Volume 5 Issue 1 A 2 lune 1997

For Private Circulation Only

t(t g-r*h-%to%?rt
years ago when EQUATIONS began the discussion on the issue of tourixn, its impacts on communities, its role as a
rcnt tool and its releaance to the improaement of the quality of life of those dependent on it - all of
cment of this was considered
to the core development debate in the mid-$ls. This was because tourism was experienced only by a few who could
to traael. The experience, Iargely, was that of the tourist. The terms of the debate therefore was improaing amenities
'lamenting how a particular area was un-discoaered.

This was also the time when the role of the State in tourism deaelopment was quite ambiguous. At one leael it became a
player in the tourism market with the setting up of the lndia Tourist Deaelopment Corporation and the aarious state Tourism
Development Corporations and at another leael it continued to dictate the terms of the growth. The late-eighties saw the
beginnings of the processes that u)e a.re so familiar with nowadays - globalisation, liberalisation and its consequences. We
also saat the first of the major foreign exchange crunches that occurred with the oil crisis, and of international aid agencies
beginning to actually - blatantly, arm-twist nation-states into a certain form of policy-orientation. Foreign exchange becomes
the cornerstone of economic imperatiaes. Yet another holy cow is created and the saga of export dependence begins.
Tourism is legitimised as one of the important sources for this new national priority, earning foreign exchange.

The consequent expansion of tourism, its scope, the number of actors, the space and the resources that it needs to attain
econotnies of scale is now beginning to impinge on the other sectors. The public sector is being told to shrink its presence in
the so-called liberalised enaironment. Big players dominate the discussion on tourism's future with no reference to the
external enaironment in which it has to exist. The role of the state in formulating a policy perspectiae, the basis of the
industry's future growth, is handed over to a select few whose stakes as players in that defined future is undeniable. Policy
is prepared for the select few while platitudes are heaped on the others who are not part of the league.

While you read this editorial, another Tourism Policy would haoe been foisted on us. Yet again, there will be conflicts since
the goaernment is, it seems, not yet ready to listen to the experience of the previous ones, from the point of rsiew of those who
are traaelled upon. lt is fine to make policy statements, but isn't a policy supposed to take an ooeroiew of the conditions
within which it has to work? ln this issue of the ANLetter, we bring to you a glimpse of those conditions within which
tourism in our country operates . lt brings to you the scope of the effect of tourism' s growth since the late-eighties. It also
brings to you the action taken by affected communities, individuals and groups who are in their ou)n ways trying to
influence the industry and its operations. This issue tries to illustrate the 'enaironmental' conditions under which the
industry and the gooernment, will need to operate because of public pressure.

And the pressure is building up as tourism encroaches into areas where there already exist claimants for land and other
resources. Whether it is the adiaasis in Nagarahole, the constal community in Kerala or the people in the Niligiris area. The
conflict of interests in terms of the prioritization of the sharing of finite resources will escalafe, unless, a rational debate on
this takes place, now. The conflict is no longer limited to those who feel that they haae been kept out of the sharing process,
but those that are in the tourism industry, who are beginning to say that they are not getting a fair share of it. To some the
un-fairness in the system is aery eaident, others traaerse a longer path on the way to this realisation.

While all state gouernments are sold on the idea of tourism and each of them adds sops to the existing ones for the tourism
industry, it closes its eyes to the fact that the industry is not the only determinant of its utell-being. Saner elements in both
the gooernment and the industry are beginning to recognise this trend, but then the full import of this crisis is still not being
accepted by the hawks in the system. Unless a dialogue emerges on the larger purpase of the development of tourism, with
other constituents, ute wiII continue to see the State and the industry mouthing the same lines. EQUATIONS belieaes that
the time for such a debate is now, and we inaite our ruders to join the debate.

