people. Today’s environmental protection regime is grounded in dand, the tyranny of FD and bhed or pitting people against each other, e.g. farmers encouraged to use pesticides against the interests of fisherfolk. But on the ground environmental protection has been achieved over centuries by the people, and it is the people who are rising to protect their environment, their biodiversity today. It was Bishnois of Rajasthan who apprehended Salman Khan hunting antelopes in 1998 and are now doggedly pursuing case that has been dragging for years. Goa has retained its green mantle because of its village community based “communidade” system and have had to face dire consequences of resisting the attempts of vested interests to appropriate community property. My friend Bismarck Dias died in most suspicious circumstances when as the president of the local communidade he resisted the takeover of the hill by a Five-star hotel chain. More recently it was the people of Goa who protested against Railway Line passing through Mollem National Park, while the FD kept silent.Xxl Even worse, FD proposed to hand over 40% of Madhya Pradesh Reserve Forest to industry to clearfell and plant with exotic fast-growing species. It was the people who protested and forced the CM not to agreeXXlll
The antipathy of people towards environmental protection merely benefits the crony capitalists and corrupt babus and netas who gain from exhausting and degrading our country’s natural capital to make a fast buck. These include polluting industries, mines and quarry operators, real estate lobby and forest based
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