A Bundle of Reports and Western Ghats?

Western Ghats is the most eco sensitive area in India. It is now on a destructive path and its protection is a vital responsibility of every citizens. The second convention at Kothagiri on 2010 was the influencing factor that led Minister Jayaram Ramesh to the notification of ecologically sensitive area (ESA) and Madhav Ghadgil commission to look for the protective measures of Western Ghats.

Madhav Ghadgil report changed the traditional outlook of development and initiated a green way of looking into developmental issues. Before times availability of fund were the prime criteria for initiating development. Madhav Ghadgil report made ecology as the unit of analysis for development. Carrying capacity and ecological limits were taken into consideration for initiating development.

Madhav Ghadgil

The section 5(1) of Environment protection act rules of 1986 introduced the concept of dividing areas into ecologically sensitive areas. Madhav Ghadgil considered whole Western Ghats as ecologically sensitive areas and divided total areas into three zones. ESZ 1, ESZ2, ESZ3.this included all national parks, wild life sanctuaries and 142 taluks. ESZ 1 is the, most sensitive area and ESZ 3 the least sensitive area.
The major innovative measures recommended included promotion of organic farming, banning of plastics, introduction of green building codes for construction, mandatory wastewater management for all building developments, no more special economic zones, no new hill stations , public land will not be allowed to turn private, strict control of dynamite and other explosives to kill fishes, introduction of incentive payments to sequestration of carbon in soil, traditional cultivators and for the maintenance of indigenous fish species.
The report also emphasized for restoring glass lands and communal forest grazing lands outside the protected areas, incentives in the form of “conservation service charges” for the maintenance of sacred groves and maintenance of biodiversity elements on private lands. It promoted the use of solar energy emphasized decommissioning of dams and thermal projects that have crossed viable life span and no diversion of streams/rivers were allowed for any power projects.

In ESZ 1 forest was not allowed to change for any type of land use, including farming. But according to the rise in regional increase in population, land area can be increased. In ESZ 1, 2 constructions of roads and other infrastructure were strictly according to further studies and no polluting industries are allowed. No mono species farming like eucalypts was allowed and exporting of medical species were strictly according to control. No new railway lines are allowed. In ESZ 3 new roads and railways are subjected to strict control and social audit. Madhav Ghadgil report also rejected Athirapilly hydroelectric power project.
Madhav Ghadgil report was a complete report which considered socio-economic impacts along with ecological consideration. But what central government initiated was the rejection of this vital report for the conservation of Western Ghats and instituted Kasthurirangan commission for detailed analysis of Madhav Ghadgil report and also to create an implementable action plan. It was also requested to consider the areas were forest land and settlement land submerges and to make measures to control uncontrolled ecological exploitation and rehabilitation programmes.

But deviating from the terms of reference instated by central government, Kasthurirangan commission paved for the creation of a new report and hence spoiled the complete dignity of Madhav Ghadgil report. Instead of detailed researching of Western Ghats, Kasthurirangan committee superimposed forest departments protected forest area map on ISRO satellite images and thus made the conclusions. It also discarded areas like Rathnagiri, Sindudurg and Vagamon which are highly ecologically sensitive areas.
Kasthurirangan committee divided total areas into Natural landscape and Cultural landscape. It totally discarded cultural landscape area and made recommendations only for natural landscape area. Natural landscape area only includes 37 percentages of total Western Ghats! 63 percentages cultural landscape area was totally discarded. Then how this report is for the protection of Western Ghats!

The major recommendations made by Kasthurirangan committee include controlling of most polluting activities in natural landscape area, abolition of sand mining and quarrying. Hydroelectric power projects can be enabled only after certain norms and conditions. Thermal power plants will not be allowed, production of wind energy projects will be included under environmental law (EIA notification of 2006).
Industries considered as red category will not be allowed, all other developmental projects will be send for the consent of environmental department, including the developmental activities taking place around 10km radius of ecologically sensitive areas. And the most mind blowing recommendation, buildings up to 20,000 square meters will only be permitted (a building with a structure similar to Kerala high court, that too on Western Ghats!!)

