Eminent environmentalist and Narmada Bachao Andolan leader Medha Patkar on Saturday said her detention by Odisha Police at Rayagada railway station reflected the "insecurity" of the state government.
Addressing a convention on the environment at Lohia Academy in Bhubaneswar, Patkar said: “I was shocked and surprised when I was detained by the Odisha police upon my arrival in Rayagada. I was greeted by the police at 4.30am. This has never happened before. Why is the government so scared?”
Patkar was detained on Thursday after reaching Rayagada to address a public meeting at Sunger Hatpada under the Kashipur block. The meeting, held to protest proposed mining projects in Sijimali and other tribal-dominated areas of Rayagada and neighbouring districts, was scheduled to coincide with World Environment Day. Patkar’s address was to be the main attraction at the event.
“I have attended many such meetings in Odisha — at Niyamgiri in Kalahandi, Dhinkia in Jagatsinghpur, and Baliapal in Balasore — but never faced detention. This time, the police escorted me from Rayagada to Berhampur, a 200km journey that took nearly 10 hours. The police were polite, but they were clearly carrying out government orders,” she said.
Criticising the Majhi government, Patkar said: “They feared we would inform people about the dangers of indiscriminate mining. Water (jal), land (jamin), and forests (jungle) are under threat. The people’s rights over these must be protected, not snatched away.”
She also questioned the commodification of natural resources under the current economic model. “In today’s export-driven economy, natural resources are treated as commodities. After returning from the Paris environment conference, the government auctioned 41 coal mines. This path leads to destruction. We must now shift to an alternative economy rooted in ecology,” she said.
Patkar expressed concern over the drying up of the Rushikulya river, a lifeline for southern Odisha, and criticised the proposed dam on it. “Instead of restoring water levels, the government is thinking of benefiting corporations. We’ve seen the consequences of building mega dams like the Sardar Sarovar. Even in the US, there is a move toward small barrages. We must enact a law to conserve and protect rivers and water bodies.”
Former Odisha forest and environment secretary Arabindo Behera, who was also present, stressed the need to protect forests to preserve water sources. “We must conduct a study on the Hirakud Dam, built 70 years ago, to determine whether it has fulfilled its intended purpose.”
Social activist and Goldman Environmental Prize winner Prafulla Samantara alleged that the “double-engine government” had failed to address public concerns and was focused instead on exploiting natural resources. “Mining is being carried out without proper consent from gram sabhas. We have raised the matter with the parliamentary standing committee,” he said.