Empty rhetoric for empty stomachs

By Devinder Sharma
18 Jul 2010

The establishment needs to think beyond entitlements to completely remove hunger and malnutrition from India. Unfortunately, the proposed National Food Security Act fails to inspire much confidence.

How long the poor and the hungry will have to wait for their miseries to end?
(photo: Gaurav Sharma)

There can be nothing more disappointing. After 63 years of Independence, the Sonia Gandhi-led National Advisory Council (NAC) has also expressed its helplessness in feeding the country's hungry.

The hungry must live in hunger. That's the clear verdict.
For a country which has the largest population of hungry in the world, and given that half of all children in India are under-nourished according to the National Family Health Survey III (2005-06), I was expecting Sonia Gandhi to spell out a time-bound programme to make hunger history, and at the same time overhaul the corruption-ridden public distribution system (PDS). But from what we read in the newspapers, the NAC recommendations will not make any significant difference to the life of millions of hungry and malnourished.

From what I gather, Sonia Gandhi did probably make the effort. But it is her NAC team which failed to match her enthusiasm. If the NAC members had meaningful ideas and suggestions, there is no reason why the NAC couldn't make the right recommendations. Come to think of it, the NAC recommendations will only bring cheers to the grain traders.
Promising to provide 35 kg of foodgrains at Rs 3/kg to below the poverty line population, and ensuring 25 kg of grains to the APL households in 2000-poorest blocks in the country, is actually a clever move to move away from universalisation of food entitlements. I have never been in favour of a universal food entitlement approach. The middle class is capable of feeding itself. If they can buy swanky cars and consumer durables at the drop of a hat, they can also meet their food requirements.
Unlike India, which exports foodgrains and other agricultural commodities by keeping its own people hungry, China has emerged as a major importer of food and agricultural products primarily to feed its teeming millions.

The challenge is to feed the hungry. According to ICMR norms, each able-body person needs a minimum of 14 kg a month. Given that an average family comprise five members, each household would need 60-70 kg of grains. By providing 35 kg only, we are ensuring that the hungry remain perpetually hungry. They continue to sleep with an empty stomach. In any case, this quantity was being made available to them earlier too. The purpose of bringing in a National Food Security Act (NFSA) is not to simply legitimise what was being delivered through the bogus PDS all these years.

The argument against increasing the food allocations is that the annual procurement on an average is around 50 million tonnes and by promising more than 35 kg per household, the government will fail to provide the entitlement. Well, in my understanding this is merely an apology. Although food production in India remains stagnant over the years, and even then much of the procured foodgrains rot for want of proper storage, the fact remains that given an attractive price, Indian farmers are capable of doubling production.

Let us look at China. Its population is approximately 200 million more than that of India. Against India's foodgrain production of 230 million tonnes, China produces 500 million tonnes of foodgrains. Even with more than double food production, it imports huge quantities every year to meet the domestic needs. Unlike India, which exports foodgrains and other agricultural commodities by keeping its own people hungry, China has emerged as a major importer of food and agricultural products primarily to feed its teeming millions.
In India, the average per capita availability of foodgrains is less than 500 gm a day. On the other hand, China provides six times more at 3 kg per day. No wonder, while India is trying to ride the high-growth trajectory with empty stomachs and emaciated bodies, China is building a healthy nation knowing well that a well-fed population is not only a political necessity but makes strong social and economic sense.
Also, agriculture and food security is the first line of defence against insurgency. Resurrecting agriculture therefore should have been the first step to ensure long-term food security.

I had therefore expected Sonia Gandhi to have over-ruled the mandarins from the Planning Commission, as well as from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, to lay out a blueprint for feeding the country for all times to come by incorporating measures like extending sustainable farming practices which do not acerbate the environmental crisis, and also making agriculture economically viable; by redesigning trade and development policies that do not open the floodgates to highly subsidised agricultural commodities, and also shifting the focus from corporate agriculture back to making small farms profitable and environmentally sustainable.

