The same issue is coming up in Bastar, where people are saying that the main intention of the Government to root out Naxalism in Bastar is not Development but to clear the path of leasing Iron Ore Mines to private Industrialists like Arcelor Mittal and Adani without caring for the rich Biodiversity of the region and local tribals. Kindly throw some light on this issue. How to decide who is on the path of Real Development?
This is a narrative that, if taken to its logical conclusion, would mean no more roads, no more revamping of cities, no more highways, no more Dams, no more airports, industries, because all of these require some kind of sacrifice of the environment. In fact, the very act of living and breathing requires the destruction of microbes. The predator and the prey, the non-vegetarian, the man using a fridge and a car or scooter, are all damaging the environment. Wars should not be fought in that case, and India must withdraw its troops from Ladakh and Siachen following the environmental issues it involves.
So you see the issue should be seen in the larger context and its long-term implications.
It would also imply letting the sandalwood smugglers and ivory poachers, who actually kill elephants (not just destroy corridors), and the Naxals – who are all non-vegetarians and kill humans, reversing the clock of time to the primitive era, should all be left undisturbed because they alone have the right to live.
As to Adani and the mining and industries, in that case, all mines (why only Bastar) should be stopped, and we should go back to the old form of energy by burning kerosene and cutting wood (which is what the Naxals commonly do). In simple words, go back to the Socialistic-Communist model with Karl Marx and Lenin as our guru, Mao as the ideal to be followed, China, Cuba, and North Korea as our best friends. We should, in fact, buy nothing from any Capitalist country, whether the US or Europe. The whole silly, stupid argument is as plain as a pikestaff. Thank God the present government is ensuring that the Red Corridor turns green or brown or whatever else, regardless of these brainless idiots who do activism only to please their Deep State partners. Their logic is too shallow, too lop-sided, too rigidly narrow to be taken seriously. If left to them, they would let the poor remain poor while pulling down the financial and military growth of the nation until it loses its independence, not to a capitalist nation as earlier, but to the communist China, which would be much worse.
No doubt environment should be respected, but not at the expense of national security and genuine development. Blind activism is too one-sided and too extreme to be true. Reason, true reason, should give us a balanced picture, weighing all the pros and cons and not stifle the legitimate means for creating wealth and developing a nation. Let them do their activism in China, which is building roads along the Himalayan borders, since environmental concerns are not limited to geographical boundaries. Let them lead by example by walking barefoot in the hills, refusing cars built by capitalists, and refusing to travel by Air since Airports are maintained by Adani!
Affectionately,
Alok Da
