Author: News
Publication: The Pioneer
Date: November 19, 2006
Medha Patkar has lost the fight to stop the
Sardar Sarovar Project, but her troubles are far from over. The high-profile
leader of Narmada Bachao Andolan could land in trouble for misleading the
court that she never accepted any foreign funds.
In a December 15, 2000 affidavit to the Metropolitan
Court, New Delhi, Patkar had stated that "NBA never received foreign
funding in 16 years of its existence. The money associated with various national
or international prizes had either been declined or donated for public purposes/causes".
Six years later, Patkar has now admitted in
Supreme Court that she did receive funds from Sweden. "Rs 17.27 lakh
were remitted to us by the Right Livelihood Award, Sweden."
The amount, conferred on Baba Amte and Medha
Patkar representing the Narmada Bachao Andolan, was deposited in Jan Sahyog
Trust in which both are trustees.
The acceptance of this fact could open a can
of worms since the vigilance report of the Madhya Pradesh Government and a
report of Devas Police has also claimed that the NBA and its associates took
foreign funding to run their anti-dam movement.
Patkar's admission is part of an affidavit
filed by her on a PIL of the National Council of Civil Liberties (NCCL) in
Supreme Court on January 6.
In the PIL, NCCL highlighted the alleged criminal
activities and foreign funding of NBA and pointed out that more than 200 FIRs
were filed by Government officials against NBA. The NCCL chairman VK Saxena
has been running a sustained campaign against Patkar and her outfit.
NCCL's PIL had charged NBA and its activists
with passing on confidential reports of important projects to foreigners,
lobbying against big projects in international fora, abusing and accusing
the Supreme Court, misinformation campaign on projects of national importance
and preventing Government to rehabilitate Project Affected People, destroying
Government properties, criminal assault on officials engaged in rehabilitation
work and firearms training to adivasis through its militant wing, the adivasi
Mukti Morcha.
The Supreme Court admitted the PIL July 7
and issued notices to the respondents including NBA.
As per the guidelines of the Right Livelihood
Award "normally the foundation makes three cash awards and one honorary
award each year. They are given to individuals or organisation. The cash awards
are intended for work in progress or the extension of existing activities.
They are never given for personal use". Depositing of award money in
a personal trust instead of NBA account is again a violation of this prestigious
award.
The fact that NBA received foreign funds from
Right Livelihood Foundation and Goldman Foundation was mentioned in the vigilance
report of MP Government. The report flowed the arrest of one Rahul Banerjee
of adivasi Mukti Morcha Sangatthan, which is reportedly linked to the NBA.
Medha Patkar denied any link with Rahul Banarjee and even refuted vigilance
report that she received foreign fund.
then
NBA never received foreign funding in 16 years
of its existence. The money associated with prizes was either declined or
donated to the public
- Medha in Dec 15, 2000 affidavit to a Delhi court
and now
An amount of Rs 17.27 lakh were remitted to
us (Amte and Patkar) by the Right Livelihood Award, Sweden
- Medha in a recent affidavit to the Supreme Court
