2010, Tata Steel and Vedanta group, gang up with the Government of India to fight the indigenous Gonds in Dandakaranya forest- Arundati Roy's essay "Walking with the Comrades" on her experience with the "People's Army". Feels straight out of the James Cameron Masterpiece the Avatar(2009) script, the story set in 2154 in the distant planet the Pandora, Human Greed takes us on a mission to obliterate the Alien Bio-Diversity to obtain the un-obtainium, only to confront the indigenous Na'avi. Life imitating Art?
The GEO India May issue on the Economics of Bio-Diversity- All throughout the history we have taken Nature for Granted. The notion of value is nothing more than ability to profit, how do we measure this? The value that Nature gives is considered free- a premise that no longer is true. What if we acknowledge their value?
Our country obsessed with IPL, Bollywood and sensationalist media.
Thanks to Kingfisher, I now know that there is a security threat "perception" at the Bengaluru International airport. Sorry Kingfisher, I couldn't avail your 5 Star services, I postponed the flight to the next day, to Jet Connect, because of the security threat perception in my Rini's mind. Not that the Choice of Jet Connect had anything to do with it, I would have chosen Kingfisher non-stop but for the departure time. Jet doesn't bother me to message and hence the "ALL GO" from Rini. No wonder, 5 in the morning and there is a serpentine blockade for the taxis to pass scanned by the cautious eyes of armed to tooth CISF commandos, extra vigilant CISF officers at the Departure Entrance reading every detail of the E-ticket and the ID so much scrutiny that my in-animate ID card should feel nervous and have a cardiac arrest. The announcement over the PA System- "Your Security is important to us, please report any suspicious un-attended article or suspicious BEHAVIOR, to the nearest security personnel". There would have been all those Ninjutsu like commando officers dropping out of thin air and I will be on the mat lest I cry out BOMB.The Big Congestion in Security Check, the officers peering through the screen during the baggage scan flagging every suspicious consignment. The contraband of Edible Oil, Rice and Dal was caught and the culprit a 5ft tall frail looking gentleman who was clueless, a security threat indeed. I didn't know that they can be used as a weapon other than giving the un-suspecting victim a stomach upset. Today even the ordinarily compliant citizenry feels the pinch. But hey they don't run helter-skelter, they are non-violent swallowing the violence in the land of the non-violent Mahatma. Well actually its a breeze, we have been to trained by the 12+ years of "education" to make it through any security gate, we comply, we don't feel that it is a humiliation, we feel proud that we are contributing to the security of an airport.
The Gonds, the tribal of Dandakaranya, do not have the luxury of the 12+ years of education. The 12+ years of conditioning in -patriotism, compliance, subservience, playing safe, never innovating, sustaining personal contradictions and in-securities, never questioning. The Gonds question the rationale behind the forest department's evictions, Government's support to the ambitions of the Mining companies, and the Salwa Judum. Salwa Judum is the Indian version of the Jewish Ghettoing perpetrated by the Nazis. But as with Indians its never original. Taken straight out of General Harold Rawdon Briggs journals from his experience in Malaya. Experience of the General of the Raj. Raj in India is never forgotten I guess. Salwa Judum perpetrated on the Gonds whose Haemoglobin count is between 5 or 7 (12-16 normal woman) and in whose infants suffer from Kwashiorkor. I remember by-hearting the disease names like Kala-Azar, Kwashiorkar and the rest of the gang for my Science tests in 8th Standard (read Grade if you are from the American System), but thats as far as I got to understanding the significance of the human condition. The entire media machinery and our Home Ministry and the Prime Minister calling them the "Gravest Security Threat to the Nation". There is even a debate about taking the services from the Airforce.
I belong to the Indian middle class obsessed with the IPL, with Katrina Kaif, Pakistan Battering, keeping mum on Tibet, salivating on the "Development" for it means some more money in my Bank Account. My entire education enabled me to have a cushy job in a cushy MNC. I have plans for my self, cars, apartments, digital gadgets and the usual laundry list. I don't bother about what happens in the place where I live, I am clueless about my neighbors, I don't involve myself in the community. I crib about the central and the state Government, I jump the traffic light and honk the ears of the hapless mercilessly in the mean city streets of Bangalore and tail gate and yet I criticize the apathy of the people about civic issues, and complain of bad traffic sense and absolve myself. Thats me the Indian middle class with contradictions galore.
