Ideologies of Environmentalism

8/12/2019 Ideologies of Environmentalism

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Ideologies of Environmentalism

Environmental movement directed towards,promoting sustainable use of resources,

halting degradation, bring restoration.Indians access to resources varied widely

Diversity of environmental movement

3 categories of people involved, namelyOmnivores, ecosystem people, ecologicalrefugees & different strands are possible.


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Ideological variationsRamachandra Guha

Article titled Ideological Trends in Indian

Environmentalism

Three strands namely Crusading Gandhian,

Appropriate technology, & Ecological Marxist

He was trying analysis the issue from historical

perspective.

Radical ecologist & social ecologist and so on,

keeping European context and draw Indian

pattern


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Ideologies of Environmentalism

Environmental movement directed towards,promoting sustainable use of resources,

halting degradation, bring restoration.Indians access to resources varied widely

Diversity of environmental movement

3 categories of people involved, namelyOmnivores, ecosystem people, ecologicalrefugees & different strands are possible.


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The major strands..

2- exclusively focused - nature conservation

1- aesthetic, recreational/scientific grounds

1- cultural or religious traditionsWildlife conservation movement- attractedomnivores Eg- for 1st

Bishnoi peasants of Rajasthan protecting khejadi

trees, & birds-eg. Ecosystem people3rd-Efficiency of resource use from technocratic

perspective &established land use board,watershed development projects run by

Omnivorous


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Dominant strand in India

Dominant strand focused on question of equity

Conflicts - omnivores and ecosystem people

Such movement involve socially consciousomnivores, ecosystem people / ecological refugees

The environmentalism of the poor differ from

capitalist societies of West

4 broad strands within these movements


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Indian strands

1stmoral imperatives of checking overuse &

doing justice to poor- Gandhians

2nd

- need to dismantle the unjust social orderthrough struggle- Marxists

3rd&4themphasize reconstruction, employing

technologies appropriate, scientific approach,

revival of community-based management, villagelevel efforts to protect resources


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Environmental analysis

Material, political & ideological expression can beseen. Material- shortage of natural resources.Political-social action groups of the victims of

environmental degradation

World Wide Fund -India organized by rich peopleagainst noise pollution.

Thurow (1980) contended that environmentalismis predominantly an interest of the upper middleclass of the rich countries and that poor countries

poor individuals are simply not interested inenvironmentalism but involve them.


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Indian Environmental Movement

Very much involve poor and the disadvantagevictims of environmental degradations.

The Action groups used 3 distinct sets of

initiatives1stthrough process of struggle to preventecologically destructive economic practices

2nd- promoted ecological message using media&

innovative informal means3rdtaken up programmes on environmentalrehabilitation, restoring village eco systems,enhancing quality life.


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Political in nature

Though the initiatives taken by groups of outsidepolitical but always lead in to politics

From BJP-Communist party turned a blind eye

Rajni Kothari termed it as non-party politicalformation & trying the linkage ecologicaldegradation & rural poverty

Criticize the development process & suggestedalternative frame work for development

Development option continued ideologicalexpression


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Ideological expression

Creating awareness-collective protest, coverage in

print media,write signed article, involving leading

environmentalists- Sunderlal Bahuguna &Baba

Amte

1970 virtual explosion in news papers

Down to Earth, books by Kerala Sastra Sahitya

Parishat- oral means of communication

Karnataka-Yakshagana- dance- drama


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Innovative techniques.

Gandhis Padayatra model followed

Vinoba Bhave s disciple led first padayatra

Trans- Himalyan marchKashmirto Kanyakumari,4000km, Sunderlal Bahuguna in 1982-3.

1987-8, save the Western Ghats March,150NGOs, 1600Km, TN,Karnataka,Goa, Maharshtra.

Save Nilgiris, Save Sivaliks at J&K,1991-50daysmarch through Eastern Ghats-Vanya PrantChaitanya Yatra, 1993-Aravali Chaitanya yatra


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Environmental Rehabilitation

Reviving indigenous tradition of community

Chipko by Dasholi Gram Swarajya Mandal

Leadership of Chandi prasad Bhatt, aforestationwork in the upper Alakanda valley. High survivalrate saplings (75%) contrast to government (14% )

Anna Saheb Hazare- Ahamednagar, Build storage

ponds, 4,00,000 saplings planted, Ralegaon villageawarded as eco-restoration through SHG

Against corruption,awarded Padma Shri-returned


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Strands & its emphasis

Crusading Gandhians-checking overuse, justice to poor

Ecological Marxists- unjust social order

Appropriate Technologists, Scientific Conservations,

Wildness Enthusiasts- revival of community based

management systems,sustainable use &environ-friendly

The 1stone relies on moral/religious view point& reject

modern life. Moral problem,materialism and

consumerisms,away from nature

Massage-moral regeneration,against western models

Sunderlal Bahuguna Chipko Movement.


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Ecological Marxist

See problem in economic &political

? Unequal access to resources then values

Stratified society-Rich destroy natureRich for profit & poor for survival

Create economically just society

Precondition is social & ecological harmony

Both 1st&2ndseen as ideological& politicalextremist & created different set of

people,eg.Kerala Sastra Sahitys Parishat


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Appropriate Technologists

Working for synthesis of agriculture & Industry

Big& small, western& eastern technology

Influenced by western socialism ,judiciousReconciliation between modern & traditionaltechnique to fulfill social equity,local self-reliance

Environmental sustainability & Macro Scale

Alternative model for economic developmentCriticize social hierarchies, working towardsequity and science


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Scientific/Wilderness Conservation

Influential strand of State &State agencies

B.B.Vohra,senior bureaucrat- first person to

draw public attention on land & waterdegradation

Instrumental to create new ministries &

departments deal with problem ofenvironmental degradation


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Limittations.

There is no country wide organization orpolicy to deal the issue

No coordination between the departmentsWildlife protection Act1972,The ForestConservation Act1980,The EnvironmentProtection Act1986

No group is cognizant with social roots ofenvironment use and abuse


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Thank You

Ideologies of Environmentalism

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