Kasthurirangan report suggested 4156 villages to notify under ecologically sensitive area. Madhav Ghadgil report suggested defining of ecologically sensitive areas boundaries, controlling and reform activity by including the opinion of Grama Shaba. This democratic decision making too was discarded by Kasthurirangan report.
Kasthurirangan report even indirectly welcomed Athirapilly hydroelectric power project which was discarded by Madhav Ghadgil report. Kasthurirangan report was also in favour of inter-state water exchange.

The political illustrations sketched out the need of rejecting Ghadgil report. Some right wing parties rejected it, without even seeing the report. But unfortunately the decision of leftist groups to attack Ghadgil report was heart breaking. The protest against Ghadgil committee report was an unfortunate event and also an ecological negative sentiment. The capitalist mission of extracting natural resources should not be tolerated by leftist groups. The backdoor sounds against these reports are framed by sand mining and quarrying mafias, not by environmentalist. The voices of these mafias were sounding by Right wing- left wing politicians. Even the church authority who protested against Kudamkulam Nuclear Power plant was hosting the pistol against Ghadgil and Kasthurirangan reports!! They proclaimed this reports as anti-farmers. Only the deed of environmentalist and Kerala Shasthra Sahithya Parishath can be acknowledged in regard to these unnecessary fuming. By rejecting Madhav Ghadgil report, Kerala government also lost a chance in
mullaperiyar issue. (The committee discarded Inter-basin diversions of rivers and inter-state water exchange.)

How Ghadgil committee Report become anti-farmers?

The climatic change, rising of temperature, increasing landslides and soil erosion are the true impacts of unscientific land use, deforestation and uncontrolled infrastructural development taking place in Western Ghats. What we need is not capitalist development but sustainable development.
Looking into the Madhav Ghadgil report, it is quite interesting that it is a pro-farmer report. The controversies fired by religious heads, politicians and mafias are unconscious.

Madhav Ghadgil report emphasis rain water harvesting system and water controlling measures that helps to fight against summer droughts. It should be noted that high range crops including coffee, tea and cardmon needs water supply even in summer season. Madhav Ghadgil report also emphasis for catchment area treatment plant to bandage the existing resources. How this become anti-farmers?

All hydroelectric power projects of Kerala are located at Western Ghats, mostly at populated areas. Rehabilitation of soil, water and ecological elements will only benefit farmers and the living population.
The report emphasises for organic farming and offers incentive payments to traditional farming. The loss encumbered while detaching from agriculture was met with proper payments by Madhav Ghadgil report. Eco- restoration of forest fragments will lead to restore the flow of streams and rivers along with ensuring good climatic conditions. Water availability and eco diversity will only lead to the enhancement of better farming conditions. Report also stresses for soil conservation.
Opening of communal grazing lands outside the protected forest too is a pro-farming measure. The advocates against Madhav Ghadgil report are true
mafias. They along with religious heads and politicians have diverted the real issue.

CONCLUSION

Kasthurirangan report is intellectually framed to satisfy the material needs of Governments of Western Ghats. This is explicitly seen on the memorandum of the department of environment, which emphasis that, ESA (Ecologically Sensitive Areas) boundaries and controlling measures can be placed for fire tuning after including the recommendations of state government and concerned authority (according to section-3). This act viably acknowledges the probability of cutting down of Natural Landscape areas of western Ghats , which is at present only 37 percentage and removable action of strict legal bases suggested by the report by the State governments.

What should be remembered and understood is, for who these reports are?
Cutting down of Madhav Ghadgil report and the implementation of pseudo frameworks of Kasthurirangan report, which even deviated from the terms of reference prescribed by the Central government indicates only political interests. We need Madhav Ghadgil report and not pseudo framework of Kasthurirangan. Madhav Ghadgil report is never an anti-farmer report. The dark hands behind the black snows are the real mafias and it’s time to recognise the double strand of politics.

Nature should be conserved and protected for attaining sustainable developmental goals. Our resources are not only for us, but also for our future generations. Global climate change, Global warming and increasing pollution rates increase the worry of future existence. It’s time to move on to GREEN POLITICS.
One thing is sure; we all cannot go into MARS…!!!