Contradictions. Thats the sum total of my 29 years of conscious existence. Contradictions, blind as a bat to facts and tap dancing to the jingoism- add a lit bit of Sex and it becomes Hip-Hop. The Gonds on the other hand are not so blind, of course when you are on the sniper's cross hair, and your girl friend or wife gets raped you would even start having the ability to see in the dark. To bad odds are too stacked against the "Operation Green Hunt Hush Hush" personnel and don't worry there is a special consignment of Israeli night vision goggles heading their way. That should even things out. Contradictions, it takes 74 lives to be ambushed and their lives snuffed out to understand that the strategy of countering the Maos is flawed. Too bad we did not send the UAVs/Drones over the hungry and the weak for reconnaissance. Contradictions, between the cliched Devil and the cliched deep blue sea. The Gonds caught in the "Dharma Sankat" between the Indian Government and the Maoists, only that the Maoists are more benign for now. Arundati would disagree with my denotation "Benign" and would rather "Messiah". At the end of it all hope the Gonds have a blue throat as Shiva in this churning of the Dandakaranya forest by the Government (read mining lobby) and the Maos usurping all the universal wisdom in the process, the essence of it all.
All I can care for right now is to wait for the boarding call. There was a time when Bhagat Singh could wake up the British to the revolution by a smoke bomb. Today even the dastardly act of be-heading is not enough. I am still slumbering in the sweet lullabies of the Bollywood Songs, the drumbeats of IPL, the 24X7 News media, tweeting twitter and my facebook account. I don't research the genetic diversity of Indian flora-fauna to make a compelling case against industrial farming. Understand the damage of Big Hydel projects as Medha Patkar does. I do not dive to the depths to make a case against trade of Nautilus as Andy Dunston does through his 12 years of research. I do not value Nature as demonstrated in the May issue of the GEO magazine
"Nature maintains its value, like a factory that constantly renews itself"
-Dr Andreas Webber, Biologist and Philosopher, GEO Magazine
Making changes to the accounting practice taking the value Nature brings in consideration in formulating Economic measures would have perhaps saved Aral Sea, the once largest inland sea during the 1960s but today its a lake split in two, thanks to diverting the rivers into irrigation canals, for un-sustainable farming and profit and today profit from farming is impossible there. Funny I learnt about the Water Cycle in the 3rd standard I remember the river water heading into the ocean. I am curious to ask the impact of cutting of the river water to a 3rd Standard kid. What the kid learns today in our schools does it have a scientific footing in reality and not rely on half science and hearsays?
I belong to this crowd that takes short cuts and guesses and little or no statistical study to question, understand and to have an insight. Why bother? Nuke those naked , poor and already starving bastards. Aristotle, Socrates, Plato all stressed to observe facts and question the premise. If theory does not observe with facts question the theory. But some how I learnt to question facts and abide by my premise.
Oh Ya I forgot we work on deadlines. Ladies and Gentlemen the Western concept of progress- Progress Works on Deadlines my friend. If you can't give deadline then what the hell did you get all the degrees and experience for. Ya, we were evolved through millions of years for nothing and Nature is stupid and an idiot. Man is intelligent. Yes, intelligent enough to ignore facts and work out of "Systems" that was to give clean answers to clean problems, only problems is that there is no clean problem, so can we expect a clean answer? Nature is Stupid enough to design Honey Bees- not only they provide honey for "free" but also play a role as pollinators of flowering plants, fruits, vegetables and oil bearing plants. What a Moron!
I :We need factories, we need steel plants, and we need a Dam built in 6 months. It is so simple, it will give jobs, it will keep the people happy so what it the problem?
Me: At what price? To loose a strain of wild rise that is only found in the valley to be flooded that is resistant to a new virus. If we crossbreed this strain with other strains then will perhaps help in providing food security to the people also providing a way for the tribals to sustain themselves by catering to the demand for this strain.
Myself: Nah, can't wait, build the God Damn Dam in 6 Months.
