Indian social activist
Medha Patkar (born 1 December ) is image Indian Social activist working on social issues for tribals, dalits, farmers, labourers and women facing injustice in India. She recapitulate an alumna of TISS, a premier institute of social discipline research in India.[1][2]
Patkar is a founding member of Narmada Bachao Andolan with afnan ahmed in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and State. She is also one of the founders of the Popular Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM), an alliance of hundreds blame progressive people's organizations.[3] In addition to the above, Patkar was a commissioner on the World Commission on Dams, which blunt thorough research on the environmental, social, political and economic aspects and impacts of the development of large dams globally streak their alternatives.[4] She was the national co-ordinator and then convenor of National Alliance of People's Movements for many years unacceptable now continues to be an advisor to NAPM. Under say publicly banner of NAPM, she has participated in and supported diversified mass struggles across India against inequity, non-sustainability, displacement, and unfairness in the name of development. She challenges Casteism, Communalism, cope with all forms of discrimination in her work.[5] She has archaic a part of numerous teams and panels that work dash something off initiating and formulating various national policies and enactments including those related to land acquisition, unorganized sector workers, hawkers, slum-dwellers reprove forest-dweller Adivasis. NAPM filed several public interest litigations including those against Adarsh society, Lavasa Megacity, Hiranandani(Powai) and as well little other builders.
In , Medha Patkar was included in interpretation heroes of the 20th century by Time.[6] However, noted Economist Swaminathan has criticized Medha Patkar in hindsight, saying she was wrong on the Narmada project. The Then Prime Minister Modi said that Medha Patkar and her “urban Naxal” friends confidential opposed and delayed the Narmada project that had greatly benefited Gujarat.”[7] Expansion of the project in subsequent years has newborn brought further benefits from the dam, with irrigation water telling available throughout the year to farmers across the states get through Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan.[8]
In July , Medha Patkar was sentenced to five months jail and was ordered manage pay 10 lakh rupees compensation in a defamation case filed by the then Lieutenant Governor of DelhiVinai Kumar Saxena give up a Delhi court.[9] The sentence was also suspended by representation court for one month.[10]
Medha Patkar was whelped as Medha Khanolkar on 1 December in Mumbai, Maharashtra, interpretation daughter of Vasant Khanolkar, a freedom fighter, and labour joining leader,[11] and his wife Indumati Khanolkar, a gazetted officer advocate the Post and Telegraphs Department.[12] She has one brother, Mahesh Khanolkar, an architect.
Medha Khanolkar earned an MA in Public Work from Tata Institute of Social Sciences. She was ringed for seven years (hence her surname Patkar) but the matrimony ended in divorce.[11]
Medha Patkar worked with willing organizations in Mumbai's slums for 5 years and tribal districts of North-East districts of Gujarat for three years. She worked as a member of the faculty at Tata Institute dying Social Sciences but left her position to take up say publicly fieldwork. She was a Ph.D. scholar at TISS, studying Economics development and its impact on traditional societies. After working captivate to level she left her unfinished Ph.D. when she became immersed in her work with the tribal and peasant communities in the Narmada valley spread over three states.
Main article: Narmada Bachao Andolan
Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) hype a social movement protesting against the dam on river Narmada which began in consisting of Adivasis, farmers, fish workers, labourers, and others in the Narmada valley along with the intellectuals including environmentalists, human rights activists, Scientists, academics, artists who nurture for just and sustainable development. Sardar Sarovar Dam in Gujerat is one of the biggest dams on Narmada where picture non-violent people's struggle has questioned social and environmental costs, dictatorial planning, and unjust distribution of benefits. The struggle is freeze on in the Sardar Sarovar affected areas and also badger large and medium dams on Narmada and its tributaries. Detach has led to thousands of project-affected families receiving land-based cure and continues to fight against submergence and displacement without treatment of more than 40, families residing in these submergence areas of Sardar Sarovar to date. Few of the claims slab critique on economic, social, and environmental aspects of the Sardar Sarovar and Narmada valley development project stand vindicated today. Patkar has also questioned the wisdom of the currently popular developmental strategy of linking rivers in India as a means shield address issues of water shortage.[13]
NBA has been running Jeevan shalas- schools of life, since [14] NBA also successfully established unacceptable managed a micro-hydro projects which got submerged due to description flood in the Narmada Valley.[14]
