Not just Karnataka’s tiger reserves, whole of India's ecological environment is in crisis

By Shankar Sharma*
The news article "Fund crunch hits Karnataka's tiger reserves" says: "The fanfare surrounding 50 years of tiger conservation seems to have tapered. Karnataka’s tiger reserves are in a crisis as the Centre has released only half the funds allocated in last year’s budget, thereby blocking the matching grant from the state government."
It should not be an exaggeration to state that it is not just the Karnataka’s tiger reserves which are in a crisis, but the whole ecological environment in the country has left a lot more to be desired, and it is even a matter of serious concern when we also objectively consider the context of the vast population base, fast looming threats of Climate Change, and the break neck speed of industrial & commercial activities across the length and breadth of the country due to various associated policies/ practices of the state and central governments.
The fast degrading base of the natural resources, especially the forest wealth and fresh water bodies, can be seen as loudly announcing it all continuously since the last 10- 15 years. But no one among our authorities seems to care for the same, even if one hears it.
The associated concerns are hugely more acute for states like Karnataka, which has only about 21% of its land area covered by forest and trees, and which has about 52% of its land area officially noted as drought prone.
The deeply troubling question is: is there any one in the policy making levels who can be seen as even remotely concerned about such a calamitous scenario in the near future on their own families, children and grandchildren.
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*Power & Climate Policy Analyst

Beyond the 'silent relocation' narrative in Bangladesh's Chittagong Hill Tracts

By Dr. Mohammad Asaduzzaman* In recent years, a narrative has emerged from the rugged and forested terrain of the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT), portraying the region as the site of a “silent relocation” — a mass forced migration of Bangladesh’s non-Muslim ethnic communities into neighboring India and Myanmar.

Ram, Bam and Bengal: Memories of a Left turn toward the Right

By Rajiv Shah The BJP ’s massive electoral win in West Bengal is being interpreted across political persuasions — except, of course, by the BJP itself — as the result of the alleged deletion of around 90 lakh voters from the electoral rolls during the controversial intensive revision process. This may well be true, given my own experience in Gujarat regarding the shoddy manner in which electoral revisions have often been conducted. In West Bengal, there also appeared to be a political angle to the exercise. But I am not interested in discussing that here, as enough has already appeared in the media on the subject.

The farmer's burden: How oil, war, and climate are rewriting the price of food

By Vikas Meshram The scorching flames of the Middle East conflict are now slowly reaching the kitchens of ordinary people. The true price of this war is paid in daily markets, vegetable shops, and in the shattered minds of farmers. Expensive crude oil, skyrocketing fertilizer prices, and rising agricultural costs are together creating the conditions for global food inflation — and this crisis is directly tied to what people eat and drink every day.

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