Season 02 Episode 02

Synopsis

The Indian Himalayan district of Chamoli is an ecologically fragile region known for its meadows of native flowers and wide variety of flora. It is also rich in minerals like magnesite, iron and limestone. A construction boom across the region has fuelled the extraction of these resources, resulting in a massive increase in landslides.

Deepa Devi and Kiran Bhandari are leading a group of women fighting against the construction of a stone crusher plant by a powerful local mafia. For over a year, the women have stopped the construction of the plant near their village, Jabar Kot, using their bodies to prevent the diggers from working. Kapoor Rawat, a grassroots organiser, supports their fight despite the legal cases brought against them by the stone crusher plant company for the loss of income due to their obstruction.

As the threats and intimidation increase, the women remain determined and stay on the frontline to protect their land, forests, water and children's future.

Deepa Devi heads a group of women preventing the construction of a stone crusher plant in her village in the Indian Himalayan district of Chamoli. She and the women of Jabar Kot village have been farming all their lives and are fighting to protect their water, forest and land.

Deepa Devi, who has dedicated 35 years of her life to farming in her village, Jabar Kot in the Indian Himalayan district of Chamoli, works diligently on her wheat fields. She juggles her responsibilities on the farm and at home with the fight to stop the construction of a stone crusher plant near her village that threatens the health of the local population and local ecosystem.

Kiran Bhandari of Jabar Kot village in the Indian Himalayan district of Chamoli, prunes the oak trees in the nearby forest. The everyday lives of Kiran and the women of Jabar Kot are dependent on the mountains and its forest.

Kiran and the women of Jabar Kot village in the Indian Himalayan district of Chamoli frequently visit their nearby oak forest to collect fodder for their animals and prune the trees. For over a year, the women have been fighting against the construction of a stone crusher plant by a mining mafia near their village.

Kapoor Rawat, a grassroots organiser, is actively involved with the movement by the women of Jabar Kot village in the Indian Himalayan district of Chamoli, to protest against the construction of a stone crusher plant that threatens to harm the health of the local population and local ecosystem. He helps the women navigate the legal cases filed against them by the stone crusher company who are seeking financial compensation for loss of income due to their obstruction.

Kiran Bhandari of Jabar Kot village in the Indian Himalayan district of Chamoli is concerned about the future of her three-year-old daughter, who attends the local primary school. The stone crusher plant which the women are protesting against, is being constructed in close proximity to the school.

Kiran Bhandari of Jabar Kot village in the Indian Himalayan district of Chamoli walks with her three-year-old daughter to the local primary school. One of the main concerns of the Jabar Kot women's movement about the construction of a stone crusher plant in close proximity to the primary school is the effect of the resulting air and noise pollution on their children.

Kapoor Rawat, a grassroots organiser actively involved with the movement by the women of Jabar Kot village in the Indian Himalayan district of Chamoli, goes to the police station as he has been summoned to address charges filed by the owner of the stone crusher plant, against him and the women. The charges Kapoor and the women face include obstructing the work of the stone crusher company, threatening its owner, and breach of the peace.

The women of Jabar Kot village in the Indian Himalayan district of Chamoli, who are fighting against the construction of a stone crusher plant nearby face attempts by the mining mafia to create division by threatening, intimidating, and bribing other villagers. However, the women are determined to see the protest succeed and protect their land, forests and water.

Jabar Kot village is situated near the Pindar River in the Himalayan foothills of Uttarakhand, India. The banks of the river are being illegally mined for the stone and sand that serve as the raw material for the stone crusher industry.

Deepa Devi and a few women sit in front of a digger to stop the construction of a stone crusher in their village Jabar Kot in the Indian Himalayan district of Chamoli. They are part of a movement of women in the village which have been protesting against the construction of the plant for over a year.

The group of women who are part of a movement stopping the construction of a stone crusher plant near their village Jabar Kot, in the Indian Himalayan district of Chamoli, light torches in the night as part of their protest.

A woman runs and stands in front of a digger to stop it from working at the construction site a stone crusher plant near Jabar Kot, a village in the Indian Himalayan district of Chamoli. She is part of a group of women from the village protesting against the construction of the plant that threatens to harm the health of the local population and local ecosystem.