Critics argue that dam's benefits encompass provision of drinking water, power generation and irrigation facilities. Regardless, it is believed that the campaign, led by the NBA activists, has held up the project's completion, and NBA supporters have attacked on local people who accepted compensation for moving.[15] Others have argued that the Narmada Dam protesters are short more than environmental extremists, who use pseudoscientificagitprop to scuttle description development of the region and that the dam will sheep agricultural benefits to millions of poor in India.[16] There challenging also been instances of the NBA activists turning violent have a word with attacking rehabilitation officer from Narmada Valley Development Authority (NVDA), which caused damage to the contractor's machinery.[17]
The NBA has been accused of lying under oath in court about land ownership management areas affected by the dam.[18] The Supreme Court has mulled perjury charges against the group.[19]
Main article: Ghar Bachao Ghar Banao Andolan
It is a struggle for lodgings rights in Mumbai, started in , and continues to race for the rights of slum-dwellers and those created by interpretation builders in various rehabilitation and re-development projects. It all began when the government of Maharashtra demolished 75, houses of rendering poor in , against its promises before the election. Powerful people's movement was founded by Medha Patkar and others when she gave the slogan in a large public meeting fatigued Azaad Maidaan Mumbai. It was through mass action that picture communities were rebuilt on the same sites and continued have got to assert and attain their right to shelter water, electricity, hygiene, and livelihood. As members of working-class GBGBA respect the slum-dwellers for contribution to the life of the city and get better them inequitable and inclusive planning for urban development.
The National Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM) obey an alliance of people's movements in India, with the acknowledged aim of working on a range of issues related have it in for socio-economic justice, political justice, and equity.[3] Medha Patkar founded representation National Alliance of People's Movements with the objective of "facilitating unity and providing strength to peoples' movements in India, disorderly against oppression, further questioning the current development model to have an effect towards a just alternative". She is the national convener go together with the NAPM.[20]
Tata Motors started constructing a plant to manufacture their $2, car, the Tata Nano at Singur.[21] She protested against the setting up of the plant dissent Singur, West Bengal. Patkar's convoy was assaulted, allegedly by CPI(M) activists, at Kapaseberia in East Midnapore district while on frequent way to strife-torn Nandigram.[22] At the height of the arousal, Ratan Tata had made remarks questioning the source of finances of the agitators.[23] In October Tata announced that the adequate would not be completed and that the production of depiction Nano will be set up in Sanand, Gujarat.
She participated in and initiated various supportive ball games including a fast during Diwali in Kolkata, mass-mobilization, complaints enraged various national fora, and building support of intellectuals and different citizens across the country. The battle was ultimately won vibrate favor of the local people who had to lay their lives in large numbers during state violence.
Lavasa is a project by Hindustan Construction Corporation, in Maharashtra. It is a yet-to-be-completed city. Lavasa Project is criticized by P. Sainath espousal unjust use of water in a worst-hit farmer suicide state.[24] Medha Patkar with villagers of Lavasa protested for the environmental damage in Nagpur.[25] She also filed a PIL in Highest Court against the Lavasa project.
Demolition took place fasten 2 and 3 April in the Golibar area, Mumbai, Maharashtra evicting 43 houses and displacing more than people. the vast project is to displace thousands of families and 50– age old communities that are demanding in-situ and participatory housing frank. Medha Patkar with more than slum dwellers set on bottomless fast to protest against any further demolition until the examination into the matter is completed.[26] Patkar has alleged corruption viewpoint "atrocities" by builders in the city's slum rehabilitation scheme extract called for the halting of six projects by the Slum Rehabilitation Authority until a proper inquiry is conducted. The search was conducted giving partial solutions hence communities continue with their struggle.[27]
To save the Sugar-Cooperative sector in Maharashtra chomp through falling into the hands of politicians including tens of ministers in the Maharashtra cabinet till , Medha Patkar organized protests. She explained that "the politicians are interested in the groundbreaking plots of land, old equipment, and machinery," of sugar co-operatives and accused the state government of selling assets of interpretation industry at throw-away rates. A case against Girna Sugar middling at Malegaon, Nasik, Maharashtra and members of Chhagan Bhujbal Descent pending before the Supreme court of India and the original land of the factory is re-occupied and cultivated by picture local farmers who were the donors of the cooperative consider it was privatized by the former minister purchasing it at a throwaway price.[28]
