EDITORIAL: No Entry

It is so easy to say no!

People who live in glass houses should watch their own kilowatthour consumption before they start throwing their stones or ‘watts’ and whys at others.

There are a few types of activists out there who make me sick. One who has nothing better to do, hoping to be recognised as a ‘voice’. Another, a well paid lobbyist playing out an orchestrated role in an elaborately laid out plan for the commercial interests of an industrial group.

This is not to say that there are no well-meaning groups out there. There are a lot of fundamental interests, of people, that need to be protected against crass com-mercial interests.

However, any large in-dustrial project in India seems to attract fliers-by-night from under rocks that appeared to be bone-dry and barren just a day ago.

The same groups or one-time-published authors can be seen protesting all power projects—thermal, hydel or nuclear. They all use elec-tricity no doubt but act blissfully ignorant of what powers their lights, fans, heaters and airconditioners.

Like millions like them, they buy and eat dressed meat but abhor killing of animals. You mean the chicken I just ate, ran around headless for a few minutes? Really?

So what drives them in their activism?

Money it would seem to be, from vested interests or other activist groups fed by well-meaning donors. Often, it is for 15 minutes of fame, hoping that would translate to money in any case!

Indigenous people and their habitats are indeed endangered by large infrastructure projects.

However, in a nation of 1+ billion people, do we need to mollycoddle the desires of a few at the cost of ignoring the needs of the rest? Particularly when these same few are being rallied against something without having the faintest clue about what they may be protesting against!

More importantly, does leaving some tribal people to their abject poverty mean benevolence or progress? They have had a lifestyle that has sustained them in the past but in a manner that is barely sustainable today, if at all. Should they too not be given a chance at better healthcare, schools to send their children to and so on? It may not be for the best for all but it is a chance at betterment—it is a chance you and I have received and they should get a shot at the same.

Can we not continue with our much-needed infra-structure projects and at the same time look after the needs of the immediate population effected by these projects?

Maybe we could, if there were not so much screaming and shouting going on!

A better focus of activist groups would be advocating and negotiating better compensation and rehabilitation packages and thereafter, ensuring that the easy-come money is not spent on liquor or moving to an urban slum!

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Category: Editorial