Medha Patkar is an Indian social activist and founder of the Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA), a movement that fights for the rights of the people displaced by the Sardar Sarovar Dam on the Narmada River in Gujarat, India. She has spent much of her life fighting for the rights of marginalized communities, particularly those affected by large development projects such as dams, mines, and urbanization.
Patkar was born in Mumbai, India in 1954. She received her bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Mumbai and later obtained a master's degree in social work from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences. After completing her education, Patkar began working as a social worker and activist, focusing on issues related to health care and education in the slums of Mumbai.
In 1985, Patkar became involved in the Narmada Bachao Andolan, a movement to protect the rights of the thousands of people who were being displaced by the construction of the Sardar Sarovar Dam on the Narmada River. The NBA argued that the dam would displace tens of thousands of people, many of whom were poor and did not have the resources to relocate. The movement also raised concerns about the environmental impacts of the dam, including the destruction of forests and the loss of biodiversity.
Over the years, Patkar and the NBA have organized protests, sit-ins, and other forms of non-violent resistance to raise awareness about the issues facing the people of the Narmada Valley. In addition to her work with the NBA, Patkar has also been involved in other social justice movements, including the Right to Information movement, which fights for transparency and accountability in government.
Patkar has received numerous awards and accolades for her work as a social activist, including the Right Livelihood Award, also known as the "Alternative Nobel Prize," in 1991. Despite facing criticism and backlash from those who support large development projects, she has remained committed to her cause and has inspired others to join the fight for social justice.
In conclusion, Medha Patkar is a dedicated and tireless social activist who has spent much of her life fighting for the rights of marginalized communities in India. Through her work with the Narmada Bachao Andolan and other social justice movements, she has raised awareness about the impacts of large development projects on poor and disadvantaged communities, and has inspired others to join the fight for social justice.
Medha Patkar Biography
She single-mindedly pursued a cause to get justice for the tribals and poor displaced by the dam projects. The actual numbers were higher, according to activists and experts. She got married to Mr. It was a large-scale plan to dam the Narmada river, and its tributaries in the Indian states of Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Maharashtra. The submergence zones get flooded every year during the rainy season. Reportedly, the land was to be provided for a lucrative development project in Mumbai, India. Many social activists and environmentalists joined the Narmada Bachao Andolan to protest the development of dams along the Narmada river, which runs through Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Maharashtra.
Medha Patkar Wiki, Age, Boyfriend, Husband, Children, Family, Biography & More
She explained that "the politicians are interested in the prime plots of land, old equipment, and machinery," of sugar co-operatives and accused the state government of selling assets of the industry at throw-away rates. Sainath an Indian journalist and author earlier condemned the Lavasa Project for its inappropriate use of water. According to Narmada Bachao Andolan, the dams force the displacement of about a million people and affect many more, largely poor peasants and tribals. While the project is still under way, Patkar and other activists keep on fighting the seemingly unequal battle. The strike continued for a long period of 20 days and finally came to an end on April 17, 2006. The government of Maharashtra demolished 75,000 houses of slum-dwellers in Mumbai in 2005. She has been part of the movement which involves the participation of tribal people, labourers, farmers, fishers and others living near the Narmada valley.
The Narmada Dam Project
Patkar and 11 others were booked in a case of alleged misuse of funds in Barwani district of Madhya Pradesh, which was filed in July this year. Later, a case is still pending against the Girna Sugar factory accused at Malegaon, Nasik, Maharashtra, and the members of the Chhagan Bhujbal Family accused in the Supreme court of India. The issues related to socio-economic justice, political justice, and equity are the main focus areas of NAPM. She revealed, Medha was a very good dancer and used to draw very well. She remarked, I was acquitted of all the cases before applying for a passport. There are also real doubts, borne out by the experience of large dams elsewhere in India, that the dams will yield their projected benefits of hydropower, irrigation and drinking water.