K:f .Sr*ra(
 The
PoIiticaI
Economy
of
SeIf-RuIe
(This note looks at tlrc conceptual attd ideolttgical frnnezuork ilrcoh,ed in the adivasi stnrg.gle, bnsed on its intTtoct nt tlrc grassroots, ond
zuill tryefls'tl€rtlrcquestionnstotolu,l tlrcadivasiopposcprojectsthatuillrehnbilitntcthenroutsidetheforest,andgnintlrcmnccess
to'modern life'.lt argues tlnt the globnlizotion process seeks to make other lnlnrchies zunste nbsorlters, nnd it is tltis unet1ual nncl
clelnnnanisittg exclnnge tlmt tlrc adivasi are resistitrg. As n corollnry, it zuill nlso explnin uhy feiu people nre ltrought abotte tlrc pooerty
Iine by globalizntio tr.)
t has been to the considerable consternation of the middle
class, fed on the propaganda of the state, that the adivasi
refuse to'come out of the forest' and 'into the mainstream',
despite the'generous' package for rehabilitation. The struggle
against the World Bank funded ecodevelopment planr is only
one among the more visible struggles being waged by the
adivasi2. Various reasons have been put forward, the latest
being the self-interest of NGOs in keeping the adivasi
backward. But to get a real picture of the issue, it is necessary
to go into the core issues of the organisation of the culture and
society that dictates the pace and place of 'mainstreaming'.
This is the latest, and most systematic, effort to totally alienate
dre adivasi from the forest. It seeks to subvert all the
democratic gains made by the adivasi, and reduce the space for
further manoeuvre. It is a highly sophisticated attempt to
globalize the ownership of the forests, totally exclude the
adivasi from their resources and turn them into waste
absorbers. This is to be done in a gradual process, whereby the
trust of the adivasi is gained, the others strengthened to
takeovet and the adivasis are induced or forced to move out of
the forest. This, as we shall show, is the process by which all
expropriation-not only land, but religious, cultural...- takes
place.
In the whole debate in which adivasi culture, external
influences and national interest are freely quoted, there remains
one major aspect which we feel should be addressed: why is it
that the adivasi, from whose homelands come 80% of the
minerals of India, who have the richest teak and other
commercially valuable biomass on their land, why is it that 80%
of the adivasi live under the poverty line? Why is it there are
starvation deaths among the adivasi who sit on some of the
richest forests of the land? Why is it that the adivasi have no
electricity or drinking water though all power and water is
exported from their land?
The answers, we believe and as we shall show, lie in their
systematic disempowerment and assimilation. It is not the lack
of resources, but the lack of control over it that has led to this.
It is only the restoration of their sovereignty that will enable the
adivasi to control their resources, and take control over their
lives-
2
Sequential Expropriation
Social systems that are based on an exploiting mode interact
with other systems only to exploit. In this interaction, the
exploiting society uses the other to become the waste absorber.
The dominant of the two also gets the best from the dominated
society. Thus it is a doublv beneficial relationship-it gets the
best from another system, often something that it cannot do
without, at a subsidised cost, and palms off its, often toxic,
waste.
As in all cases of appropriation and assimilation, the dominant
system absorbs, but only to reinforce status quo and
exploitation. In an exploiting system, it becomes necessary for
every man to oppress another and so on down the hierarchy to
women, animals, plants and the inanimate. This system needs
ever widening circles of oppressed, for the oppression and
exploitation of each subsequent stratum in the hierarchy to be
worked off. When this circle cannot widen, oppression within
the system increases to unmanageable levels and in the
resultant tension, a restructuring takes place. Hopefully, if the
fundamental assumption of social ordering - that some are
worth more than the others - is changed, a step towards the
creation of a just society is taken.
Nations, when confronted with this crisis, resorted to passing
off this aggression onto other nations - resulting in imperialism.
Men passed it off on to women.. Women to children... and so
on. With the refusal of women to absorb the oppression in the
system, a major break in this chain of oppression has been
made3.
Since religious, cultural and economic holarchiesr are
inextricably interlinked, changes in one often influences and
causes corresponding changes in the others. The absence of
any more communities - in part due to their heightened
awareness and subsequent refusal - to be subsumed into the
lowest rungs of the caste system is a major cause for the crisis of
the caste system now.
Since the dominant holarchies can pass on their residual
violence, and they have forced enough surplus to bank roll
others to take care of their overt violence, it has been easy to
label the dominated holarchies as 'savage' and barbaric when
they fight oppression. The real dynamics are a little different.
Due to the absence of any more holarchies to pass on violence,
the most oppressed fight amongst each other for the remains,
while the dominant holarchy - which has taken the cream and
the lion's share - can watch with detachment and superior
aloofness. Expropriating holarchies do so systematically, and
with such finesse, that not only is their loot masked but they
are able to pose as peacemakers, sending charity and armies for
'peacekeeping'.
The rape of Africa for centuries has resulted in the present
violence. The dominated, since they are struggling for survival
do not have the space - nor the requisite surplus - to take time
off for a dispassionate analysis of the source of their
exploitation. So they take on their immediate oppressor, rather
than the source/ which is unapproachable both in terms of
geography and capacity
The need for'mainstreaming'
Sequential exploitation also means sequential expropriation, for
to sustain their overconsumptive lifestyles, the exploiters must
find ever widening areas to exploit. Using their power they thus
grab what the poor have. The new fad for biodiversity, herbal
medicine and holistic health care is no accident . Bringing isolated
communities into the economic system only furthers this cycle.
If the idea is to integrate them into the 'mainstream' then the
question is integrate them at what levels... the lowest... slightly
better than that... or as equals? If as equals - otherwise, if there
is going to be no material change in their condition, why take
them through this torturous path at aII ? - then is the present
investment enough?
No society absorbs or assimilates another holarchy as equals.
Holarchies are integrated only into areas where there is a
vacuum in the present system-and these vacuums are always
in the waste absorption sectors. The poor and the
marginalized, in any system, have always been its waste
absorbers-and they always will be. Thus this integration
process is to widen the circle and make hitherto independent
holarchies into waste absorbers of the dominant community.
Mainstreaming, contrary to popular perception, is actually a
process of exclusion.
The policy of the government has been to displace and destroy.
Even well-meaning interventions are paternalistic and feudal,
and do not accord basic human rights to the adivasi. The
interventions of organised religion are the same. The
intervention of the industrial sector is, with tacit support and
connivance of the state, to further this displacement and
forcibly incorporate the adivasi into the proletariat, often as
slave labour. The paradigm of development chosen needs
these forms of exclusion and dependency.
The intervention of the voluntary sector has eroded the social
holarchy, with trade union models of organisation and
leadership supplanting the traditional ones. All welfare
programs have turned the adivasi into objects of charity. It is
difficult, at this point, to evaluate the costs and benefits of
these well-meaning interventions. What they have
indisputably done is transfer values and modes of stratification
and have introduced new kinds of handicaps, even in cases
3
where empowerment was the explicit goal.
This is because once the expropriating holarchy has penetrated
the other, it then restructures even the self-integrated one in its
image - for that is a precondition for exploit. The most obvious
is the World Bank imposing structural adjustment policies on
its borrowers.
The worst for the best
The dominant in this transaction palm off the waste of their
system for the best of the dominated system. This is true across
holarchies. The best wolman of the oppressed holarchy is
often married to the worst of the dominating one. The 'ayah' or
the house maid, gives the best quality time, and often the best
years/ of her life - which should be spent with her children and
family - to wash the dishes and clean the houses of someone
else: a very obvious waste absorption role. This is systemic, for
almost the entire globe is built on exploiting holarchies.
The best years of a person are spent not with the family - which
most people believe they are building and working for - but in
dehumanising places of work that have no space for the family.
The 'system' takes the best of all, leaving no quality time for the
real things we value: our families, hobbies...all have to make do
with the time the system does not need us-i.e. the waste time
for the dominant holarchy.
Those who follow the expropriating holarchy follow their
customs-if you can't beat 'em join' em-but only in a more
sophisticated waste absorption role, though that is converted
into a status symbol. Kentucky Fried Chicken, one of the
cheapest foods of the United States is actually a status symbol
for the third world elite. Perversion of the value system is seen
here. It is seen in the social sphere of the exploited also.
In goods, it is the surplus of the dominant that is given for the
best produce of the dominated - in the name of quality. Since
the urban holarchy dominates the rural, the highly fertile top
soil is converted into bricks and tiles-an unequal exchange by
any reckoning. The wheat that India exports as cattle feed is of
better quality than what is given to its own citizens in the
public distribution system. So also for many other goods and
relationships: the best of Indian diplomats go to Washington,
yet only the third rate US ones come to India.
The dominant are able to project their need for exploit as the
need for survival of the exploited. The Tatas, for instance, have
a white elephant in jamshedpur - ironically the fruit of their
exploitation of the adivasi there. If they cannot widen the circle
then, despite the massive influx of capital and technology
there, their 'flagship'Tisco will implode.
Hence the plant at Gopalpur, Orissa, which is vital for their
very survival. But they are able to project it as a'saviour of
Orissa'when in reality it is the lifeline for Tisco and the rape of
the locals. Due to this portrayals, they are able to get the state:'
to beg them for investment and consequently get the entire
state machinery to back them up with force.
The Economics
In the economic sphere, the increasing circle encompasses
resources and brings more 'consumers' into the 'mainstream'.
Without this, the system of sequential exploitation will collapse.
Not for nothing is the western world dumping its
environmentally toxic waste in Africa and Asia - because their
marginalized refuse to absorb it, and they cannot widen the
circle within their own borders. ]ust as the North uses Asia
and Africa for extraction and for toxic waste disposal, so does
India use adivasi areas.
India's uranium comes from adivasi areas, and the radioactive
waste is returned there. When exploiting holarchies have
extracted everything of value from another, they simply let the
exploited take care of the waste and move on. The real cost of
mining is borne by the adivasi. After the mines close, when
they are declared 'economically unviable', it is the adivasi who
will continue to bear the cost, while the exploiting holarchy
moves on to other areas.
In the environmental front, the Western countries are
desperately looking towards Africa and Asia to dump their
toxic waste. The world bank has also recommended this sort of
transfer of toxic and polluting industries to the third world
because the cost of waste disposal within their boundaries will
their enterprises unviable.
In the manufacturing sector, for all the hue and cry about
opening up trade, it is the surplus - read waste - that is dumped
on the third world, and not up to date, environmentally safer
technology. The'trickle down'was always of this surplus.
Globalization has tremendously increased the size of the basket
of wants . Due to this increasing want creation, and therefore
the enlarged basket size, 'trickle down'has seriously reduced in
the recent past5. Moreover, 'recycling' means that even inert
waste is used, and only toxic waste is exported' The poor are
no longer just waste absorbers, as VeblenT postulated a century
ago, they have become toxic waste absorbers. The less
dominated the holarchy, the less toxic the waste.
When the people of dominated systems wake up to this scam,
they then want to first redress the imbalance. The dominant do
not want to do so, since they are now dependent on this
exploitation for their mere survival. It is significant that in all
the demands and struggles for secession and self-determination
in the world, all have come only from the 'under developed'
regions. fhis shows that the exploited people have, however
subconsciously, realized that they are in fact subsidising their
rulers. They then demand secession so that they can interact
with the dominant system as equals and not as waste absorbers.
This is the underlying cause of secessionist demands'
This subconscious feeling can actually be validated by holistic
economic analysis. Once such an analysis is made, it will be
found that the'underdeveloped'who have no'tension' and other
modern diseases, who have the richest biodiversity, most mineral
wealth, fresh air and pure water are actually correct in their
subconscious assessment. Increasingly, even basic necessities,
such as water, for the dominant holarchies have to be exported
from the hinterland - hence the Narmada struggle, Koel Karo.
will non/ come to the most pernicious aspect: the process of
We
monetization. Monetization of produce only contributes to this
system. The abstraction of value into money helps consolidate
power and increases it in the hands of the haves. Lacking
monetization, the socially productive labour that goes into
consumables will be recognized to be far less than its monetized
values. This will significantly increase the economic power of
4
the primary producers and proportionately diminish those of
the secondary and tertiary sectors. The most drastic change
will come in the so-called service sector.
Endnote
|. We haoe useil as many documents of the state as possible
- for instance the
laws. The eco-deoelopnent plan is quoted, since it is a document of the
state itself, Obviously, such ilocuments by the appropfiator is not aoailable
for other aspects, but other forms of documentation exist - such as the dolls
in the temple at Puri.
2. This note, while analyzing and situating the issues within the struggle of
the marginalizeil peoples eaerywhere, draws on the experience of the
adioasi, specially tlose at Nagarahole, Karnataka, to flesh it out. lt is not
exclusioely so - other examples are citeil where releoant. The adioasi in
Koilagu district are just about 20% of the population and in Karnatakd,
they are about 4,25%, in relatioely isolated pockets - eoen in the
contiguous Nilgiri biosphere. Thus, this is a resistance of a minority. In
other places, where there are more of them, resistance can be more intense.
Self-rule, as useil here, incluiles the whole spectrurn from sooercignty to
secession to gram swaraj uniler the Panchayat Rai Act.
3. The struggle of inilepenilent lnlarchies - such as the adioasi - is to retain
their sooereignty.. The struggle of the women, who are incorporated as
waste absorbers, is to reclaim it Women who haoe traoelled a long way:
from matriarchy to being legally, culturally anil socially subir'qateil - not
haoing the right to property, to haaing to die along with their husbanils, to
not having a soul, being iess than animals, to not haoing the right to oote,
become priests,,.,- to slowly reclriming their rights, though glass ceilings
ilo exist. The slow process by which women arc reclaiming their
sooereignty denanils a study of its own for it contains lessons for all
holarchies.
4. 'Holarchy' is a construct of Arthur Koestler. lt is preferred. since it is
'holistic' , Koestler uses holarchy as distinct from hierarchy to denote more
democratic relationships. In this note, the emphasis is on the'holistic'
nature of the relationship, completely ooershadowing the equitable relations
part. The terms better express the systemic nature - and totality - of
expropiation relations belter, since terms such as North - South anil Thirtl
World hide the often aicious expropriation within themseloes, .
5. A note on the role of intellectuals, opinion buililers anil image crentots.
The reason why intellectuals and freethinkers flourish in larger holarchies
- which inoariably are expropiating ones - is notaoorthy. It merits grenter
attention, though one is constrained by space. lntellectudls mawfacture
the appropriate ideological rational for the expropriating holarchies. Since
these holarchies luae more surplus, they can nfford to suPport those in
non-primary sectors whose labor is solely intellectual. Therefore specialists
and sopltisticated articulation is the natural domain of these forces.
Artiuiation and practice outside the framework determined by the
dominant is termed unscientific (o1 in earlier ages, heretical) and therefore
debased - neoer mind if they are the only ones to get the desired results.
These intellectuals can manufacture all sorts of justifications for exploit'
from national interest and patriotism, to 'greater good' , to 'natural order of
things' to 'tlioine will' , These ideological constructs, internalized, led to
psychological castration that prahibits resistance. Noam Chomsky calls it
' nnnufact uring con s en t' .
6. This is also the reason that 'aiil'- be it of the official bilateral and
multilateral or the NGO oariety - has shrunk. They were the canalizing of
surplts. Those that iliil not come from surplus, i.e. the 'solidarity'
contributions, remain st their preaious leaels.
7, The phrase'waste absorbers', and the more well known'conspicuotts
consumption', were coined by Thorstein Veblen, in his pathbreaking
'Theory of the leisure class'. It is a must read.
(This article is written by Anita Cheria and Edwin,They are based
in Bangalore anil are involaed in and write on tribal issues. This is the
first part of a seriu in which this article is being published. The next
part will follow in the next issue of the ANLetter.)
Crtz
RTG UTA'[INIG
PEO L
FIF
t s)
tF
3i) lrl tl
(The recent moae by the Central Government to amenil the Coastal
Zone Regulation Notification has to be seen as an af' npt
undermine the riglrts of the coastal communities)'
( I n" debate on Coastal Regulation Zone Notification has
I taken a new turn. For the Past two and a half years,
l- there has been a tussle between coastal communities and
people's groups on the one hand and the big industries on the
other. Certain coastal states also disagreed with the
notification. Their complaint is that distinctive features of their
respective coasts had been overlooked' But now, taking
cognizance of the situation, Central government takes the role
of protecting the interests of the industry. It is evident now
that the claims about protecting and preserying the coast was
mere eyewash.
Historically, coasts have been
considered as common
property without anyone
making visible legal claims.
Any project - whether defence
or harbour related - had its
claim only within the area
assigned for it. The community
along the coast and the general
oublic used the coast without
worrying about ownership
rights. The fishing community
usually believed and practised
a common property system.
Whatever land they used permanently was for small hutments'
The coasts were primarily their work space, free and exclusive.
The CRZ Notification of l99l brought into focus the debate on
future use-pattern of the coast. For the first time in history,
coasts were divided into zones. Regulations were also drawn
to determine permissive and prohibitive activities, both for
industry and community use. All these together brought
different user - rights for different grouPs on the coast.
At the heart of this much debated issue lies the questior, of this
user-right. People who had drawn up the notification had
given exclusive settlement rights to coastal communities and
traditional users of the coast in the CRZ III zone. The
communities along the coast deserve this recognition since
they are the rightful inheritors of the coast. What the planners
of the notification had overlooked, quite unwittingly, is the
existence of other interest groups like tourism and mega
industries. These industries were eligible to get clearance from
the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) for setting up
their projects in the CRZ III zone. At the same time,
communities.have the legal right to approach a court of law
against any violations of CRZ or intrusions into their living and
occupational space by these industries.
A close look at the Coastal Zone Management Plans (CZMPs)
prepared by coastal states would provide a better picture.
Even after deliberate manipulations to limit the land area under
CRZ III, an average of around 50% of the coasts come under
this zone, thanks to the strict parameters for zoning. To site a
few examples: in Keralam, the total area under CRZ is 498.579
sq.kms. Of this, CRZ III is 341.825 sq.kms, CRZII,68.748 and
CIRZ 1,88.006. sq.kms.r In Karnataka it is 274.04,772.71, 15.70
and 54.98 sq. kms.2 and in Andhra Pradesh it is 3574.73,
2526.6, 27 .4'1. and 7121..66 sq. kms. respectively.3 CRZ II consists
to of already developed urban areas where further development is
comparatively impossible, economically unviable when space
and land prices are taken into account.
Of course tourism and other industries that require a water
front can use the CRZ III zone provided they get the clearance
from the MoEF. The industry makes use of political
connections and big money in getting a clearance. What
worries the industry is that even after obtaining the
permission, it has to face the community which has exclusive
rights there. In this era of judicial activism, the industry knows
that any written law can be very crucial. The increasing
awareness of environment and ecology, the effort made by
people's groups to educate people on Coastal Zone Regulations
are also a potential threat.
They are aware that any
violation in this region would
bring the community, NGOs
and peoples' groups to the war
front.
At least two major global power
t generating giants have found
$ the regulation to their
{ disadvantage. Interestingly,
I Uottr are multinational power
E giu.,ts - Enron in Mumbai,
p Maharashtra and Cogentrix in
t Dakshina Kannada, Karnataka.
CRZ regulations play a very
important role both in peoples' struggle and legal proceedings
against these industries. A number of other violators of the
regulation were taken to court and many of them were found
to be guilty and their constructions face demolition orders.
The Supreme Court in its judgment had asked the coastal states
for strict implementation of the CRZ notification. In another
landmark judgment dated l.L December L996, the Supreme
Court ordered demolition of all aquaculture/prawn farrns
within 500 Mts. of high tide line and 1000 Mts. of the HTL in
Chilika lake in Orissa and Pulicat lake in Tamil Nadu
respectively, Among other arguments, Coastal Zone
Regulations played the crucial role in this judgment. At
present, it is these two judgments that alarm the industrial
lobby. The Central government sensing the threat against the
liberalisation policy took the issue into their hands. They
realise that the best way to tackle this threat would be to do
away rvith the regulation itself.
It is surprising to note that a minority government - a coalition
of 13 parties of different political shades - have been able to
conspire in circumventing even the Supreme Court judgment.
This essentially testifies their attitude towards the economic
liberalisation. Narrow nolitical determinism prevents even the
5
'left'parties to critically understand who would benefit from
this nefarious move.
The anti-people move of this government does not stop with
the attempt to amend CRZ Notification alone. The Central
government constituted an Aquaculture Authority in
desperate move to overcome the crisis posed by the Supreme
Court judgment. The Lok Sabha passed a bill on 17.3.1997 to
constitute an Environmental Appellate Authority. This
authority will be merely an extension of the existing
government bureaucrats. How authoritarian this body could
be is evident in Clause 11 of the Bill that entitles only a
person or any association of persons likely to be directly
affected by the grant of environmental clearance as an
appellant. Further in Clause 12 (1) ".....the authority shall haae
power to regulate its own proceilure including the fixing of places and
times of its enquiry and deciiling whether to sit in public or priaate".
There is yet another ordinance issued by the President of India
on Land Acquisition for National Highways that the Lok Sabha
passed on t8.3.7997. The National Highways Laws
"Do not touch oor rights"
worn fishing communities
he fi.shing community unions and environmental
groups protested unanimously against the Central
Government's move to circumvent the Supreme
Court's judgment in favour of the aquaculture industry bjr
amending the CRZ notification of 1991' under the
Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. The community fears
that any move to amend the notification will in.toto take
away the rights of the coastal communities.
More than an average of 60Y" of the land along the coast
comes under CRZ III zone according to the notification. It is
on this 60% of the land that the coastal community has
settlement rights. And it is in this same zone that the
aquaculture industry, tourism and other industries want to
set up their projects. This would inevitably bring conflicts
in the coast. It is this conflict the Central Government is
trying to settle by amending the CRZ notification that
would deprive the rights of the fishing communities.
The sudden move to amend the CRZ notification intended
to save the shrimp industries from the wrath of Supreme
Court's judgment dated 11 December 1996. The judgment
categorically ordered all shrimp farms within 500 metres of
the high tide line along the coast and 1000 metres in the case
of Chilka Lake in Orissa and Pulicat Lake in Tamil Nadu.
To oppose this unholy move and negate the false
propaganda of the coastal states that the fishermen
communities are against the notification, various coastal
communities, environment and trade unions came together
and decided to fight against it. Under the banner of
National Fishworkers Forum (NFF), two coastal yatras -
Bharath Yathra - was planned along the West and East
coasts of India.
On the Western coast the yatra started from Gujarat on 25th
March under the leadership of Thomas Kocherry, Convenor,
(Amendment) Bill amends the National Highways Act of 1955
and the National Highways Authority of India Act of 1988. This
bill gives the right to governments to acquire under "public
purpose" any land required for building, maintenance,
management or operations of a national highway or part there of.
a The only legal space allowed is for disputes on compensation.
The new debate on CRZ notification and the move to amend the
same has tobe looked at in this light, It is correct to attribute
these changes to the economic liberalisation. Yet the fallout is
more fundamental and severe. The state is becoming
increasingly authoritarian. It takes away given and existing
rights from the poor. It also narrows down the space for
democratic interventions.
Gfari Babu is coordinating the EQUATIONS programme on the
CoasD.
1, CZMP of Kerala Page,76.
2 CZMP(Zoning of coastal Karnataka) , Page 99.
3 Note on CZMPs of Andhra Pradesh, Page 14.
National |oint Action Council Against ]oint Ventures, R.K.
Patil , Gen. Secretary NFF, Premji Bhai Khokri, Xavier Pinto
and Ramesh Duri of NFF. They covered Maharashtra, Goa,
Karnataka, Kerala and southern parts of Tamil Nadu. On
the Eastern coast, the other yatra started from Diamond
Harbour, West Bengal and covered the states of Orissa.
Andhra Pradesh and the northern parts of Tamil Nadu. On
both the coasts fishing communities welcomed the yatras
and pledged their solidarity. The yatras ended at
Nagapattinam, Tamil Nadu on 4th April.
In the public meeting that followed, representatives from all
coastal states warned the Central Government against its
intention to bypass the Supreme Court order by amending
the notification. The meeting opined that any such move
will be met with stiff opposition.
Central and State leaders of fishing communities and
people's groups passed the resolution: "There shall not be
any amendment of Environment (Protection) Act or the
CRZ notification to suit the need of vested interests".
The following plan of action was also agreed upon :
7. Writ petitions will be filed in the Supreme Court if the Central
Government amenils either the Enaironment (Protectiod Act
or the CRZ notification.
2. Parliament members of all coastal states will be askeil to
' owose if such a moae is maile in the patliament.
3. Signature campaign by way of seniling fax, telegrams, letters
to the Prime Minister, Ministries of Environment, Agri-
culture anil lnilustries will be continued.
4. Young leailers will be motioated towards making the coastal
communities more informed and inooloeil in the issue
6