There is no justification for India to fare below Sub-Saharan Africa in hunger and poverty rankings. Most of the African nations are torn by strife and have unstable governments. If those African countries had stable governments like India, I am afraid India would have been relegated to the bottom of the pile.
Local production and local procurement is the key to any successful food security initiative. The proposed NFSA therefore should be overarching enough to incorporate suitable policies and plans that not only cuts into the domain of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, but also extends to Ministry of Environment & Forests as well as the Ministry of Science & Technology. It will require an overall economic policy shift to ensure that agricultural land is not acquired for the industry, and technologies like GM crops are not thrust upon the farming communities.
Knowing that enhancing production remains outside the ambit of the NFSA, merely making a mention of it will not help. If the objective is to make some political appointments by creation a new position of Food Commissioner (with the rank of a Supreme Court judge) at the national level, and a series of State Commissioners (with the rank of a High Court judge), then the basic objective of feeding the hungry is lost.
Although the NFSA has created a new category of "socially vulnerable" it is not sure as to how will that be implemented. On the contrary, it leaves a lot of room for misappropriation and corruption. The better option should have been to extend the 'below the poverty line' to 55 per cent of the population so as to also include those who are on the margins.

In fact, this would be in tune with the latest multi-dimensional poverty estimates developed by the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Accordingly, eight States - Bihar, Chhatisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal - have more desperately poor people than 26 poorest African nations. As per the last count, India ranked 66th in the Global Hunger Index prepared for 88 countries.

There is no justification for India to fare below Sub-Saharan Africa in hunger and poverty rankings. Most of the African nations are torn by strife and have unstable governments. If those African countries had stable governments like India, I am afraid India would have been relegated to the bottom of the pile. I don't know how long we Indians can remain indifferent to growing hunger and malnutrition. Sadly, the NAC, after raising a lot of expectation in the beginning about the intent and scope of NFSA, has again failed to hit the nail on its head.

Gloomy face of glittering Delhi

By Gaurav Sharma
14 Jun 2010

While the government authorities are spending billions to beautify Delhi for the Commonwealth Games 2010, does any one care for the millions of poor living in pitiable conditions in the Capital's slums?

Just a stone's throw away from Shadipur Metro Station in New Delhi is an elongated slum cluster Kathputli Colony. Whiff of fetid air and stench of stale urine assail your senses the moment you enter the locality. Stray pigs, heaps of garbage, clogged drains, dingy lanes and mosquitoes buzzing all around will accompany you, as you move about in the slums.

There are thousands of slum clusters in Delhi where a mammoth population is living a gruelling life with no basic amenities. Kathputli Colony is, one such slum, riddled with acute water shortage, dilapidated mud huts, abysmal health and education services, corrupt Public Distribution System and a myriad of other problems.
While Delhi has come a long way to boast of its 'world class' facilities, dismal infrastructure in the slums is a legacy of decades of neglect.
For a population of over 7000 and an area of 5.22 hectares, the slum has only one hand pump which breathed its last two months ago due to excessive handling forcing the inhabitants to quench their thirst from sources outside the colony. Braving the scorching sun and heat waves, women and children fetch containers filled with water all the way from a community tap installed outside the slum.
It is ironic that everyday gallons of water are showered on the lush green field of Delhi's several Golf Courses used by ultra-rich but these slum-dwellers yearn for even a single drop of water in this hot torrid summer.

The tragedy of these poor is that in every election politicians promise them better life to get their votes. "The politicians come and go but our problems remain the same. Delhi's Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit does nothing for poor except uttering platitude. Eight years ago she had promised that every house would have regular water tap but till date there is no water supply let alone water taps", says Sudha who lives in parched Kathputli colony.

But what affects the slum residents most is pathetic sanitation services. Chocked drains, children defecating in the open, mud paths strewn with faeces and litter all around make one feel sick within few minutes. To make matters worse, there is no public toilet in the slum forcing women to go outside colony to use a public toilet but that too on payment. Many share makeshift bathrooms within the colonies for bathing and washing clothes.
"Kathputli colony is a virtual hell. I wish I had a better place to live in. Dirty drains lie clogged for weeks, as nobody comes to clean them. Litter and Kathputli colony are inseparable," rues 24-year-old Harsh.

While Delhi has witnessed huge budget expenditure on improving civic infrastructure and beautification in the last decade, a tiny portion of that spending on providing sanitation facilities in Delhi's slums could have spared the women embarrassment of defecating and bathing in open.

