Dear Purnima,
I am afraid I am living in strange times.
At a moment, the nations across the globe are getting panicky over Global warming due to several reasons like deforestation, rising carbon emissions alongside the fast pace of industrialization and the resultant depletion of Ozone layer leading to rising sea-level, river pollutions due to the effluents being pumped into by the chemical factories along the river banks leading to the destruction of rich heritage of river wealth like fish, mangroves and other such rich diversity of organisms, receding glaciers, a few intellectuals like you are taking up cudgels against the environmentalists.
Writers, especially poets are basically emotional and their emotionalisation of environment protection are quite natural.
Deforestation for the sake of construction of hydro-electric projects, urbanization and construction of tourist resorts will in the long run prove to be ecological disasters like global warming, climate fluctuations like droughts and floods, landslips and deaths ( please refer The Hindu editorial “Slip sliding away” dated November 14, 2009 on ecological disasters occurring at Nilgiri hills), submergence of major areas, sometimes even countries like Maldives endowed with a magnificent landscape. Muhammad Nasheed, the youthful ruler of that nation is running pillar to post to save his country from submergence under the sea, if the global warming is going to rise in an alarming level. Recent news reports about a cabinet meeting held under the sea under the leadership of Mr.Nasheed to highlight the significance of rescuing the nation from going under the sea must have been watched by many displayed in the electronic media including yourself.
Your anguish and frustration mainly directed against the environmentalists are due to their “failure” in suggesting alternatives for augmentation of power, the key to economic development. These allegations according to my knowledge are not correct. Please agree to disagree with your contention. While a hullabaloo was raging at the moment of signing of Indo-US Civilian Nuclear Deal, a few intellectuals (not everyone of them) like the eminent Jurist V.R.Krishna Iyer repeatedly appealed to Dr.ManMohan Singh, our PM not to venture into it citing the long term undesirable consequences. The nonagenarian Jurist suggested alternatives like solar energy, wind-power and other such harmless sources of energy like biogas on a large-scale across our nation.
With the Copanhagen Summit scheduled to be held on December 7 going to be attended by nations across the globe to find a way out of the global warming, the resulting in of climate changes causing droughts, floods and pollution due to carbon emissions because of the increasing dependence on fossil fuels – let us hope a positive solution could be expected by us. A cautious optimism is always good for us I think.
Construction of mega hydro-electric projects like Narmada Sarovar Dam amid widespread protests under the leadership of Medha Patkar, Arundhati Roy and other such eminent persons reached nowhere resulting in the displacement of lakhs of Dalit farmers depriving them of their habitations. The vociferous demands for their rehabilitation fell on deaf ears. India’s first Prime Minister Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru once described our mega hydro-electric projects – “the temples of modern India”. In the course of time his epoch-making statement proved to be wrong and if he were with us today he would have withdrawn his statement after witnessing the tragic consequences. He would have been the first one to take the initiative to wipe out the tears of each farmer by making necessary arrangements to rehabilitate each of them. Our present day rulers, unfortunately have no such worries; Now it is learnt that mega hydro-electric projects are the most expensive. Even the other day I happened to read a book-review ( “Economics of Hydro power”) by noted economist Bharat Jhunjunwallah stating this truth. Purnima, you know he is a renowned economist unlike poet Sugatha Kumari whom you are accusing of emotionalizing the issue of environmental protection.
With regard to your view of capitalist countries, capitalism, as far as I know is based on self-interest. If they feel like throwing crumbs to the educated employed youth of nation, certainly they will have a motive behind their “generosity”.
While the Americans considered to be hailing from a most developed country spend their time playing video games and watching TVs our hardworking, enterprising, efficient youth work day in day out and earn money but a big chunk of the amount reach the “generous” capitalist countries while their youth remain idle (here I am particularly referring to bright IT graduates working at call centres in the IT cities of Bangalore, Cyberabad, Kerala, Noida – such other cities across India). This is not my view point, it was first noticed and alleged by their President Barack Obama himself.
Hence, your appreciation of the capitalist countries needs to be taken with a pinch of salt.
Sugatha Kumari is a poet, an avowed environmentalist, social activist, more than these, she is the hope and refuge of hundreds of hapless, homeless girls, women and orphans. I doubt, whether you are aware of her tireless efforts to mitigate the hardships of the aforementioned poor people.
Anyhow I am thankful to you for going through my blog and for responding to it in a gentle manner.
Regards
Surendran
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