The women of Jabar Kot village in the Indian Himalayan district of Chamoli stand guard even in the cold night to stop digger machines from working on the construction of a stone crusher plant. The women have been fighting against the building of the plant for over a year.

Director's Statement

1) What drew you to the story in your episode?

I was deeply moved by the unity and collective effort demonstrated by the women of Jabar Kot village as they stood resolutely against big industrialists to protect their land, forest, and water. It has been a year since these 30 courageous women initiated their peaceful resistance by physically obstructing the construction of a stone crusher plant in their village. Their determination and strength as a cohesive group have allowed them to sustain the movement for such an extended period.

I was fascinated by this group of women who were fighting for their simple demands to continue living in their natural environment, uninterrupted by the greed of development but rather a desire to continue living in harmony with their mountain surroundings and to preserve their dignity.

2) What were the challenges you faced during the process (e.g. pre-pro/research, shoot, post-pro)?

When we entered the village to start shooting for our episode, we encountered a hostile environment where some people in the area supported the establishment of the stone crusher plant, while others backed the Jabar Kot women's protest to stop the construction. As a crew, we went in to capture the story and were warmly welcomed by the protesting women, who felt that the Indian media had overlooked their voices, and they were eager to share their perspective.
On the other hand, we faced hostility and threats from the locals who supported the construction of the plant, as they assumed we were in favor of the women's protest. The atmosphere was highly polarized, and we were perceived to be taking sides, which presented numerous challenges in gaining access to both sides of the story.
During the post-production of the episode, I encountered another challenge in getting the annotations cleared for the statements made by the participants. Since the story had received minimal coverage from the media, it was extremely difficult to find supporting sources to verify the claims made by the individuals on camera.

3) What were some of the memorable moments during the shoot?

One day when the women were working on their farms, they got a call from another woman in their group that the digger machine has started its operations on the stone crusher plant site. Some 20 women gathered quickly from all directions and started running downhill to the site, they fearlessly stood in front of the machine making the machine stop. It was very inspiring to see how these women were using their physical bodies to stop the operation while risking themselves to fight for the future of their village.

4) What are your hopes following the release of your film in this series?

I have high hopes that the release of the series and this particular episode will shed light on the inspiring story of these brave women who have been tirelessly protesting against the construction of the stone crusher plant. Their protest is not just about preserving their quality of life, but also safeguarding the vital elements of their existence - fresh air, water, and forest.
I believe that by sharing this powerful narrative, we can ignite a sense of inspiration and empowerment among the people of Uttarakhand, a state in the Himalayan region of India. These women's struggle reflects the larger fight for the rights of mountain communities and the call for sustainable development in the region.
My aim is to use this story as a catalyst to awaken empathy among the citizens of the state and the country, urging them to question the prevailing system and political culture. I hope that the audience can relate to the characters in the episode and see themselves in a similar situation, realizing the significance of standing up for their beliefs and the environment they cherish.

Who are the Defenders?

Deepa Devi is a farmer who is also leading a group of women from her village, Jabar Kot, to fight against a nearby construction of a stone crusher plant by a powerful local mafia.
Kiran Bhandari is a housewife and mother, who juggles her responsibilities of managing her household and caring for her daughter with the protests against the construction of a stone crusher plant.

How to help

If you'd like to provide financial support the Jabarkot women's group (Mahila Mangal Dal) protest against the construction of the stone crusher plant and their legal battle, you can make your donations through bank transfer to the following account:

Bank Name: State Bank of India Branch: Kulsari Account name: Mahila mangal Dall, Jabarkot Account no: 31515262043 IFSC Code: SBIN0009955
For queries on your donations, you can reach out to Kiran Bhandari via her FB page: https://www.facebook.com/kiran.chinwan

If you'd like to provide financial aid to help the people impacted by the Joshimath disaster, the environmental NGO, Joshimath Bachao Sangharsh Samiti has opened a bank account for donations below:

Bank Name: Punjab National Bank Branch Name: Joshimath Account Name: Joshimath Bachao Sangharsh Samiti Account Number: 0245000100233831 IFSC Code: PUNB0024500

Contributions will also be used for future disaster relief in Joshimath. For queries to Joshimath Bachao Sangharsh Samiti, you can reach them via their FB page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100091757396567

The Last Defenders