n the last two centuries, there has been large scale
displacement of adioasis( indigenous people) due to urban
priorities. [r hindsight, this displacement and the concomitant
misery that it has brought to the tribal people borders on ethnocide.
Initially, it was the British exploiting the forests to fuel their ship-
building and railways projects. Then it was the tum of the Indian
Government. With its mandate to move the country into
industrialization, the Govemment systematically acquired forest
Iands and converted these into plantations for industry and
agricultural land for its rural millions.
It is no coincidence that the richest forest lands are to be found
around setlements of indigenous peoples. It should also not
come as a surprise that commercial exploitation of these forests
would weigh heavily on the forest-based communities.
Having realized that the country's forest wealth had rapidly
declined due to the insatiable appetite of forest-based industries,
the Government has now turned to "softer" forms of exploitation
like tourism. Interventions inside the forest in the name of
revenue and development has reached a dangerous level.
Forests simply cannot bear consequences of activities like
tourism whether it is "eco-tourism" or "wildlife tourism".
Tourism has inevitably an adverse impact upon ecological
systems and leads to a scarcity of natural resources. With such
a destructive impact in its trail, it only makes a mockery of
development.
Sensitive stretches of biosphere reserves in the world have
always attracted people and governments. There have always
been attempts to cash in on the rich flora and fauna of such
areas. Tourism has been used for such purposes by'developi
ng" delicate ecozones. In India, even so-called Protected
Areas and National Parks are not protected. In fact, they have
areas earmarked for other purposes such as "tourism zones".
Uncontrolled tourism puts entire forests under pressure.
Unfortunately, the Department of Tourism views things only
7
from the revenue-earning point of view. In order to make
tourism acceptable to its critics, it terms mainstream tourism
"ecotourism". Environmental damage from tourism stems
mainly from the type and the magnitude of tourism. It happens
when tourism makes,demands upon its ecology that far
exceeds the natural and human-made resources available. No
attempt is made to assess the capacity of an area to support
tourism.'Tourism is promoted with little regard to its impact on
the ecological and social characteristics of the area. While
pursuing short term gains, long-term consequences upon the
the local environment and people are lost sight of.
The Government of Karnataka, in its Investment Plan for the
Promotion of Tourism in Karnataka defines "ecotourism" as
watching wildlife and enjoying nature. The investment plan
and the master plan make it clear that the environmental aspect
has been ignored. The Bandipur National Park has undergone
substantial damage and it is now the turn of the Nagarahole
(Rajiv Gandhi) National Park.
In the Nagarahole National Park, the Government of Karnataka
had leased out its jungle lodges to Gateway Hotels and Getaway
Resorts Ltd., a subsidiary of the Taj group of hotels. Through the
World Bank Eco-development project, the Government will evict
the people who have been living there for generations on the
ground that there should not be any human habitat inside the
park. While the original inhabitants of the park are forced to
move out, the same government allows corporates to enter the
forests and build hotels and welcomes tourists. This situation
has led to a confontation between the adivasis and the
Government and its agencies which are trying to generate
revenues through building resorts and the allied infrastructure.
Fishing in troubled waters are the corporate big bulls who have
joined hands with the Government for access into the forests to
establish their resorts/ hotels/ jungle lodges. This has threatened
the very existence of theAdiaasls. It strikes at the very heart of the
relationship between the adivasis and their ecology. The
Government's "ecotourism" idea was only aimed at increasing
the revenues. It was aware that no attempt had been to calculate
the environmental costs. (Later, in the case that followed, the
courts struck down the lease agreement of the Taj group of hotels
with the Government of Karnataka. Further, the Divisional
Bench asked the Taj group to get the clearance from the Ministry
of Environment and Forests, Government of India.)
In the present scenario, business houses are deciding projects
and "development" of forests, people and their resources.
Local people whose lives are really bound with their land and
habitat are never consulted. Management of resources of the
forests are best known to people living there. Activities in such
areas without understanding the habitat creates imbalances in
the ecological system and disrupts the relationship of
reciprocity that exists between the people and their ecology.
"A unique aspect of biosphere reserves is the conservation,
where practicable, of traditional land use systems,
illustrating harmonious relationships between indigenous
populations and the environment. These systems often
reflect centuries of human experience and can provide
immense value in improving the productivity and
sustainabiliy of modern land use and management practices.
Action Plan for Biosphere Reserves
(Nature and Resources, Vol.XX No.4, Oct-Dec. 1984)
lnter alia, several regulations were passed in the judiciary and
the parliament that boosted the struggle against intrusion of
external forces into forest areas. These are:
o The Supreme Court's judgment that there should not be any
non-forest activities in forest areas. (This includes activities
like hotels/ tourism and other commercial activities')
r The Bill on tribal self-rule was signed by the President of
India on 24 December 1996 as an approval for the
implementation of the Bhuria Committee Report
emphasizing tribal self-rule and declaring tribal areas as
scheduled areas.
I The High Court of Karnataka has given a historic verdict in
the legal battle between the Adivasis and the Taj Resort. The
Government of Karnataka's action was deemed illegal and
violative of the Forest Conservation Act,1980 and Wildlife
(Protection) Act, 1982. This verdict gains prominence in
light of the Governrnent's plan to bring about "ecotourism"
in the forest area in the guise of ecodevelopment and
conservation.
According to the judgment of the Divisional Bench of the High
Court of Karnataka, the appeal is partly allowed and the
appellants have been allowed by the Court to proceed with the
Forest Conservation Clearance from the Ministry of
Environment and Forests under the Forest Conservation
Act,1980. If the appellants receive the Clearance from the
Ministry of Environment and Forests, a High Power Committee
has to be setup in Karnataka State with representatives from
police agencies and tribals/petitioners to monitor the activities.
Further, till the time of obtaining the clearance from the
Ministrp thereshall be no renovation or modifications at the
project site. The petitioners (Nagarahole Budakattu Hakku
Sthapana Samithi) were to be awarded Rs.5,000 by the
appellants (Taj Group of Hotels).
At present, the Supreme Court has permitted the Taj grouP to
waterproof the building.
COASTAL TOURISM
Karnataka has a coastal stretch of 325 kms which has become
focal point for tourism development .
Malpe
Malpe, a coastal town on the Western Coast in Karnataka, is
about 60 kms from Mangalore city. It has a fishing harbour and
the St.Mary's Islands lie off the coast of Malpe. In the late
1970s, the KSTDC began construction of a resort right in front
of'Fishery Road' - the only road that goes to the harbour. The
KSTDC abandoned the construction of the resort when it fell
short of funds and decided to sell the project to private
entrepreneurs. Recently, an NRI bought the project. As a
package deal, a part of the St.Mary's Island was sold to him.
The resort owner has so planned the construction of the resort
that the way to the 'Fishery Road' is blocked. So access to the
harbour is impossible. This naturally affects the fishing
community severely since the road was the only way they
could go to the harbour. The fishing community has been
unanimous in its opposition to the resort and its union has
expressed its opposition to the resort project.
Gokarna
Gokarna is a small pilgrimage centre near Karwar on the
Western Coast in Karnataka's Uttar Kannada district. Known
as the 'Kashi of South India', Gokarna is famed as a centre for
Sanskrit learning. The place has some beautiful, unspoiled
stretches of the Western coast and includes the Om beach and
the Kudle beach. Unfortunately, these have become the
favourite haunts of hippies ever since they were driven out of
Goa. The people of Goa had protested vehemently against the
culture of nudism and drugs that the hippies had brought with
them. Gokarna's pristine beaches provided a perfect altemative
to the hippies who shifted to the Om and Kudle beaches here.
The locals make money selling articles to the hippies. Costs of
essential commodities have gone up. While the hippies can
afford it, the locals are finding it hard. However, the people of
Gokarna do not seem to understand the long-term
inflow. Uptil now, there have been
consequences of the tourist
no five-star hotels in Gokarna but plans are afoot in the
Department of Tourism to construct such hotels in the area
soon. These developments are bound to have a lasting effect on
the people of Agumbe and their habitat. There is a need to
understand the pros and cons of tourism in this sensitive area.
a (This article is written by M,G.Ramesh, Programme Co-orilinator,
EQUATIONS.)
I

