Where have the children gone?

Balni village is not far from the coastal town of Karwar, south of Goa, known for the heavily fortified naval base called Seabird and its little known beach named Rabindranath Tagore. Drawing inspiration from the beauty and serenity of the beach, Gurudev had initiated his work on his Nobel Prize winning work Geetanjali here. Vinod Gurav takes pride in rich legacy of the place but regrets its consistent decline of values.

Retired as a school teacher over a decade ago, he informs that the enrollment has uniformly declined across all the classes, from 1 to 7, in the Government Higher Primary School at Balni. ‘As against 153 students a decade ago, there are only 10 students in the school today,’ regrets Vinod. Given its close proximity to various towns on the outskirts of Goa, including Karwar, parents prefer sending their children to English-medium private schools.      

Balni is located in Joida taluk in the Western Ghats of Karnataka, the most densely forested area in Uttara Kannada district. Joida is located in the Kali river valley, the most-dammed river in the country.Not only are there six hydro-electric projects along its 184-km length, one dam every thirty kilometers, the controversial Kaiga Nuclear Power Plant is located along its banks too. Despite such developments, the valley is inhabited by traditional forest dwelling communities. 

Further upstream into the valley, at Henkol, is located another Higher Primary School. Mid-day meal is under preparation for its 76 students and 4 teachers. ‘Sustaining enrollment and retaining children is tough’, admits headmaster E Revappa. Revappa is joined by his colleagues in asserting that despite adequate financial resources and facilities at their disposal, enrollment of students in higher primary schools has been on the decline in the region. 

The trend is prevelant all across the district. In many schools, there are classes without a single enrollment. Does declining strength of students in the schools concern the teachers? The biggest worry the teachers harbor relates to the probability of school being closed down with the likelihood of them being transfered to schools at far off places. To ward off such fears, some teachers coax their relatives and friends to enrol their children.    

In contrast to overall improvement in school enrollment across the country, enrollment as well as retention continues to be a serious issue in this district. However, one look at any school gives a distinct reflection of region’s rich culture. Not only are school premises clean and green, the classrooms are neat and engaging too. Though teachers seem competent and committed, they are grappling with the reasons behind declining enrollment of children.
   
While migration of families to urban centres remains the prime reason for poor enrollment of children in schools, small families and declining fertility in the region could be another plausible reason. In the absence of any demographic study, many hypotheses persist to justify the prevailing trend. All said, teachers in government schools remain circumspect about their future and the future of government schools in the region. 

As one leaves the taluk limits, one is reminded of the fact that Joida is the place where legendary writer Manohar Mulgaonkar grew and attained prominence as a literary genious....Link 

(First published in The Hindu, Sept 18, 2013)

It is official, Sept 8 is the Sahyadri Day

More than ever before, our society needs reminders to maintain its ecological sanity. With the long arm of commerce stretching into the most pristine regions of the country, the need for evoking conservation ethos and supporting protective efforts to preserve the fragile ecosystems have become compulsive. Haven’t thousands of people paid a heavy price for decades of ruination of the hills of Uttarakhand?

Had people been reminded how a group of women led by Gaura Devi had quelled those who had come armed with axes to fell forest in her village in Garhwal on March 26, 1974, it could have acted as a deterrent against wanton destruction of the hilly slopes. But the opportunity of making the birth of the Chipko Movement an ecological reminder was lost amidst internal squabbles between activists and official apathy to acknowledge peoples’ movements.

Much before the world had woken up to ecological consciousness, India had already embarked on an annual national reminder to green the country. Initiated in 1950 by the then Agriculture Minister K.M. Munshi, Van Mahotsav (festival of trees) had become an annual tree-planting festival. Over the years, however, indigenous environmental events like van mahotsav have largely lost out to global annual reminders on environment like the World Environment Day.

Has the impact of globalisation played heavy on the minds of people to neglect events of local and regional ecological significance? Has ecological consciousness become hostage to how such events/days are indeed hyped? In addition, other issue worth addressing are: do people relate as closely to global environmental events as to their local ecological milestones? In many ways, the current ecological insensitivity among masses could be directly attributed to such disconnect!

