Southern States - Kerala

Govt commitment to conservation under a cloud

By P. Venugopal

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM APRIL 21. The delay in evicting the encroachers in Mathikettan Shola is a test case of the Antony Government's sincerity in conserving the forests of the State.

It is nearly one week since the Forest Minister, K. Sudhakaran, had visited the Mathikettan Shola to confirm first hand the veracity of media reports on largescale destruction of forests there.

He had expressed shock over what he had seen there.

He had, reportedly, made an emotional outburst during the subsequent Cabinet meeting, accusing high Revenue officials of Idukki district of being the prime facilitators of the forest destruction and land grabbing operation there.

The way he had boldly put the Revenue Department, held by a very senior Minister like K. M. Mani, on the dock for the illegal operation in Mathikettan Cholai, gave out the impression that he would not shy out of his responsibility to protect the forests just because of the inconvenience it would cause to certain others.

However, beyond the removal of the Idukki Collector, Mr. Sudhakaran has not succeeded in getting the Government do anything against the plunder of the forests of Mathikettan Shola.

If the covert or overt policy of, for instance, the Revenue or Tribal Welfare Department goes against the basic principles of conservation, the State will have to bid goodbye to what remains of its forest wealth.

It seems that the chances of the Government coming out with a common, positive, policy towards conservation appear quite bleak, with the UDF, which controls the Government, being a coalition of several interests.

The psychology of the land grabbers who destroy the forests for raising settlements can never reconcile with that of the conservationists.

Mr. Mani had openly announced the other day that he would never allow the forests of Mathikettan Shola to be handed over to the Forest Department.

The Congress party, which heads the Government here, has a glorious record as a party that had been progressive in its outlook towards conservation. The best of the environmental legislations of the country had been the contribution of the Congress Governments.

The 1980 Forest Conservation Act, one of the most progressive environmental legislations to be enacted in any country, was the contribution of Indira Gandhi, while her son, Rajiv Gandhi, has to his credit the Environmental Protection Act of 1986.

Here the Chief Minister, A. K. Antony's predicament is that he has to preside over the desecration of every conservation law his party had contributed to the nation. A week after the Forest Minister had reported to him of the shocking nature of what is happening in Mathikettan Shola, the Government is yet to do anything to evict the encroachers there.

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