Opinion: Redefine development
The 3Ds — destruction displacement and delusion — are forming the bedrock of the other D ie, development
By Samudrala VK
Has the current discourse of development proposed by economists, academia, political authorities, security personnel and analysts, hyper-nationalists, neo-liberal intelligentsia and capitalist proponents become unquestionable, unchallengeable and a rigid idea? Has it been accorded the highest holiness and absolute sanctity in an economic and social discipline that none should look for the flaws in it? Has the all-pervading narrative of development that has been incorporated into the minds of the populace made it an unnatural attempt to think about the alternative narratives and perceptions regarding the development? Are the prevailing development practices adopted by governments and corporations alike fool-proof and needn’t be reformed? Is asymmetrical progress natural and organic in the notion of development propounded by modern-day economic theorists?
Is environmental destruction a natural phenomenon and need not be given a thought? Are modern states and the capitalist empire using words like sustainable development, ecological balance, green development, and afforestation to mask their crude agenda and manipulate people to gain acceptance and acknowledgement, and promote their economic interests? Are development projects what governments vow for lop-sided and contributing to the physical, social, economic and environmental backwardness?
Going by the economic policies that governments or political authorities have been adopting across the globe, it is appropriate that the aforementioned questions boggle the minds of people who aspire for the equitable distribution of natural resources and the planet that is free of exploitation and destruction. In light of unlimited destruction under the banner of development, it is wise to understand the Achilles’ heel in modern-day economics.
Security and National Interest
The recent protests against the Very Low Frequency (VLF) radar station to be set up in the Damagundam forest zone of Vikarabad district in Telangana have once again brought the debate of development vs ecological balance to the fore. Can security and national interest be taken as tokens to wipe out the green cover spread over 2,900 acres of forest land? Can electronic sensors, concrete and electromagnetic waves replace the role of oxygen? No, right. Though the issue of Damagundam is localised, it serves as a testimony to the functioning of the modern-day state. Be it the Amazon forest in Brazil or Damagundam in Telangana, the theme of the development appears the same the world over. Destruction, displacement and delusion (3Ds) are forming the bedrock of the other D ie, development.
Contrary to the popular perception, the development in the post-liberal era is asymmetrical, exclusive to a few segments, concentrated, centralised, authoritarian and skewed towards the super-yacht classes. At a time when climate change and biodiversity crisis have been forcing humanity to the urgency of action, governments across the world are turning a blind eye to looming and imminent threats.
Crony-capitalist tendencies
It is no brainer to say that capitalism leaves no stone unturned to maximise profits. It hates barricades, restrictions and scrutinies. What it loves is unrestricted access to resources even at the cost of the planet. It is also worth mentioning here that the roots of modern-day inequality lie in disoriented economics. Development projects have been accelerating inequalities rather than economic progress as proclaimed by governments. Since media, academics and other important socio-economic organs are being controlled by corporate houses and crony capitalists, the voice of beleaguered sections remains largely unheard let alone by the governments but also by the civic capital and intelligentsia. The modern state appears porous and accommodative to a few while remaining inaccessible to a large chunk of its citizens.
It appears that governments under the token of national interest have been trying to bypass the due conventions and obligations that are meant to be fulfilled and followed before green-flagging the development projects. It is preposterous on the part of governments to go ahead with projects in which the costs outweigh the benefits. If a project is not civilian in nature, does not create large-scale employment and is meant for military purposes, governments can station them at locations devoid of green covers.
Dichotomy of Governments
There exists a dichotomy in the approach of the governments across the world. On the one hand, they set the targets to achieve a greener planet and call for immediate action to mitigate the disastrous effects of climate change, and on the other hand, they flag off development projects by eliminating the green cover. Though it is easy to understand the economic costs involved in the degradation of the natural environment in the form of mitigation and restoration efforts at times of disasters, governments have been emphasising the short-term gains over long-term ones owing to their oligarchic and crony-capitalist interests.
Anti-nationals, anarchists and troublemongers are the terms that are being used by governments to refer to people who fight for the cause of the environment. Labelling and name-calling have become neo-normal in the age of neo-liberalism.
Eco-terrorism
Governments should recognise the fact that unaddressed environmental concerns will transform into a radical form of action if not into eco-terrorism. The religious terrorism that Middle East nations have been experiencing these days may turn into environmental terrorism down the line due to resource crunch and the degradation of natural resources.
Ever since the advent post-world war period, governments have leaned towards the destruction over the determinism of nature while striking the balance between economic development and ecological balance. Of late, it has been realised that the presumption that capitalist development is a panacea for all ills has been proven wrong. Now, the time has come to redefine the term development, which is inclusive and has zero negative effects on nature in the interest of the planet.
(The author is Director, Samudrala VK IAS Academy)