Delhi's comfort obsessed middle class may find it difficult to stomach but a number of these slum dwellers are forced to skip their meals due to soaring food prices and inefficient Public Distribution System (PDS). The gross irregularities and rampant corruption in PDS have taken a massive toll on the well being of these poor people.
Prabhu, one of the Pradhans (Community Heads) of this slum, says that as many as 1,500 inhabitants are without ration cards, making it impossible for them to access PDS outlets for cheaper ration. In 2007, 1550 people had applied for the renewal of ration cards which were due to expire the same year. But only 25-30 people have received their respective ration cards till now, he told d-sector.
Rummaging around his torn and tattered bag, 60-year-old Harsukhiya fishes out a receipt issued by the ration office for his new (ration) card. Recently, he discovered much to his horror, that his application for a new ration card has been cancelled.

What is worth mentioning here that many residents are facing the threat of eviction as a real estate firm Raheja Developers (owner of a prominent English weekly) has been given the contract to develop 2,800 flats for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) in Kathputli colony. The catch is that the ration cards of many old residents haven't been renewed and if they fail to produce it to the concerned authorities they will lose the right to rehabilitation and their entitlement to these flats.

Their eviction may not spring surprise as in the run-up to the Commonwealth Games (CWG), the Delhi government led by Sheila Dikshit, in its obsession to beautify the city state, has rendered many poor homeless. Independent experts estimate that nearly 3 million people are likely to be rendered homeless in Delhi by the end of CWG.
Like other basic amenities, health services are also in doldrums. No dweller wants to go to government hospitals until there is a serious illness. People say doctors and staff in government hospitals do not treat them properly. They feel it is better to have speedy, though costlier, private treatment than doing several rounds of government hospitals.
Despite such odds, the slum residents dream of a better life for their children but lack of proper education facilities disappoint them. Most children in this locality are victims of shoddy education standards of municipal schools. Either they play truant or stop going to schools. They can easily be sighted playing cards in the open.
"Who doesn't want to go school? We can only afford government schools where teachers never pay attention to children from slums. I flunked twice in 7th standard and finally quit education. My mother could not afford my useless education," rues teenager Mukesh, who has now started helping her mother in street-vending.

When d-sector tried to contact Mrs Vidya Devi, Municipal Councillor of the area, she was not available for a comment. Despite several attempts by this reporter to call on her official number mentioned in the MCD's directory, she could not be reached. Every time, her husband Lala Ram received the phone and offered to answer all queries on behalf of his wife.
"You can ask me whatever questions you have. I am looking after the problems of entire area including Kathputli colony." Lala Ram told d-sector over phone.
Certainly, empowerment of women through reservation of seats in elected bodies is still a distant dream. If husband of a municipal councillor runs the show in India's capital, we can well imagine the conditions in far away villages.
"Sheila Dikshit is doing everything to spruce up the city for Commonwealth Games but is least concerned about the plight of poor like us. I was born and brought up in Kathputli colony. I am now father of three children. Nothing has changed from the time since I was born. The government has spent thousands of crores on this city but, this colony has not seen even a single rupee," laments 30-year-old Lallu.

With the Commonwealth Games around the corner, New Delhi is all decked up to showcase its overhauled infrastructure, the metamorphosis of which cost billions of rupees. While sprawling stadia, serpentine flyovers, manicured gardens, and spacious parking lots have come to symbolise the galloping growth of India, government officials cannot resist the temptation to blow the trumpet of creating a "world class" city.
However, behind this new-found glitter lies a gloom which reveals the dark side of Delhi's development. The government may have decided to erect bamboo screens to hide the slums in Delhi but the horrendous living conditions in slums cannot be glossed over.
As this reporter was about to leave Kathputli Colony, a shriveled old man asked: "Why do these ladies (social activists) who come on TV regularly only talk about the rights and plight of tribals of distant regions? Why don't they take up our cause? They should come and spend a night in Kathputli Colony."

Little did he know that for our celebrity activists living in a slum for a day would be much more difficult than spending a week in a jungle!

Centre has ignored tribals, says former Commissioner of SCs & STs

By Gaurav Sharma

As blasts and attacks by Maoists are on the rise leading to anticipation of widespread operations by the government security forces, concerned citizens have begun to press for initiation of dialogue between the government and the anti-democracy radicals. Among many such voices, a prominent one is of Dr B D Sharma, Former Commissioner for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, who feels that tribals suffer the most in the ongoing violence.