OA ?rlcorc eo ?Ceq, &a#ee
f7.r.ir* Minister E.
' f Ch"ndrasekharan Nair spelled
I out the ruling Left Democratic
Front Ministry's policy outlook on
tourism in Keralam. He stated that E !q\
tourism promotion in the state would I
have to contribute to the state's E
development and help in employment B
generation. New areas with tourism
potential like backwater tourism,
health tourism and eco-tourism would
be promoted. The minister said that
taking into consiileration the state's special
features and limitations, the approach
would be to set up small scale tourism
projects and not projects that required
big investments. According to the
minister, it was not correct to think that
all hotels must be five-star, as many
seem to think.
The following are the minister's doctrines and plans:
The basic problem in the tourism sector is lack of infrastructure
and investments in the state. The state requires around Rs'800
to 1000 crore in the next five years. The state cannot invest such
large amounts of money. The only possibility is to
'scientifically' involve the private sector to make this possible.
The state is backward in the hotel industry. More five-star
hotels are required and there are many foreign agencies willing
to invest. There is also a need for more three- anil two-star
hotels.
r The Bekal project in Kerala requires around 800 acres of land
(very small indeed!). The Government's approach is to
' acquire the land, develop basic infrastructure and attract
investors including foreigners.
o Another project planned is the Veli-Akkulam (itt
Thiruvananthapuram) region. This'small' project requires
only 300 acres of land. A master plan for this is being
prepared.
Some of the other immediate plans are:
o Mascot Hotel: to be converted into a five-star deluxe hotel
that requires Rs.7.5 crore
o Hotel Samudra, Kovalam: Second phase with 12 rooms, 10
cottages and 2 suites.
o Munnar Hill Resort: A hotel with 38 rooms and an
investment of 5.82 crore (around $ 1.6m), and 8 acres of
revenue land have already been identified for this.
o Kumarakom Industrial Village: 'Kettu vallom' (country
house-boats) accommodation facilities and water-sports are
planned with an investment of Rs.S crores ($1.4m).
o Kaladi Cultural Complex: the Sanskrit University has given
one acre of land. Rs.40 lakh has been allotted.
o Besides this, Rs.520 lakh on various projects have been
submitted to the Central Government for. assistance.
(This is an excerpt from the special issue on 'Kerala Vikasanam'
(Deaelopment in Kerala) by the ruling front leading partner CPI(M)-
owned D eshabhimani p ublication s )
I
Budget L997-98
The Keralam Budget for the year 1997-98 has a deficit of
7242.31 crores. According to the Keralam State Finance
Rs.
Minister T. Sivadasa Menon, the state requires Rs.47,000 crores
in the next five years to reach the national growth level. The
budget does not address the 32 lakh unemployed (official
statistics) of the state. The budget has totally disregarded
investments in areas of employment generation. The
government makes vociferous claims of protecting and reviving
public sector units (PSUs) but has set aside a paltry sum of Rs.
50 crore for the task.
Tourism In The Budget
The budget has set aside Rs.35 crores for the tourism sector in
the state. Out of which, Rs. 10 crore are exclusively for the
Bekal Tourism Project. Tourism Resorts Kerala Ltd, in
association with the private sector is to take up projects at Veli,
Akkulam, Munnar and Kumarakom. The Mascot Hotel at
Thiruvananthapuram and the Bolgatti Palace at Ernakulam are
to be further developed. Tax on tourist vehicles from other
states will be reduced and short time permits issued. Tax on
AC rooms with a rent of above Rs. 500 are to be increased from
10% to l5%.
Three Nation Tourism On The Anvil
The government, if we are to believe the Kerala Tourism
Minister E Chandrasekharan Nair, already had a.round of talk
with the governments of Sri Lanka and Maldives. A'great
leap' (with apologies to Mao Tse Dong) in tourism is being
planned. Central and state tourism representatives met at
Maldives to discuss this proposal.
Bekal - Protest Mounting Against The Proiect
As the tourism authorities are going ahead with the project,
protests and objections from hitherto unknown quarters are
mounting. People are getting more and more aware of the
unavoidable future impact of the project. Small people's
organisations have emerged in 'panchayats' (village councils) of
Ajanoor, Chemnad, Uduma and Pallikkara that come under the
Bekal tourism project. Organisations like Chembarikka
Samskarika Vedi, Bekal Samrakshana Karma Samiti, Uduma
Samskarika Vedi, ]illa Prathikaranna Vedi etc. are a few among
the regional organisations that have come out with strong
protests against the undemocratic and authoritarian attitude of
the tourism authorities. These new regional movements are
apart from the Bakel Samrashana Samithi (Bakel Protection
Committee) that has filed the case against the project in the
Kerala High Court. Religious organisations like Muslim I amaith
(prayers) committees have also come out openly against the
project. Local meetings take place almost every day.
Another development is involvement of the political parties in
the debate whose stand till now has been ambiguous. There is a
contradiction between the party leadership, on the one hand, and
the local members and sympathisers on the other Since the local
members have started voicing their objections to the tourism
project, the leadership has been compelled to take a stand.
In a recent development, all these groups protested against the
District Collector who has conducted a meeting to which only
political parties that supported the tourism project were invited.