For the past five years, however, a group of concerned academics and activists have come together to bring the relevance of one such local event to light amidst people from various walks of life. Celebrated each year on September 8 as Sahyadri Day, it marks the day when people from villages around Salkani in Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka had undertaken an eight-km trek to lay siege to a tree-felling site in the Kalase forests in 1983.

The Appiko Movement (hug-the-tree) was born that day and grew quickly over the next three months as the perpetrators of the attempted felling were given a swift and unceremonious send-off. Chantingulisu, belasu and balasu, meaning “save, grow and sustain”, the movement had spread to other districts in no time as forest-dwellers challenged the tyranny of the State that was bent upon clearing the native tropical forests to pave the way for monoculture plantations.

Not only did this spontaneous social action led to a moratorium on green felling across the Western Ghats or the Sahyadri range of mountains, the movement has been the vanguard of ecological conservation ever since: from opposing a seventh dam on the Kali river in Karnataka to saving the Nilgiris in Tamil Nadu, and from taking on the controversial ‘Nylon 66’ project in Goa to supporting the Chalakudy river campaign in Kerala.

In fact, the success of this movement had led to the launch of the ‘Save Western Ghats Campaign’ in mid-1980s. The media has hailed it as one of the finest ecological campaigns aimed at protecting the 1,600 km length of the Sahyadri range across five States — from the edge of Gujarat in the north to the tip of Kerala in the south. Its revival in 2009, 25 years after its launch, alone pressurised the Union Ministry of Environment & Forests to set up the much talked about Gadgil Committee.

The Appiko Movement has not only worked within its limits, but also pushed the limits, showing enormous level of maturity in being politically correct in contesting the development priorities of the States and the Centre in the Sahyadri range. No wonder, it is not only part of the school curriculum in Karnataka but has also registered its presence in the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) textbooks for the ninth standard.

Pandurang Hegde, who had launched the movement in 1983 and continues to inspire it, insists: “The movement and its driving principles ought to become the living tradition in the region.” Only by celebrating Sahyadri Day can the ethos of this movement be turned into a potent household expression to counter violence against nature. Backed by its rich history, Sahyadri Day easily qualifies as an annual ecological reminder.

At this time when the contours of ‘environment versus development’ discourse have shifted in favour of individual gains emanating from the economic conversion of natural resources as opposed to collective survival upon them, the challenge has been to address the widespread apathy towards environmental conservation. Only by putting local environmental movements on the annual calendar can people be made to value them as essential ‘ecological reminders’....Link

* read more about the Appiko movement.

Design can educate and inspire....

Design & People poster for the 'Save Periyar' 

campaign launched by Periyar Riverkeeper.
(www.designandpeople.org)

The first factory in Eloor was started in 1944 and the reasons for choosing the island were the easy availability of fresh water, transportation through land, water and by rail. At present the Eloor-Edayar area has 247 factories, out of which 106 are chemical, pesticides, tanneries and fertiliser factories. Factories situated near the Periyar River are using fresh water for their production with no proper effluent treatment systems. Due to heavy industrial pollution, the color of River Periyar changes from time to time and causes massive fish deaths. 90 per cent of well water is also contaminated. More than 30,000 fishermen and thousands of people with traditional skills already lost their livelihood. An average of 17 million litres of effluent water is being discharged to the River Periyar every day making the river toxic with zinc, lead, cadmium, chromium and organic pollutants like DDT. A study conducted by Greenpeace from water samples from Kuzhikandam Creek found 111 chemicals.

Design &  People identify how design can intervene to make a contribution to the ongoing efforts to improve the lives of people disadvantaged by environmental conditions.

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.  

Be part of it as history repeats itself

Save Western Ghats Movement, hailed as the finest environmental movement in the country, is quarter century old and is still going strong. A two day event at Kundai in Goa on Nov 17-18, 2012 will mark the silver jubilee celebrations for re-commitment to save the pristine Western Ghats. It was back in 1987 that the famous march (see picture), from the south and north of the Western Ghats, had culminated at this very location.

