Kochi Biennale hosted a Let’s Talk session titled “Narmada Movement Through the Lens of Oral History” at Sacred Heart College (Autonomous), Thevara, on 16 October 2026. The session was led by activist and oral historian Nandini Oza and attracted a full house.
The talk explored the struggles of communities in the Narmada Valley who opposed the construction of the Sardar Sarovar Dam through the Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA). Drawing on oral testimonies from women in affected communities and activists involved in the movement, Nandini Oza highlighted the experiences of displacement, the loss of traditional livelihoods and cultural practices, and the strategies adopted by communities in their resistance.
The session also examined how the voices and experiences of these communities are often excluded from dominant national narratives. It emphasised the importance of oral history in documenting lived experiences and understanding social movements that are frequently absent from written histories and conventional archives.
The programme was supported by Kirloskar. For more information, visit oralhistorynarmada.in.