In another incident, people stormed the venue of the meeting
organised by the tourism development authorities. luma
committees have warned the authorities that the move to build a
Tourism Facility Centre between the Bakel Fort and the fuma
mosque will not be allowed. There are already allegations about
the land prices allotted for lands in different regions. The lilla
Prathikarana Vedi has come out with a booklet - questionnaire
that discusses the claims of the tourism authorities.
Reports aiso point to the unwanted effects of tourism. Two
foreign tourists were forcefully packed off by local people for
having walked along the beach semi-nude. Local people also
complain that foreign tourists have already brought sex tourism
into the region. In a meeting held by the Chenbarikka
Samskarika Vedi, the activists alleged that 4kg of 'ganja'
(cannabis) had been seized from a youth who was handed over
to the police, but no case had been registered against him.
"Do Not Allow Bekal Tourism Proiecf', Says Prof. M.K Prasad.
Bekal Tourism Seminar conducted by Kerala Sasthra Sahithya
Parishad (KSSP)I at Bekal, Prof. M.K.Prasad, renowned
environmentalist and ex-president of KSSP spoke out strongly
against the Bekal project. He said, "Do not allow the Bekal
Tourism Project (to come up)", adding that the project report had
been prepared. without proper social or economical studies.
Neither had there been an environmental impact assessment . A
mega tourism project like this would destroy the traditional
culhrre of the area. He asserted that the "five star tourism"
being planned was intended solely to attract foreign tourists. It
was not suitable for a place like Bekal. The Bekal Tourism
Development Authority (BTDC) was formed without consulting
the elected local administrative 'panclnyats' (village council).
Professor Prasad was of the strong opinion that the BRDC
should be dissolved and total rights should be given to
'panchayats'to undertake developmental projects for the region.
KSSP is generally considered as a pro-left movement though on
issuesit maintains its own identity. A good number of KSSP
activists are also members of Left parties. According to local
newspaper reports, the KSSP stand is creating problems within
the ruling Left Front cadres. It has also become evident that there
is no clear stand within the ruling ftont leadership on the issue of
the Bekal project. In a recent press meet at Kasaragode - the
districtwithin which Bekal is located - the ruling left Democratic
Front Convenor stated that the front does not have a clear stand
on, or understanding of, the Bekal tourism project. At the same
time in contrast to this statement, the chief minister has
approached the Chairman of the Central Planning Board, Prof.
Madhu Dandavate for financial assistance to speed up the Bekal
Project. Meanwhile, at Bekal, the people have started voicing
their protest against the BRDC for making public announcement
of the developmental projects of the 'panchayats' without
consulting or even informing the'panchayat' governing bodies.
Taj Group Of Hotels In Legal Tussles
In Karnataka, the adioasis (tribal communities) have
provisionally won the legal battle against the Taj group of
70
hotels for the time being, when a star resort complex was being
set up in the National Park at Nagarahole forests. In Keralam,
the same group had yet another setback when the Kozhikode
sub-judge allowed a stay order in favour of the people. The
hotel group had built a star hotel complex in a residential area.
An AC plant and a generator diesel tank were set up within a
mere three meters of the houses. The plants will have a 325 HP
diesel generator and a diesel tank of 35,000 litre capacity. The
AC plant was to work round the clock. Repeated requests
from the neighboring houses fell on deaf ears. Neither did the
corporation authorities pay any attention to the requests of the
people. It was then that house owners came together, sought
legal support and filed a writ petition against the hotel. They
pleaded that once the AC plant and generator started
functioning, they would be badly affected. The vibrations of a
plant of such large dimensions, in operation, would also create
environmental problems. Storing 35,000 litres of diesel so close
to residential quarters was indeed hazardous in the extreme.
The court accepted their plea and stayed the installation of
both the plants. (Ironically, it was in this incomplete hotel
complex that Prime Minister Deva Gowda stayed while he
visited Kozhikode recently. The court proceedings were on at
that time and the media had reported this even prior to the
visit. The hotel authorities had overnight prepared a special
suite for the PM even though arrangements had already been
made for his stay at the corporation guest house that is located
just opposite to the hotel).
CRZ norms - violated all over the state.
The opposition of state governments to the CRZ notification is
well known. The state governments views the CRZ regulation as
a hindrance to the development of their states. Consequently,
the states turn a blind eye towards all violations on the coast. ln
fact, the main culprit, here, is the government itself.
Open Air Stage at Kozhikode.
Orders had been issued by the High Court to serve urgent notice
to the district collector, city corporation secretary, Director
Science and Technology, Director of ports and fisheries and the
state chief secretary on the controversial open air stage and its
annexure building on Kozhikode beach by the city corporation.
The overenthusiastic district collector had built an open-air
stage on the seaward side of the coastal road in the No
DevelopmentZone (NDZ). Wide media coverage and people's
protests against the construction were ignored. The collector
and the corporation authorities claimed that he had obtained
permission from the concerned authorities for the
construction. They also claimed that it was only a temporary
construction. But once work was completed it turned out to be
a permanent concrete structure with a green room, rest room
and toilet facilities. Earlier, port authorities had warned the
corporation authorities against this construction,
Legal procedures were begun by two residents of Kozhikode
through a public interest litigation. The petitioners argued that
the state was yet to prepare a master plan for CRZ
implementation and seek the Central government's approval.
Any construction prior to this is a violation.
Goshree Project
The Goshree Project is related to the construction of bridges
from the Vypeen islands to mainland Ernakulam' Vypeen
consists of a cluster of islands in the Vembanad lake in Kerala.
It is a part of the backwaters of Keralam - a part of the Kerala
waterscape that is slowly disappearing. For the past four
decades, the people of the islands had been demanding bridges
from the islands to the mainland, Ernakulam. The government
decided to build a series of bridges inter-connecting the islands
and also the mainland. Accordingly, the Goshree Island
Development Authority (GIDA) was formed ' But the GIDA
soon became notorious when its methods of generating funds
for the building of the bridges came to light. The GIDA's
modus operandi was to reclaim land from the Vembanad lake by
levelling a part of the lake and selling it at exorbitant rates to
hoteliers and business enterprises.
GIDA planned to reclaim 950 acres of land from the lake and
sell the same to the tune of Rs.1.50 lakh per cent ($4286)! "The
GIDA tried to dupe people, endanger the Cochin port and
sabotage Kerala's culture to PerPetrate the biggest scam
through a "levelling Khumbakonam" (scam) proving that scams
are not the exclusive indulgence of the North" says |ustice
V.R.Krishna lyer. "Every purchase of land in the vicinity of the
proposed bridges, to build five star hotels and promote sex
tourism, should be inquired into.", demanded Krishna lyer.
Only 30% of backwater areas in Keralam remains unlevelled
today according to environmentalist, U.K.Gopalan.
Coastal highway at Kallai
High on the state government's agenda is the Coastal
Expressway from Kasaragode, the northernmost tip in Kerala,
to Kanyakumari in the west. This single road could change the
entire coastal zoning of the state as stipulated by the CRZ
Notification. The highr,r'ay would naturally bring in its wake,
urbanization. This would require a reclassification of zones in
the affected areas. Rural areas that are now classified within
the CRZ III category would have to be shifted into CRZ II
which consists of urban developed areas. The pitfall of such a
change in zoning is that the community along these regions
would lose their customary and settlement rights that are
protected by the notification.
A sample of what is in store is the events taking place at Kallai
in Kozhikode district. Here, the governments had begun land
acquisition procedures on a 3-km stretch of coastal land.
Around 384 houses and 4000 people who live in this stretch and
eam their livelihood from the sea and coast related jobs are about
to be displaced. This road itself would be within the No
DevelopmentZone (NDZ) that is, it is within 25 to 50 mts of the
water line and at places, within the hightide line. Aroad bridge
is also under construction even though land for the road is yet to
be acquired.
The government is playing a very cunning game here. It has not
announced that this is part of the coastal highway. The Coastal
Zone Management plan prepared last year does not even
mention this highway.
The national highway department and port authorities are also
in the dark about the particulars of this road. But the Calicut
Development Authority officials confirm . that acquisition
notices served pertain to the proposed coastal highway. The
reason for keeping the plan in dark is to avoid the wrath of
people if the land requirements and related acquisition notices
are served in one lot to the entire state.
11
Sabarimala - the forested temple-town known for austerity
turns into luxury pilgrimage centre.
" Stones and thorns are a carpet for the feet" used to be the refrain
of pilgrims who visit the Sabarimala shrine in Kerala barefoot.
The pilgrimage is known for its austere nature and the
demands that it makes upon devotees who undertake to visit
the shrine. The route consists of an arduous walk through
dense forest inhabited by wild animals. But the scenario in this
sacred spot might soon be changing. The government sees a
money spinner in the pilgrim centre. The large number of
pilgrims had prompted the govgrnment to construct
highways and railway lines to the pilgrimage centre. Both
would be constructed through reserved forests and the
'peripheral area' of the Periyar tiger reserve. The second phase
of the Sabarimala highway.was inaugurated by the PWD
minister. This phase consists of a 4km long road that is 9mt in
width 51/2 mt would have a tarred surface.
The whole area already has an ugly look with a number of
concrete constructions. With the commencement of the highway,
the government is waiting anxiously for the tourists to come
pouring in.
The 10 million odd pilgrims visiting this centre every year
already is a threat to environment, forest and rivers in the
region. Solid waste lies scattered all over the forest. Arecent
study conducted by the forest department says that a large
number of pilgrims also visit the tiger reserve. Yet, there has
been no move from either the forest department or the
government to restrict the number of pilgrims into this reserve.
Meanwhile, Sabarimala means big business not only to the
government and private hoteliers but also to the'devaswom'
board (the temple governing body) and the government
officials. The president of Tiruvathamcore Devaswom
Employees Union in a press conference stated that half of the
total income is being swindled by the board and government
officials. Gold, watches and other valuables offered by the
pilgrims goes unaccounted.
Need For National Environmental Commission
In a recent visit to the state, environmental advocate
M.C.Mehta opined that the time is ripe to set up a National
Environmental Commission. The commission should be
'totally autonomous' on par with that of the Election
Commission. The Supreme Court had asked to constitute
Environmental Courts back in 1986. This should be made
possible atleast at the regional level, Mehta said. Pollution
Control Boards are now being controlled by the bureaucrats.
Sri Mehta was speaking at a press conference at Kochi. The
Goshree Project at Kochi, leveling the backwaters and building
five star hotels is not to help the poor. Development projects
should address the needs of the poor, Advocate Mehta said.
(Keralam Diary is written by lIari Babu of EQUATIONS. lt is
based on media reports.)
.
'KSSP is a popular-science mooement in Keralam. The moaement
spearheaded the mass literacy campaign and.has been awarded
prestigious international aanrds like the lnternational Literacy Prize
of UNESCO and the Right Liuelihooil award often called the
AIt ernstia e N ob el P rize.
 CRIME ON THE BEACH
(The Nofth Goa tourism belt is crime-ridden. Theft, extortion
anil rape are .common on the beaches of Goa. This has been a
coflsequence of the ineffectioeness of the police anil the saturation
of Goa's decade-old charter tourism, torites Frederick Noronha)
,o(Q
r:
"No girls should feel safe! Stick to the main roads, avoid dirt
tracks, and when in your house, make sure that all windows
and doors are locked. (The police) have no idea of the amount
of rapes (of foreign tourists) in Goa... take care! Spread the
word." This is from a pamphlet titled "Rape Alert",
-
displayed by Western tourists at Goa beachside restaurants.
If you're one of the 30,000 odd foreign tourists visiting Goa at
this time of the year, you might run into this notice pinned on
the thatched walls of the "Goodluck" beach-shack restaurant on
the sands of Baga beach.
Last fortnight, the Goa police took the problem of rising beach-
crime seriously, as never before. But this came after two young
Swedish women were gangraped by seven to eight men at
Anjuna, the Mecca of backpack and hippy tourists in South
Asia. They were returning home after a late-night beach-party.
Their bike was stopped by assailants armed with sticks and
knives. A male companion was forced at knife-point to witness
the gang-rape. All were robbed of money and possession.
But this case, which sent the local police into a tizzy, is only the
shocking tip of a long-ignored iceberg. Crime is turning into
the new growth-industry along parts of the North Goa beach
belt. It is coming in alongside prosperity brought in by the
booming tourism sector there over the past decade.
Everyone seems to think the Western tourist's affluence is out
for grabs. Literally. Constable Digambar Naik was weeks ago
suspended over the theft of 500 pound sterling from the
baggage of two Britons at Goa's airport. Last month, Panaji
police nabbed two Gujaratis for stealing the belongings of
foreigners travelling to Goa by bus.
Many crimes go unreported. But recorded crimes indicate the
range: An Andhra-Goa gang busted while looting foreign
72
ilAR4l!
tourists in the Calangute-Anjuna belt last April. A Briton was
nabbed trying to collect Rs 3.5 million worth of cocaine posted
from Colombia. Extortion cases by criminals and, if one believes
the tourists, even by men in uniform.
Some support for this view comes from strange quarters: the
local leader of Bal Thackeray's Shiv Sena. Local Sena village
leader Camilo D'Souza, some time back, wrote to chief minister
Pratapsing Rane warning him about theft, housebreaking and
extortion taking root in the capital of hippy-Goa. "Unidentified
persons posing as policemen have been collecting huge
amounts from tourists as 'baksheesh'," D'Sotza added.
Goa Inspector-General of Police PRS Brar points to the speedy
police action on arresting suspects in the Swede gangrape case.
He dismisses the view other crime often directed against
foreign tourists is growing fast. "If you wear a diamond ring
and leave it on the dressing table, which police can stop it from
being stolen," asks Brar.
But real life can be more bizarre. One year back, a group of local
boys, allegedly playing nude on the Sinquerim beach, tried to
molest a foreigner while she was fishing. Local youngsters have
gone on rampages against Kashmiri vendors, resettled in the
area, using any pretext to grab their goods, this correspondent
was told by reliable quarters.
Statistics recently blew the lid to indicate that something was
going drastically wrong. Figures revealed that in the 7995-96
tourist season, over two dozen foreign tourists had died in Goa,
in a spell of under six months. Nearly 13 had died of overdoses
of narcotics or liquor.
"Leave aside the tourists, even fisherfolk in Calangute, who
once slept soundly on the shore, are afraid of moving about in
their own land," says village parish priest Fr. ]ose Dias. "This is
frustration. There's no money any longer in tourism (in Goa,
compared to the past few years)", reasons fude Miranda, whose
family runsa pay-phone booth and stores at Baga, frequented
by foreign tourists. Clearly, the downswing some see
overtaking Goa's decade-old charter tourism sector is breeding
desperation. Besides, too many businesses have opened up,
bringing in more to fight over the Pie.
In one case, for instance, tourist-taxi operators beat up a
Kashmiri vendor because they felt he was undercutting them.
Some bus tour-operators have recently complained that their
passengers are being coerced into eating at certain restaurants.
In the Calangute police station, this correspondent met an
European woman tourist complaining that the lodge owner was
compelling her to stay on longer than she wished, threatening
to hold back her possessions otherwise.
There are other hints to show that it's no longer just business as
usual: On January 7, a 33-year-old Briton was raped at Anjuna
by two unidentified persons, including her taxi driver. The
rapists stole her purse too. Each of the half-dozen North Goa
coastal villages which attract the bulk of the foreign visitors are
distinct. Sinquerim, dominated by up-market tourists, doesn't
often report such crime. Tight security ensures that even
journalists entering a luxury hotel on a two-wheeler might be
halted to face questions.
At the other end - both geographically and otherwise - is
Anjuna-Vagator. Here, the three-decades old hippy-tourist
monopoly is slowly but surely giving way to a commercialised
circuit, throwing up a potent mix. Big business and the state
government want to replace the low-budget tourists around
with big-spenders. But villagers say they gain most from those
who depend on the simple life of their rustic economy.
Baga and Calangute, former fishing villages sandwiched in the
midst of this belt, face crime directed against tourists and
related problems. Calangute villagers complain of local
protection rackets, links between politicians and dubious
organisations whose activities verge on the semi-legal, and
land-grabs by builders in an area where tourism has sparked an
uncontrolled building boom.
Some argue though that the crime along the beach belt is not all
that new. Police officials dismissively say some foreign tourists
report thefts of belongings to claim insurance back home. But
Goa Speaker Tomazinho Cardozo calls for firm governmental
action "otherwise the tourists will feel insecure". He recalls
how in his coastal constituency at Ximer-Candolim, some
young boys raped a tourist, some years ago,.but they were not
brought to book. IG-P Brar retorts that it's hard to follow up
such crime too. For instance, one Danish girl was raped. Police
offered to pay for her passage stay in Goa, but she opted not to
get involved in hdia's time-consuming legal system. He warns
the same could happen in the latest Swedish case.
But Rosy Fernandes, who rents accommodation to foreign
tourists, has another story to tell. Two Frenchmen there were
robbed twice. In one case, the elderly womenfolk were too
afraid to intervene. Another time, the tourists woke up in the
morning to find a part of their roof missing, along with
cameras, radios and even their shoes.
"Foreign tourists have been harassed a lot. Both by thieves and
by the police," says another Anjuna villager, seeking anonymity
73
Gospal
for obvious reasons. Local medical practitioner Dr.Jawaharlal
Henriques concurs: "In other areas, the Police presence is
reassuring. In Anjuna, it seems to be just the opposite."
"I want to spend my holiday in peace, not going to courts,"
says Danish TV-2 journalist Frants Pandal, explaining why few
complaints are made to the police. He says the police are not
widely trusted, and foreign tourists believe some have resorted
to "planting" of narcotics to extort sums of $500. Pandal's
friend, Danish musician Frank E. got almost killed. He woke
up a week back to find six to seven persons holding a knife to
his throat at Badem-Anjuna. Just then, some of his friends
turned up, making the robbers flee, says Pandal, a Goa regular
since 1959 who is having second thoughts on coming back.
Goa's Tourist Police are ill-equipped. "They are only there to
shoo away the hawkers," complains Roland Martins. His
citizens' group, the JGB critical of Goa's tourism policy for a
decade, sees "strong hints" of political patronage to the crime.
Ms. Zuma Suzama of Croatia and and Steinhaus Ralf of
Frankfurt says tourists "talk a lot" about crime on the beach.
But other foreign tourists don't think much of the problem.
"Most people we met are satisfied. They are here because they
like Goa," said a woman, declining to mention her name, who
is part of a former Christian Ashram that now runs a library for
tourists in Anjuna.
Teddy Nunes feels otherwise. "The growing crime is a recent
trend. It will definitely affect tourism," says this educationist
whose family runs a mini-supermarket at the lively former
hippy-haunt of Anjuna. Behind him are posters seeking
information about a missing Swiss tourist, and announcing the
departure of an overland bus leaving Goa for Europe.
]ohn Lobo, who runs a popular "shack", concurs. He feels that
Goa's image as a licentious place has been so widely
propagated that foreign women tourists walking alone face a
serious threat of being molested. "Many cases go unreported,"
says he.
Add Shiv Sena's Camilo D'Souza: "People come here for
sunbathing. They don't come to give you (some perverse
pleasure). If you want that, go to Baina (the sleazy and distant
redJight quarter of Goa.)
But one beach-belt constable commented: "They're (leading
licentious lives) all the time... then some complain of rape.
Police who effected the arrests. won't even get monetary
rewards, but just a favourable comment in their service
records." It is anyone's guess, whether such attitudes will take
crime-solvers far.
(Frederick Noronha is a Goa-based freelance journalist who writes
about tourism.)
 A Report on
Tourism in Himachal Pradesh
('Sadprayas'which means "an attempt to search out the truth" is
a mooement in Himachal Pradesh that questions the consequences
of tourism in the state. The following is a report of a workshop
helil by Sadprayas on tourism in Kulu, Himachal Pradesh, in
lanuary,'1997, sent to EQUATIONS by LaI Chand Dhissa.)
n our country, corruption, unbalanced development,
exploitation, cheating, nepotism, redtapism and state
terrorism have given birth to communal hatred, casteist and
regional separatism and disillusionment. " Sad-prayas", which
means, 'an attempt to search out the truth', is a movement in
Himachal Pradesh and will go on for a long time into the
future. Our work is to look for the truth, find it and bring this
truth to our fellow beings. Because, today, those whom we had
elected as representatives, whom we had trusted and from
whom we had so much of expectations, have themselves
become the object of our questions.
ln these three days, other than the youth and the veteran
freedom fighters, historian Chandrashekhar Bebas, Dr.Kumar,
Dr.Ram, Dr.Badaula (G.B.Pant Environment and DeveloPment
Institute, Shamshi), Chandrasen Thakur, Prof .V.K.Ahluwalia,
Dr. Y.C Faykay, Sadhavi Maanasi Chaitanya ji, Ravindra
Kaushal, Mr.Nirat Ram Verma, Harinarayan Malhotra and
others participated. In these three days, tourism and many
other related questions were discussed and on the final day,
Shri. Rai, State Health Minister, Himachal Pradesh, presided
over the concluding of the workshop. In these three days, a
programme and policy were determined and the following
main issues emerged.
Speaking on tourism and health, Dr.Faykay described how in
Thailand, Laos and other nations, tourisrn had spread AIDS
and other diseases. Besides this, pollution related diseases and
the spread of tuberculosis were discussed. The participants also
raised many questions.
Shri Lal Chand Dhissa spoke on how tourism was related to
drugs and narcotic substances. He described how with the
growth of tourism and especially the coming of foreign tourists,
particularly in Himachal Pradesh and in Kulu, drugs like smack
had come into circulation. With the help and guidance of the
foreigners, local people had begun growing cannabis,
marijuana and opium and had started to trade illegally in these.
Many questions were asked. A good discussion followed.
Prof. Ahluwalia spoke impressively on the impact of tourism
on youth and students. In explaining the impact of tourism on
the youth and students, he gave an example of ]apan. He spoke
of prostitution and flesh trade and warned India, especially the
backward regions of India like Kulu. He said the development
of tourism would only lead to social evils and not many
benefits wouldfollow. Questions were raised and answers
were found.
Dr. Kuniyal (of the G.B.Pant Himalayan Environment and
74
Development Institute), theoretically and practically, explained
the impact of tourism on environment, water, forests and land.
With particular respect to Kulu, he said that a number of environ-
mental problems had cropped up in Kulu because of tourism.
He also said that there had been an increase in the income of
people as a result of tourism but was not able to say which
section of the people had actually gained from tourism in Kulu.
Shri Chandrasen Thakur did justice to his topic - the relation-
ship between tourism and the host region and community. He
defined "Sadprayas" and showed the difference between the
Eastern and Western definitions of tourism. He described the
impact of tourism on host region and community in a poetic
fashion. With examples, he proved that current tourisrn
development has done nothing other than exploiting people.
He exhorted the youth of Kulu to fight the adverse impact of
tourism and not to shy away from such problems.
Prof. Rabindra Kaushal, while speaking on the subject
"Tourism-Boon or Bane?", made a distinction between two
different viewpoints, the Eastern and the Western. He said it
was not only tourism but other models of development also
which had harmed the local people. He said there was need to
beware of this kind of exploitation. Questions were raised and
Kaushalji successfully answered them.
Sadhvi Maanasi Chaitanyaji of Ekaantaashram, Kulu, described
in detail the impact of tourism on professionals. She called
today's TV 'dangerous'. She spoke of mental and physical
pollution, Questions were raised and discussions followed.
The three-day workshop made it clear that the present model of
tourism is not acceptable. This consumerist, five-star tourism
had not led to any kind of development. On the contrary, it had
led to the growth of a wrong kind of culture, deforestation, the
raising of concrete jungles, drinking water scarcity, and to a
shortage of electricity, wood and fuel. Commodities in local
markets had begun to cost more.
Tourism had brought with it unwanted developments like
prostitution, gambling and exploitation of locals especially of
women. The three-day discussion also made it clear that the
development of tourism had only exploited the local people. In
fact, more than 90% of the people who have benefited
economically from tourism belong to places outside Kulu.
Whether it is the hotel industry, employment, taxi or tour
operation, local people have a very low level of participation.
In these three days, some important decisions were taken which
were as follows:
Of all the known paths to development, tourism is one of the
most dangerous and insidious ways. Therefore, it was decided
that:
(l) AII actiaities related to tourism including formulation,
implementation and eaaluation of programmes must be done
after consulting and with the participation of the local people.
(2) Alienation of property \and) must take place with the assent of
local people. Such sale deeils must cleafly lay down b) the
reasons for sale of the land and (b) the reasons for purchase of the
Iand.
(3) Atleast 25% of the reoenues obtained from the tourism inilustry
must be allotted to the host region and its people.
(4) lJnplanned anil unorganised tourism hsd led to seaeral adoerse
consequences in the social, cultural, economic, moral, mental
and enaironmental fields. Of these, the most important are, the
production of drugs and narcotic substances, trade anil
consumerism, pollution(mental, moral and geogtaphical), AIDS,
distortion of culture, prostitution, gambling and other forms of
exploitation.
(5) Tourism deoelopment may Pose a threat to the seatity of the
nation.
(6) Tourism deaelopment has reiuaenated a culture
neocolonialism. Therefore, h) a national tourism policy is needed
and (b) tourism should be planned and regulated.
This three-day workshop also revealed the attitude of the
ministers and officials towards the masses' It was marked by a
sense of detachment between the two' The ministers and
officials were arrogant and rude to the people'
The
administration and the tourism department of Kulu has not
kept its promises. It has not honoured its commitments.
It is always the case that those who seek to find and establish
the truth do not get encouragement or co-operation from
others. This is what happened with Sadprayas too.
workshop was to have taken place in September 1996 but due
Agumbe - The Rain will stop soon
(The proposed construction of a resort in Agumbe accompanied by the
paraphernalia of mass tourism is threatening theflora andfauna of this
aerilant town in Karnatakn's Western Ghats, writes M.G.Ramesh.)
I gumbe is a small town, with a population of about a
-f1. thousand people, nestling in the rain-forests of the
picturesque Western Ghats which consist of a chain of hills
running parallel to the coast in Karnataka in South India.
Agumbe is called 'the Cherrapunjee of the South'because of the
heavy and continuous rainfall that the place receives
throughout the year. The rainfall in Agumbe is around 8,000
mm per annum. The forests around this town are home to
tigers, wild boars, stags, barking deer and Saurs' Some of these
animals are endangered species. The birds found here include
the peacock, hornbills and rocket-tailed drongoes. Agumbe
happens to be the 'last resort' of the endangered Lion Tailed
Macaque in Karnataka. The forests have some rare vegetation
and include trees of ebony, 'dhooma' and 'balige'. Some rare
species of orchids are also found here.
The Department of Tourism of the Government of India has
identified Agumbe as one of the 'Thrust Areas for Special
Tourism Development' under the Tourism Policy of Karnataka.
to a number of reasons, it materialised only on 10 |anuary, 1.997.
The Department of Sports and Youth Affairs has helped only
marginally in the holding of this workshop.
We received full support from the people in the workshop. We
tried to contact many others in the Government. Some who said
they would attend the workshop, finally did not come at all. In
case of others, we were told that the concerned person was not
available. Sometimes, the staff did not allow us to even speak
to the person. Despite the District administration, Kulu being
informed much in advance about the workshop, no help, co-
operation or support was extended throughout the duration of
the workshop. We had never imagined such indifference from
the administration of a small place like Kulu. When we went to
Dhalpur, the work-place of the Kulu Tourism Department, we
came to know that the District Tourism Development Officer
(DTDO) was on leave. In Manali, instead of the person in
charge, someone else spoke to us, who said that all the relevant
papers and files should be sent to Manali. These papers were
0f sent by Sadprayas to Manali and were received there. On the
12th of January,1997, the Tourism Department was to speak on
tourism and government policy, plans and facilities but no one
came. This is one example of the way the Tourism Department
goes back on its words, and tries to shirk from its
responsibilities.
Of the government machinery, the maximum support, help,
encouragement and co-operation came from the G'B.Pant
Himalayan Environmental and Development Institute,
Shamshi. We appreciate their concern for people.
(This is the report of a workshop on tourism in Himachal Pradesh
This organised by 'Sadprayasl It was translated from Hindi into
English by Renuka Phadnis.)
!
A resort is already under construction within the forest area
near Agumbe and further'development' of the place will only
serve to ruin the flora and fauna of this town in the rainforests.
A couple of years back,2 acres of land in Agumbe close to the
forest area was bought by a businessman. The resort that this
businessman has proposed envisages independent cottages, a
bar, a restaurant, a board room, a conference room, a children's
park and a golf club. All these are to be squeezed into the 2-acre
area. Any expansion beyond this area will constitute an offence
since there is forest area on three sides of the project and
panchayat (village) land on the fourth side. A number of people
have opposed this project because it is bound to set off a chain
of ecological and social problems for the people of Agumbe.
Another group of people who set up the "Nesara
Trust"("Nesara" means nature), to grow orchids in Agumbe
have turned to real estate business and are now thinking of
constructing a resort in the area. People protested against the
building of the resort and it was at this juncture that the
Supreme Court verdict in the Nagarahole case was announced.
ContinuedonpageL7 )
L5