As a run up to this historic event, the movement was re-launched in 2009 to build up momentum  for developing a common strategy to bring the issue of conservation of the ghats to the mainstream. A Citizen's Manifesto for the Elected Representatives was adopted and a demand for creating Western Ghats Ecological Authority was raised at a well attended three-day congregation. A year later, in 2010, intense lobbying and advocacy by civil society actors had led to the setting up Western Ghat Expert Ecology Panel (WGEEP) under the chairmanship of Prof. Madhav Gadgil. The controversial report has sought drastic policy changes, seeking ban on mining, infrastructure and hydel projects in sensitive areas alongside keeping the Western Ghats ‘GM’ free. Much to the dislike of the civil society, the Ministry of Environment and Forests has set-up another committee to review the report (the committee has yet to submit its report).

SWGM that had successfully lobbied with state and central Governments to change policies towards protection of Western Ghats, notably being the establishment of Western Ghats Task Force in Karnataka and WGEEP at the Centre, aims to engage with representatives of local institutions like Gram Panchayats and Zilla Panchayats to spruce up its efforts in ensuring that the WGEEP report is adopted in letter and spirit.

Rechristened as ‘movement of the movements’, the silver jubilee congregation will focus on sharing the experiences  of ongoing movements in the Western Ghats and evolve a common strategy to enforce eco-friendly policy decisions. It is also an attempt to revive the spirit of voluntarism at a time when vested interests are co-opting grassroots movements through the power of 'funds' and 'opportunities'.

One hundred delegates from five difference states, Goa, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, are taking part in the event. The event will be inaugurated by Justice Kolse Patil, an active member of Jaitapur Nuclear Movement and will be joined by the activists of the Kudankulam Nuclear Movement among others. Goa's Minister of Environment is another dignitary who is likely to grace the occasion.

For participation and media inquiries, contact 09448818099 or 09422439857

Between legal and illegal mining there is just this 'ill'

Reading Sept 29 newspapers in Goa make for interesting reading, and one can easily be forgiven to think of a Samuel Beckett play, where the end beckons but never nears. There were some in Goa for instance, who felt that The Shah Commission’s report was a perfect present for this Chaturthi season. Apparently not:

As one can clicks this link , Ganesha too, is not to be protected from the mining lobby, a few upper caste, well-heeled families, who now outsource their greed and theft, to, a constituency that by design is  now referred to as ‘mining-dependent people’…Given that it was part of the same play, it was not unlikely, that yesterday too, perhaps even at the same time, the renowned Centre for Science and Environment and indeed, some 30 journalists from Goa, Karnataka and Maharashtra, were given a taste of just how much is being done to make blatantly illegal mining become ‘legal’…

All these actions follow what Goa’s pro-environment lobby has been saying for some time, that the mines are illegal and they should be shut down forthwith. As can be read they have argued their case cogently – even to the extent of seeking the Supreme Court’s intervention to recognize the findings of The Shah Commission and do nothing more than implement its recommendations.

The Sept 29 edit in Herald from Panjim, given its long and trusted tradition of either sitting on the fence, or trying to run with both hares and hounds, was surprisingly forthright, saying 35,000 crore rupees was looted by X number of Goan mining operations, that the Goan people want that money back, as simple as that, and all the fat cats should stop trying tricks to wiggle out of the mess and continue the mining as if nothing happened.

The edit mentions the 80 year old woman who blocked a mine. That’s nice: her name is Dora, she’s my mother and I couldn’t be a prouder son. She blocked the mine being operated by Dinar Tarcar, a well-known politician and suave man about town. When we found out in 2008 through our sources in the Mines Department that the mine was patently illegal and operating without any licenses, it was her suggestion that the mine be blocked.

