If the old world is dead, there are at least faint indications that a new one is getting ready to be born. Most encouraging of all is the increasing concern with the good earth and its bounty. Even if education has not reached the poor , awareness has. Witness the chipko and Appiko movements where tribals , and mainly women , hugged their trees to prevent them felled. The tribal has now realized that government claims of development only mean money and advantage to some fat man in a far of city. They no longer want cash compensation for being displaced by dams and mines they want land for land. Environment activism has already stopped to dams - silent Valley in kerala and Bedthi in karnataka. Strong protests have also led to litigation against lime - stone mining in lush Dehra Dun. The report's ultimate massage is in its shared statement of concern : "Nature can never be managed well unless the people closest to it are involved in its management". There is still time to act , however gloomy the scenario may look Otherwise there is worse to come.
Comments
Post a Comment