1 f igh-profite sex workers in the city have gone hi-tech to
T-f outwit police. Soliciting customers on the streets is
I L passd and pagers keep them posted about the
rende7vous even as overworked policemen scan parks, bus
stands and elsewhere in an effort to curb the menace.
The constables who raided a brothel in the city recently found
to their surprise that the women they arrested were carrying
little gadgets which were beeping messages.
Prostitution is going strong in Bangalore. The city is still a
major tourist destination and this gives scope for organised
gangs to thrive. According to the Assistant Commissioner of
Police and in-charge Deputy Commissioner (crime),
Mr.Y.S.Bhat, immoral trafficking in the city is a flourishing
business. During 1996, 430 cases were registered compared to
510 the previous year. Fifty per cent of them were members of
gangs whose contact operated from phone booths and hotels.
About 85 cases have been booked till this year.
In a bid to arrest the menace, says an official, a women's squ.ad
has also been formed. Its purpose is to nab sophisticated
callgirls who go around in pricey cars and vans. Some of them
are so modern that they have given uP Pagers after the
introduction of cellular phones in the city. Communications is
the key to business, they would say.
Child prostifution, according to police reports, is not unheard
of in the city. There are no official records to prove this though.
As a senior police official put it, brothel owners have made
their "wards" aware of the danger of revealing their real age.
Well-tutored girls still in their early teens would not even
blink while saving that they are "well above 18". Says the
police official, "'llhere is no proof of age. So we are left with no
alternative but to book them for trafficking". If they are booked
under child category they will be sent to remand homes and
will have to face problems yet again.
The parks in the city are the favourite haunts of chitd
prostitutes. This is giving notoriety to Ulsoor Lake Park,
Cubbon Park and a portion of Lalbagh. Operators pick up
students and send the children to their clients. Girls in school
uniforms are found taking a stroll with men, says an elderly
person who visits the park for a walk daily. Cases are difficult
to be filed as the girls who are nabbed insist that their
companions are either their guardians or friends. But, child
rapists have been brought to book.
L6
TVTN C+IILDI{TN ART NOI SPARTD
Some school girls belonging to affluent families join the trade
to make some pocket money or "just for fun". For those from
the poorer families, however, it is another way of
supplementing their family incomes.
A doctor who treats child prostitutes in a city slum inhabited
by a particular community confirms this. According to him in
most cases it was the children's mothers who were already in
the business who forced them into prostitution.
The proliferation of child prostitution has been attributed to
many factors. Men, it is claimed, prefer virgins to keep AIDS
at bay and this is said to have given a major boost to child
prostitution.
Some believe that they would be able to cure themselves of
sexually-transmitted diseases if they have sex with girls below
16, as a social worker put it.
Some time a9o, a Calcutta Metropolitan Court ordered age
verification of minors. Quoting a survey conducted by the
Central Social Welfare Board, an NGO official says in six big
cities in India, nearly 30 per cent of sex workers are below 20.
The reported growth of child prostitution, experts feel, is a
reflection of a world-wide phenomenon. It is true of many
Asian countries as well.
According to a United Nations report issued last year by the
Human Rights Investigator for Child Prostitution, one million
children are involved in the flesh trade in Asia working in
conditions indistinguishable from slavery.
It is not that there is a lack of remedial measures or policies.
The Prevention of Immoral Trafficking Act (PITA) for instance,
seeks to hold the brothel owner, who in most cases pushes
children into prostitution.
Some Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) are also
involved in the rescue and rehabilitation of girls below
forced into prostitution.
The NGOs have demanded strong legislative measures against
child molesters. Areas where child trafficking is thriving need
to be identified, they have said. According to them, more
voluntary organisations and NGOs should be involved in
counselling.
The NGOs have suggested that they be given the opportunity
to help the child prostitutes confined in remand homes. They
insist that the government has a big role to play in taking
measures against prostitution and initiate stePs to rehabilitate
sex workers.
Many nations have earned foreign exchange with the help of a
tourism industry which depends on exploitation of women and
children. The laws relating to child abuse are not enforced
strictly in these countries.
Besides, globalisation and liberalisation processes have given a
boost to child prostitution. Disintegration of families and
traditional and religious practices are also equally responsible
for the menace.
India is one country which is unable to enforce the laws
against prostitution. About five lakh children are involved in
the prostitution business in the country.
There are about a million girls involved in the trade in the
continent and many more in Latin America.
A document prepared by Equations, an NGO, says child
prostitution has turned the child into a commodity which can
be sold, purchased and hired.
a question of poverty but rather one of values -
It is no longer
and in particular, the values of consumerism. Can't these
children - orphaned, abandoned, exploited - be treated any
better?
"Eoen chililren are not spared." by K;Narasimhan in The
14/04/97.
P Continuedfrom page L5
The court had said that the Taj Group of hotels could not build
the jungle lodge within the Nagarahole National Park in
Karnataka at the cost of the livelihood of the tribals who had
been living there for generations. This was a boost to the
people of Agumbe. A writ petition was filed by an individual
challenging the construction of the resort in the Agumbe
forests. However, this case was dismissed on the ground that
the land on which the resort u/as to be constructed did not
constitute forest land. This was a big blow to the local people
in Agumbe.
At present, the Zilla Parishath Secretary has stalled the
construction of the resort. However, this could be revoked any
time. The people of Agumbe feel one resort could very well
lead the way to the construction of many more. In any case, a
KSTDC (Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation)
18,
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child,
1990, defines child prostitution as "sexual exploitation of a
child below the age of 18 for remuneration in cash or kind". It
includes the rights to protection, survival development and
participation. From this year, April 4 is being observed as the
"No Child Prostitution Day".
It was on April 3, a few years ago, that a paedophile, 7}-year-
old Freddy Peats, a foreign national, was arrested by the Goa
police. The Freddy Peats case gave indication that an intema-
tional sex crime syndicate is active in the country. Reports
say there are five lakh paedophiles world-wide.
Child prostitution is on the rise in India, Sri Lanka and other
countries. The UNICEF Progress of Nations Report of 1995
says there are around five lakh child prostitutes in India, amount-
ing to 25 per cent of the two million child prostitutes world-wide.
According to Equations, an NGO based in Bangalore, there
are two million prostitutes in India. A UNICEF report says
that system4tic trafficking from rural areas is the reason why
there are so many children in the flesh trade.
In Inclia, the loopholes in the law help child abusers get away.
A brothel owner can be sentenced to seven years in jail for
forcing children below 16 years into prostitution, according to
NGO sources.
Source : The Hindu, 14n April, 1997
hotel was languishing for want of tourists so where was the
need for more resorts? If people come streaming into this self-
sustaining town, vehicles along with pollution are bound to
follow. Natural resources will be put to uses that are of no
benefit to Agumbe's ecology or or its people. The issue in
Agumbe is not of allowing or not allowing a resort to come up
there but one that is related to the people's survival. The
impact of tourism is multi-faceted. In Agumbe, inspite of
people's resistance to these developments, the powers-that-be
seem bent on going about their way. Decisions about their town
are being taken by people outside it. Agumbe's people need to
know what changes are taking place in their town and to the
right to accept or reject these. When things might affect the
rainforests the people live in, Agumbe's people have to protest.
Otherwise, the rains may stop soon.
(This article is written by M.G.Ramesh, Programme Co-orilinator,
EQUATTONS.)
17
 About, Us
he EQUATIONS team hss been inuolved in a number of
actiuities over the last six months. There have been workhops,
campaigns and training programmes connected to different
programmes that EQUATIONS is involved in Kerala, Tamilnadu,
Karnataka and Goa. Also, a number of publications haae been added
to the documentation section of EQUATIONS. Here are the details:
Workshops
o Dhanaraj Keezhara and Shirley Susan attended the
Consultation on Child Ttafficking and Child Prostitution
in South Asia organised by End Child Prostitution in Asian
Tourism (ECPAT) and the Young Men's Christian
Association(YMcA) on 25 - 26luly,7996in New Delhi.
r In Ernakulam, Kerala, a Workshop on Coastal Zones: A
Situational Analysisorganised by the EQUATIONS Action
Study Circle, Ernakulam was held. This was the second
such workshop. The first workshop on coastal zones had
been held in Novembet, 1995 at Kozhikode, Kerala for a
comprehensive study of the Coastal Regulation Zones
(CRZ). The Ernakulam workshop c6ncluded with
identifying strategies for the Kerala coast and chalking out
tasks and responsibilities for the EQUATIONS team. A
dossier on CRZ violations along the Keralam coast,
prepared by EQUATIONS, was presented.
o A Workshop qr lluman Experience and Sustainable
Strategies was organised by the Department of Geography,
University of Madras at Madras from 2L- 23 November
1996. Hari Babu chaired the session on Coastal Tourism.
Shirley Susan presented a paper on'Tourism in Thmilnadu'
with special emphasis on the coastal region. Other
important issues like coastal ecology, coastal zone
regulations and the impact of aquaculture were discussed.
. South Asian Workshop and Symposium on Fisheries and
Coastal Area Management, a four nation meet, was
conducted by International Collective in Support of
Fishworkers (ICSF), Madras from 26 September to I October
1996. Hari Babu participated in the workshop. The meet
deliberated on the institutional, legal and policy
dimensions of fisheries and coastal area management.
o K. T. Suresh and Hari Babu attended a workshop titled
Unfolding the Budget Document organised by DISHA at
Ahmedabad, in November, to understand how to decode a
government-budget document. Other important topics
discussed were the demand on grants by various ministries,
especially with reference to areas like tourism, fisheries and
forests in which EQUATIONS is involved. The Finance
Commission Report, the budget manual, the budget
proposals and DISHA s experience of the budget analysis
exercise were the issues discussed.
o A Workshop on Desertification fssues in Tamilnadu.was
organised by the Thmilnadu Environment Council,Dindigul
at Madras on 20 December 1996. Shirley Susan participated
in this Workshop.
o A meeting was organised by the National Council of
Churches in India (NCCI) and UIRM to jointly initiate a
National Campaign for the Abolition of Child Prostitution
on 10 January L997 in Goa. Shirley Susan represented
EQUAIIONS' concerns at this meeting.
o A workshop on Tkmilnadu Coastal losues, co-organised by
the Coastal Action Network and EQUATIONS was held at
Chengalpatbu, Thmilnadu from 10-12 February 1997. Shirley
Susan presented her paper A Brief Look at Tourism in
Tamilnadu. K.T.Suresh spoke about the problems of the
Karnataka coast with special reference to Dakshina
Kannada and the ecological issues that have arisen with the
growth of mega-industries. Hari Babu shared his
experience of the Kerala Coastal Zone Regulation and the
relationship of this with the lives of the fishing communities
living along the coast. Fishing community organisations
resolved to take up tourism and the growing urbanisation
along the coast on their agenda. The future course of action
was also planned to strengthen the struggle against Sterlite
Industries, Tuticorin and the film city project at Karaikkal.
o M.G.Ramesh and Shirley Susan attended a workshop on
Violation of lfuman Rights in Childrcn Worldwide
organised by the South Indian Cell for Human Rights
Education and Monitoring (SICHREM) Bangalore on the 5-7
March 1997.
I Shirley Susan and M.G.Sreekala attended a meeting on
Tiafficking and Prostitution: Changing Trends in South
Asia organised by VIMOCHANA on 21 March 1997 at
Bangalore.

