Karyalayas (offices) too have stories

Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) and its Karyalayas/offices:

State power deliberately undermines people’s movements that get their strength from the collective- collective conviction, collective determination, collective voices, and collective resistance. Mass resistance and people’s struggles do not need foreign funds or guns. One of the most powerful people’s movements of independent India, the NBA, runs the movement from simple karyalayas (offices). The karyalayas also functioned as homes to the activists of the movement and its people. All the NBA offices were absolutely simple, many had no running water, those in the Adivasi area had no electricity. There were no cots or mattresses or chairs and tables. Activists slept on the daries and cooked simple food. It was only later that three offices had second hand computers and working tables. 

 It is from these modest offices that the NBA coordinated/

coordinates its non-violent struggle in the Narmada Valley to fight the destructive dams on the River Narmada, pushed by the authoritarian State. It is from here that the NBA fought against  powerful international institutions and brought the World Bank to its knees.  Some of the karyalayas continue to function even after several decades of resistance while there are others that may not be functional today but their stories remain alive. 

The first karyalaya of the Narmada Ghati Navnirman Samiti (NGNS) functioned from a Gandhi Asharam/school at Tavlai in Manawar district in Madhya Pradesh (MP), not far from the River Narmada. This office to challenge the large dams on the River Narmada was established by veteran Gandhians and freedom fighters like Late Shri Kashinathji Trivedi, Late Shri Baijnath Mahoday, Shri Prabhakar Mandlikji, etc. They were joined in their efforts by local farmers and social activists like Late Shri Fulchandbhai Patel who donated his land for the Tavlai Ashram, Late Shri Shobharambhai Jat, Late Shri Ambarambhai Mukati, Late Shri Surajmalji Lunkad and many others.

NGNS karyalaya at Tavlai, MP. Photo Source – Not known

Later, as the NBA grew and the number of full time activists increased, the NGNS up- karyalaya (Sub –Office) in Badwani, MP, came up. Although it became one of the main offices of the NBA it continued to be called NGNS- up-karayalaya. This karyalaya (below) was given to the NBA by a farmer Shri Badribhai Jat of village Bagud, one of the 245 submergence villages of SSP. Badribhai never charged any rent for the several years that NBA functioned out of this office.   

In the photo (on the balcony) is one of the founding members of NGNS and NBA Late Shri Shobharambhai Jat from Bagud. Photo Source: Not Known.

Later, as the office above needed renovations, one of the senior members of NBA and respected resident of Badwani, Late Shri Mahajansaab Vakil, gave his premises to be used as NBA karyalaya. It is here that NBA functioned for over two decades.

NBA karyalaya in Badwani with senior activists Joe Athialy, Chittaroopa Palit (Silvy). The person with his back to the camera is possibly Dr. Samyak of Sarvoday Press Service, Indore.

Senior women leaders of NBA, from left Rukmaniben Patidar, Kamluben Yadav (submergence village Chota Badada), one of the many young full time activists of NBA Chogalal Dawar (submergence village Kundia)

When Late Respected Baba Amte decided to shift from Anandwan to the village Choti Kasravad on the banks of the River Narmada near Badwani, his small house was built by the people of the Narmada valley with contributions from the town of Badwani. The three room house was named Nijbal, where Baba lived for over a decade with Sadhana Tai opposing the SSP. After Baba returned to Anandwan due to his and Sadhanatai’s failing health and advancing age, the premises which had been by then turned green with trees grown by Baba and his team, was managed by senior activist of the NBA Rehmat and Late Shri Gangarambhai Yadav. However the State would not have it and sealed the premises forcefully against people’s resistance. Nijbal which was once the center of resistance against SSP and other large dams in the Narmada valley, lies in dilapidated condition today.  

The legendary karyalaya of NBA named Narmada Aai, in the renowned village of Manibeli, the first Adivasi village in the submergence zone of the SSP in Maharashtra was the center of the struggle for several years in the 1990s. It is here that the Morse commission appointed by the World Bank to review SSP had its first meeting with the NBA. The people’s struggle of and at Manibeli became so well known worldwide that in recognition, a call by organizations from across the world for moratorium on funding by World Bank to large dams was named 'Manibeli Declaration'. It was Manibeli Declaration that was finally instrumental in the setting up of the World Commission on Dams. See: http://pdf.wri.org/wcd_chapter_3.pdf For more information on the struggle of Manibeli see: http://www.frontline.in/static/html/fl2701/stories/19930813112.htm

Narmada Aai at Manibeli. Photo Source: Not Known.

When the Government of Maharashtra raised to the ground Narmada Aai with the aid of police, it was once again built through the popular practice of collective labor among the Adivasis called Laha. 

Narmada Aai. Photo Source : Not known

Narmada Aai would not have functioned without Late Shri Gangarambhai  Yadav (in the center in the photo above belonging to submergence village Chottabadda) giving his full time to its management and looking after hundreds of visitors every month. There were other activists who helped him. To the right, standing in the photo above is Gendalal Mujalde  – one among the many full time activists of NBA (submergence village Kundiya). In the front is one of the many international students and researchers who visited the NBA, Layla Mehta. She is now a research fellow at IDS, University of Sussex, UK. The others are Project Affected People from different villages in the Narmada Valley and members of the NBA.

