Bhagvati (Bhabhi) Patidar

“Even the women had to join the struggle, if they didn’t, if they just sat at home, nothing would come of that. We may fare well, but the coming generations would have to bear the consequences, since this government wouldn’t have yielded. Women also needed to join, understand and see what is going to happen next. The movement gained a lot of strength because of the involvement of women. Men felt that if women are there, the police won’t be very aggressive because of their presence. So, the movement in general, and the men in particular, gained a lot of strength from women.  Once they had arrested us from Badwani itself… The objective of the program was that the construction of the dam should stop, and the issue of rehabilitation should be addressed first. That is, what is going to happen? Which land is going to be given to which oustee? The issue was that first of all the construction of the dam should stop, and then show us where the land (for rehabilitation) for all was going to be available? … Then they arrested everyone from there and took everyone to Maheshwar-Mandleshwar … I remember, it was the first time I was arrested … There were women police. They picked up each of us one-by-one … In the beginning we did feel apprehensive about what was going to happen and what not? But it was okay. They arrested us in the morning … and freed us around eight or nine at night. They came to the village to drop us off. So, our fear reduced. We thought that we have to wage this struggle, and if we were to entertain fear, we won’t be able to carry on. If we have to fight this struggle, being afraid wouldn’t be of any help. If we were afraid, they would make us feel more afraid, so we conjured up courage in our hearts … Earlier, daughters-in-law were supposed to remain inside the house, they were not supposed to step outside, not supposed to talk with everyone. And not in front of elders. There were so may restrictions in the village about speaking in front of elders … Nowadays, you can talk to everyone. And since we travelled, we also acquired more knowledge, so now we can talk with anyone…” –

Bhagvati bhabhi.

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This fascinating journey of Bhagvati bhabhi, is representative of the journey of women in the Nimad region of Madhya Pradesh.  Women were not just participants in the NBA but played important and diverse roles in the movement. This interview helps us understand the transformation in women’s lives brought about by being part of the NBA, from the restrictive life they led in the patriarchal society of Nimad to become free enough to confront the state and even being jailed as a consequence.

Interview Duration: 0:52:49

Language: Audio in Hindi. Subtitles in English

Subtitles can be switched on and off by clicking ‘CC’ button at the bottom right of the video