DRAUGHT AND FIRE

http://devinder-sharma.blogspot.in/2016/05/drought-forest-fires-and-heat-wave.htm

At a time when 60 per cent of Maharashtra villages are grappling with a severe drought, quite a significant proportion of people living with drought for the third year in a row, news reports say Maharashtra has fast-tracked key infrastructure projects worth Rs 50,000-crore, most of them in rural areas. Much of the financial outlay is for Mumbai-Nagpur super communication expressway and expansion of the Mumbai-Goa national highway.

In another news report, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has served a notice to Punjab government for axing 96,000 trees for widening the 20-km stretch of Zirakpur-Bathinda highway. As many as 50 per cent of these trees belonging to the species – Sheesham, Neem, Arjuna, Brahma Drek, Melia, Keekar and Eucalyptus – were planted under a Rs 450-crore afforestation project about a decade ago.

These two examples illustrate the absence of environmental protection in the model of economic growth that is being overzealously pursued. I have never understood why policy makers should not be insisting on integrating environment with economic growth. After all, much of the environmental crisis that the country is faced with – a severe drought leading to an acute water shortage afflicting 54-crore people in 10 States, a devastating forest fire in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh and a record-breaking heat wave that is already leading to 6 to 8 degree higher temperature than the normal – is man made.

But still I don’t find the Ministry of Surface Transport for example and the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change showing any signs of coming together before planning an infrastructure project. If only the speed at which the roads are being dug is accompanied by environmental parameters that do not allow cutting down of a large number of trees beyond a limit probably a significant proportion of the 96,000 trees being axed in Punjab could have been saved. If only the highways and expressways were planned in such a manner that the natural drainage system was least impacted probably flash floods wouldn’t be so rampant.

I don't think the governments care. At a time when wetlands are under severe threat, and the MoEF will publicly convince the nation on the dire need to preserve the water bodies, privately the ministry will not spare any opportunity to dilute the provisions. Business Standard (May 6, 2016) has in a report stated: "In November 2015, the environment ministry drafted rules that would de-link the forest clearance process from the provisions of the Forest Rights Act. The ministry sought exemption from seeking tribal consent for underground mining as well. The tribal affairs ministry, the documents showed, again re-iterated in a meeting in December 2015 that clearance cannot not be given without tribal consent. It noted that in cases where the government had tried to de-link clearance from tribal consent, the projects had landed up in court."

This is happening across the board. Why only blame MoEF, look at how Maharashtra government is trying to usurp tribal's rights over forests. Business Standard (Mar 12, 2016) reports: "The Maharashtra government has finalised regulations to allow it to wrest from tribals the control of the forest trade in goods such as bamboo and tendu leaves, worth thousands of crore annually. This means the government will also manage potentially 80 per cent of community forestlands in the state. The regulations came after the Union tribal affairs ministry’s volte-face on interpreting the Forest Rights Act (FRA)." 

In other words, concerned citizens may go on saying what they want to say, the governments will not learn.   

The compartmentalization of the process of development, wherein the performance of a Ministry is judged by the speed with which it is able to exhaust its budgeted financial allocations with utter disregard for preserving the environment as well as to ensure that minimal damage is done to the ecology and eco-systems is what has primarily led to the present environment debacle. The fast track green clearance being provided by the MoEF for infrastructure projects for instance immediately needs a review. If the objective is to provide speedy clearances with processing for over 2,200 project proposal being done online, the underlying objective is to ignore environmental consequences. I wonder how is it possible for example to review online an infrastructure project proposal that is coming up in the higher reaches of Uttarakhand without having a detailed environmental study.

After the Himalayan Tsunami that struck Uttarakhand in July 2013, I had thought the nation would sit back and draw some lessons. If it were the flash floods of 2013 in Uttarakhand, it is now the forest fires in 2016. That Uttarakhand should be subjected to two harrowing disasters in a short period of time shows how unplanned the process of development has been. The moment you raise the issue of unplanned development, a chorus rises accusing you of being anti-development. Those who stand up to warn are blamed for holding India’s growth story. The MoEF is actually applauded for giving a go-bye to cumbersome environmental clearances. Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar has said when it comes to environmental clearances his Ministry’s green light is always on.

