By Japan K Pathak, Ahmedabad, 16 February 2014

In January this year, Delhi based Aam Aadmi Party(AAP) held a press conference in which Medha Patkar announced her support to AAP. This press conference was also addressed by AAP leader Prashant Bhushan.

This was a suicidal step for AAP’s fortune in Gujarat because two generations of Gujaratis here Are very well aware about how Medha Patkar, backed by huge foreign fund, tried her best to defame, delay and fail the Sardar Sarovar Narmada dam project. As Gujarati people gave a united fight, this foreign funded lady could not stop the project as per her (or foreign) design. Sadly, she could delay the project successfully, which caused multi-fold escalation in cost of project execution.

If even after 54 years, this project, crucial not just for one but for four states has not been completed, if construction work at the dam site is on halt for over five years, one single person who can be termed as a root cause is Medha Patkar.

On Medha’s plea the Supreme Court stayed the project during 1995-1998. On Medha’s plea, the Supreme Court in its order gave direction on 18.10.2000 that the permission to raise the height of the Sardar Sarovar Dam beyond 90 meter shall be given by the Narmada Control Authority, from time to time, after it obtains the clearance from the Relief and Rehabilitation (R&R) Sub-group (including consultation with the three Grievances Redressal Authorities GRAs of Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra) and the Environment Sub-group. As per the same order the R&R Sub-Group was asked to convey clearance only after consultation with the Grievance Redressal Authorities (GRAs) in each of the three states.

These speed-breakers terribly hurt the progress of Narmada dam project even today. Take a stock of present situation. For five years, construction was on halt due to lack of clearance from R&R Sub-group. When inquired in parliament, R&R Sub-group said GRA-Maharashtra’s objections were responsible for delay. GRA-Maharashtra pointed figure to Medha Patkar who had filed several objections! Following Gujarat government’s pressure, the R&R Sub-group has given clearance last year, but now Narmada Tribunal is delaying its decision! Result? The construction work is still on halt!

The estimate for Sardar Sarovar Project approved by the Planning Commission of India in October, 1988 was Rs. 6406.04 crore at the price level of 1986-87. The revised investment clearance accorded by the Planning Commission on 20.05.2010 was Rs. 39240.45 crore at the 2008-09 price level. Imagine the burden every step of delay brings with it! Such figures don’t open our eyes even now, because one-after-another, these delays are just not ending, and persons like Medha Patkar continue to get more and more fund, publicity and now open political backing!

If like Aamir Khan you are also in illusion that Medha’s fight was for poor tribal, you need to know that her fight was only against development. Once the issue of tribal was settled by court and Medha, Bhushan and Roy completed thier dharna against Supreme court, Medha and team launched another campaign against Narmada dam claiming that large dams world-over serve no purpose!

It’s not Narmada dam, these people are against every major development project, be it a nuclear power station or industrial corridor. Medha was touring in south Gujarat last year protesting against proposed dedicated freight corridor, extremely important infrastructure project for futuristic requirements of resource mobilisation in this nation.

These people support red corridor, and oppose rail corridor.

After Medha joined AAP, and announcement was made in this regard in a press conference addressed by Medha herself and AAP leader Prashant Bhushan( who was assisting Narmada Bachao Andolan in legal fight in Supreme Court)in Delhi in January this year, none major daily published from Ahmedabad reported this development, perhaps to keep AAP’s future in Gujarat intact( AAP naa laabhaarthe!) In a press conference held in Delhi today afternoon, AAP has declared Medha Patkar as party’s candidate for Mumbai North-East Lok Sabha seat.