New Narrative & Environmental Concerns!

Finally! 

People stomped their foot down and pressed the button after seemingly unending rancour at the hustings. Year 2019 was a year of emergence of the right, left, center, neo intellectuals, urban maoists, violence mongers, secularists, muslims, Hindus, communalists, pseudo secularists and intellectuals, castiests, loyal and disloyal in media, nationalists, religiously autocratic, traitors, peace makers,  those with colonial imprint, soft and ultra thinkers. You can go on adding all will literally  fit in the description of this colorful rhetoric.

This election came with the tremendous revelation of English vocabulary, and the participation of enlightened people who helped decide and clear the consternation. The latter may not understand the former but have certainly proved to be intelligent voters. The caste and creed politics has been diluted and the masses are gullible and ignorant no more.      

The results came as a big,  relief not because a particular dispensation was reinstated but because electoral politics was fortified, pertinent issues were highlighted, and the momentary right judgment prevailed. The rabble-rousers and demagogue were sidelined. (Voice of the People).

And I believe the  trust in the EVM was finally established...at least till next elections.

Our Environmental Concerns!

With hope, India proceeds for the next five years for betterment of the peoples live, robust national security, demographic/religious harmony and settlement of prevailing issues and problems. All these are ever ongoing processes. The exemplary display of people participation was the most encouraging aspect that only a democracy can deliver.

The concerns expressed here and the optimum solutions certainly matter. But I feel the environmental concerns in this country always take a back seat vis a vis the imperatives pictured here. The neglect -seemingly absurd to some - subdued by the imperatives is frightening and depressing. With the impending climate change, rising pollution levels, damned rivers, damaged ecosystems and vanishing species a bleak future awaits us. 

The Governments cannot reduce poverty, tackle health issues, provide robust careers, and improve living conditions without preserving the environment in a perfect state of equilibrium. 

The environment concerns like preservation, conservation and natural resource management etc will remain pivotal to the well being of the Nation. Hence good governance should be inclusive and attentive of environmental concerns.     

Unfortunately in democracy there are hardly any leaders who understand the microcosm that is Earth in the Universal scheme of things, and how sensitive it is to human interference be it infrastructure development for rapid economic growth, or urbanization imperatives.

It is the charisma of rapid transformation that makes people blind, but these promises or actions are proving to be more beneficial for the upper strata of the society rather than being egalitarian.

Yes linear developments should be for servicing the masses in qualitative manner, like expansion of communication highway into deep interiors, hygiene and health imperative like Swacch Bharat,  alternative energy production that would cover extensive settlements, cheap connectivity between the rural and urban settlements and so on. This kind of much desired development is what the country needs.

Large scale infrastructure development using imported sophisticated technology may augur direct investments in India but unlike the liner development ethos the FDIs may prove to be unstable or not profitable at all. In this rapidly changing World, technological developments and innovations can make investment in third World countries with cheap labour improbable in the future.

For many in the ruling dispensation certain genuine and pressing environmental concerns appear regressive and unwarranted or simply put an impediment to the developmental goals, often drawn hastily. The long term damaging effects are often difficult to quantify and hence resistance or dissent are considered as inconsequential.

This apathy is nothing new, as I have already mentioned the imperatives that dominate our vital concerns. There has to be  tangible approach to industrialization and infrastructure development keeping the fall out of schemes or planning discrepancies in mind. We can learn much from the developed countries whom we emulate often. 

Irreversible fragmentation  of forests, exploitation of prime lands for mining, urbanization, extensive road construction all are often at the great cost to the environment.

There should be stringent regulatory norms which would discourage unplanned architecture or plug hastily implemented unviable schemes. Much to the consternation of environmentalists and conservationists (wildlife)  even the judiciary is often not condescending.

With the massive population bulge and tremendous biotic pressure as the result agricultural practises have often caused imbalances especially where fragile ecosystems have been brought under the net. The problem is further compounded by urban - rural convergence that is taking place in India. This may be due to career pursuits but in an agrarian economy shaping local eco-friendly infrastructure could stem the rot and encourage local youth to find options within.    

