Development Alienating Human from Nature: A Case Study of North Sikkim (original) (raw)
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The celebration of the religion of development is paramount for national interests and for the ‘Greater Common Good’, but at whose cost and whose interests is such religion of development happening? Is it at the cost of the smaller section whose voice could be easily ignored? The voices which can be marginalized? The voices which can easily be unheard? The possible answer the obvious answer is “No”. Because a “Yes” may create referral questions like whose interest does the “Greater Common Good” include? Which development does constitute the nation’s interest? If the answer is “no” to the former questions, then why do some dam projects appear as a horror and bane to the people those who are living at the margin of social cartography in the state? There are number of examples that can be cited to explain the above questions, which for some reason elude answers. Here is one of such examples from the various similar examples from North-East India with a particular focus to Sikkim.
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With the publication of Garret Hardin's "Tragedy of Commons", the developed world took a serious note on conservation and it culminated in the concept of sustainable development. However, we observe a total absence of the recognition of the value of living nature and of nature as an environment of culture and human existence. It is predominantly guided by the philosophy of utilitarian development. It is not only observed in the developed world, but also in less developed world, including countries like India, policy formulation to arrest environmental degradation has failed to address the livelihood issues of marginal communities like pastoralists located in the high altitude of Western and Eastern Himalayas. As a result the term 'sustainable development' has become a misnomer, at least for those highland pastoralists. In this paper, an attempt has been made to study the transhumance activity (known as gothwala system) as a means of livelihood which is in existence in the mountain settlement in Lachung valley, located in the east Himalayan State of Sikkim, India and the role played by traditional local body of governance, the 'Dzumsa' towards managing the natural resources, especially forest and fodder, in a sustainable manner. It also shows a process of natural resource management which is not based on modern scientific knowledge but age old traditional knowledge of indigenous tribes. To a large extent, it works in conformity with the true essence of the definition of sustainable development which cautioned us that in the long run, human and natural systems can not economically be viable unless they are also ecologically sound and socially responsible. However, to protect the forest from extraction of firewood, save the medicinal plants from grazing of cattle, the Government of Sikkim has enacted a law to abolish the 'gothwala system' without providing any alternative livelihoods. In the next as well as in the concluding section, a critical evaluation has been made towards the conservation approach followed by formal institutions in the name of sustainable development and how a conflict has arisen between conservation and existing livelihood opportunities.
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A series of modern folklores and post-development narratives across the sites of construction Identical discords tend to disjuncture a hydro electricity dam and a road. In both of the projects the expanse of construction requisite allows sufficient commonalities. One is that these projects are being undertaken by larger bodies like government, private and via publicprivate partnership (PPP) model. Two; stress on land grab: agricultural, forest, residential or a wasteland. Thirdly; broader inclusion into a pre-acknowledged category of development work. Four; unambiguous pollution reinforcement: water, air, noise and visual. Five; ascertains unavoidable fatalities at times. The simple dissimilarity among the two subsists in the context of their distinct social positioning. The dam construction on the one hand surpasses numerous challenges; socioeconomic, moral, environmental and legal. On the other, road construction is universally welcomed. Exemplifying the noted societal disparities in agreed impressions of ‘an unwanted’ and ‘the desired’ development that prevails simultaneously. Both the facets of ‘development’ scenario have been acknowledged in equal spirits. On the promising note uplifting in economic conditions by promoting schools, health care systems and roads have become much acceptable. Whereas undesired compromises at the cost of ecology, life, and livelihoods faced the collective burdens of liability and inaction. As in the case of forced displacement, threats endangering culture, community and traditional values. Throughout time, ecological harms have been rebuked to catalyse as an otherwise avoidable consequence of ill-execution in ‘development’ procedure. Development in its presumed form, technological or social, greatly impacts the terrains, lives of people and collective ecology. Development studies and the field of anthropology have thus co-existed since long. The chronology of studies from evolutionary theories of Tylor (1865), 71 Morgan(1877) to post modernism (Derrida 1997; Foucault 1970; Lyotard 1984; Baudrillard 1995) itself have invited profound schools of social thoughts. Anthropologists acted as policy maker by becoming a part of development processes and also as the critiques of the development. ‘Development’ and ‘change’ have been immensely braced in the growing world of building economy. Prolific scholarly writings are found on the timeless topics of ‘globalisation and development’ (Mehta 2009), ‘ecological and sociological impacts of development’ (EIA GOI 2009). Development studies have flourished as an autonomous discipline. The flash floods related disaster in Uttarkhand (2013), Kinnaur (June 2013), Jammu & Kashmir (2014) have all been largely attributed to prevailing development models. Largely, dam construction and related encroachments have been made liable for the high cost of loss of precious human lives and capital damage. An expert body report submitted to The Ministry of Environment and Forests Government of India, 2014 has come up with harsh recommendations for the state body with hints that advocate ‘that several more projects could be dropped.’ (MOEF report 2013), clearly an admission that there is something fundamentally wrong, the way we conceptualise development. National Institute of Disaster Management report puts it on to claim “climatic conditions combined with haphazard human intervention” a down factor. As the residents and the bye passers share modern folklores prevalent in the project affected sites. The paper positions etic and emic approaches (Dundes 1962). To arrange the post dam narratives, case studies voice a series of experiences from the hill region of Sainj, in district Kullu, Himachal Pradesh.