As we reached the end of the valley, the sight of the
majestic rock mountains was mesmerizing. We forgot the battle against the
leeches; the sight was surreal, out of the world, black rocks rising in
the middle of tall forest green landscape. The tall massive rock is called
Bhairaveshwara Shikhara and the second smaller rock Mohini Shikhara.
Reverting back to mythology, the demon king Bhasmasura,
after an austere penance, obtained a boon from Shiva whereby whenever he
placed his hands over anyone’s head, it would burn into ashes (Bhasma).
He wanted to test this power by planting his hands on Shiva’s head. In
an attempt to escape he descended to earth, and Lord Vishnu came to his
rescue in the form of Mohini, a damsel. She enticed Bhasmasura and agreed
to a dance competition, and in the process Mohini cleverly places her hand
on her head. Not knowing the consequences, he too places his hands on his
own head and turns into ashes. It is claimed that Yana is the site where
this happened. The ground around this place has black soil like ash. It is
the abode of Shiva and hence sacred, a place for people to visit specially
during Shivaratri.
Even before the UNESCO declared some areas of the
Western Ghats as a World Heritage Site, for local people these were
already heritage sites with spiritual and religious sanctity accorded to
these outstanding living monuments.
One such rare site is witnessing the Pade Mara, the
giant tree that hosted more than one thousand bee hives of rock bees (Apis
dosrata). The entire forest floor is covered with purple blue flowers
known as Kurunji (Strobilanthes kunthiana); it blooms at the
interval of 12-year cycle. It produces rare nectar that attracts
honeybees. During this bloom one can witness the tree hosting fifty to
hundred colonies of wild bees on a single branch. It is a rare sight, as
if a giant cart is decorated with bee colonies. Exquisite white honey
produced from the nectar of these flowers has a unique taste.
The name Nilgiri, or the ‘blue mountains’ of Ooty
is derived from neelakurunji flowers. Tamil poems dating back to
2000 years praises ‘karuarungal kurinji’ the honey made from
these blooms. Again the name kurunji is derived from the river Kunthi that
flows in the grasslands and valleys nourishing the slopes of WG.
It is not only the unusual landscape and insects that
find a safe habitat in WG, the diversity of tribal communities that
evolved in different ecological zones is also unique. The Toda tribes in
Nilgiris with their buffalo and their intricate embroidery, the primitive
Chola and Katunayakan, Kurumbas have evolved for centuries in the forests
of WG. In the northern part from Gujarat and Karnataka the Siddi tribe,
the Black communities that drifted from the Portuguese territory to the
forests of WG have craved their own mini Africa, and made their home in
this hill range. Similarly, the Dhangar Gowlis, the migratory herders with
their own buffalo variety have found their niche on the edge of WG.
Halakkis, the tribe named after ‘white rice’ are settled on the
slopes of WG in Karnataka.
The tag of ‘biodiversity hotspot’ for WG is given
for the great number of endemic plants, animals and fauna. Nevertheless,
the cultural and linguistic diversity of communities inhibiting this
region is unique. Invariably all of these communities have a spiritual
relationship with the ghats. Kodavas, the community from Coorg, is
the only marshal race from South India, famed for producing coffee,
cardamom, orange and honey.
Spice, especially the pepper from WG attracted Arab
traders to the West Coast. Gradually the Dutch and Portuguese established
their trading ports, but in 1800 the British gained control over the
region. Colonial rule sowed the seeds of commercialization of the natural
resources, specifically converting the vast old natural forests into
monoculture plantations. Large tea and coffee estates were established in
the southern regions on a higher elevation. The diverse tropical forests
were clear-felled to make way for teak plantations with the sole objective
of earning revenue.
This land use change unleashed a process that resulted
in changing the very structure of society and ecology of the region. These
changes resulted in linking the WG to the global economy, as the resources
were exploited to meet the commercial interests of colonial rule.
The seeds sown by colonial rule sprouted during the
post-independence period in which the main objective of the governments
was to exploit the resources, conquering nature to bring development for
the people and the region.
The conversion of natural, diverse old growth forests
into monoculture teak and eucalyptus plantations was carried out on a
large scale, decimating the tropical forests known for their diversity.
Forest-based industries were established to log the primeval forests to
produce paper and pulp. The rivers waters were stored and diverted by
building a series of dams to produce power, and for irrigation. This led
to the submergence of large tracts of forests.