o A Workshop on Seriously Polluting Industries-Focus on
Chlofine. the Killer Chemical:The fndustry4 Pollution, its
Effects and Solutiont was organised by GREENPEACE at
Madras, on 25-26 November 7996. Shirley
participated in this Workshop.
r On 17 - 18 August,L996, M.G.Ramesh and Hari Babu attended
a meeting, at Nandikur, near Mangalore, Karnataka,
addressed by Maneka Gandhi and Prof. Nanjundaswamy.
This meeting was part of the anti-Cogentrix movement.
o M.G.Ramesh of EQUATIONS presented a paper, "Tourism
in Kodagu-A Sustainable Industry?" at a workshop titled
Kodagu - A Model for Sustainable Development in
Kodagu, Karnataka, which was organised by the Centre for
Environmental Education, (CEE), Bangalore.
o Shirley Susan and S.Padmaja on behalf of EQUATIONS
participated in a workshop on Gender and the Economy
organised by VISTHAR on24-25 March 1997.
Susan
r A seminar on Aquaculture, Coastal Zone Regulations was
organised by PREPARE of Tamil Nadu. EQUATIONS was
invited and Hari Babu was in charge of the session on CM.
o Meeting on Tamil Nadu Coastal Management Plan on 4-5
September 1996 at Chennai. K.T.Suresh, Shirley Susan and
Hari Babu attended the meet. Hari Babu presented a paper-
APreliminary Study on Malabar Coastal Region.
DOCUMENTATION
o Additions to the documentation section have also been
made in the form of books, rcports, journals and articles in

