Skip to main content

India's environment is at risk under Narendra Modi govt, heed to reason, advises New York Times editorial

 A Greenpeace protest in Mahan jungles, Madhya Pradesh
By Our Representative
The day on which Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached Delhi from his five day tumultuous tour of New York and Washington and a claimed successful dialogue with US president Barrack Obama, the New York Times (NYT) has, in a sharply worded editorial titled India’s “Environment at Risk”, authored by its powerful editorial board collective, has declared that the Government of India’s (GoI’s) effort towards “gutting environmental protection laws and demonizing citizen groups that raise legitimate concerns are no way to move the nation forward.”
In fact, the NYT blames the GoI for showing “little tolerance for what it perceives as environmental interference with its development agenda.” It says, “On the eve of his departure for the United States last week, Modi opened his Make in India campaign to attract foreign investment.” Pointing out that for this India’s laws and regulations may be meriting reform, “and the government needs investment to kick-start the energy and other infrastructure developments the country needs so badly”. However, this should not mean environment should be undermined – a message Modi should take “from the courts”.
The NYT refers to the Supreme Court of India’s “wise” act of protecting both the nation’s democracy and environment in its “landmark decision” last week that orders the government to scrap 214 coal mining concessions. “Among the cancellations is a concession granted to Essar Energy and its Indian partner, Hindalco Industries, in the Mahan forest in the state of Madhya Pradesh”, it says, underling, “Local communities had fought bitterly to block the mine, which they feared would destroy large tracts of the forest where they live.”
“Such protests have greatly annoyed the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi”, the editorial notes, objecting to the Ministry of Environment and Forests move to “exempt proposals to expand coal-mining operations from the public hearings that were previously required.” In fact, the GoI went so far as support the Intelligence Bureau report which had sought to accuse Greenpeace India for organizing protests the in the Mahan forests of Madhya Pradesh. The GoI said Greenpeace was “threatening India’s national economic security”.
Things did not end here, the NYT says. “Then, Modi’s government blocked the organization’s financing.” Only in early September, the situation for Greenpeace India returned to normal, thanks to “the Delhi High Court ordered the government to lift the ban.” Yet, the Modi government did not stop undermining environmental norms in India.

Citing how the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change has lately set up a panel to review various bedrock national laws protecting forests, wildlife, clean water and clean air, with a view to overturning requirements industry doesn’t like, the NYT says, this did not seem enough for the GoI. 
The government is now seeking to "undo a reformed Land Acquisition Act that was approved last year and requires fair compensation for and restoration of lands seized for development. The law requires private companies to obtain the consent of 80 per cent of the people whose land they wish to acquire. Industry has complained the new requirements are too onerous”, the NYT concludes.

Comments

TRENDING

Gujarat's high profile GIFT city 'fails to attract' funds, India's FinTech investment dips

By Rajiv Shah  While the Narendra Modi government may have gone out of the way to promote the Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City), sought to be developed as India’s formidable financial technology hub off the state capital Gandhinagar, just 20 km from Ahmedabad, a recent report , prepared by Tracxn Technologies suggests that neither of the two cities figure in the list of top FinTech funding receiving centres.

Why Ramdev, vaccine producing pharma companies and government are all at fault

By Colin Gonsalves*  It was perhaps Ramdev’s closeness to government which made him over-confident. According to reports he promoted a cure for Covid, thus directly contravening various provisions of The Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954. Persons convicted of such offences may not get away with a mere apology and would suffer imprisonment.

A Hindu alternative to Valentine's Day? 'Shiv-Parvati was first love marriage in Universe'

By Rajiv Shah*   The other day, I was searching on Google a quote on Maha Shivratri which I wanted to send to someone, a confirmed Shiv Bhakt, quite close to me -- with an underlying message to act positively instead of being negative. On top of the search, I chanced upon an article in, imagine!, a Nashik Corporation site which offered me something very unusual. 

Decade long Modi rule 'undermines' people's welfare and democracy

By Ram Puniyani*  Modi has many ploys up his sleeves when it comes to propaganda. On one hand he is turning many a pronouncements of Congress in the communal direction, on the other he is claiming that whatever has been achieved during last ten years of his rule is phenomenal, but it is still a ‘trailer’ and the bigger things are in the offing as he claims to be coming to power yet again in 2024. While his admirers are ga ga about his achievements, the truth lies somewhere else.

Malayalam movie Aadujeevitham: Unrealistic, disservice to pastoralists

By Rosamma Thomas*  The Malayalam movie 'Aadujeevitham' (Goat Life), currently screening in movie theatres in Kerala, has received positive reviews and was featured also on the website of the British Broadcasting Corporation. The story is based on a 2008 novel by Benyamin, and relates the real-life story of a job-seeker from Kerala tricked into working in slave conditions in a goat farm in Saudi Arabia.

Plagued by opportunism, adventurism, tailism, Left 'doesn't matter' in India

By Harsh Thakor*  2024 elections are starting when India appears to be on the verge of turning proto-fascist. The Hindutva saffron brigade has penetrated in every sphere of Indian life, every social order, destroying and undermining the very fabric of the Constitution.

Belgian report alleges MNC Etex responsible for asbestos pollution in Madhya Pradesh town Kymore: COP's Geneva meet

By Our Representative A comprehensive Belgian report has held MNC Etex , into construction business and one of the richest, responsible for asbestos pollution in Kymore, an industrial town in in Katni district of Madhya Pradesh. The report provides evidence from the ground on how Kymore’s dust even today is “annoying… it creeps into your clothes, you have to cough it”, saying “It can be deadly.”

Can universal basic income help usher in sustainable egalitarianism in India?

By Prof RR Prasad*  The ongoing debate on application of Article 39(b) in the Supreme Court on redistribution of community material resources to subserve common good and for ushering in an egalitarian society has opened new vistas wherein possible available alternative solutions could be explored.

Press freedom? 28 journalists killed since 2014, nine currently in jail

By Kirity Roy*  On the eve of the Press Freedom Day on 3rd of May, the Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM) shared its anxiety with the broader civil society platforms as the situation of freedom of any form of expression became grimmer in India day by day. This day was intended to raise awareness on the importance of freedom of press and to pay tribute to pressmen who lost their lives in the line of duty.

Ahmedabad's Muslim ghetto voters 'denied' right to exercise franchise?

By Tanushree Gangopadhyay*  Sections of Gujarat Muslims, with a population of 10 per cent of the State, have been allegedly denied their rights to exercise their franchise in the Juhapura area of Ahmedabad.