lang: en
Summary
From July 2000 to March 2002, Indian villagers and activists led by Vishwu Hindu Parishad and Sunderlal Bahuguna protested the construction of the Tehri Dam on the Bhagirati River, which would flood the town of Tehri and displace thousands. They used hunger strikes, sit-ins, and nonviolent obstruction to demand a halt to construction and proper rehabilitation for displaced people. Despite sustained protests, the government-appointed committee declared the dam safe in March 2002, and construction continued, leading to the submergence of Tehri.
Background
In 1990, the Indian government and Tehri Hydro Power Corporation planned to build the fourth largest dam in the world at Tehri in the Himalayan foothills, which would flood the town and displace up to ten thousand residents. Scientists opposed the dam due to its location near the central Himalayan Seismic Gap, where an earthquake could destroy it and kill up to 500,000 people. The Bhagirati River is also sacred in Himalayan culture, making the dam an affront to local beliefs.
What happened
In July 2000, Vishwu Hindu Parishad began a campaign to stop the dam, using the slogan ‘Let the Ganga flow unhindered eternally’ [source: nv-database]. In December 2000, hundreds of locals held peaceful dharna (sit-ins) at the construction site, with some fasting for over a month; on 6 January 2001, police beat hundreds and arrested twenty-four [source: nv-database]. Sunderlal Bahuguna joined with a hunger strike on 9 December 2000, protesting the lack of compensation for displaced people [source: nv-database]. In January 2001, Matu Movement protesters stopped trucks carrying earth, leading to police lathi charges and beatings of over a hundred people, including children [source: nv-database]. On 31 March 2001, activists began a sit-in at the main construction site, halting work for three weeks; on 22 April, police arrested fifty campaigners after a High Court ruling [source: nv-database]. Bahuguna began another hunger strike in detention, prompting the government to form a new committee [source: nv-database]. In June 2001, locals protested corruption charges against the Tehri Hydro Development Corporation [source: nv-database]. On 4 August 2001, over a hundred women protested in the forests against deforestation for transmission lines [source: nv-database]. On 15 October 2001, locals protested land titles allowing deforestation in protected forests [source: nv-database]. In March 2002, the committee declared the dam safe, and construction continued; by 2004, Phase I was complete and Tehri was submerged [source: nv-database].
Key people & organizations
- Vishwu Hindu Parishad
- Sunderlal Bahuguna
- Matu Movement
- Chipko Andolan
- Tehri Hydro Power Corporation
- Indian government
- Ashok Singhal
Tactics used
The campaign combined traditional Indian nonviolent methods like hunger strikes and sit-ins with obstruction of construction work, aiming to disrupt the dam’s progress and draw public attention to the displacement and environmental risks. [source: nv-database]
Outcome
Verdict: lost.
The campaign failed to stop the dam; the government-appointed committee declared it safe in March 2002, and construction proceeded, leading to the flooding of Tehri. However, the movement survived and grew, influencing later dam protests in the Himalayas. [source: nv-database]
Lessons
- Sustained nonviolent obstruction can temporarily halt construction but may not overcome government and corporate determination.
- Hunger strikes by respected leaders can generate media attention and force government concessions, but these may be insufficient.
- Coalitions between religious groups, environmentalists, and local villagers can broaden the base of a campaign.
Sources
- Global Nonviolent Action Database —
[[nv-database]]
Disclaimer: Included as a teaching example of campaign craft, not as endorsement.
Sources & verification
nv-database— grounding: primary — license: link-only- Rewritten: 2026-06-25 via
worker_casestudies_v2.py