Shouldn’t the Environment Minister speak about environment??!!

It is only yesterday that I came to know who the union environment minister is!!(i guess it is my fault getting complacent). I was flipping through TV channel and came across report on Tigers. This blogger is very much concerned about issues concerning environment, the Minister left me vaguely uncomfortable. I did spend sometime on the net and found he had lots of skeptics, I guess it is too early to pass judgment. Jairam Ramesh is holding a very important ministry and policy decisions he makes and the impact it creates will be watched very closely.

An environment minister need necessarily be concerned about environment and that is his priority. He is not expected to talk about economics and finding a balance, his framework has to be necessarily prioritizing environment and natural wealth. I don’t see commerce minister talking about environment nor home minister talking about education. Don’t know what is rigid and not rigid but progress need be seen from the context of sustainability and inclusiveness. The rate at which forest is getting depleted and wildlife habitat loss happening is a serious concern. There is a serious pressure on natural resources that no GDP can compensate. The previous environment minister I gather worked as a henchman for profit mongers. He seems to have done significant damage. I also gather environment board does have presence from exploitative industries. This I find very disturbing (so why do you think they fund election?!!).

Mr Ramesh it seems speaks more like an economist, which makes this blogger quite concerned, not that anybody should have anything against economists but environment is not really about demand and supply paradigm. Environment is not a factor. The western model of development that is being transplanted is seriously flawed (they realize that and are making every effort to increase forest and wildlife conservation, but then they are rich. In poorer societies there is significant pressure from vested interests). Don’t know about alternatives but yes this much this blogger is sure and that is progress at the cost of environment is no progress. Also one feels the west has earned lot of money at the cost of natural resource, shouldn’t these product have environment tax?. Issues of environment are more holistic, it needs broadmindedness and sensitivity. Narrow economic exigencies and short term benefits will be seriously counterproductive.

Personal interaction with Jairam Ramesh: don’t know how many will recall Jairam Ramesh used to conduct a successful program in DD many years back (was it Crossfire?). I watched many episodes of it and yes got lots of understanding and knowledge. It was crisp, no crap, getting into the facts. I wasn’t much into TV but wouldn’t miss this program. Later I shifted to Delhi (I guess it was December 1995) and stayed in the worst part of the city. Could manage few weeks and had a breakdown, just couldn’t handle it, the food, winter (the room didn’t even have a cot and I wasn’t carrying much clothing), but yes an year later was back with some bank balance, quite determined not to quit. I had a reference of family friend they stayed in Andrews ganj, so shifted. I found that Jairam Ramesh lived in the ground floor (he played cricket with his two sons) and bumped into him, told him I liked his TV program immensely, few minutes of general talk nothing much. I stayed there for 4 to 5 days and met him quite often. I thought he was a great guy.

Readers are requested to visit birds blog (its about Kingfishers!!) also i have posted a Short story (i dedicate it to autowallahs of Bangalore, particularly to the man who went out of the way to help me as i was pushing my punctured vehicle few months back at an isolated stretch. Some are nasty but mostly ok kind of guys. I know few punters too who moonlight as auto drivers!)