The Koel Karo Jan Sanghatana was awarded the first Bhagirath Award during the India Rivers Week 2014 for protecting the Koel and the Karo rivers. That this is not an organisation that many people have heard of is a shame. The struggle that this organisation has faced against the Koel Karo dam is on par (some would argue that it's greater) with David's struggle against Goliath. It is one of the very few times in India, if not the world, where tribal peoples have successfully persuaded the government to cancel a project that was been sanctioned.
Koel Karo is not just a case for the history books. There are many lessons that the myriad groups protesting against dams can learn from this one successful story. All they have to do is to ask "Why?"
India has no shortage of dams that threaten local communities and their livelihoods. In nearly all such cases, a passionate and organised resistance has been born. While the construction of some dams has been halted, none have had the definitive victory that Koel Karo has achieved.
How did the Koel Karo Jan Sanghatan bring about an official cancellation of a previously sanctioned dam? Five reasons.
And today, the Koel and the Karo rivers run free.