People were encouraged to plant rubber in place of
paddy to earn a regular income. Monoculture rubber plantations replaced
the famed home gardens of Kerala that provided food and nutrition with its
diversity of species. In Karnataka, the time-tested ‘spice gardens’
that followed ecological ethics, and a model of sustainable land use in
the tropical region, were soon replaced by areca palm monocultures. Thus,
the indigenous land use models that were built on the principles of
biodiversity and permaculture crumbled to make way for conventional
monoculture cash crops.
Drastic changes to this fragile ecosystem impacted
water sources and the microclimate resulting in adverse implications on
agricultural crops. Although local farming communities did experience
these changes, they had no way to stop the deforestation policies
implemented by the government.
In 1983 a group of youth form Balegadde village in
Sirsi taluka, Karnataka, challenged the forest department urging them to
stop felling of natural forests to make way for teak plantations. As this
was ignored, they invited Sunderlal Bahuguna of the Chipko movement and
sought his help in launching a similar movement in the ghats of Karnataka.
Thus was born the Appiko (‘to embrace’ in Kannada) movement – the
South Indian version of Chipko, with the objective of protecting the
forests of Western Ghats in South India.
A prolonged grassroots struggle for five years yielded
results as the state government of Karnataka changed its forest policy,
halted tree felling and eventually put a moratorium on felling of green
trees in the WG region in 1988.
Before this popular struggle, the Silent Valley
movement in Kerala had attracted worldwide attention. Halting of the dam
in Silent Valley was the first victory of the environmental movement in WG.
It caught the imagination of common people not only in Kerala but across
the southern states.
With these two successful struggles in the eighties, we
realized the limitation of independent state-wise struggles to conserve WG.
It was felt that we needed to address the issue across the six states that
encompass WG. This led to the formation of a broad alliance of
communities, scientists, activists, youth and civil society organizations
under the banner of SWGM (Save Western Ghats Movement). In order to
reinforce the idea of interconnectedness of WG, a padyatra or foot
march was organized in 1987 along the length of WG culminating in Goa. It
succeeded in creating awareness about WG, and the need to halt the
destruction.
However, the unleashing of economic liberalization and
the spate of development projects in the region for establishing power
plants, construction of dams for power generation, mining and large
infrastructure projects accelerated the process of destruction of the
natural forests. SWGM was re-launched in 2009 that eventually led to the
formation of WEEGP (Western Ghats Environment and Ecology Panel) under the
chairmanship of Madhav Gadgil. For the first time in the history of
environmental governance, a comprehensive report was submitted to the
government outlining the causes for destruction and suggestions for
conserving the mountain range.
While disowning the report, the central government
appointed another committee under the chairmanship of Kasturirangan, with
the objective of diluting the recommendations of the Gadgil Committee.
Ironically, both the central and state governments have shown little
interest in implementing even this diluted version to conserve WG.
Irrespective of party affiliations, the political parties opposed the
recommendations and were not keen on any restrictions on the ongoing
policies that were destroying the mountain range.
In the meantime, prophesies predicted by Madhav Gadgil
came true during the monsoons of 2018 and 2019. Severe floods and
landslides left behind a trail of destruction of lives and property. WG,
the mountain that was ‘resilient’ had lost its capacity within a span
of three decades, and the disasters combined with impact of climate change
has accelerated the process of destabilization.
Obviously, the devastation is a culmination of policies
that has led to the irreparable damage to tropical forests. In Tamil there
is a saying ‘the sea begins in the mountains’. It refers to the
intricate link of mountain ecosystem to the resources of the ocean or the
sea. A judicious land use in the hills and the plains is essential to
conserve the river ecosystems and eventually marine life. Unfortunately,
the ongoing development policies in the WG have caused irreparable damage,
severing the intricate links by destroying the regenerative capacities of
forests, rivers and grasslands. The fragmentation of natural habitats and
changing living systems has had a catastrophic impact on the basic capital
of soil and water.
Much before the advent of Covid-19, the ‘monkey fever’
or Kyasanoor Forest Disease, caused due to the passing on of ticks from
dead monkeys to human beings, has taken its toll of lives of forest
dwellers across WG. The main cause is attributed to the extensive
deforestation in the region. The biodiversity of the natural landscape
provide a barrier to the pathogens that otherwise could impact the human
lives.
Most pandemics like HIV, SARS, and Ebola have their
roots in environmental destruction. In order to prevent pandemics in
future it is essential to conserve the existing natural habitats like
tropical forests. The corollary of the Thai sacbrood virus affecting the
honeybees and almost decimating indigenous honeybees during the decades of
the nineties is a reminder of overstepping nature’s limits.