Coming back to the prevailing drought, the India growth story had simply eclipsed the harrowing build-up of drought conditions in Marathwada and Bundelkhand regions. If it were not for the Mumbai High Court’s decision on IPL, the national media wouldn’t have woken up to the tragedy in our own backyards. Unlike floods, drought does not happen suddenly. It has been building up over the years. And yet the media, except for a few honorable exceptions, ignored it. Parliamentarians, as well as the policy makers, only were jolted out of sleep when the Supreme Court came up with a strong indictment. But all this while, as drought had swelled up to epic proportions, India’s growth story had remained intact. It is as if the drought-affected areas were in Africa.

In Bundelkhand, it is the 13th drought year in the past 15 years. In Karnataka, 28 of the 30 districts are reeling under a severe drought. In Jharkhand, it is the fifth drought year in a row. In Marathwada too, several areas are languishing under drought for the fourth consecutive year. In other words, it has been building up over the years. But still, the economic growth story had remained exclusive. I don’t understand the economic logic of having a network of expressways in Maharashtra when more than 60 per cent of the villages are somehow struggling to survive. Why should infrastructure development only come to mean constructing highways and malls?

Rebuilding a network of traditional water sources, ponds and tanks is also infrastructure development. Recharging ground water in the parched Marathwada and Vidharbha regions is in fact sustainable development. Turning the 64,000 sq kms Marathwada region drought proof is perhaps the biggest infrastructure development that is possible. Changing the sugarcane-based cropping system in Maharashtra, knowing that the 4 per cent area under sugarcane guzzles 71.5 per cent groundwater, to crops which require less water is also development, perhaps more sustainable than what is perceived so far. All this may not immediately enhance raise the GDP numbers but would certainly add on to the well-being of the society at large without inflicting environmental damages. That in true sense is Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas. #

Part of this article appeared in my ABPLive.in blog. May 6, 2016
Drought, forest fires, heat wave....need to integrate environment with economic growth.
http://www.abplive.in/blog/drought-forest-fires-heat-wave-need-to-integrate-economic-growth-with-environment

