Translation of the Review by Ganesh Udawant, Oct 29, 2017
Oral History of the Narmada Struggle
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Review – Ganesh Udawant
Recently, that is in September 2017, the Sardar Sarovar
Project on the river Narmada was dedicated to the nation. The book “LaDha Narmadecha”
by writer Nandini Oza has come before the readers just ahead of that. This book
is the extended interviews of two main adivasi/tribal activists of the Narmada
Bachao Andolan, namely Keshavbhau Vasave and Kevalsingh Vasave.
Adivasis from the three states of Madhya Pradesh,
Maharashtra and Gujarat were to be displaced by the huge dam on the Narmada River. A group consisting of Medha Patkar and some
activists associated with her carried out studies of the dam affected areas for
the first time in 1985. During this, they realized that the government is neglecting the resettlement of the affected Adivasi
people.
The “Narmada Bachao Andolan” slowly emerged from this, and gathered
strength from 1990 onwards. The author or the interviewer who asked questions to
two main leaders of the Andolan and gathered information from them, herself had
become a part of this work from 1990 itself.
The region of Saurashtra in Gujarat is a water scarce area.
The idea originated in the mind of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel that if the Narmada
River which originates in Madhya Pradesh and from the border of Maharashtra
enters Gujarat and meets the western sea could be dammed with a huge dam, then
entire Gujarat including Saurashtra could be benefitted. But Sardar Patel
passed away in Dec 1950; just three years after the country became independent.
But Pandit Nehru himself was convinced of the idea that
there should be a dam on the Narmada River. Panditji had envisioned the Russian
model for the development of India. His dream was to make India modern and
advanced by building huge factories, large dams, and massive projects. So the Narmada project was inaugurated (sic) at the hands
of Panditji himself in April 1961. It was named “Sardar Sarovar Project” in
memory of Sardar Patel.
Now it is not only the state
of Gujarat that will get the benefits of
this project, but Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat and even Rajasthan will
get water and electricity from this project.
But this was not acceptable
to Medha Patkar and other protestors. Their extreme and aggressive stand is
that this dam should not be built. Many other groups of people like writer
Arundhati Roy, actor Aamir Khan, director Anand Patwardhan etc. are with them.
From this, we can gather that all these protestors are of leftist orientation.
From the questions too which
Nandini Oza has asked the two leaders of the andolan, Keshavbhau and Kevalsingh,
we can understand that these leftist people keep attempting to push their
ideological agenda. Be as that may be, but this narration by two
activists directly involved in the andolan is an important oral document. Nandini Oza has done an important work by transcribing
it. Future historians writing the history of the Narmada project and committed
activists working for the real upliftment of Adivasis will be able to draw
lessons as appropriate from it.
Ladha Narmadecha
Author – Nandini Oza
Pages – 270 Price – Rs. 340
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