The struggle against the Sardar Sarovar Project and the history that is less known

It is natural for having been an activist of the Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) and subsequently a resident of the Narmada valley, to be happy at the following Statement of Professor Shiv Visvanathan in his article in The Hindu dated 6-August 2015: “If you were to ask a middle class person today what the most significant act of history in the India of the last 20 years is, most would say this — the rise of Narendra Modi. But to me, the most important historical event of the last two decades has been the battle over the Narmada dam.” 

 

Mass program at Kasravad, Narmada Bachao Andolan. Photo: Shripad Dharmadhikary

 

At the same time however, I would like to express my concern that much of the media reportage and other documentation have focused on either the issues, or major events or the handful of prominent faces of the movement. The role, contribution and the vision of the local leaders, activists and the common people who have formed the backbone of the struggle have hardly been recorded/reported.One other problem is that while much is known or written about the more recent developments of the Narmada movement, the history of its origin and evolution as also its early years is not fully known. What is not known well is that the earliest resistance against the project dates to 1961 when the foundation stone of the project was laid by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. From then onwards the Narmada valley has seen protests and movements around the project, some spontaneous and unorganized, others more structured and organized. These protests prepared the ground for the emergence of the subsequent struggle in the form of the NBA. Thus the protests against the Sardar Sarovar Project have a history that spans over five decades and has many players.

Senior Adivasi leaders of the NBA (L-R):  Vesta, Kemat, Raniya daya, Noorji. Source of photo: From the collection of Shripad Dharmadhikary.

In India it is often the case that a mass movement/people’s resistance increasingly gets identified with handful of names. It is often that the more articulate middle class leaders become the public faces of a movement and many times at the cost of the local leaders who are farmers, adivasis and from the marginalized communities. The sustained struggle of the marginalized communities and their resilience against great odds against powerful forces are less noticed as compared to the dramatic acts of a few personalities. As a result sometimes a powerful people’s movement with a vibrant collective leadership and an awe inspiring struggle of the masses turns into a personalized crusade. What is worrying is that the marginalized communities that are fighting the battle of their own survival every single day of their lives often turn into mere faceless- nameless followers or crowds. Worse still, they are deprived of a rightful place in the history of their own resistance/movement/struggle. 

Senior leaders of NBA: L to R- Poonjabhai, Bhurikaki, Mahesh Patel, Ambaben , Bhagvatibhabhi, Mansarambhai and Vaniya. Photo source: From the collection of Maheshbhai Patel

 

Senior leaders of NBA in talks with the Government (L-R): Muljikaka, Vaniya and Mahesbhai. Source: From the collection of Shripad Dharmadhikary.

In the article “I am Sharmila’, by Kalpana Sharma in the Hindu dated 16 March 2013, she writes- “In India, we elevate individuals and forget the cause. We need heroes and heroines, more so at a time of visual media. But in fixing on individuals, the issue, the cause, the reason for protest sometimes gets forgotten, or under-played.” I would further add here that by creating icons in a mass movement, we do a disservice by not recognizing the strength of the collective and undermine the power of mass resistance. By focusing on individuals, we make it easy for the adversaries and those sitting on a fence to dismiss the cause as a matter that concerns only a few persons and not the masses. 

The movement in the Narmada Valley that began in the year 1961 when the foundation stone of the project was laid by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru has grown and sustained for over five decades precisely because of the fierce and sustained resistance by the people of the Narmada valley and a diverse and collective leadership. It is time we unfold this history of the struggle in the Narmada valley and of its people that is less known.

