Lok Adhikar Sangh and Narmada Bachao Andolan, Ahmedabad, Gujarat
Girishbhai Patel, popularly known as the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) man of Gujarat was a renowned human rights lawyer of Gujarat. Importantly, Girishbhai was into the thick of all important people’s movements of Gujarat since the time of India’s independence; be it the Adhyapak Movement to the Maha Gujarat Andolan, Navnirman Andolan to the Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA). Founder of Lok Adhikar Sangh, Girishbhai during his life time filed over two hundred public interest litigations for the rights of the marginalised and protection of environment. His involvement went beyond just legal actions, and he actively and directly participated in many struggles of the marginalised communities of Gujarat. Founding member and ideologue of NBA, Girishbhai’s role in the movement has been phenomenal.
In the short clip excerpted here, Girishbhai explains how the court case of the tribals displaced by the Ukai dam and sugarcane cutters known as Koytas in the fields of South Gujarat where the Ukai dam provided irrigation helped him understand the many issues emerging out of big dams. Girishbhai further talks about the issues concerning Public Interest Litigation as a strategy in a people’s movement, the struggle of the tribals displaced by the construction of the Sardar Sarovar’s Project Colony at Kevadia, the issues around the Land Acquisition Act and NBA’s struggle against the Official Secrets Act.
I specially wish to thank Amita Baviskar and Nirjhari Sinha for the photos in the interview of Girishbhai Patel. The other photos are as acknowledged in the Support Network.
Interview Duration: 0:31:00
Language: Gujarati and English, Subtitles in English
Subtitles can be switched on and off by clicking ‘CC’ button at the bottom right of the video