"having seen so much excellent struggle on that river since the 1980s, how can you deny that this is a mass, indigenous struggle?"
(and some harsher things)
To which I say, struggle does not mean you should suspend judgement.
Before the NBA was involved in the campaign, local activists, like Anil Patel's ARCH-Vahini had already negotiated good resettlement deals from the authorities for those who were displaed by the dam.
NBA's outright opposition to the dam was a rhetorical posture that allowed the activists to grandstand but did nothing for the people. The NBA encouraged people to refuse the resettlement packages, exposing them to much greater hardship.
The NBA was sponsored by US-based environmental groups who used the Narmada Valley aboriginals as a stage army for their own fantasy struggle against the modern world. They persuaded the World Bank to withdraw funds, but the Indian government went ahead anyway.
As is clear from the article you reproduce, the NBA has now, having failed to prevent the dam, gotten off its high horse and started to debate the conditions of its building. The 'principled opposition' to resettlement packages has been forgotten, and the NBA is trying to negotiate better deals. But substantially, they have not improved upon what was achieved in 1987.
The reason that the NBA did not win the battle was because it had no answer to Gujarat's water and electricity needs. Siddartha Shome explains the gains:
Irrigation to be provided to 1,792,000 hectares of land spread over 12 districts, 62 talukas and 3,393 villages (75% in drought-prone areas) in Gujarat and 73,000 hectares in the arid areas of Barmer and Jalore districts of Rajasthan, benefiting more than 5 million people. Drinking Water facilities to 8,215 villages and 135 urban centers in Gujarat, benefiting 25-30 million people. Peak power generation of 1450 MW2.
In 2000, the Indian Supreme Court decided against the NBA, and in favour of the Dam. In the six years from 1994 to 2000 what did the NBA do to persuade those people who were waiting for electricity and water that they should oppose the dam?
p.s. I am glad you liked Curtis' doc., I have the other two on disk, which I can transfer (there is some quality loss).