Medha Patkar: Crusader with nerves of steel
In doing so Patkar has taken the ecological movement onto a higher plane. From one concerned with just destruction of forests to that of protecting basic human rights. Eminent ecologist Nalni Jayal thinks "Medha's achievement has been the ability to galvanise village communities to fight for their rights when projects which threaten to uproot them come up".Now the fiery crusader has gained international recognition. Last month, her movement, the Narmada Bachao Andolan, was among the four environment groups awarded the Swedish Right To Livelihood Award, known as the alternative Nobel. Patkar's reaction was muted: "We're happy but such awards can change attitudes."Not hers. Last week, as she was to fly to Stockholm to receive the award, she was back in Maharashtra's Dhule district organising another of her famous rallies. Her arrest by the state police sparked off an international protest that saw her released the next day.Patkar, however, is used to such adversity. When she first moved to the Valley in 1985, even the one lakh people who were to be ousted by the project were not receptive. Undaunted, she travelled through the 225 affected villages by bus, on hired motorcycles and even on foot. Gradually, she gained acceptance by living with the adivasis, learning their language and eating their food.Patkar explains: "We haven't gone about making ideologies and presenting them in seminars. We wanted the people to know their rights and for that we had to reach them through their roots." Today the oustees revere her. Says Choglal, an adivasi: "For us she is Narmada maiya. If she leaves, we would be motherless."There are other reasons for her success. Apart from having an almost computer-like memory for faces and names, Patkar has complete command over her facts. Jayal says: "She can out-argue any opponent." However, not everyone agrees. Hasmukh Patel, an officer in Gujarat's Narmada Development Ministry says: "She plays with facts to buttress her arguments."advertisementBut her commitment to her cause is unquestionable. She refuses to accept any foreign funds and the Andolan doesn't even have a jeep or telephone of its own. And in a more controversial decision she decided to keep her movement completely free of politicians. Even Maneka Gandhi was not allowed to speak at a meeting once.Patkar's own inspiration comes from her parents. Her father, Vasant Khanolkar, is a trade unionist, while her mother works with a women's body called Swadhar. Patkar has a Master's in Social Work from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences in Bombay. The turning point came when she moved to Ahmedabad to work with Gujarat tribals. A chance visit to the Narmada Valley made her shift there to take up the oustees' cause. She even gave up her Ph.D. and has no regrets.The tribals, led by Patkar, are determined to stop the dam in favour of small, indigenous water-conservation schemes. But it appears to be a losing battle as the Government is likely to go ahead with the project. Even if it does, Patkar's message has gone home to all future projects.advertisementSubscribe to India Today Magazine- Ends
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