Contribution of Medha Patkar to Indian society

CONTRIBUTION OF MEDHA PATKAR TO THE INDIAN SOCIETY
Medha Patkar was born on December 1, 1954 in Bombay to socially active parents. Her father Vasant Khanolkar was a well known freedom fighter and trade unionist while her mother, Indu Khanolkar, runs a women's organization, Swadhar. Coming from such a family background, she grew up to be highly motivated, exceptionally brave and unafraid to speak out for social causes. Her ideological orientation to values of equity, justice and democratic socialism came through various rural vacation camps and social activities of youth organizations.
Medha Patkar completed her BSc from Ruia College Mumbai and earned an MA in Social Work from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, after which she worked with voluntary organisations in Mumbai's slums for 5 years and tribal districts of North-East Gujarat for 2 years. She left her position on the faculty of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences as well as her unfinished PhD when she became immersed in the tribal and peasant communities in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. She also worked as a consultant on the Integrated Child Development Services (Anganwadis) for UNICEF and contributed to improvement in the structure and procedures of the Scheme. She is the founder member of Narmada Bachao Andolan and was National Convener of National Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM), an alliance of progressive people's organisations. She was a representative to the World Commission on Dams, to research the environmental, social and economic impacts of the development of large dams globally.
Well, Medha Patkar didn't enjoy a good personal life. After coming out of the TISS, she got married with Mr. Patkar. Mr. Patkar is a Marathi Brahmin, and unfortunately was quite orthodox. She was not the wife Mr. Patkar or his family were expecting. They didn't like her going to the slums every day and fighting for small issues like drains. They have quite a different understanding about sexuality and how a woman should behave. Unfortunately, they couldn't resolve the dialogue and decided to get separated. The divorce happened quite amicably. Both Medha and her husband didn't marry after divorce. They are also not having any offspring.
The effort taken by Medha Patkar against the social and economic deprivation of the poor and the rural/tribal people of India is immense. Medha Patkar, as a social activist and part of the National Alliance of People’s Movements has been instrumental in intervening in many people’s struggles across the country asserting the right of local communities over natural resources and their right to plan their own development. A few insights can be discussed by describing her role in various movements…
Narmada Bachao Andolan
The Narmada Bachao Andolan (Save the Narmada Campaign) was set up in 1985 under her leadership. The andolan worked to analyze the cost & benefits and the social & environmental impact of the dam. Patkar raised various issues pertaining to violation of environmental laws and constitutional rights of people. NBA, through various public actions, attempts to publicize the impeding ecological disaster and the plight of the people to be displaced by a series of mega dams on river Narmada. The actions include sit-ins, rallies, fasts and satyagrahas. The international impact of NBA's advocacy with research, dialogue and deliberations led to the World Bank acknowledging that its continued support to the Sardar Sarovar (Narmada) dam would be disastrous for the environment and people, and finally WB withdrew its support from the project in 1993.
Patkar feels that the Narmada Valley Project is a result of a lopsided development plan, where the benefits for the rich and the powerful gets more leverage than the effect of that on the poor via displacement and loss of livelihood. She and NBA challenge displacement, loss of livelihood and also the rich natural resources and invaluable archeological heritage, which is avoidable and which is without prior, just and fair rehabilitation. She also brought out the true costs and benefits of the Project and today, when the Project seems to be not accruing due benefits to the drought-affected regions of Kutch, while the cost if multiplied, their questioning is proved right. In May of 1990, Patkar organized a five-day sit-in at Prime Minister V.P. Singh’s residence in New Delhi along with 2000 other supporters, which convinced the Prime Minister to ‘reconsider’ the project. In December of the same year, Medha Patkar organized Narmada Jan Sangharsh Yatra marching over 100 kms, accompanied by her team members and about 5000-6000 men & women who all decided to give up their lives for the river.
On 7th January, 1991 Patkar began an indefinite hunger strike with her team.
On January 28, she ended her hunger strike after 22 days without food.
In the same year during monsoon, Patkar and her NBA protesters claimed to stay in the villages untill getting drowned from the water of Sardar Sarovar reservoir and in response government banned Patkar and other activists from the villages.
In June 1993, Medha Patkar began a fast in downtown Bombay which lasted for 14 days and in July of same year she announced to take Jal Samarpan (self-sacrifice by drowning) after which the government agreed to start the review process.
On November 21, 1994, Patkar stopped eating. Twenty-six days later, the Madhya Pradesh govt agreed that it would demand a halt to construction pending progress on resettlement and then the fast was called off.
On 28th March, 2006, Medha went on a hunger strike, in protest of the decision taken by the authorities, to increase the height of the Narmada dam. The strike continued for a long period of 20 days and finally came to an end on April 17, 2006.
The struggle for life of 250000 people of narmada valley is still on.

