Medha Patkar

Last year I met Medha Patkar, she was a very impressive person, we talked for long time and after she left I was wondering if I could write on her. I just wrote something that evening, just want to share.

Today Medha Patkar is not just an Indian name; it’s a terror in World Bank and name of a Didi and Tai of thousand of people in Narmada Valley. Medha has been an ace organizer and chief campaigners of Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA), a people's movement organized to stop the construction of a series of dams planned for India's largest westward flowing river, the Narmada. While taking on footpath of Mahatma Gandhi, she almost died during a 22-day hunger strike in 1991. Unperturbed Medha underwent two more long protest fasts in 1993 and 1994. Today due to her continuing efforts and struggle for almost 2 decades now, the world community knows that Narmada Valley Development Project, one of the world's largest river development projects funded by World Bank. Upon completion, Sardar Sarovar would submerge more than 37,000 hectares of forest and agricultural land. The dam and its associated canal system would also displace some 320,000 villagers, mostly from tribal communities, whose livelihoods depend on the natural resources of affected area.

AID-Austin has been very fortunate to have her talk in Austin, thanks to Chandrika’s efforts to bring her down in Austin and our sponsors Saheli, Third Coast Activist Resource Center, UT Center for Asian Studies, and UT Department of Anthropology and The Sierra Club. Aid-Austin volunteers did a marvelous job in publicizing her talk “Who Pays for Progress?” The UT Daily news paper gave an half page article on publicity effort brought down by volunteers showing the picture of 3 AID volunteers drowned in water in front of Gregory Gym. On the day of the talk Nov 4th, LBJ Auditorium was full of audience.

Medha Patkar received long introduction, there was a continued silence during her talk. After an hour and half long intense talk she answered questions from audience for about an hour and was still available to talk to anyone interested. Calm and Serene and homely looking Medha when talks about Narmada and its people become a fierce lady like a Durga. Passionate, full of knowledge, confidence and courageous Medha has mixed characteristics of Gandhi and strategic leaders. It was rightly said in her introduction that current generation if wish to see Gandhi, it should see her.

The NBA under her leadership has been working to obtain just compensation for people affected by dams which have already been built on the Narmada as well as opposing other dams in the Narmada Valley. As an outgrowth of her work to stop dam construction, Medha has helped establish a network of activists across the country - the National Alliance of People's Movements.