What is crucial, and is becoming more and more so is the public apathy towards issues regarding the environment. One reason is that these matters are never highlighted and the people are not aware of the wide spectrum of ailments it can lead to...which will eventually hurt them more. These issues are not part of political discourse as they apparently  lack the pull of the promises (often unfulfilled) of short term economic doles, of rapid transformation of the society and quick generation of ubiquitous wealth...and of course the material transformation into a modern age.

The environmental issues facing the country remain confined to the battles between NGOs, conservationists, the judiciary and the ruling dispensation. Sometimes the press takes in the peak but unfortunately these matters do not attract audience in exponentially large numbers like a dhamakedar (block buster) news item would.  For them readership, and TPA for electronic media is all that matters.

The crux of this article is that environmental awareness and large scale participation of the masses is a must if positively identified and well planned projects for the Nation's benefit have to be implemented. They should no longer be confined in the reigns of administration/politicians alone. The participation can take place through information transmission, addressing the concerns and taking the views of the masses. Peoples participation in projects deemed viable should come through active role of people represented by the environmentalist/conservationists/experts along with the administrative set up. Things should no longer be confined to public bodies alone with closeted execution.

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Uday works as a naturalists and blogs in matter relating to environment, tiger conservation and related issues.
He can be contacted at: pateluday90@hotmail.com 

Empowering Women

MP Government Initiatives

As per recent newspaper reports the Government of Madhya Pradesh has accorded significant concessions for women working in its institutions and public concerns. These concessions are in order to counter negative approach towards women in India. Under MP Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan a number of steps have been taken to mitigate this deep routed malaise prevailing in our society.  The campaign and schemes hope to stem the rot and also to improve female to male child ratio which is unbalanced due low number of female births in Central India. 

Beti Bachao Abhiyan (Save & Educate the girl child) is an effort that stands out as hallmark development in order to erase or mitigate the social evil that is lurking amidst us, and speaks a lot about gender inequality. These campaigns are not only to empower women economically but also to emancipate them from years of drudgery as a result of social prejudices and male prerogatives. For change in attitude and proper education are the ways to achieve emancipation as envisaged in these campaigns.

Another scheme worth a mention is Ladli Laxmi Yojna. The main objective of this scheme is to improve the health and education status of the girl child as well as to remove prejudices against the girl child.  

Gender Inequality 

This harrowing instance attributed to pervasive mindset is deep rooted and has led to number of infant deaths due to heinous crimes and neglect. Throughout the recent history the girl child has been the sufferer. This has resulted in physical neglect and even persecution of the unfortunate child born as a female. Another reason that labels girl child as a liability is the social cost that arises out of inclination for dowry and marriage expenses. The former is a crime and the latter is unfavorably loaded on the girl's family. Till this day even among many educated families only the male progeny is the center of care and attention. This attitude is adopted brazenly or subtly but anyway it points to a deep seated prejudice.

Superior status accorded to the male gene is widespread prevalent within the society consciously or unconsciously. We simply refuse to accept that a girl child augurs family genes. This misconception will take a large timespan to erode. This will require drastic change in our thoughts, reassessment of value systems and lot of acceptance as far as correcting the gender inequality tilt prevailing amongst us. The disbalance is further accentuated by labeling the opposite sex as physically and socially weaker. This has led to the inferior status. This notion has significantly reduced the leadership or participatory role that could have been accorded to women in nation building.              

For centuries women have been the sufferers as a result of such tilted inclinations. Some of the bias is prevalent in many countries as well - especially the underdeveloped ones and many theocratic states.  

The superiority accorded to male gender is based on number of  misguided notions that has roots in our beliefs, the social structure, economic perceptions and to some extant history. Women have always been considered as inferior to men and are meant to do household chores, oblige men in number of ways and be servile. Economic dependency and lower social status are some of the major reasons that has resulted in suppression of women in India. The inequality that stems out from the misconceptions have incarcerated women further leading to lack of freedom both economic and social. 

Historically women have been subject to extreme exploitation, rape during conquests and enslavement that  has wrongfully justified their status as an object of possession and a matter of honour. As a result practice like Sati originated in India. Though this statement may appear harsh but then it is a fact. Read history, the reawakening will widen scope of vision favourably if it brings forth the realization that we have not accorded an equal status to the opposite sex since time immemorial.   

Blame it on mindset, socio-religious values or historical perception this malaise in our society has to be uprooted fast and proper if we have to shine as a developed nation.