Unfortunately, dense natural forest cover has decreased
over the decades, and according to ecologists, the remaining natural
forests are less than 10 per cent, whereas the mandatory requirement for
hill region like WG is a minimum of 66 per cent. Despite this drastic
reduction, the reports of finding a new species of plant or frogs in WG
reveal the mystery of diversity.
Despite the successful background of grassroots
struggle of Silent Valley, Appiko and Save Western Ghats movements, there
is hardly any political support for WG. Are the issues of conservation and
the need to look at WG holistically irrelevant for the rulers?
Irrespective of party affiliations, all the six state governments have
rejected the Centres move to implement the recommendations of the
Kasturirangan Committee.
With the sole purpose of winning elections and holding
on to power, do politicians have any commitment or motivation to look at
the resource use in a long-term perspective? Is it impossible for them to
think beyond their vested interests that derive patronage through
destroying the survival base of the people? What prevents them from
learning from the catastrophic events of landslides and floods?
In order to find an explanation to these complex
questions, we need to look at the way our society is organized, which lays
emphasis on accumulation of wealth and power. Chasing the dream of
unlimited consumer lifestyle, every action by an individual has an impact
on his natural surroundings. It is only by overstepping natures limits, or
destroying it, can we attain these comforts of material goods or palatial
homes or building a resort to consume nature. The enemy is within, as we
have become slaves to gadgets and consumer products that help us in
creating a false sense of security. It is a result of complete alienation
from the provider – nature.
The green decade of the seventies and eighties
attracted innumerable supporters from different backgrounds supporting the
cause of WG. Even without the support of the electronic media, the message
of conservation, of awareness, reached large numbers of people. Now even
with wide coverage through social media and other platforms, the desired
action as well as support for the cause of conservation is dwindling.
One of the basic ingredients of a successful grassroots
struggle is belonging to a community, and a strong feeling for the cause
for which people exhibit commitment. Ironically, the era of globalization
and the advent of a consumer culture since the nineties have alienated the
common people from nature and its immediate surroundings. The ethical
limits of need and greed have been erased that has led to mass amnesia to
amass wealth and material benefits at the cost of destruction of natural
resources.
Commodification of nature and natural resources is the
way of everyday life. The spirit of community is restricted to social
media; it is the narcissistic individual greed that has overtaken the
minds of common people leading to apathy. Empathy towards other human
beings and creatures has been replaced by apathy, neglect and alienation.
Forests and nature that provided and nurtured life have
been turned into a commodity to consume, to make profits. In contemporary
times it is difficult to identify a single enemy; in fact the enemy is
embedded in an individual who is always looking for ways to satisfy
unending greed, with the false belief that it will bring happiness and
security. There is no time to listen to the quietness, silence of nature
or enjoy the dark nights, fireflies or looking at stars. Well, when this
can be done virtually, where is the need to be in unison with nature?
Yana, the Rock Mountain was saved from being destroyed
by limestone quarrying. It has now become a famous tourist site. The
reverence and sacredness has been replaced by an attitude of consuming
scenic beauty and converting it into an ocean of plastic waste. Coorg
attracts tourists from the IT sector in Bangalore, with its homestays and
resorts, capitalizing on its green wealth. Ironically, oranges and honey
have entirely disappeared due to change in the land use. Nevertheless, the
tourists are happy to buy fake honey or honey imported form Bihar and
Bengal and labelled as Coorg honey. Consumers cannot differentiate between
real and fake khadi; similarly they have no taste buds to differentiate
the real from fake honey. They want to see the wildlife, unaware of the
bees, a keystone species that plays a crucial role of pollination,
enhancing forest diversity.
Everyone was under the impression that after the
devastating floods in Maharashtra, Kerala and Coorg during the last two
monsoon seasons, the government a well as the people would think and act
differently, respecting natural process and help in revitalizing the
regenerative process to heal the wounds of the Western Ghats. However, it
seems that we are least interested in learning from our past mistakes.
Both the state and people are keen to continue the same policies that led
to the destruction, and are bent upon following the path of ecocide.
Like Bhasmasura, wherever we have intervened, it has
led to destruction rather than creation or regeneration of resources. Is
Western Ghats waiting for the arrival of another avatar of Parasuram to
teach a lesson to the Daitya for being arrogant and to rescue the Divya,
the sacred?