National Alliance of People's Movements
The National Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM) is an alliance of people's movements in India, with the stated aim of working on a range of issues related to socio-economic justice, political justice and equity. Medha Patkar founded the National Alliance of Peoples' Movements with the objective of "facilitating unity and providing strength to peoples' movements in India, fighting against oppression, further questioning the current development model so as to work towards a just alternative". She is the national convener of the NAPM.

World Commission on Dams
Patkar served as a Commissioner to the World Commission on Dams, the first independent global multi-stakeholder Commission constituted to enquire on the water, power and alternative issues, related to dams, across the world. She provided detailed analysis of large dams and in-depth recommendations on the planning of large dams or any development project. The final report was signed unanimously, with an additional comment from Patkar.
Singur Struggle:
The struggle by peasants, share croppers, agriculturists and other landless labourers to save their collective asset – land in Singur from the Tata Nano Plant was a major political battle ground in which Medha Patkar entered and played a pivotal role. She exposed not just the false police cases, but also the fake claims of development of the region, by destroying the most fertile land. She also contributed by organizing fact findings, survey of the affected families and assisting in lending a systematic approach to a sudden crisis situation. She insisted on the participation of the Gram Sabhas in the decision making process as crucial to any move with regard to the Plant. She lent her rich experience derived from the Narmada struggle to the movements at Singur and Nandigram. While also challenging lack of land – based rehabilitation, she questioned the very mode of development that does not care to minimize destruction of fertile irrigated agricultural land and other farm land. Acknowledging the role of Mamata Bannerjee in the Singur struggle, she brought in a wider people’s perspective to the issue.
Nandigram Movement:
Medha played a key role in the struggle of farmers at Nandigram to save their farm land from acquisition for the chemical hub and SEZ. She stood in solidarity at the most crucial moment when in the name of ‘development’ the women were raped, the men either fell to police bullets or were arrested, beaten up or disappeared and the children were rendered homeless. The political situation in Bengal was quite different from other states, since the ruling Left was seen to have a history of identifying with the peasants and working class. However, when the party changed its allegiance and began holding brief for corporates and capitalists, Medha was amongst the first national leaders who questioned this shift in the paradigm of the CPM and demanded accountability from the Party. Her involvement, not just as an independent observer, but as a resister of state arrogance, brought in more attention to the issue outside Bengal. She also appealed to and mobilized people from various walks of life including intellectuals, artists, advocates, jurists, politicians activists etc. for the cause.

Lavasa
Lavasa is a project by Hindustan Construction Corporation, in Maharashtra. It is a yet-to be completed city. Lavasa Project is criticised by P. Sainath for unjust use of water in a worst hit farmer suicide state. Medha Patkar with villagers of Lavasa protested for the environmental damage in Nagpur. She also filed a PIL-Public Interest Litigation in Supreme Court against the Lavasa project.
Jan Lokpal Movement:
Medha participated in this popular agitation, not just for bringing in a piece of legislation, which in itself was quite significant but tried to lend her voice and vision to a mass uprising against the rampant menace of corruption and mis-governance in the country. Along with Anna Hazare, Arvind Kejriwal, Prashant Bhushan and others, she brought in a unique grounded vision to the IAC struggle and linked it with the day to day battles of the masses of the country – like loot of natural resources, onslaught on land and livelihoods of adivasis, farmers, fish workers, poor, unorganized labour and other communities, corporatization, privatization etc. She also constantly highlighted the need for wider reforms in the electoral system, stressed for accountability mechanisms and asserted the crucial role played by the people’s struggles across the country in highlighting corruption, which is not just monetary, but is systemic, endemic and has assumed the form of an epidemic. Her participation, at Ramlila Maidan and thereafter, as an icon, drew thousands of ordinary people and youth towards the struggle.
GHAR BANAO GHAR BACHAO ANDOLAN
The ghar banao ghar bachao andolan was started in 2004 which raised the issues of inequal distribution of land and also disclosed the corruption in the SRA projects. The andolan was against the project of government(SRA) to demolish total of 44 slums in Mumbai. 90000 houses were destroyed within a month without any facilities or compensation to the people. Patkar, along with Maddhuri Shivkar, started a fast on 4th April, 2013 after demolition of 70+ houses of GaneshKrupa Society, Golibar. On the 9th day of Medha Patkar and Madhuri Shivkar’s fast at Golibar, Mumbai, Sh. Prithviraj Chavan, Chief Minister, Maharashtra intervened. After a meaningful meeting and written assurances by the Principal Secretary(Housing) and CEO, SRA followed by a meeting and agreement to the demands by the Chief Minister, Medha patkar and Madhuri Shivkar call off the fast at 1 AM on 13th April, 2013, but the struggle will continue to ensure proper implementation of the decisions.

