Medha Patkar

Medha Patkar was born on December 1, 1954 to Indumati, a freedom fighter and Vasant Khanolkar, a labour union leader. Her father participated in the Indian Independence Movement and her mother worked for Swadhar, an organization that supported financially weak women.

Inspired by her parents, Medha Patkar dedicated her time to social service from a very young age.

Before becoming a social worker, she graduated in science from Ruia College, Mumbai and completed her masters in Social Work from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS).

She pursued her Ph. D from TISS, studying the impact of economics on traditional societies. However, she could not complete D. Phil as she was engaged in the Narmada Bachao Andolan by the time she finished her M.Phil.

Medha Patkar started her career by working for voluntary organizations in Mumbai’s slums. After working for various organizations for five years, she started working towards the welfare of the tribal districts of Gujarat for three years.

She came under the limelight when she started the Narmada Bachao Andolan in 1985. She has been part of the movement which involves the participation of tribal people, labourers, farmers, fishers and others living near the Narmada valley. The movement also involves the participation of scientists, academicians, artists and environmentalists who have questioned the undemocratic planning of dams and the unfair distribution of benefits.

Medha Patkar questioned the strategy of linking rivers in India, which according to the government was a measure to fight water shortage issues in the country. Medha argued that Sardar Sarovar Dam project would displace more than 40,000 families, who live along the Narmada valley. Her argument was supported by many as the government did not have any rehabilitation plan in place. She fasted for 22 days, protesting against the construction of the Sardar Sarovar Dam, before winning the battle against the government.

In 1996, Medha Patkar, along with other activists, founded the National Alliance of People’s Movement (NAPM). The alliance worked towards attaining social justice, equity and political justice to people. She founded the organization with an aim to fight against oppression and to question the current development model, which according to her, favours only a section of people.

In 2005, Medha Patkar initiated the Ghar Bachao Ghar Banao Andolan which highlighted the struggle for housing rights in Mumbai. The movement began when the government of Maharashtra demolished 75,000 houses in 2005 which left thousands homeless.

Medha Patkar is well-known for the Narmada Bachao Andolan through which she fought for the rights of people living along the Narmada valley. The construction of Sardar Sarovar Dam risked the habitation of thousands of people. Since 1992, the NBA has been running Jeevanshalas, a number of schools set up in the Narmada valley. As many as 5,000 students have already passed out of the schools. Over the last 30 years, the NBA has been working consistently in several sectors like health, environment protection, employment, etc.