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Struggle around Hathmati dam, Sabarkatha, Gujarat

There have been many struggles around the issue of Dams in Gujarat. While the struggle against the Sardar Sarovar Project (SSP) is well known, there are others like the struggle for riparian rights around the Dantiwada and Sipu dams, the struggle against the Lalpur dam, etc. One such struggle around the Hathmati dam in Sabarkatha district brought to the fore important issue concerning the rights over the draw down cultivation and lands that open up after the waters of the dams recede for a few months in a year. The following excerpts from a write up By Shri Harshad Desai titled, “Bhanu Adhvariyu: Vanchito na hami- Karmashilona prerna strot”, in the book “Rudra Veena no Jankar”, which is a compilation of articles by Bhanubhai Adhvariyu himself, gives details of the struggle as follows (translated from Gujarati by me): 

  

The Hathmati dam. Photo Source: http://guj-nwrws.gujarat.gov.in/mediafiles/image/hathmati.jpg

“...In the year 1979, he (Bhanubhai Adhvariyu) saw the landlords cultivating the draw down land (the land that opens up for a few months when the reservoir water recedes) of the Hathmati reservoir and he immediately realized that the deprived are being subtracted from the developmental projects. In response to this, with the help of a Dalit activist Shri Karsanbhai Parmar from the nearby village Mau, he established the ‘Shramjeevi Samaj’ in the year 1980. The GR (Government regulation) of the year 1966 clearly states that the draw down lands of the reservoir should be given to the landless people from villages on the banks of the reservoir for cultivation. However that GR was buried under the dust of the Secretariat and forgotten. With the help of the commissioned officer Shri C. M. Joshi, he (Bhanubhai) found that GR. That same year in September, about 580 landless people belonging to the backward classes from the area of the reservoir undertook Khed Satyagraha. The landlords tried several tricks but finally at the end of 12 months, the landless got approximately 1500 acres of land to cultivate for the first time on a yearly basis. During the entire struggle, Jeenabhai Darji’s support was received on a continuous basis.  During the initial years of the Shramjeevi Samaj, it not only received support from Gujarat Khet Vikas Parishad but also its familial warmth. Moreover during this initial phase financial support was received from Jaiprakash Amrutkosh...”

In an article by Bhanubhai Adhvariyu dated 4-9-84, titled “Garudi ane Mau: Bandh Vishe Andh Rahe nahi Chale”, (Garudi and Mau: It will not do to remain blind about dams), published in the same book brings to light more problems related to dams in Gujarat as follows:  “In the village Garudi of Modasa Taluka, five people including one woman died in firing. The Government has declared a judicial inquiry into this incident. That is, whether the firing was appropriate or not will be decided by the inquiry commission. However it is necessary to discuss here the reason for such an incident to have taken place and its fall out. 

“As per the news that has been published, those whose lands were going in a dam being built nearby were given the Gauchar land (grazing land) for resettlement. This was opposed by the village people. As per the orders by the Government when the oustees came to cultivate the land, a dispute arose and as a result the incident of firing took place... the other issue is that of proliferation of dams being built. Particularly in Sabarkatha, a dam is being built at every third step. It is a matter of research as to who really benefits from such dams and to what extent. It is a question as to whether the Government will at all recover even at the end of fifty years the expenditure incurred on the dams. In many dams the recovery is not enough to cover even the maintenance cost that is incurred. Actually, many in the irrigation department have established vested interest in building dams. That is the reason why they keep planning new projects. 

“In every dam, some villages submerge and the issue of their rehabilitation somewhere else comes up. This issue is no longer as simple as it was before. Land available earlier is no longer available. The central Government has prohibited the allocation of forest land to the displaced people. Under such circumstances it is not proper to commence in every taluka of northern area, four to five medium or large irrigation projects. The Government should rethink about this. 

Incidents such as in Garudi and other villages are the signs of future.”

The Government of Gujarat did not rethink about such dams as warned/advised by one of its senior and distinguished activists like Shri Bhanubhai Adhvariyu and went ahead with yet another mega dam - the SSP on the river Narmada. However, what Bhanubhai had predicted and had  cautioned as signs of times to come - way back in 1984 has come true. Due to the fierce struggle by the people of the Narmada Valley,  the SSP that was supposed to be completed in the year 1997- remains incomplete even today.

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