Talking to media in New Delhi's Press Club, a day after 41 para-military jawans and civilians were killed in a landmine blast triggered by Maoists in Chhattisgarh, Dr Sharma said that Centre can not shy away from its responsibility of ensuring welfare and protection of tribal people and therefore, it must make sincere efforts for dialogue with the Maoists.

Dr Sharma, who has long been working for the welfare of tribals, accused Union Government of abdicating its Constitutional responsibility by allowing the situation to degenerate from that of stray revolts in 1960s to 'warlike situation' at the moment.

Alleging that Centre is not committed to the cause of tribals, he said, "The Home Ministry always projects a position as if it is not in a principal position to guide the states in tackling the problems of tribals. How can this be? The executive power of a state extends to the Scheduled Areas subject to the provision of the Fifth schedule of Indian Constitution".

"It is unconstitutional if the government thinks that the problem of tribals is the matter of state and it can only assist the state governments", Dr Sharma added. He emphasized that government was largely unconcerned with the simmering discontent among tribals since the adoption of Indian Constitution.

Taking a swipe at Centre's perception that tribals are poor and they need development, Dr Sharma said, "Let it be known that tribal is not poor. He is deprived and disinherited in his own domain. The have had unbroken history of broken promises".

Highlighting the loopholes and inefficiency in Forest Rights Act, Dr Sharma said, "No step has been taken to implement this act which makes a tribal the owner of minor forest produce."

Dr Sharma, who was named by Maoist as one of the possible mediators between them and the Government of India, said that current situation is witnessing a virtual collapse of the regime for the tribal people.

He was of the opinion that tribal areas have been excluded from the general administration which is oppressive and discriminatory in nature. "Tribals are being exploited and suppressed by uses and abuses of land acquisition and public order", he remarked.

Dr Sharma also informed the media people that recently he had sent a letter to the President of India to request her to intervene immediately and earnestly to restore peace in the tribal region. In the letter, he has appealed to the President to persuade the central government to publicly state its special responsibility towards the tribals.

Maoists aim to capture Delhi: Raman Singh

By Gaurav Sharma

Speaking at a seminar in New Delhi on Maoist threat, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh said the development of Chattisgarh could not be stalled by the violence and destructive activities of Maoists who are the gravest threat to the internal security of India.

Addressing the seminar organised by the Forum for Integrated National Security (FINS) in New Delhi, he denied that operation Green Hunt was being run for clearing land so that multinational companies could do their business in Bastar region of Chhattisgarh.

He said, “There is not even a single multinational company working in the region. We have not allowed any private trading of minerals in the state. Only government agencies like National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC), Chhattisgarh Mineral Development Corporation (CMDC) and SAIL are involved in mineral exploration and mining in the state”.

Urging all political parties to come above party politics in tackling the Maoist menace, Mr Singh expressed grave concern over the surge of violence in the country.

“There should not be any confusion over tackling Maoists as their sole objective is to seize power at the centre. Today Chhattisgarh is facing the problem, tomorrow whole country will have to stand up against the Maoists” said Mr Singh.

Launching a broadside against the human rights activists, Mr Singh said these activists shed their tears only when naxals are killed whereas their sympathy vanishes when civilians and soldiers are butchered by Maoists.

Questioning the rationale of extending moral support to Maoists, he said these activists who talk about human rights “come flying to Chhattisgarh, stay at five-stars, and protest with a candle and fly back to metros”.

Prakash Singh, Former Director General of Police, Uttar Pradesh, also spoke on the occasion. He said that India needs to have multi-pronged and integrated approach to root out the Maoist problem.

He suggested that Center review its decision of deploying Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in the naxal-infested areas as its soldiers are not aware of guerrilla warfare.

Commenting on Home Minister P. Chidambaram’s statement that he has ‘limited mandate’ to fight Maoists, former DGP said aerial support differs from aerial attack as the former will help only in intelligence not in the strikes.

Peace is theoretically justified but the government must take stern actions against the anti-government rebels, he said.

Commonwealth Games hurt the commons

By Gaurav Sharma
17 May 2010

The madness of government and sports officials to ‘prepare’ New Delhi for hosting Common Wealth Games (CWG) in October 2010 has once again come under severe criticism from social workers, civil society and intellectuals. The latest charge is that to create a glittery image of Delhi for CWG, poor and marginalized sections of the society are deprived of their basic human rights. The authorities are putting in the war like efforts for beautification of Indian capital for CWG. But instead of delivering benefits to the masses, holding of such mega events, which will cost Rs 30,000 crore to India, have done a great damage to the economic and social fabric of New Delhi.

