question_answer

In 1984, the Karnataka government set up a company called Karnataka Pulpwood Limited. About 30,000 hectares of land was given virtually free to this company for 40 years. Much of this land was used by local farmers as grazing land for their cattle. However the company began to plant eucalyptus trees on this land, which could be used for making paper pulp. In 1987, a movement called Kittiko- Hachchiko (meaning, pluck and plant) started a non-violent protest, where people plucked the eucalyptus plants and planted saplings of trees that were useful to the people.

Suppose you belong to any of the following groups, what arguments would you put forward to defend your side:

(i) a local farmer,

(ii) an environmental activist,

(iii) a government official working in this company or

(iv) just a consumer of paper?

 

Answer:

(i) As a Local Farmer: We would have joined farmers and formed a farmers union. We would have met the highest official of the government of Karnataka with a request that the grazing land belonged to farmers and they should not be deprived of their common land.

(ii) As an Environmental Activist: Being an environmental activist, we would have taken out processions, followed by demonstrations to draw the attention of the government and forced it to cancel the contact with company.

(iii) As an Government Official: Being part of governmental institution we would try to convince the farmers and environmental activists about the demand and the benefits of having a company, e.g., large number of employment, development of the village, better facilities to the villagers, etc.

(iv) As a Consumer of Paper: We would request to the government that the land allotted to the company should be cancelled and be given to the local farmers. The farmers will use the land to grow such plants as would provide raw material for papers industry.