Environmental Movements 

In this article , we will  deal with topic titled ‘Environmental Movements’ which happened in India after independence.

 

 

Introduction

Ecological and environmental conflicts in India are claims over depleting resources of forests, land water, fisheries etc. These conflicts have been a challenge to the development of the country.

 

Chipko Movements

• Location = Central Himalayas ( Uttaranchal)
• Reason: forest department refused permission to villagers to fell ash trees for making agricultural tools and allotted the same patch of land to sports manufacturer for commercial use. The villagers demanded that local communities should have effective control over natural resources like land, water and forests.
• Novel Aspect : Women’s active participation (Gaura Devi=Prominent figure) + Villagers in general, and women in particular thwarted commercial falling of trees by hugging the trees to prohibit their cutting
• Movement achieved a victory when  government issued a ban on felling of trees in the Himalayan regions for fifteen years, until the green cover was fully restored.

 

 

Narmada Bachao Andolan

• Ambitious developmental project was launched in the Narmada valley of central India in early 80’s consisting of 30 big dams, 135 medium sized and around 3000 small dams to be constructed on the Narmada and its tributaries . Sardar Sarovar Project in Gujarat and Narmada Sagar Project in MP were two most important
• Project required relocation of about 2.5 lakh people and 245 villages were expected to get submerged.
• Initially locals demanded proper relocation and proper rehabilitation. It was during late 80’s that the issue strengthened under the banner of Narmada Bachao Aandolan. NBA demanded
  • proper cost benefit analysis of the major developmental projects completed in the country so far.
  • social cost should be calculated too with respect to such projects. Social cost meant forced settlement of project affected people, serious loss of means of livelihood and culture, depletion of ecological resources.
• Because of constant struggle, Right to rehabilitation has been recognized by the government and judiciary.
• NBA used every available democratic strategy to put forward its demands like Pradarshan, Dharna, Gherao, Rasta Roko, Jail Bharo Aandolan, Bhook Hartal etc.
• Prominent face of the movement was Medha Patkar, a social activist.

 

 

Silent Valley Movement

• Aimed at the protection of silent valley an evergreen forest in the Palakkad district Kerala.
• Reason : Announcement of  dam construction on Kuntipuzha river, in silent valley
• Movement was started in 1973 and Kerala Sasthra Sahitya Parishad (K.S.S.P)  aroused the public opinion to save silent valley.
• Protesters were successful in 1985, when the then PM Rajiv Gandhi inaugurated silent valley National Park and the park was designated as the core area of Nilgiri Biosphere Deserve.

 

 

Fisheries Movement

• Livelihood of small fishermen worker was threatened, when the government permitted entry of mechanized trawlers and technologies like bottom trawling for large scale harvest of fish in the Indian seas. To protect their interests and livelihood, the fishermen came together on a national level platform as a National Fishworkers Forum (NFF).
• NFF achieved their first success against Indian government’s move to open the entry of commercial vessels including of MNCs in deep sea. In July 2002, NFF called for a nationwide strike to oppose the move of government to issue licenses to foreign trawlers as well.

 

Point to Note : In India , Environmental Movements were bottom up movements started by common people whereas in Europe and western nations, Environmental Movements were basically Elitist / Intelligentsia / Top Down Movements