-Ashique Ali T

Brief Educational History of Kerala and the New Orthodoxy approach.

Education is the backbone of every civilized society. It was after the colonial intervention with western education, our educational system enhanced the power of reasoning, answers to the curiosity arising out of intellectual innovation and consciousness. Referring to the political stigma pasted around the neck of educational system of Kerala, now it is slinging back to traditional orthodoxy.

Educational history of Kerala can be traced back to 1960, when Kerala educational law was introduced by E.M.S government, sticking on to mass education and democratization of educational system. Some historians consider this as the first phase of educational development. Later in 1980s second phase of education was visualized, which resulted in free secondary education. At the same time, at national level Kothari commission report of 1968, Acharya Rama moorthy commission and Eshwar Bhai Patel report of 1978 didn’t see any viable implication. It was Rajeev Ghandi, who accepted National Educational Policy (N.E.P) in 1986 and declared the programme of action. On 1988, framework for national curriculum was created for structuring text books and syllabi.

Yashpal committe report

National framework for curriculum initiated changes in educational concepts. Along with regional consideration and national framework, the power for framing syllabi and textbook were given to state government. During 1994-95, with the help of World Bank, District Primary Educational Policy (DPEP) was established at 149 districts. In Kerala this project was implemented by A.K Antony and E.T Mohammed Basheer at selected 6 districts. They also added a clause to improve the quality of primary education.
The innovative measures like learning without burden was initiated by professor Yashpal commission report. It also emphasized activity oriented learning, child friendly books; teacher’s manual, training for teachers and evaluation methodology. The new methodology was ruthlessly criticized by the right wing as it is an agenda of World Bank. They also blamed the system whichdiscarded dictation, copy writing and by-heart method of learning. But later, time proved these right wing objections were faulty and unscientific.

At the time when UDF government was hosted with power in 2001, a new syllabus for high school was under the process. But what the government illuminated was, the complete rejection of textbooks prepared for class 8. They even appointed a committee to find the errors and tried to pull out the innovative grading system. But contradictory to Muslim leagues educational approach, National curriculum framework acknowledged 1997 Kerala model reform and pleaded other states to follow Kerala model (during 2005).
On the basis of 2005 National curriculum framework, V.S Achuthanandhan government framed Kerala curriculum framework on 2007. DR.M.A Khadher committee formed special focus group and created syllabus grids. The existing textbooks are based on these grids. The new system emphasised modern methods of knowledge production, which marked the need of time. Innovations implemented by educational minister M.A BABY were truly radical. But the orthodoxy of Muslim league raised an unnecessary revolt against the 8th standard social science chapter ‘mathamillatha jeevan’, which was sparked at kalpakanchery panchayath of malappuram district. They went on to a historical drama, which translated the Malayalam word by word by word and found the meaning as “Religion has no life”!

K.N PANIKAR

This controversy was investigated by K.N PANIKAR committee, which included 18 members. This commission recommended 17 suggestions which changed the traditional practices. The practice of adding the name and address of the textbook makers were included in the textbooks. The chapter “mathamillatha jeevan “was slightly altered. But the controversy initiated by Muslim league was painted as an attack on communal dignity, which resulted in the burning of textbooks on grounds and the murder of an innocent teacher by the masses.

Dr P.K. Abdul Aziz

The now formed UDF government and the educational department under P.K Abdu Rabb of IUML has been suggesting the retrieval of traditional methods of education, like dictation, regular examination, copy writing etc.!!! The establishment of Dr P.K. Abdul Aziz committee was a political pseudo framework to retrieve the traditional methods. As per the wishes of educational minister, the committee was looking forward for syllabus change and textbook reform.
Stressing on the K.N Panikar report, Dr P.K. Abdul Aziz committee emphasized the syllabus change. Interestingly, nowhere in the K.N Panikar report it is said that the syllabi should be changed. For whose sake this blind lie is framed?

