Malin: A haunting manmade tragedy

The Malin Memorial: author (in hat) with Pandurang Hegde

The village of Ahupe, overlooking the twin mountains of Machindergad and Gorakhgad in the Western Ghats, is tucked picturesquely at an altitude of almost 4,000 ft in the Ambegaon taluk of Pune. This little plateau is a favourite of weekend trekkers who climb upwards from Khopivali in the Konkan to enjoy the lush green valleys and amazing waterfalls. Despite its craggy hills and picturesque dales, it remains one of the most deprived areas, inhabited predominantly by the Mahdeo Koli tribe.

The undulating landscape on basalt rocks is largely grassy, though the cattle population in the region remains sparse. This is because the grass cover is not fodder for cattle, but has a role in binding the top soil layer on the rocky surfaces. The region is home to several devrais, sacred groves protected by rural communities to preserve their biodiversity.

Not many trekkers and tourists ever notice that about 10 km from Ahupe is the uninhabited village of Malin, where no humans live today, because on July 30, 2014, a massive landslide had swallowed up almost the entire tribal village of around 50 families. The final death toll was 153 when the rescue operation was stopped, and around 100 people were reported missing. Nothing of the old village remains except for its school building. A memorial with the names of men, women and children who died has been erected by the State Forest Department. In addition, trees bearing the names of the deceased have been planted to make the lifeless slope look green again.

The Malin tragedy has been long forgotten, but it did trigger a familiar environment versus development debate then, leading to inconclusive studies on the cause-effect of landslides. Interestingly, a few months before the tragic event, in December 2013, the infamous Western Ghats Ecology Experts Panel of the Union Environment Ministry had declared 37 villages in the Ambegaon taluk as ecologically sensitive, banning all kinds of mining, quarrying, and big construction activities. Ironically, the taluk continues to remain a hotspot for real estate developers who entice city-dwellers to park their disposable income in farm houses and boutique residencies.

There were incessant rains the week before the tragedy, as much as 600 mm, which had triggered mudslide of a deeply weathered soils the slope of which are known to be susceptible to disturbance. It is recorded that disturbances were caused by the flattening of large tracts of hills to promote paddy cultivation as a source of livelihood for the tribal under the government scheme called Padkai. In reality, padkai is a traditional practice wherein tribes carefully select small patches of barren uplands to be converted into fields using bullocks. Appropriation of this by the government resulted in heavy earth-moving equipment leveling the land with no regard to its vulnerability.

Given the nature of such ecological devastations, attribution of cause(s) remains a contested subject. The Western Ghats remain as vulnerable as these were on the night of July 30, 2014, and no less than remembering the day as an avoidable human tragedy can have those perished rest in peace.

Utter desolation has settled on the spot which was full of life only a few years ago. Where households once stood with its teeming population, the traveler now beholds a lonely wilderness of concrete memorial of dead people, tall grass and abandoned building, the fittest emblem of the manmade folly. Has the tragic fate of Malin stirred the popular imagination in this country or have we forgotten the past to commit ourselves to repeat it? With landslides being a recurring phenomenon ever since, have we not circumscribed our ecological vision like a frog in the well?

First published in the Hindu BusinessLine, issue dated July 30, 2020 

25 is no age to call it a day....

In an earlier post, we had observed that any 'movement' is 70 per cent work of 'art' and 30 per cent 'commerce'. The recently concluded silver jubilee event of SWGM was a clear reflection on that observation.

Young, Energetic and Dynamic is what best describes the Save Western Ghats Movement as it commemorated its silver jubilee in Kundai, Goa on Nov 17-18, 2012. Young because over 108 activists, researchers, architects, accountants, theatre enthusiasts, panchayat leaders, homemakers, musicians and students thronged the venue from 5 different states on their own; Energetic because the participants demonstrated die-hard attitude to collectively sustain the movement for another 25 years and Dynamic because they have been ever eager to re-invent the movement to conform to the changing socio-economic and geo-political environment. The congregation declared that 25 is no age to call it a day....it calls for a fresh beginning instead!

The Navhind Times reported that the activists at the 25th anniversary celebrations of the Save Western Ghats Movement (SWGM) resolved to take the findings and recommendations of the Gadgil committee report to the people, aiming to get the gram sabhas to adopt resolutions in support of the report that calls for protecting biodiversity hotspots. The newspaper further reported that the activists resolved to sustain the struggle to save the Western Ghats by engaging in talks with those driving the political economy in the entire region. To be able to do so, it was resolved to revive the historic march across the Western Ghats to re-ignite peoples’ involvement in preserving the ecosystem.

Gautham Sarang, who at 7 had been the youngest marcher in the historic 1987-88 Western Ghats march, participated in the silver jubilee event with his wife and young child. He recalled his experience and how his participation in the event twenty five years ago had strong bearing on his life. Gautham called upon the younger generation to be the torch-bearer in taking the unfinished task of preserving the pristine ecosystem of the Western Ghats further. Representing anti-nuclear movement of Jaitapur, Vaishali Patil was quoted by The Times of India for saying: 'The manner in which we are being governed, activists can either be found campaigning on the streets or jailed under fictitious pretexts.' Kalanand Mani had set the tone for the event by appraising the house about the history of the movement.  

Covering the event, The Economic Times reported that the movement has extended its support to Goa's demand to get its section of Western Ghats on UNESCO's list of world heritage sites. The UNESCO list of world heritage sites had no mention of Goa, even as it has listed 39 sites in Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra. Once Goa's Western Ghats section gets recognized as a world heritage site by UNESCO, the Western Ghats, Goa sector, would be in the focus of national and international attention.As a significant move, the SWGM took a firm stand to support the ongoing anti-nuclear movements in Kundakulum and Jaitapur and to oppose any future attempt at bringing nuclear power in the Western Ghats.

Enlisting the nature of unresolved ecological challenges, Appiko leader Pandurang Hegde was quoted by The Times of India for having stressed the need to reinvent the movement and its strategies to suit the changing political and economic environment in the country. ‘The geo-politics of development need to be understood in right earnest to evolve strategies for the future,’ he stressed. In its 25th year, the movement focused on the need to get the ‘idea of the western ghats’ across to both upstream and downstream communities. That the Western Ghats are the water towers of the peninsular India ought to be brought to the imagination of the downstream population in towns and cities, the SWGM press release noted.

The two-day event was hosted by the Kundai-based Peaceful Society and was held under the auspices of the Save Western Ghats Movement. Based on sub-group discussions, the SWGM extended support to numerous campaigns currently being waged on the issues of tourism impact, wildlife corridors, micro-hydel interventions and infrastructure projects for protection of the rich biodiversity of the Western Ghats. Notable among those who spoke at the event were Carmen Miranda, Hartman de Souza, N Badusha, R R Srinivasan, MacMohan, Jaychandran, G Janardhan, Ashok Kundapur and Gangadharan. As has been the tradition, the bamboo band led by Unnikrishnan Pakkanar provided the perfect musical tone to the celebrations. Performance by the Space Theatre Ensemble had offered icing on the cultural cake.

Homemakers from Bangalore-based Minchu Ideas not only added colors to the event but sang inspirational songs at the event in keeping up with the spirit.The group vowed to take the issues to urban population and educate them in their inimitable style. The most significant aspect of the silver jubilee celebration was that it was supported by individual contributions in cash and kind. Upholding the tradition of otherwise fast-waning spirit of voluntarism, each of the participants made cash contributions before the close of the event. Such gesture augers well for the future of the Save Western Ghats Movement.