Told you. We cannot fathom the Stupidity of Nature to do things in its own sweet time, we need a deadline.
On the other hand the pockets where communists still rule the roost seem to have a solution - remove the only reason for all human evils, wealth, distribute it equally to everybody. A premise held dear, though statistically flawed given Soviet, North Korea, West Bengal and Kerela. All this premise gives in the minds of its practitioners is lethargy, laziness, dreamy eyed and intellectual masturbation. Despite the facts they would never correct the premise. So what is really the reason for all human evils? Are we studying it? Diligently?
I don't do any diligent study of Nature, about my contradictions, flawed premises. Thats me an Indian, Mera Bharat Mahan. We are fanatics behind building temples, be it Hindu, or Dams- temples of Modern India, drilled into our head. As I see it for the Gonds to survive they need to get trained to function in this contradiction. I have spent practically my entire life to be trained in the circus to be tax a paying citizen of India. They chose to be trained by the CPI(ML).
Be as it may, Gonds and I are in the same boat living an illusion, like trained parrots singing praise of our respective ilk. Only that they have to plan for the next rendezvous or ambush and I have to catch my plane, like a trained circus animal- "This is the Boarding Call for all passengers travelling Jet Airways flight 9W2357..."
The Gonds, the tribal of Dandakaranya, do not have the luxury of the 12+ years of education. The 12+ years of conditioning in -patriotism, compliance, subservience, playing safe, never innovating, sustaining personal contradictions and in-securities, never questioning. The Gonds question the rationale behind the forest department's evictions, Government's support to the ambitions of the Mining companies, and the Salwa Judum. Salwa Judum is the Indian version of the Jewish Ghettoing perpetrated by the Nazis. But as with Indians its never original. Taken straight out of General Harold Rawdon Briggs journals from his experience in Malaya. Experience of the General of the Raj. Raj in India is never forgotten I guess. Salwa Judum perpetrated on the Gonds whose Haemoglobin count is between 5 or 7 (12-16 normal woman) and in whose infants suffer from Kwashiorkor. I remember by-hearting the disease names like Kala-Azar, Kwashiorkar and the rest of the gang for my Science tests in 8th Standard (read Grade if you are from the American System), but thats as far as I got to understanding the significance of the human condition. The entire media machinery and our Home Ministry and the Prime Minister calling them the "Gravest Security Threat to the Nation". There is even a debate about taking the services from the Airforce.
I belong to the Indian middle class obsessed with the IPL, with Katrina Kaif, Pakistan Battering, keeping mum on Tibet, salivating on the "Development" for it means some more money in my Bank Account. My entire education enabled me to have a cushy job in a cushy MNC. I have plans for my self, cars, apartments, digital gadgets and the usual laundry list. I don't bother about what happens in the place where I live, I am clueless about my neighbors, I don't involve myself in the community. I crib about the central and the state Government, I jump the traffic light and honk the ears of the hapless mercilessly in the mean city streets of Bangalore and tail gate and yet I criticize the apathy of the people about civic issues, and complain of bad traffic sense and absolve myself. Thats me the Indian middle class with contradictions galore.
Contradictions. Thats the sum total of my 29 years of conscious existence. Contradictions, blind as a bat to facts and tap dancing to the jingoism- add a lit bit of Sex and it becomes Hip-Hop. The Gonds on the other hand are not so blind, of course when you are on the sniper's cross hair, and your girl friend or wife gets raped you would even start having the ability to see in the dark. To bad odds are too stacked against the "Operation Green Hunt Hush Hush" personnel and don't worry there is a special consignment of Israeli night vision goggles heading their way. That should even things out. Contradictions, it takes 74 lives to be ambushed and their lives snuffed out to understand that the strategy of countering the Maos is flawed. Too bad we did not send the UAVs/Drones over the hungry and the weak for reconnaissance. Contradictions, between the cliched Devil and the cliched deep blue sea. The Gonds caught in the "Dharma Sankat" between the Indian Government and the Maoists, only that the Maoists are more benign for now. Arundati would disagree with my denotation "Benign" and would rather "Messiah". At the end of it all hope the Gonds have a blue throat as Shiva in this churning of the Dandakaranya forest by the Government (read mining lobby) and the Maos usurping all the universal wisdom in the process, the essence of it all.