Dr P.K. Abdul Aziz committee report is a violation of National Curriculum framework of 2005 and rights of the children. This discarded the modern concept of educational practices. The committee was even reluctant to continuous evaluation system. Educational minister is now sticking for special exams at 5th standard and 8th standard as a benchmark provision, at the time when C.B.S.E has eliminated the public examination system even at 10th standard.

What are crucial about intolerant traditional approach of IUML are their blunder decisions. They have a system of making decisions and policies without studying the subject. This was criticized even by league MLA K.M Shaji, while league made statements on kasthurirangan report without even seeing it! It should be decided by IUML and its party members that is this way of making decisions in a democratic system? Education is not a play boy for experiments. If IUML is unaware or incapable of handling Educational department, it is better to hand over the department to Congress. IUML has a long tradition of holding unscientific methods of educational experiments. They are still in the world of Dictations and copy writing!! . Playing with public educational system is a fire work, which destroys the fabric of our nation.
IUML may be successful in bringing new schools and colleges to Malabar region and it should be acknowledged. But educational department is not only of bringing new infrastructures or schools; it is also of imbibing technology, rationality and modernity in the approach. It should meet the requirements of the time. The communal agenda of IUML is making it a lover of Malabar, but hatred to other parts of the state.
The decision of giving complete autonomy to selected collages, followed by UPA government policy should also be criticized. It is a well-planned design to dissolve the student radical movement and representation, along with the neo-liberal educational policies. The heartbeat of UPA government can be read, as it is looking for foreign direct investment in the educational sector and washing the legs of capitalist west, which will even result in the creation of a new elite class sponsored by western universities rooting in Indian soil. But for what the bloody hell, the state government is looking for pro-liberal measures. IUML even discards the contributions of C.H Mohammed Koya, who delivered a semi-educational revolution. The recent policy making of IUML on KILA also stressed on to reducing the age of consent for marriage to Muslim girls, which will result in the degradation of educational progress achieved by Muslim women, which was even an after effect of C.H Mohammed koya’s social revolution. Why licking the slippers of communal leaders for vote bank politics?

The Act of IUML by opening new government collages is true heartily welcomed. But why only at Malappuram (ARTS Collage at Vengara) was opened on aided sector? This backdoor political game initiated by P.K Kunhalikutty for allotting arts collage to (Muslim league based) trust (Cherur yathingana trust) invokes a hard in dissolvable critics.

K.P  RAMANUNNI

Dr Abdul Azeez committee report should be regretted. It does not even signify the qualification of former vice chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University. The dis junction of Dr K.P Ramanunni itself states the legitimacy of the report. Educational minister Abdu Rabb should disjoin the unscientific mission of reform. Education should be promoted to encourage social justice and equality. Educational sector should not be completely privatised. The attempts to implement LABBA committee report for higher secondary reform and higher educational council report, which favours neo-liberal policy making and privatising the educational sector, should be ignored. Without properly implementing the central allotted funds for education and dis favouring packages for Government schools running out of fuel cannot be accepted at any cost. This is a time where institutions are framed with smart class rooms, at the same time it should be remembered that there are institutions even without classrooms! Reforming the curriculum and textbooks with unscientific measures licking to the educational ministers and elitist king makers wishes and deeds are deeply regretted.
Michael Foucault emphasised power lies in knowledge. It is a proven fact. Controlling the knowledge producing industry in deeds and respect to political needs should be deeply blamed. This type of knowledge producing is not only challenging the quality spectrum of our knowledge industry but also the
intellectual consciousness. Framing of history according to the political needs was seen during the term of left government as well as right government. Education should not be a party class or a communal approach. The contents of textbooks should strictly relate to national competition and relevance. Controlling knowledge industry over a limit is academic fascism and this should be disbanded.

Education should be of quality along with quantity. Neo-liberalism in educational sector will diminish the opportunities of poor and will create a new middle class. Stimulus measures of Academic fascism and unscientific methodology of reform hanging back to the stools of traditional orthodoxy is a measure to keep the masses of our state in a complete sense of ignorance and darkness.

   Secretary

   Department of Public Relation

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