A comprehensive report “The 2010 Commonwealth Games: Whose Wealth?” prepared by Housing and Land Right Network and released recently in New Delhi raises many disconcerting questions related to the big sporting event.

“When one in three Indians lives below the poverty line and 40 per cent of the world’s hungry live in India, when 46 per cent of India’s children and 55 per cent of its women are malnourished, does spending thousands of crores of rupees on a 12-day sports event build ‘national pride’ or is it a matter of national shame”, asks the report.

Forced eviction, diversion of funds, cost escalations, bypassing of democratic institutional framework and rampant exploitation of workers at CWG construction sites will have negative socio-economic impact on the city, points out the report.

“There are serious issues about the socio-economic impact which the forthcoming CWG will have on Delhi”, said Former Chief Justice of Delhi High Court Justice M P Shah while releasing the report.

“In the name of beautifying Delhi, the government can not throw street vendors, beggars, rickshaw pullers, and poor out of the city. These people play a pivotal role in the city by providing their services to common man”, remarked Justice Shah.

Ridiculing the Delhi government’s anti-beggar drive, Justice Shah said “The state government has filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court to deport beggars to their states of origin. Fraudsters, thieves and corrupt politicians can stay in the city, but not beggars!”

The report highlights that beggars and homeless citizens are being arrested and arbitrarily detained under the Bombay Prevention of Beggary Act, 1959. The Department of Social Welfare had also announced “no-tolerance” zones in Delhi and there are plans to send the beggars back to their States of origin.

Dr Ambitabh Kundu, Professor of Economics at Jawaharlal Nehru University, described the Commonwealth games as very powerful tool to exclude the marginalised section of the society.

Shedding light on the ambiguity of slogans coined in run up to the Games like ‘slum-free city’ and ‘affordable housing’, Professor Kundu said “These slogans mislead people as poor think ‘slum-free city’ means better housing facilities for them whereas elite think that slum-dwellers will be thrown out.”

“The question is not the benefit of holding Commonwealth games but the beneficiaries who are politicians, private players, and elite class,” added Prof Kundu.

Director of Hazards Centre, a professional support group and resource outfit, Dunu Roy alleged that decision making process in planning Games was undemocratic in nature.

Mr Roy charged, “Much of the planning has not been done within the democratic institutional framework”.

Expressing dismay at the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s statement during Copenhagen Summit that Common Wealth Games will be green and add carbon credit to India, Roy said that such statements represent either poor information or ‘deliberate’ and ‘wilful ignorance’.

According to the report, the budget for the CWG has risen from an initial projection of Rs 1,889 crore to an official figure of Rs 10,000 crore. Independent experts have pegged the budget at Rs 30,000 crore.

In contrast to the report’s findings Roy said that if we include several related infrastructure projects, total budget estimate would reach Rs 80,000 crore.

The report also highlights that “While the total budget for ‘beautification’ projects on Delhi is undisclosed, the amount already spent by the government is hundreds of crores. The streetscaping of just one street, Lodhi Road, is estimated to cost Rs 1855 crore.”

The experts believe that CW Games are unlikely to improve level of sports in India since investment is concentrated on stadiums, which lie largely unused after the event, as in the case of the 1982 Asian games.

The report demands a detailed inquiry into the decision-making and bidding process as well as the total expenditure on the Games. It states that the government should have a long-term legacy plan based on human rights and environmental sustainability.

There is also a need to investigate officials who had overstated the benefits of the Games, withheld critical information and misappropriated funds and also to investigate allegations of human rights violations related to the Games.

“A post-Games audit and detailed social and environmental impact assessment are also required,” the report said.

Jairam is not so green

By Gaurav Sharma
25 Apr 2010

Under attack from his colleagues for delaying development projects, Jairam Ramesh gets unprecedented support from environment activists for his green agenda. However, the facts disclose that he is not yet willing to change the environmentally destructive development philosophy of his government.

Jairam Ramesh, the Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Environment and Forests (E&F), who received bouquets and brickbats in equal measure from media, scientists, and fellow ministers for imposing moratorium on commercial cultivation of Bt brinjal in February this year, has once again come under attack for alleged slow pace of environmental clearance of development projects proposed by other ministries.