All I can care for right now is to wait for the boarding call. There was a time when Bhagat Singh could wake up the British to the revolution by a smoke bomb. Today even the dastardly act of be-heading is not enough. I am still slumbering in the sweet lullabies of the Bollywood Songs, the drumbeats of IPL, the 24X7 News media, tweeting twitter and my facebook account. I don't research the genetic diversity of Indian flora-fauna to make a compelling case against industrial farming. Understand the damage of Big Hydel projects as Medha Patkar does. I do not dive to the depths to make a case against trade of Nautilus as Andy Dunston does through his 12 years of research. I do not value Nature as demonstrated in the May issue of the GEO magazine
"Nature maintains its value, like a factory that constantly renews itself"
-Dr Andreas Webber, Biologist and Philosopher, GEO Magazine
Making changes to the accounting practice taking the value Nature brings in consideration in formulating Economic measures would have perhaps saved Aral Sea, the once largest inland sea during the 1960s but today its a lake split in two, thanks to diverting the rivers into irrigation canals, for un-sustainable farming and profit and today profit from farming is impossible there. Funny I learnt about the Water Cycle in the 3rd standard I remember the river water heading into the ocean. I am curious to ask the impact of cutting of the river water to a 3rd Standard kid. What the kid learns today in our schools does it have a scientific footing in reality and not rely on half science and hearsays?
As my friend once said
"The only solution to this Maoist problem is total elimination. We need a solution now."
I belong to this crowd that takes short cuts and guesses and little or no statistical study to question, understand and to have an insight. Why bother? Nuke those naked , poor and already starving bastards. Aristotle, Socrates, Plato all stressed to observe facts and question the premise. If theory does not observe with facts question the theory. But some how I learnt to question facts and abide by my premise.
Oh Ya I forgot we work on deadlines. Ladies and Gentlemen the Western concept of progress- Progress Works on Deadlines my friend. If you can't give deadline then what the hell did you get all the degrees and experience for. Ya, we were evolved through millions of years for nothing and Nature is stupid and an idiot. Man is intelligent. Yes, intelligent enough to ignore facts and work out of "Systems" that was to give clean answers to clean problems, only problems is that there is no clean problem, so can we expect a clean answer? Nature is Stupid enough to design Honey Bees- not only they provide honey for "free" but also play a role as pollinators of flowering plants, fruits, vegetables and oil bearing plants. What a Moron!
I :We need factories, we need steel plants, and we need a Dam built in 6 months. It is so simple, it will give jobs, it will keep the people happy so what it the problem?
Me: At what price? To loose a strain of wild rise that is only found in the valley to be flooded that is resistant to a new virus. If we crossbreed this strain with other strains then will perhaps help in providing food security to the people also providing a way for the tribals to sustain themselves by catering to the demand for this strain.
Myself: Nah, can't wait, build the God Damn Dam in 6 Months.
Told you. We cannot fathom the Stupidity of Nature to do things in its own sweet time, we need a deadline.
On the other hand the pockets where communists still rule the roost seem to have a solution - remove the only reason for all human evils, wealth, distribute it equally to everybody. A premise held dear, though statistically flawed given Soviet, North Korea, West Bengal and Kerela. All this premise gives in the minds of its practitioners is lethargy, laziness, dreamy eyed and intellectual masturbation. Despite the facts they would never correct the premise. So what is really the reason for all human evils? Are we studying it? Diligently?
I don't do any diligent study of Nature, about my contradictions, flawed premises. Thats me an Indian, Mera Bharat Mahan. We are fanatics behind building temples, be it Hindu, or Dams- temples of Modern India, drilled into our head. As I see it for the Gonds to survive they need to get trained to function in this contradiction. I have spent practically my entire life to be trained in the circus to be tax a paying citizen of India. They chose to be trained by the CPI(ML).
Be as it may, Gonds and I are in the same boat living an illusion, like trained parrots singing praise of our respective ilk. Only that they have to plan for the next rendezvous or ambush and I have to catch my plane, like a trained circus animal- "This is the Boarding Call for all passengers travelling Jet Airways flight 9W2357..."
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