‘Curbing Agitations Absolutely Fascist’

'The first blow was the new BJP government’s unilateral decision to raise the wall of the Narmada Dam by 17 metres, something the Narmada Bachao Andolan’s spearhead Medha Patkar has had been fighting for years. Now it appears the government is set to clamp down on the NGOs that are active in opposing big business. Patkar spoke to Prachi Pinglay-Plumber. Excerpts from the interview:...

We do not take foreign funds as ours is a movement not an NGO. We get free legal services from lawyers, we take old computers and furniture and we work on very little money.

One of your organisations was also named?

Ours is a decentralised outfit and small organisations are formed all over. Narmada Sagar may be named but nothing will come of it. This is an overarching strategy to intimidate voices of dissent.

So you think the real reason isn’t tracing funds sources but more to do with clamping down on the NGOs and spread fear?

Yes. They don’t want any barriers in their corporate agenda. NGOs and social organisations challenge that. So the authorities project it as if outsiders are coming and protesting against development projects. But they are merely representing locals—farmers, adivasis, the displaced. Also, if the organisations are protesting within constitutional and legal limits, then it is their right to do so. To curb the right to express and the right to agitate is going against the Constitution. It’s absolutely fascist. It is typically Modi’s style, not to say no on your face but employ other ways and means. For instance, look how undemocratically they decided on the height of the Narmada dam, despite clear SC decisions on the rehabilitation of the 2.5 lakh displaced people...'