonita, in La Montañita, Caquetá, Colombia, a vision of peace and renewal is unfolding. In the pre-2016 period, this would have been nearly impossible for outsiders to visit, as it was the epicenter of violent resistance against state oppression. However, after the Peace Accord was signed between the Colombian government and former revolutionaries—marking the end of a 70-year insurgency that claimed over 400,000 lives until 2025, including civilians, rebel fighters, and security personnel—things began to change. Visiting Agua Bonita during the Global Land Forum in Bogotá revealed a village of hope and resilience. Former FARC revolutionaries have settled here and transformed the village into a center of peace and aspiration.

Indigenous Karen activist calls for global solidarity amid continued struggles in Burma

By A Representative   At the International Festival for People’s Rights and Struggles (IFPRS), Naw Paw Pree, an Indigenous Karen activist from the Karen Human Rights Group (KHRG), shared her experiences of oppression, resilience, and hope. Organized with the support of the International Indigenous Peoples Movement for Self-Determination and Liberation (IPMSDL), the event brought together Indigenous and marginalized communities from across the globe, offering a rare safe space for shared learning, solidarity, and expression.

Activists allege abduction and torture by Delhi Police Special Cell in missing person probe

By A Representative   A press statement released today by the Campaign Against State Repression (CASR) alleges that several student and social activists have been abducted, illegally detained, and subjected to torture by the Delhi Police Special Cell. The CASR claims these actions are linked to an investigation into the disappearance of Vallika Varshri, an editorial team member of 'Nazariya' magazine.

India’s zero-emission, eco-friendly energy strategies have a long way to go, despite impressive progress

By N.S. Venkataraman*   The recent report released by OPEC’s World Oil Outlook 2025 has predicted that by the year 2050, crude oil would replace coal as India’s key energy source. Clearly, OPEC expects that India’s dependence on fossil fuels for energy will continue to remain high in one form or another.

Gender violence defies stringent laws: The need for robust social capital

By Dr. Manoj Kumar Mishra*  The tragic death of Miss Soumyashree Bisi, a 20-year-old student from Fakir Mohan College, Balasore, who reportedly self-immolated due to harassment, shocked the conscience of Odisha. Even before the public could process this horrifying event, another harrowing case emerged—a 15-year-old girl from Balanga, Puri, was allegedly set ablaze by miscreants. These incidents are not isolated; they highlight a disturbing pattern of rising gender-based violence across the state and the country.