Save Sugar-Cooperatives Mission
To save Sugar-Cooperative sector in Maharashtra from falling into hand of politicians, Medha Patkar organized few protests. She explained that "the politicians are interested in the prime plots of land, old equipment and machinery," of sugar co-operatives and accused state of selling assets of industry at throwaway rates. On 9th December 2013, Patkar also disclosed the sugar factory scam worth 20000 crore of renowned politicians of Maharashtra including Sharad Pawar, Ajit Pawar, Nitin Gadhkari, etc.

Hiranandani land scam
Medha Patkar along with other activist registered PIL in High Court, alleging violations by property tycoon Niranjan Hiranandani in building luxury flats instead of affordable houses. Hiranandani had signed a lease for the 230 acres of land in 1986 at rate of Re 1 per hectare in a tripartite agreement with the state and Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority. Responding to PIL Maharashtra High Court judges says that" we appreciate the elegance of the construction and the intent at creating an architecture marvel for the city of Mumbai, we see the specific intent of wholly ignoring the most vital, and perhaps the only, condition in tripartite agreement (to create affordable houses of 40 and 80 sq m)". If calculated according to the current market price, the quantum of the scam will be around Rs. 450 billion. There are numerous other efforts taken by her for development of our society and some are the major efforts are :-
Medha Patkar on 27th November, 2013 strongly opposed land acquisition in Kovvada of Ranasthalam mandal in Srikakulam district saying that the nuclear plant would be a disaster for ecology as well as people of North Andhra region. She demanded that the land acquisition process should be stopped completely as nuclear was no more an option for electricity generation in the world.
Patkar also criticized Narendra Modi’s development model followed in Gujarat. “The Gujarat model is only pro-corporate and not for the common man. In every part of the state, there are conflicts over forcible land acquisition. Any industry that plans to have a project in Gujarat gets land as the government has been snatching land from the poor without caring for their rehabilitation”, said Patkar.
Referring to the Land Acquisition and Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill 2011, Patkar demanded rehabilitation package for land-losers upto 25 acre onwards instead of 100 acres as proposed in the bill. Terming the rehabilitation package in the bill as cash-oriented, Patkar demanded livelihood protection for land losers. Besides, not even single-crop agricultural land should be acquired for industry.

Patkar have been honored by many awards for her efforts like :
She was a recipient of Right Livelihood Award (1991) which is also known as alternate Nobel prize.
M.A.Thomas National Human Rights Award (1999)
Human Rights Defender's Award
Deena Nath Mangeshkar Award
Babasaheb Ambedkar Award
Goldman Environment Prize
Green Ribbon Award by BBC for best international political campaigner
Mahatma Phule Award All the financial rewards given to her with these awards is used for 14 Jeevanshala (life schools) with 1400 children which runs as residential schools in the mountainous adivasi regions of the Satpudas.

Medha Patkar have faced many challenges and hardships from the side of many Government organisations regarding her protests for the people. She have been arrested by Police many times and also there were times where ‘Lathi charge’ was ordered against her protests and against the people supporting her. Inspite of such challenges, she also worked for the people in an clean, efficient and effective manner.

Medha Patkar have always tried to elevate the living conditions of poor and tribal people by getting them their own rights and she completely devoted her life for the people.

CONCLUSION
There is no other way but to redefine 'modernity' and the goals of development, to widen it to a sustainable, just society based on harmonious, non-exploitative relationships between human beings and between people and nature.
SHE AIMS TO EMPOWER PEOPLE’S POWER FOR PEOPLE’S MOVEMENT FOR PEOPLE’S DEMOCRATIC RULE