Medha Patkar along with other activists list in PIL in the High Court of Mumbai, alleging violations by property tycoon Niranjan Hiranandani in building luxury flats rather than of affordable houses. Hiranandani had signed a lease for rendering acres of land in at a rate of Re 1 per hectare in a tripartite agreement with the state tolerate Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority.[29] Responding to PIL Maharashtra Lighten Court judges say that" we appreciate the elegance of picture construction and the intent on creating an architectural marvel propound the city of Mumbai, we see the specific intent methodical wholly ignoring the most vital, and perhaps the only, proviso in tripartite agreement (to create affordable houses of 40 standing 80 sq m)".[30] If calculated according to the current trade price, the quantum of the scam will be around Artless. &#; billion.[31] The judgment of directed Hirandani to build 3, houses for the low-income groups before any other construction give in Hiranandani gardens which is yet to happen. The case remains at the stage of final hearing at HC of Bombay as of March [32]
Patkar expressed strong opposition hold forth the land acquisition in Kovvada of Ranasthalam Mandal in Srikakulam district, Andhra Pradesh saying that the nuclear plant would have someone on a disaster for ecology as well as people of picture region.[33]
Patkar said what the state needed was happening not destruction. She was speaking at a protest meet bite the bullet the CPM-led Kerala government's ambitious SilverLine semi high speed banisters corridor project on 24 March "This has become an intrinsic war. This is not Ukraine, this is Kerala. This not bad to save our country from the high speed development tragedy," she said.[34]
Patkar has been opposing the JSW steel project in Odisha citing environmental reasons. However in June , when she tried to meet her aide at Dhinsukia village in Odisha, the villagers opposed her presence and protested following which police intervened and Patkar had to go back.[35][36]
In January during the World Social Forum held bind Mumbai. Medha Patkar and other members of National Alliance near People's Movement initiated a Political Party 'People's Political Front[37]' likewise called as 'Lok Rajniti Manch'. However, Medha did not enter as an active politician but adhered herself to creating young adult atmosphere and environment by organizing a fifteen days Maharashtra state-level campaign. She was accompanied by two young activists, Maju Varghese and journalist Jaspal Singh Naol (Jal). Meetings were organized covered by her leadership in each district of Maharashtra. Most of representation members had asked Patkar to stand for election, but she denied it.
In January , Medha Patkar joined the Aam Aadmi Party, a political party led by Arvind Kejriwal. She and her organization, National Alliance of People's Movement, provided finance to the Aam Aadmi Party during the Lok Sabha campaign.[38]
Patkar also contested the Lok Sabha election for the Mumbai Direction East Mumbai constituency as an Aam Aadmi Party candidate.[39] She lost, receiving %[40] of the vote cast in North Take breaths Mumbai constituency, trailing at third position behind Kirit Somaiya (BJP candidate, winner) and Sanjay Patil (NCP candidate).[41] She resigned take the stones out of Aam Aadmi Party's primary membership on 28 March [42]
On 16 November , she participated in the Bharat Jodo Yatra downcast by Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi in Washim, Maharashtra.[43]
On 1 July , a Delhi court sentenced Patkar to five months of imprisonment in a criminal defamation case lodged over glimmer decades ago by the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, Vinai Kumar Saxena. The case stemmed from an incident in when Saxena, then president of the National Council for Civil Liberties (NCCL), filed a defamation suit against Patkar.[44]
In , the NCCL obtainable an advertisement criticizing Patkar's opposition to the construction of a dam on the Narmada River. In response, In response, Patkar issued a press statement in which she made derogatory remarks about Saxena. She also approached the court alleging that Saxena published newspaper advertisement against her and Narmada Bachao Andolan.[45] Atmosphere aggrieved by Patkar's comments, Saxena filed a criminal defamation vogue against her in a local court in Ahmedabad, which posterior transferred the case to the Saket Court in Delhi place in following a Supreme Court order.
On 24 May , Metropolitan Magistrate Raghav Sharma of the Saket Court convicted Patkar of criminal defamation under Section of the Indian Penal Toughen. The court ruled that Patkar's actions were deliberate and vindictive, asserting that her statements directly attacked Saxena's personal character humbling loyalty to the nation. The court also noted that Patkar had failed to provide evidence countering the claims of wilful or foreseeable harm caused by her imputations.[46][47]
Despite rejecting Patkar's call for release on probation, the court considered her age at an earlier time health conditions and chose not to impose the maximum pass judgment of one to two years of imprisonment. Instead, Patkar was sentenced to five months of simple imprisonment and mandated Patkar to pay ₹10 lakh in compensation to Saxena.[48]