Get real on wildlife

In a democracy, politics often tends to become all-pervasive. Neither the process of development, nor that of the much-needed conservation of natural resources and bio-diversity remain unaffected by it. But the real problem crops up when populism gets enmeshed with politics and distorts the balance between development and resource preservation. Nothing but so-called "vote bank" considerations prevails in that case.

That seems to be happening with alarming frequency in India's endeavour to protect its flora and fauna through reliable approaches like the creation of reserve forests and protected wildlife parks. It is this unholy alliance of politics and populism that has led to the disappearance of tigers from the Sariska National Park, the slump in the influx of winged visitors to the Bharatpur bird sanctuary and the overall decline and deterioration of most other bio-reserves and national parks.

The authors of this book have taken the Great Himalayan National Park (GHNP) in the Kullu region of Himachal Pradesh as a case in point to bring out the plight of most such projects. The GHNP is dedicated to the protection of western tragopan, an endangered pheasant. This park harbours one of only two protected populations of western tragopan in the world. A section of this park was set apart in 1999 for the construction of the Parbati hydroelectric project, a blatant case of development politics usurping the entitlements of the truly voiceless.

What makes the book an interesting read for wildlife lovers and environment conservationists is the detailed narration of what has actually been happening in the project area over the years and a dispassionate analysis of its impact, both positive or negative. Indeed, the book represents an insider's view, as both authors were personally involved in the project at one stage. This also lends credibility to the observations, as to the conclusions drawn.

Interestingly, the book seeks to lend another dimension to the interplay of politics and conservation by bringing in the role played by the rivalry between the revenue and forest departments, which originated during the British period. This divide, with its wedge dating back to the colonial era, continues to complicate the already steep odds of conservation success, making it a matter of strategy as much as enlightenment. "Since the inception of democracy, these two departments have also become politicised owing to the sheer size and expanse of the resources they command," the authors contend.

The book confronts the charge often made by critiques of exclusionary conservation that the effort hurts the development opportunities of people living inside the protected areas, thus indirectly holding the forest departments responsible for the neglect of these poverty-stricken communities. Yet, at the same time, conservation is, more often than not, conceptualised and justified as protection of the natural wilderness from the ravages of development.

This raises the controversial question of whether existing habitations should be allowed to remain out there or shifted to other places so that the area can be declared out-of-bounds for outsiders. The issue assumes all the more significance as different sections of society view bio-resources and diversity differently. As pointed out in the book, while wildlife enthusiasts and conservation activists see biological resources as threatened and in need of protection, resident villagers consider the same as potential sources of livelihood.

The book cites the experience of other parks in the country and elsewhere to resolve the conflict between conservation and subsistence of local communities. The broad conclusion seems to be that all human activity may not be deleterious to the sustainability of parks, and that well-conceived science-based approaches are needed to manage both human intervention and the parks' bio-health.

Significantly, the authors seek to make a distinction between the joint management of forest areas""which has been tried out in several projects ""and joint protected area management. In fact, the laws concerning the two are also different, notably in terms of allowing the consumptive use of resources of the reserved area by the local communities. The authors seem to veer round to the view that joint protected area management may not be too realistic in the near term. For, the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, prohibits all consumptive human use of the park resources, regardless of the problems such a bar can pose for both bio-resources, including wildlife, and local people. But that in itself does not preclude other variations on the theme.

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DEMOCRATIZING NATURE
POLITICS, CONSERVATION, AND DEVELOPMENT IN INDIA

Ashwini Chhatre & Vasant K Saberwal
Oxford University Press
Price: Rs 575; Pages: 267