Nandini Oza leads Narmada Movement oral history talk at Sacred Heart College

Writer and oral historian Nandini Oza led “Narmada Movement: Through the Lens of Oral History” on Oct. 16. The session started at 11 a.m. at Sacred Heart College, Thevara. The hall was full.

The Kochi Biennale Foundation hosted the talk. It was part of the Let’s Talk series. Kirloskar supported the programme.

The talk

Oza shared oral accounts from women in affected communities and from activists in the movement. She spoke about people who lost their homes. She also spoke about the loss of traditional livelihoods and cultural practices. She described how communities chose to protest.

The talk also looked at how these stories are often left out of national accounts of the events. Oza spoke about why oral history matters for recording real lives.

Nandini Oza

Oza was a full-time Narmada Bachao Andolan activist from 1990 to 2001. She worked with people affected by the Sardar Sarovar Project in Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. Her books include “Whither Justice: Stories of Women in Prison” and “The Struggle for Narmada.”

Venue

Sacred Heart College is on Pandit Karuppan Road, Thevara. Read more on the Sacred Heart College event page or in the college report on the session.

Read the Sacred Heart College report to learn more about the session.