Environment activists, who are quite impressed by the recent pronouncements of the E&F minister, have responded by mobilising support in favour of Mr Ramesh. But a detailed analysis of the data of forest clearances approved by the MoEF since Mr Ramesh has taken its charge reveals figures which could silence both the pro-Ramesh and anti-Ramesh forces.

Last month, three cabinet ministers, Road Transport Minister Kamal Nath, Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde and Water Resource Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal complained to the Prime Minister that Ramesh’s ministry was delaying environment clearances for key infrastructure projects.

Consequently, PM had to step in and ask the Planning Commission to formulate a procedure that will help put environment clearances on a fast-track. Although Mr Ramesh may be becoming unpopular in his cabinet, he has earned accolades from environment activists for his stand on some of the environmentally sensitive projects.

His several decisions in recent months to cancel, postpone or downsize projects perceived to be harmful to environment have made him an unlikely hero of environment activists and nature lovers. So much so that many of the activists who have been severest of critics of successive governments’ environment and development policies have recently written letters to the Prime Minister and Congress Party president showering praise on Jairam Ramesh and requesting the PM to let him work freely as the custodian of India’s environment and forests.

However, his earnest approach towards protection and conservation of forests has not always been the same. Perhaps, the minister realized the widespread scepticism among enlightened citizens towards working of E&F ministry after holding public consultations on Bt brinjal which eventually led him to put moratorium on it in February 2010. The post moratorium praise heaped on him by people probably played a crucial role in re-alignment of priorities by the articulate and sensitive minister.

If we look at the MoEF figures of forest clearances for various projects in 2009, it is evident that Jairam Ramesh was quite liberal in giving permission for clearing forests for infrastructure projects in the first 6-7 months of his tenure as E&F minister. Though, his approach is more conservative now but still he continues to take pride in clearing most of infrastructure projects coming to his ministry.

In an interview to an English newspaper few days back, Mr Ramesh himself disclosed, “Before I came here I also subscribed to the general theology that environment and forest clearances can be speeded up. If you had asked me then, I would have also said, push comes to shove, projects could have been cleared faster. But having come here and seen the system and multiple stakeholders involved and the need to look at long term issues...”

After assuming office on May 22, 2009, Jairam Ramesh cleared 13642.99 hectares of forests for various projects by 31st December 2009. In addition to that, 55339.95 hectares were removed from the list of forest areas and allotted to cultivation and habitation areas in Ropar district of Punjab. In comparison, a significantly lesser forest area of 7597.52 hectares was cleared by his predecessor during January to May 2009, before Mr Ramesh was given the task to protect India’s forests.

Out of 13642.99 hectares of cleared forests between June and December 09, Kamal Nath’s ministry (Road and Transport) received the lion’s share. Mr Ramesh allowed clearing of 2202.382 hectares of forests to construct roads and highways. It is another matter that Mr Nath’s ministry has not even been able to reach the halfway mark of his ambitious projections made in 2009.

Of late, the E&F ministry has woken up to the cause of illegal mining. Jairam Ramesh, in his new avatar as anti-mining green crusader, imposed a moratorium on mining activities in Goa. Sadly, this decision came far too late to reduce the impact of mining and was taken only after the minister came under severe criticism for failing to protect Goa.

The moratorium on mining in Goa was followed by a wider study jointly conducted by the E&F and coal ministries, which found that as much as 35% of coal mines are located in ‘no go’ zones’. Though Mr Ramesh might have expressed shock over these findings but it was under his instructions the E&F ministry divested 3812.092 hectares of forests for the purpose of mining activities within a span of seven months (June to Dec 2009). What environmentalists do not know is that during the first five months of the year 2009, his predecessor gave permission for clearing only 1133 hectares forest area for mining purposes.

The E&F ministry under Mr Ramesh, during the seven month period (Jun-Dec 09), also cleared 1250.509 hectares of forest area for the purpose of generating power, even if it led to massive deforestation.

The states which incurred maximum loss in terms of forest areas due to liberal clearances by Mr Ramesh are Orissa, Gujarat and Chattisgarh.

Orissa, abundant in natural resources and one of the dream destinations of mining giants, tops the chart where 2805.563 hectares of forests were destroyed during the first few months of environment friendly minister’s tenure.

