Man and Environment – A Working Class Perspective.

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.