Posted 3 days ago by Devinder Sharma

Orgy of violence in Haryana

Failure and Complicity of BJP Govt.
Inderjit Singh
Prime Minister Narender Modi came to Jind to attend an election rally
during Haryana assembly elections in 2014. Taking cognizance of his
opening remark, the CPI(M) had forewarned the people about the
impending consequences of his intent. He had said, “I bow to this pious
land of khaps.” Those not aware of the character and record of RSS
perhaps felt fascinated by this praise and glorification of the state.
This remark of Mr. Modi was actually the essence of the script of
the havoc which the world is witnessing today and lacs if people are
going through in which more than 30 people have lost their lives.
Schools, colleges, shops, malls, hospitals, automobile showrooms,
hotels, govt. offices, banks etc in several districts including Rohtak,
Sonipat and Jhajjar parts of which have been witnessed heavy
devastation. What is more disturbing is the fact that at least 10 of the
total deceased persons have lost their lives not in firing by security
forces but killed as a result of aggressive caste violence.Reports of
barbaric crime like rapes of stranded women commuters have come
from a site of road blockage on NH-1 near Murthal in Sonipat. All
efforts are being made by the state its agencies to suppress these
incidents only to indicate the occurance. The larger tragedy however is
the caste divide has deepened in the state and its further escalation
with the casteist and communal forces becoming hyperactive in the
aftermath of violene. Caste obsession and mutual hostilities have
reached such levels that not only the shops and establishments have
been branded with caste identities rather even the dead bodies are alas
treated as per their caste affiliations.
The agitation for jat reservation has not come from the blue. The
activities regarding this reservation started in 2008-09 during the
Bhupender Singh Hooda government of the Congress Party. This was
mainly led by self-styled khap leaders and other individuals. At that
time limited areas of Hisar and Jind districts were affected by the
agitation but this time round almost the entire state and NCR has come
into its fold.
The normalcy that is being claimed, after a full weak of devastation may
well prove to be too illusory in view of open threats and counter
threats aired by the polarized scenario. There is widespread mutual
distrust, suspicion, and insecurity. Seeing the torched schools and
schools buses, the children are dumb stuck. People feel unsafe in their
homes as rumours doing the rounds.
National and state highways and link roads at over 500 points
traffic had been stopped by erecting permanent blockades. The law
enforcing agencies did not take the least measures to stop the
blockades rather felicitated it to for the reasons obviously known by the
state government. These were finally removed only at the wishes of
those who had put these. As if the police and administration had gone
on leave for full one weak. Police had left the police stations. This is the
same police force of Mr. Khattar which last year resorted the lathi
Charge, tear gas shelling and has framed thousands of cases against
various sections taking out precessions. Nursing students and leaders of
SFI were lathi charged when they wanted to take out a procession to
submit their memorandum at the camp office of the Chief Minister at
Karnal.
Thus genuine questions on the total passivity of the govt. are
being raised. The answers have been sought from the govt. in the
national and vernacular media. It is being asked why the govt. went
into oblivion after failure of the talks in Chandigarh with the so called
jat leaders on 17th Feb. Can the govt. escape from its monumental
failure ? The govt. had tried to shirk its responsibility by appointing a
commission to inquire into the “lapses” on part of police officials. In
addition, they have started accusing the opposition for a conspiracy to
dislodge the govt. Though it is too ridiculous but it is in tune with such a
statement of the Prime Minister in which he has recently accused of
destabilizing his govt. by defaming him.
The background in which these entire happenings have taken
place needs to be understood. The context of reservation being
demanded by the peasant communities do have its own reasons
notwithstanding the situation being exploited by the forces of identity
politics. Owing to the neoliberal policies pursued during recent
decades agriculture crisis has been accentuating. Basic necessities like
education and employement are being denied to the masses. Instead of
forming widest possible unity for a comprehensive struggle to change
the policies responsible for the pathetic condition of peasantry, some
reactionary forces are busy in pandering to the parochial caste and
communal passions in order to divert the anger. Reservation on caste
basis is being used as a tool in this politicking. We must not forget that
the present controversy on the reservation is being created at such a
time when the RSS supremo Mohan Bhagwat has opined to do away
with the reservation itself. Demands for reservations are being
propagated in such a manner as if the reservation provided to certain
communities is responsible for the unemployment in other
communities. Again such impression is also being built that reservation
to a specific community is the guarantee for admissions to institutions
of choice and guarantee to subsequent employment for all of the
youths.
One major fact is being totally concealed in this context. If we
compare the number of govt. and quasi govt. job in Haryana in 1982
and 2004, we came to know that 2 lac 91 thousand jobs have been
scrapped. On the other hand because of privatization of education the
profit monger capitalists are engulfing the hard earned resources of
the parents. have the ‘caste Messiahs’ of reservation, ever opposed
the policies and politics that are responsible for privatization of
education and govt departments?
There is no doubt that the condition of poor sections of especially
peasantry, is not only bad but continues to deteriorate with every
passing day. Rationale of reservation for more poorer among them can
be understood. So the legality of making provisions for of reservation
to the economically more weaker sections of jats and other
communities can be looked into. Especially its feasibility in the light of
the Supreme Courts cap of a maximum of 50 per cent reservation.
Ignoring these aspects Bhupender Hooda govt. of the Congress had
provided reservation to jats and some other communities which was
stayed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Similarly the decision of
Manmohan Singh govt. at the centre to include jat community in the
list of OBC just before the Lok sabha elections was set aside by the
Supreme Court.
In this background of assuming power at the Centre and aspiring
to form its own govt. for the first time in Haryana, the BJP made tall
promises including the reservation for jats. By encouraging large scale
defection of jat and non jat leaders from the Congress party, the BJP
