Police wrong in stopping Medha Patkar at Musi Basti, says AICC in-charge Meenakshi Natarajan at NAPM convention

Hyderabad: Democracy is surviving because of people’s movements: the message eminent activists from across the country conveyed to the public at NAPM’s National Convention organised in the city.

The National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM) organised its 30th Anniversary National Convention at Exhibition Grounds from March 1 to 4. Many eminent social activists and intellectuals from across the country spoke, and about 1,000 people from 200 people’s movements/organisations participated.

The convention marked the historic occasion of NAPM’s journey as a collective voice for justice, equality and people’s rights.

Eminent speakers

The event brought together activists and people’s organisations to reflect on the past, strategise for the future and reaffirm commitment to democracy and constitutional justice, the event organisers said in a public statement.

The panelists included prominent speakers who shared their insights into people’s movements and discussed the pressing challenges facing democracy today with regard to their area of work. A key moment of the celebration was the release of the souvenir of NAPM, a booklet titled ‘Safarnaama’, encapsulating three decades of struggles, victories, and the path forward.

Role of civil society in safeguarding democracy

One of the highlights of the first day was the inaugural panel, titled ‘Defending Democracy – Constitutional Justice to Climate Justice’, chaired by eminent scholar and human rights activist Prof. G Haragopal.

Sonam Wangchuk, a renowned environmentalist, education reformer, and a key voice in Ladakh’s resistance to constitutional safeguards, emphasised the crucial role of civil society movements in safeguarding democracy.

“Without civil society organisations, private interests can easily capture the State,” he said. Refuting the narrative that activists oppose development, he added, “Governments often face corporate pressure, but civil society protests can strengthen the State’s ability to push back, citing public resistance. A sensitive government should recognise our contributions in a positive light,” he said.

Speaking on Ladakh’s ongoing demands to be included in the 6th Schedule of the Constitution, Wangchuk asserted, “What Ladakh is asking for is within the constitutional framework. It was part of the BJP’s election manifesto in 2019 and again during the 2020 Ladakh Hill Council election. Why has simply reminding the government of its promise become a crime in the last two years?”

Speaking about the importance of civil society, Medha Patkar, renowned activist, associated with the Narmada Bachao Aandolan, said, “It is the communities like the farmers, the workers, the adivasis who protect constitutional values of equality and justice by protecting land, minerals, rivers, by making them useful and protecting them for future generations, without seeing it solely from profit lens.”

Debate over language

Day two also witnessed prominent speakers such as founder of Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS) Aruna Roy and Carnatic vocalist and activist TM Krishna.

Speaking about the ongoing debate about language imposition, Krishna said, “My mother tongue is Tamil, and I have no issue with people learning Hindi if they choose to. But if it is forced upon us, we will resist.”

“We often repeat the phrase 'unity in diversity', but how can we truly celebrate diversity without equality? The role of culture and artists is crucial in addressing inequality. Art serves as a powerful starting point for communication - through songs and creative expression, people can connect and build understanding,” he added.

Aruna Roy made the participants read out the Preamble to the Constitution. She highlighted that in recent times, there’s been an attack on the values of the Constitution as enshrined in the Preamble, especially on the diversity of India in terms of gender or caste.

Real power comes from people’s movements

Prashant Bhushan, a public interest lawyer in the Supreme Court, said, “All the ideas we embrace from the constitution are under attack today—secularism, equality, and especially civil rights, including the right to movement and protest. There’s been a special attack on freedom of speech via censorship and an attempt to stall critical thinking in the country. Its most visible example is appointing RSS-approved vice-chancellors in universities.”

Police were wrong in stopping Medha Patkar at Musi Basti, says Meenakshi Natarajan

Telangana All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge Meenakshi Natarajan attended the NAPM convention on the last day.

Referring to a recent incident where the police allegedly asked Medha Patkar to return from a visit to a basti on the Musi River, Meenakshi Natarajan said, “It is the right of Medha Patkar or any citizen to visit affected people, and it is wrong of the police to stop her from doing that. A progressive political party should not ask citizens like Medha Patkar to take permission before visiting an area.”

“Today, workers of political party think that power is given to them by the leaders at the top. They have forgotten that workers take real power from the people and from people’s movements. Hence, a constant dialogue between party workers and people’s movements is essential,” she said.