Anoop Varghese Kuriappuram
I am writing this when there is increasing bonhomie
about western ghats and Kasthuri Rangan/ Madhav Gadgil Report.
Kasthuri Rangan report as every one understands is a mere technical
report and it compromises the scientific base in which Madhav Gadgil report is built. It is not within the scope of this document to compare these. Discussion point that we raise here is what the working class approach should be towards nature.
Industrial revolution and free market theory always
aims at exploiting natural resources to extract profits and it does not
have adequate care towards replenishing the same. Barren lands which is
left after mineral explorations are just
one example of what consumerism will lead to. Species started vanishing
from planet, biodiversity taking a hit and man’s quality of living is
coming down in terms of basic livelihood parameters such as water, air and
food. Increasingly, water is becoming polluted
with portable drinking water sources getting scarce. Air’s quality is
worsening with industrial and vehicular pollution hitting a new high.
Ozone layer is getting depleted in rapid pace with CFC’s emissions
unbridled. Temperature of earth is getting warmer
as rightly pointed out by IPCC of United Nations. Food is getting
contaminated by pesticides, chemical fertilisers and unhealthy processing
practices.
Interestingly some corporates are thriving in the business of capitalising on this decline of quality of life.
· For Polluted water, corporates offer purifiers, mega desalinisers and water supply schemes.
·
For Increase Temperature, they offer air conditioners and air coolers
·
For Contaminated food, offer is organic food
·
For Medical Ailments, offer is 5 star treatment
·
For Huge waste generated, it has proposal of big processing plants and incirators.
Workers organisations, industrial bodies and
governments tend to bring the angle of economic parameters such as gross
domestic product and employment into these critical issues. Arguments
are being put forward such as for employment , exploiting
the nature is Marxist view .In this, trade unions are sadly taking a
view which is protective of capitalist enterprise and is working some
time as apostles for them.
Let us come back and examine this critical issue from a Marxist perspective.
Employment by itself is not a right or a must in a
classless society. Employment should be directed towards welfare of
society and replenishment of the natural resources. The historical
perspective which we should ingrain is “natural
resources are finite”. Then comes the word called sustainability. When a corporate speaks about sustainable theme, it will be
always directed at maintaining it’s bottom line by a set of activities.
Working class should be seeking “Sustainable
Employment” than “Destructive Employment” from its higher class
consciousness.
Now what approach should working class take in this?
Points to be kept in mind while examining this
holistically are the livelihood of human beings and the famous idiom that
“without wall there can be no wall painting”. Technological and
scientific advances should be evaluated exhaustively before
putting them into use. Market forces tend to go ahead with new advances
and government system is doing a catch up later. Working class in
return of the employment received ,tend to be protective of the
environment destructing attitude of capitalists. It is
a historically wrong perspective and contrary to the commitment working
class should be showing to the society.
Working class holistically should drive struggle
and correct environmental issues that it’s operating concern is
producing. There should be a pledge from working class that “Boycott
employers who does not adhere to environmental standards”.
A “Zero Emission Industrial Enterprise” should be the slogan, we should
be supporting. This is the short term solution.
It is not enough to do the above, but we need to
push for an alternate economy. An economy which is driven by plan and
not by demand-supply theory. We should understand that
supply of natural resources are limited. We should recognise
that reckless market mechanism is producing waste and causing
environmental impacts and is making life in Planet Earth Miserable.
Government should be in control of all natural
resources and services and private ownership should be limited.
Production required in the economy should be forecast by the
government and suitable mechanism should strive to produce the
same. For Industrial goods and services also same should apply.
An Imaginative working class government for example
1) will construct an extensive railway network,
where people can carry their private cars across countries than a 6 lane
highway where people need to drive, put fuel and make pollution to
reach destination.
2) Housing will be recognised as a right and not as
an investment, government shall provide space or flats for each of
citizen rather than allowing builders/land mafia to take advantage of
working class.
Imaginative measures which will increase quality of
life should be the agenda of the government than any figures such as
GDP. Individual freedom should not be curtailed but options should be
provided to achieve the same with minimum ecological
impact.
Right to Housing, Employment, Food, Quality Air and
Water should be made fundamental right of each citizen and working
class government should be in charge of achieving the same. Jobs should
be created to conserve and replenish the natural
resources than exploiting the same. All market driven practices which
are harmful to nature should be banned (such as pesticides use will be
banned).
A Social audit mechanism will be there to examine and allow use of all technologies or advances before their use.
Ultimate aim will be to topple the capitalist
regime, which is driving this anti environment policies and establish a
working class governing structure.