was able to muster majority in the assembly elections but it could
manage only 33per cent votes in the state. To misguide and detract the
anger of the masses resulting from pro corporate policies, the BJP
resorted to the same tactics though out the country including Haryana,
against which the left parties had warned the people before elections.
This was the tactics of creating divisions among the masses on caste
and religion on the one hand and resorting to ruthless repression of the
voice of dissent. Repression of students of FTII, ban on the Ambedkar
Study Circle in IIT Madras, happenings of Hyderabad Central University
which claimed the life of Rohit Vemula and then the shameful episode
of ruthless repression on progressive left movement in JNU. The
happenings of Haryana need to be viewed as a part of the bigger
sinister design by which all the individuals, parties and organizations
are branded anti -nationals. This must not be forgotten that those
accused of inciting communal violence in Mujaffarnagar by instigating
the jat community just before the parliamentary elections have been
awarded ministerial berths in the BJP govt. For jat reservation also the
BJP is projecting these leaders from UP only. Sanjeev Balyan is
prominent among them. BJP is eying the forthcoming UP elections
when it choe Sanjiv Ballyan to announce to the media the acceptance
of demand for Jat reservation in the negotiation of Jat leaders with the
Union Home Minister.
Haryana has a nominal population of Muslims and that too is
concentrated in Mewat district. Thus the politics of cow and derogatory
anti muslim statement of the Chief Minister could not succeed beyond
a point in communal polarization in the state. On the other hand
agitations of peasantry and workers were acting as stumbling blocks in
communal divide. So the BJP could expand its base only through caste
polarisation. For this, BJP leaders were given long ropes to arouse
narrow caste sentiments, the dangerous plank of raising ‘OBC Brigades’
as spearheaded by BJP MP Raj Kumar Saini throughout the state was
infact a game of mobilizing the OBCs by rousing their sentiments
against demand for reservation by jats. Similarly, equally provocative
conduct of jat MPs and ministers, on the other hand, too was on the
public display. This is how the competitive mode and lack of far
sightedness eventually facilitated the nefarious and well calculated
game of BJP. Owing to the bankrupt and opportunist politics of
opposition parties like Congress and INLD, their leaders too were found
divided on caste lines. The game of caste polarization is still continuing
by raising slogans like 35 castes versus one caste etc. aiming at
diverting the anger against failure of BJP govt. towards particular
community in which the elements belonging to RSS are reported to be
specially active.
The forces who are propagating Hinduism as pre requisite to be a
nationalist have brought Haryana to a bizarre point where citizens as
citizens are difficult to be found. All are being tied with one or the other
caste as their principal identity. In fact this is the classical model of their
Hinduism which essentially fosters the same caste oppression and
patriarchy which had met a very strong challenge from the socially
oppressed sections during historical period of renaissance i.e. sufi and
bhakti era. Revivalism of that out -dated oppressive system is at the
core of BJP and RSS agenda. By elevating it to the status of ancient
culture, BJP is desperately making it as formal part of education during
recent months. The democratic forces all over the country are engaged
in resisting this saffronisation. It is actually this agenda of the BJP and
RSS which even most of the khap leaders have also been providing
credibility knowingly or unknowingly.
Let it be recalled here that the initiation of violence was typically
triggered by spreading rumors and half truths pertaining to alleged
attacks on dharmashalas belonging to particular castes and the statues
of personalities revered and known to be the caste icons. It is an irony
that even Rao Tula Ram, a well known martyr of 1857, is identified with
Ahirs, Ch. Chhotu Ram with jats and even Sardar Patel with the Gujjar
caste. Let it be known that all cities and towns have dharmashalas
belonging to various specific communities for which prime lands had
been made available by successive governments in the past. These
centres of caste identities are often dominated by neo-rich sections of
the respective communities. Their hegemony and backward politics
continues to thrive and institutionalize through these centers
importantly. Though this phenomenon and the dymanics requires
further independent dealing as a subject.
It is to be noted that the violent incidents took place in the
background of successful agitation of farmers and agriculture workers
involving 5 districts of Hisar division. Thousands were taking part in a
indefinite sit- in at Mini Secretariat Hisar on the burning issues like
compensation for damaged crops, MNREGA, problem of stray cattle
etc. S.imilarly a massive rally on the issue of employment was to be
held at Jind on 28th Feb. jointly by various mass and class organisations.
These important initiatives have definitely received a set back Besides
all this, an anti-people budget has also been imposed having virtually
nothing for ordinary people. This has totally ignored the deepening
agriculture crisis and suicides by farmers. Salaried employees too have
been hit hard. Pricerise and unemployement have been totally
neglected. These will have to be fought against.
The party state committee in its emergency meeting held on 28th
Feb. appreciated the initiation taken by mass organizations, social
organizations and progressive individuals towards restoration of peace
and social amity in violence hit areas. Party leaders visited affected
places, met the victims and addressed party workers and sympathizers
over the urgent tasks of going to the people and urge them to remain
vigilant against any fresh outbreak of trouble by vested interests.
In the presence of Com. Nilotpal Basu, the state committee finalized
certain immediate tasks.The party has demanded adequate
compensation for the victims of loot, destruction and arson. In
addition, interests of those working in these shops, schools,
institutions, malls etc. who have lost their jobs should not be ignored
while compensating. The party has demanded large scale employment
under NREGA and food security by strengthening the PDS to the poor. It
is to be underlined that the peasantry facing drought has not been
awarded compensation as yet.
The party has rejected the terms of reference of the Inquiry
Commission constituted by the state govt. The party said that instead
of just inquiring the lapses on the part of a few officers and employees,
all political and administrative dimensions of the whole episode and
those involved in loot, destruction and arson need to be inquired
impartially. For this the party has demanded an inquiry by a sitting
judge of the Supreme Court or the Punjab and Haryana High Court.