That too was interesting. There were several others arrested with her, including a Salesian priest and a well-known anti-mining activist. Mysteriously only Dora, her daughter and her family retainer had cases filed against them, and had to go several times to court to answer trumped-up charges. The case dragged on four solid years and still failed to break Dora’s resolve that the blatantly illegal mining had to stop.

In all this absurdity, lies a journalist called Sujoy Gupta, who once edited the Herald and actively assisted the BJP come to power and assert the constitutional right of some families to mine, only to dump them the next day, mission accomplished, to head The Goan, a weekend newspaper that claims to be the authentic voice of Goa. Gupta is better known in pro-environment circles, as the man who filed a 500 crore lawsuit against an anti-mining activist in Goa, a suit one may add that seems to have mysteriously disappeared. He’s also been the main front for preaching the case for ‘legal’ mining.

Dora of course insists that any industry that willfully takes away forest and water cannot be legal, and the rest of us in her family concur with that. But the old bird has a great sense of humour, I’ll give her that…

This Tarcar fellow’s mine was illegal she asks me?
Yeah, I reply.
This Gupta fellow only wants legal mining?
Yeah, I say.

And this Gupta fellow filed a suit for 500 crore against Saby because Saby was only writing about illegal mining when his own boss, that Timblo fellow, was actually doing ’legal’ mining?

Yeah, I tell her, wondering where she’s going with this crazy logic.
So this Gupta fellow is actually only against illegal mining?

You could say that I reply.

She hasn’t finished. So now you tell me he’s a big shot with a lot of clout and what not and edits this big paper that’s only speaking for Goans?

Good, she says, so you ask this Gupta fellow and his boss, that Timblo fellow, whether he’ll help me file a 500 crore suit in Goa – because I can’t travel all the way to Kolkata – against this Dinar Tarcar fellow for illegal mining, and falsely harassing us for four years. Tell him when we get the money, we’ll share it among the people of Cawrem and Maina and reforest Tarcar’s illegal mine…

Nice idea Mom I say, I’ll tell the guy…

- Hartman de Souza

An open letter to Kasturirangan & Co

Dear Dr Kasturirangan, 

Aspersions have already been cast that the Kasturirangan panel will dispose what the Gadgil panel has painstakingly proposed! Given controversial birth of your panel, it will take a leap of faith for the concerned, within and outside of the Western Ghats, to convince themselves that your panel will prove it otherwise. Such contention may be rhetorical at this stage, but has every chance of becoming a reality should the recent soundbites in the media were to come true.   

There are reasons for citizens to be skeptical. The Gadgil panel had termed Western Ghats extremely ecologically sensitive region and hence suggested restricted mining and other development activities. You have been quoted in the media: 'The Kasturirangan panel will hold meetings and consider all issues, since the Western Ghats is important to the country.' How different it is from what the Gadgil panel had said? It had held wide consultations and considered each of the issues in the Western Ghats on ecological and scientific merit. It will be a challenge for your panelists to read the findings differently!

Your panel will have a lot to prove itself. First, through your report you would need to provide 'reason' to persuade skeptical and skittish citizens that the government had enrolled the best available expertise into the task of ecological (re)assessment. Second, your panel ought to 'reason' not only theoretically, but also empirically, that it was not engaged in a political practice but in a scientific inquiry aimed at connecting a defensive state (read the Ministry) with its attentive citizens. Third, your panel must provide a modicum of certainty that the panel, conducted with taxpayer support, has fulfilled its obligation to the people and the ecosystem under reference.      

But your panel can do a world of good by avoiding to nitpick the WGEEP report and instead focus on how indeed the Western Ghats must, given its regional and global ecological significance, be governed. Should such a sense (?) prevail, the panel would have gone a step ahead in proving its worth. After all, the very idea of creating the WGEEP in the first place was to recommend the setting up a Western Ghats Ecological Authority. If the then Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh had his way, he would have announced such an authority in 2010 itself. But he was advised to take-a-step-at-a-time and creation of the Gadgil panel was a step in that direction. 

Would the Kasturirangan panel be courageous enough to take the second strep?

Dr Sudhirendar Sharma