The Chhattisgarh experiment: Labour, ecology and the Niyogi vision

By Harsh Thakor* 

Shankar Guha Niyogi: A Politics in Red and Green by Radhika Krishnan offers an in-depth examination of the life, ideas, and political philosophy of Shankar Guha Niyogi, the visionary founder of the Chhattisgarh Mukti Morcha (CMM). Emerging in 1977 as a union for miners of the Bhilai Steel Plant, the CMM evolved into a larger movement representing mineworkers, factory labourers, and agricultural workers across Chhattisgarh. Krishnan’s work positions the CMM as a unique experiment in integrating labour struggles with ecological consciousness and technological awareness, while also reimagining the very framework of trade unionism.

The author delves into how Niyogi and his movement redefined the relationship between labour, ecology, and technology, proposing a vision of industrial organisation that respected both human and environmental dimensions. Krishnan situates this vision within broader developmental debates in postcolonial India, where rapid industrialisation often sidelined ecological balance and workers’ rights. Through Niyogi’s initiatives, such as efforts to humanise technology, link factories with farms and forests, and combat displacement caused by mechanisation, the book illustrates a grounded model of people-centred development.

The study engages with several key questions—whether workers can meaningfully participate in democratising technology, how labour identities intersect with nationality and ethnicity, and whether environmental and technological debates undermine or enhance class-based trade union practice. By tracing these tensions, Krishnan underscores that contradictions and challenges are inherent in transformative social movements.

Krishnan’s analysis also reflects on the CMM’s contributions to improving living standards for workers and tribals—through campaigns for fair wages, health care, housing, and education—and how these initiatives collectively constituted a holistic model of worker welfare. The book draws attention to the movement’s blending of Gandhian and Marxist ideas, illustrating how Niyogi sought to transcend the limitations of both traditions by integrating ethical, ecological, and class perspectives into a single political practice.

The narrative further situates the CMM within broader historical and political developments, exploring its engagement with statehood movements and responses to economic liberalisation. The concluding sections examine the continuation of Niyogi’s legacy after his assassination in 1991, highlighting how the CMM adapted to new challenges during the era of globalisation, including its participation in protests against the Dunkel Draft in the 1990s.

Overall, Shankar Guha Niyogi: A Politics in Red and Green is a nuanced and meticulously researched study that bridges environmental studies, labour politics, and technology studies. It is a valuable resource for scholars and students interested in alternative models of development, social movements, and the intersections between ecology and labour.

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*Freelance journalist