High court asks Centre to consider ban on NBA

The Gujarat high court on Friday directed the Centre to consider the representations of National Council for Civil Liberty to declare Narmada Bachao Andolan as an unlawful institution.

Chief justice D M Dharmadhikari and Justice K A Puj ordered that the Centre and the state government take appropriate action against NBA and Medha Patkar.

The petition was filed against Union of India, Gujarat state, Narmada Bachao Andolan and Medha Patkar.

The petitioners had demanded that the Centre and state should inquire into what it described as illegal activities of the NBA and to take action against it and its leader Ms. Patkar. NCCL had prayed that NBA be restrained from making any statement, declarations, utterances, writings, and publications in the media in any form whatsoever and organising programmes.

While directing the Centre, the high court dismissed off the petition.

The high court observed that the state and the Centre have powers to take action against the respondents considering the several allegations made in the memorandum of petition against them.

The high court further observed that if such allegations and activities are unlawful then government can exercise powers under clause (F) of section 2 and provisions of section 3 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. The high court admitted the fact that the petitioner has made serious allegations against the NBA and Ms. Patkar.

On behalf of the petitioner, K G Vakharia alleged that NBA is a non-registered body. In a 175-page long petition, the petitioner stated that the NBA has been opposing projects of national importance like the Sardar Project for long, at the behest of multinational companies and foreign powers whose objective is to thwart India's progress.

The petitioner also pointed out how the NBA has been criticising through different forums the Supreme Court verdict delivered on October 18, 2000.

The NCCL contended that the design of Ms. Patkar is to starve India on both water and power and to help the multinational companies and other vested interests that do not want to see India as a developed country.

The organisation also quoted World Energy Report, 1996, wherein Indian coal reserve is shown to last only for another 45 years, oil reserve for 21 years and gas reserve for 38 years.

It also attacked documentary evidences to show how the NBA is collecting millions of rupees through its 30 support groups in India and foreign countries.

Republished from The Asian Age