Fulltime activists of NBA Shantilal Yadav and Rama Atya @ Narmada Aai

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Arundhati Dhuru a member of Samarpit Dal of the NBA @ Narmada Aai along with Patrick MaCully of International Rivers Network, senior member who helped NBA’s international campaign against the World Bank.

 Illegal submergence as a result of the increase in the height of the Sardar Sarovar dam without rehabilitation of the people, finally drowned Narmada Aai in the mid nineties.

The NBA karyalaya at Baroda was also one of the main centers of the struggle. Initially the Vadodara Kamdar Union (VKU) hosted NBA for several years and the NBA office ran from the VKU premises. But as NBA in Gujarat grew/spread, and the number of full time activists working in Gujarat grew, it shifted to its own (rented) office space (photo below). This was also because large number of people from the submergence villages came to the Baroda office for medical treatment. Besides, Baroda Karyalaya became the center connecting the NBA to the rest of the World. 

 

NBA activists Alok Agrawal and Kiran @ NBA office Baroda. Photo Source: Not known.

NBA activist Shripad Dharmadhikary @ NBA office Baroda with an international supporter from Japan where a successful campaign forced the Japanese Government to withdraw its aid to SSP.

It was only when this office was attacked and ransacked by goons of both the BJP and the Congress, that NBA had no choice but to get its own karyalaya as it was difficult to get any place on rent due to the fear of owners that they would be harassed by the state and other goons. Of course VKU, Swashraya, and other supporters’ offices were open to the NBA 24X7.  NBA supporters like Rameshbhai Kacholia, Vijayatai Chauhan, Late Shri Kamalakar Dharmadhikary and Late Shri K.K.Oza came together and helped financially for the purchase of the NBA office in Baroda (below):

NBA activists: Medha Patkar, Shripad Dharmadhikary, Raghu Raghuvanshi, Sukumaran Krishnan, Late Sanjay Sangvai, and NBA supporters like senior Gandhians of Gujarat Rajubhai, Deeptiben, Prof. Gautam Appa etc. 

Late Sanjay Sangvai and Deepak Yadav @ NBA Karyalaya, Baroda.

NBA had its Karyalaya in village Kevadia,  a SSP colony affected village at the house of the senior Adivasi leader of the NBA Muljibhai Tadvi. Muljibhai had lost his land to the construction of Kevadia Colony in Gujarat. It is here that full time activists like Late Shri. Tetabhai Vasave, etc worked and lived. Later, NBA had its karyalaya in the Adivasi village  Kothi at the home of the firebrand leader of the NBA Late Baliben Tadvi who also had lost her land to the project colony. It is in these simple mud and tile houses that NBA functioned from for many years in Gujarat. 

On the right, one of the senior most leaders of NBA and NAPM Devrambhai Kanera and his wife Shakuntlabhabhi, herself an important member of the NBA. On the left is the full time activist of the NBA Late Gopal Mujalde @ NBA office, Kothi. Photo: Rehmat.

 After the passing away of Baliben, the NBA karyalaya functioned from the house of senior leaders of NBA Prabhubhai Tadvi and Kapilaben Tadvi at village Waghadia also a colony affected village near the dam site.

Then, NBA had its Karayalayas in the submergence villages of Jalsindhi and Domkhedi situated in the Adivasi villages of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. These were built by the people through the practice of Laha. The illegal submergence due to SSP drowned these karyalayas. 

Full time activists of NBA Clifton D'Rozario and possibly Late Shobha Whagh.

As the NBA case in the Supreme Court of India went on for several years in Delhi, Delhi Forum shared its office (below) in solidarity with the NBA activists who lived and worked from its premises for several years in the nineties till the majority judgment of the SC allowed the work of the dam to proceed. 

 

Photo Source: Not Known

In the photo above in Delhi Forum (DF) office where the NBA functioned, one of the finest activists that the country can have, Ashokbhai Sharma who has been supporting tirelessly peoples’ movements across the country when they come knocking at the doors of the many power centers in the Capital City.  

NBA also had its full fledged office in the premises offered by its supporters in Mumbai for several years in the nineties, that was run by full time senior activists including well known feminist writer and scholar Lata Prama. 

NBA has one of its longest running karyalayas in Dhadgao, Maharashtra. Unfortunately I do not have its photo in my collection. Currently NBA has its own office in Badwani built on land again donated by a local resident. NBA set up simple karyalayas in Mandleshwar and Khandwa,  to fight the other large dams on the River Narmada and also in the Bargi area. Again I do not have the photos in my collection.  The list here is of course not exhaustive.

The power of the movements of the marginalized and the exploited communities across the country comes from the collective resistance based on truth, conviction and determination. It is the State that has the arms and the jails and the infinite resources at its disposal – domestic, corporate and international to curb any dissent as well as people’s struggles for justice and equity. The sooner this is accepted, the better.

End. 

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.

End