While 1102.167 hectares of forest area was cleared in Gujarat; Chhattisgarh witnessed the diversion of 910.515 hectares for the so called development projects. Out of this figure of 910.5 hectares, 883.22 hectares of forests were sacrificed only for mining. In comparison only 323 hectares of forest area was cleared in the Maoist affected Chhattisgarh from January to May 2009 before Jairam Ramesh took the charge at MoEF. Similar figures for other states also reveal that initially Mr Ramesh was more liberal in granting environment clearances than his predecessors.

But, for the past few months, since public consultations on Bt brinjal took place, in fact from January 2010, the minister has been treading the path cautiously in giving forest clearances to the infrastructure projects.

Consequently, this sudden transformation in the approach of E&F ministry under Mr Ramesh has come under attack for stalling the infrastructure projects of different ministries lately.

However, it would be naïve to conclude that an environmentally enlightened Jairam Ramesh is reversing the trend.

From January 2010 till date, road and transportation ministry has already been allocated 438.6405 hectares of forests in comparison to 2202.382 hectares cleared between June and December 2009.

Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde had also complained about Ramesh’s anti-development drive. But the forest area cleared for power projects during his tenure is much higher than the area cleared from January to May 09.

Of late, mining seems to be the utmost concern of Ramesh as he put a hold on the mining activities in Goa. But the forest area cleared for mining during the first three months of this year is not negligible either. In comparison to the 3812.092 hectares cleared between June and December 2009, the favourite minister of environmentalists has given a go-ahead to clear 471.669 hectare forests till now.

But, Jairam Ramesh, the chief strategist of ruling party during the last two parliamentary elections, knows well to impress people with big words and little actions without altering the agenda set by his leaders in the party and the government. As if overcome by guilt for being blamed for stalling development projects, he exclaimed in the recent interview, “With a rate of acceptance of over 95% for environmental clearances and 85% for forest clearance how can you say we are stopping economic growth?”

'World-class' Delhi can't tolerate cycle rickshaw

By Gaurav Sharma
02 Feb 2010


Confiscated rickshaws are dumped at MCD’s store before being dismantled

In order to accomplish their desire to make Indian Capital a 'world-class' city, the elitist and myopic administrators of Delhi are pushing environmental friendly cycle rickshaw out of city to increase space for swelling number of polluting cars.

Sitting hunched with face cupped in his hands, pensive looking Dharmendra was restless. He would often rise on his toes to have a glance at his confiscated cycle rickshaw languishing in the backyard of walled MCD’s (Municipal Council of Delhi) rickshaw store. A sense of gloom and doom had descended upon him as he had been stripped of his only source of frugal subsistence in the city which cares only for the rich and the powerful.

The confiscation of rickshaw was a double whammy to his insurmountable problems. His wife, who had developed some complications during labour, was in dire need of blood. To save bus fare, poor Dharmendra opted to ride his cycle rickshaw to the blood bank. Caught unaware of the MCD’s rickshaw confiscation drive, he was nabbed on the way by Delhi Police and MCD officials and ended up losing his rickshaw before reaching his destination.

That day, nearly 150 cycle-rickshaws were impounded from the same area and dumped into the MCD’s rickshaw store which looks like a junkyard. Dreading over the prospect of not getting his rickshaw back, Dharmendra said, ‘How will I get the rickshaw back? I don’t have enough money to pay the heavy penalty or grease MCD officials’ palms”. His worry was not without reason. MCD, as a policy, dismantles the confiscated rickshaw, if the owner/puller fails to pay penalty within stipulated period.


Delhi’s administrators and the elites, who have considerable influence over policy making and public opinion, believe that cycle-rickshaws are an eyesore amongst shining cars and not eligible to ply on the Capital’s roads because they cause inconvenience to cars and other vehicles.

Ferrying people in their pedal powered three-wheelers, cycle-rickshaw pullers provide the cheapest mode of transportation in the Capital city of India. For elders, women and students, rickshaw is an easily available and reliable source of movement.


“There are areas where buses and autos do not ply and rickshaws are the only way of transportation in such areas. On the sprawling North Campus of Delhi University, rickshaw is essential for many students to move around,” says Vaibhav, a student of city’s Hansraj College.

New Delhi is getting ready to host 2010 Commonwealth Games, and the ‘city beautification drive’ for the Games has become a tool for these administrators to destroy shelters and livelihoods of poor rickshaw and handcart pullers. If the judiciary, which has often come to the rescue of the poor and marginalized of India, doesn’t put brakes to such drives, nearly 6,00,000 cycle-rickshaw pullers and their more than 2 million dependents, will lose their only source of livelihood. “Government should think of ways to spruce up the city rather than banning cycle-rickshaws. The traffic problem is not caused by cycle-rickshaws alone,” Vaibhav says.

There are many citizens who agree with Vaibhav. According to them, these non-motorized vehicles do not create as much problem as the motorized vehicles which cause fatal accidents, and are environmental hazards. “When the whole world is worried about the catastrophic climate change, these eco-friendly vehicles should have found government support and encouragement rather than wrath,” they say.

Ironically, the efforts of destitute are always disparaged in a country which is in awe of handful of elites. The Delhi administration is notorious for harassing, fleecing and hounding the poor migrants from other parts of India who earn their livelihood from rickshaw-pulling and street vending. The confiscation drives, daily assaults, extortion and sheer apathy of Delhi administration have brought misery to thousands of such poor and marginalized people.

The laws of the land are no less discriminating. According to the Cycle-Rickshaw Bye-Laws of 1960, “No person shall keep or ply or hire a cycle-rickshaw in Delhi unless he himself is the owner thereof and holds a license. No person will be granted more than one such license.”

The above clause reflects sheer injustice meted out to rickshaw pullers. A person or a company may own a whole fleet of cars, trucks, or even airplanes but owning more the one rickshaw will invite wrath of administration. On top of that acquiring that single licence is a Herculean task as licenses are not given round theyear. The MCD, at its discretion and convenience, decides the period for accepting the applications for license.

The MCD justifies this inane clause in the name of protecting rickshaw pullers from the greed of rickshaw owners who hire out their rickshaws to the pullers. According to MCD, these owners act as ‘rickshaw mafia’ and charge high rents of Rs. 40 to 50 per day from the rickshaw pullers.

However, the fact is MCD officials are hand-in-glove with such rickshaw mafia, many of them petty entrepreneurs who own fleets ranging from five to more than a thousand rickshaws. To acquire license for several rickshaws in bulk, owners have to grease the palms of MCD employees who issue licenses in the name of real or imaginary rickshaw pullers.

Narayan (name changed), who owns 45 rickshaws, says, “MCD officials would not make money if they legalise rickshaw plying business. First they ask us for bribes to issue licenses and then extort money from the puller because he is not the registered owner. Even after fulfilling their monetary appetite, they assault the rickshaw-pullers and confiscate the rickshaw to keep us on toes.”

Laxman, a rickshaw puller, says, ‘It does not help even if you are a licensed puller. The licensed rickshaw is also impounded without any reason. I hold a license but it has expired as I could not renew it. The MCD has stopped renewing license.”

“Driving a car without a license and putting others’ life at risk amounts to a penalty of few hundred rupees but riding a rickshaw without license invites confiscation. On top of it, the MCD officials often crush the confiscated rickshaws to no use,” rues Laxman.

Not all MCD officials are indifferent to the plight of rickshaw pullers. But they claim to be working under pressure from higher-ups. An MCD official who is not authorized to talk to media, said, “The class which travels in chauffer-driven cars and lives in gated community considers these rickshaw pullers as nuisance. They often get irritated when a rickshaw obstructs their big cars. Their access to the policymakers gives them an upper hand in having their way. We are reprimanded by seniors for not acting tough with rickshaw pullers”.

It’s difficult to predict whether the environment friendly cycle-rickshaw will survive the administration’s onslaught. The policymakers’ inclination towards car manufacturers and owners but apathy towards the poor self-employed citizens is all too evident. The administration conveniently forgets that it’s not the rickshaw but ever proliferating cars which end up choking roads and polluting environment. Any plan to popularize public transport by expanding network of Delhi Metro or DTC Bus service will be effective only if rickshaws are available in all localities to help people reach Metro station or bus stand and to come back home. But this common sense does not matter for those who would never use public transport. What they don’t realize is that rickshaw is not merely about traffic and environment. It is a critical source of livelihood for millions who do not have many options available to them.