L8
 response to the new areas that EQUATIONS has been
focussing upon. (A list of the added material is on Page
number 22.) Slides have been made by the EQUATIONS
team on the people's protests in the Taj-Nagarahole issue.
Publications:
r Dossier on Tourism-Issues in Thmilnadu
This dossier provides an overall look into Tamilnadu and its
tourism activities. It debates on the emerging conflicts with
regard to tourism and its infrastructural needs, socio-
cultural aspects, economics and the politics of tourism
development.
o Nilgiris-A Lost Paradise
This dossier is a compilation of newsclippings on the
Nilgiris documented in EQUATIONS over the past few
years. It shows the indiscriminate exploitation of resources
that has resulted from the growth of tourism in the Nilgiris.
It attemps to initiate a debate on the future of the Nilgiris.
o Dossier on CRZ Issues (Malayalam and English)
The Malayalam dossier is a compilation of coastal violations
in the coastal districts of Keralam. It also contains vital
statistics of the coastal districts, area, coastal panchayats,
population etc. The English dossier has details of the three
northern coastal districts. It has sections on Kovalam, the
costal tourism centre and its neighbourhood. The dossier
also deals with the Goshree project of the Vypin islands at
Kochi. The dossier has original photographs of violations.
o Recent Threats to Raiiv Gandhi National Park in
Nagarahole, Karnataka, India
This dossier prepared by Susan Mathews, advocate for the
legal battle between the adivasi and the Taj group of hotels,
and EQUATIONS, contains details of the Taj-Nagarahole
struggle in Karnataka. It has details on the Taj Resort, the
World Bank Eco-Development project and news
EQUATIONS also publishes EQ-News Feature as a service to
the media. It is intended to stimulate debate and may be
freely reproduced, in whole or in part, with
acknowledgement. These are available free to newspapers
and journalists. For more information, contact:
EQUATTONS
l98,2nd Cross, Church Road
New Thippasandra
Bangalore 560 075 INDIA
Phone: 080-528 2313/529 2905
Fax : 080-528 2313 / 528 2627 Attn: 20
E-mail : ADMlN@equation.ilban.ernet.in
ry$'
19
CAMPAIGNS
o EQUATIONS participated in the Coastal Jatha (a
procession) organised by Kerala Swathandra Matsya
Thozhilali Federation (Independent Fish Workers
Federation) to educate fishing communities living along the
coasts of Keralam about the CRZ Notification and their
rights.(For details, please see the article 'CRZ-Regulating
People's Lives' by Hari Babu.) The' jatha's aim was also to
counter the claim of the Kerala State government that the
fishing community was against the CRZ notification. The
'jatha'began on 3 November and ended on 25 November at
the Thiruvananthapuram Secretariat with a demonstration
by the fishing community. Hari Babu represented
EQUATIONS in the' j atha' from Kasargod through Kannur,
Kozhikode and Malappuram in Kerala. Dhanaraj Keezhara
of EQUATIONS accompanied it from Trichur, Ernakulam,
through Alappuzha and Kollam to Thiruvananthapuram
also in Kerala. EQUATIONS documented the CRZ
violations along the coast which was published as a dossier.
A copy of the dossier in Malayalam was presented at the
workshop along with a photo-documentation of the coastal
zone violations.
o The National Jatha - the 'Bharat Yatra'- was planned in the
wake of the Central Government's move to amend the CRZ
notification. Hari Babu represented EQUATIONS at the
planning stage of the 'yatra' at Delhi by National
Fishworkers Forum (NFF) and took charge of its
organisation in Karnataka. Our relationship with fish.ing
community organisations of Karnataka was put to good use
for this. The Yatra reached Karnataka on the 30th of March
and received a rousing welcome at Karwar and Mangalore.
The jatha concluded at Nagapattanam in Tamil Nadu on 4
April. Earlier, in Delhi, Hari Babu had called for a meeting
among NGO groups to bring attention to the issue of coastal
zones and the problems faced by coastal communities in the
littoral states. The meeting was jointly called by
EQUATIONS, the Coastal Action Network(CAN), and the
Indian Social Institute (ISf, Delhi. It was attended by 15
prominent groups and future action plans were chalked out.
o Regional Grassroots Tlaining Programmes were conducted
by Hari Babu on CRZ on collaboration with the Malabar
Coastal Institute for Training Research and Action
(MCITRA), Kozhikode, Kerala. While the CRZ regulations
were being much debated at high levels, people along the
coast were ignorant about the regulations arid their rights.
To tackle this issue EQUATIONS planned joint grassroots
programme with MCITRA. In the four northern districts of
Keralam, about 25 such programmes were arranged. Hari
Babu was the resource person for this.
(About Us is written by Renuka Phadnis, Programme Associate,
(Publications), EQUATIONS.)
ggry
 Some Thoughts on
Tourism and Cultare
(In the following article, Dn Rajan Gurukkal questions the entry of
tourism in an area alien to it. He does not make a case against tourism
only because it may influence the local culture. His fear is that
tourism, for instance, as in Sabarimala, Kerala, threatens to break the
delicate balance within a perfectly self-sufficient lifestyle that is
naturally in equilibrium with its ecology.)

his is not an article on the subject of tourism and culture

but my observations, a few random thoughts on it. I
have been thinking, "What happens to a local culture
when tourism grows in a place?" The answer, I feel, is simple.
One inevitable consequence is that the culture of that place
decays.

I do not mean to say that every culture is something sacred

that should be conserved and preserved for posterity. Culture
is not a definite term. It has different meanings in different
contexts. Take for instance, "Indian culture" or " Kerala
culture". These do mean something but they mean different
things to different people. When I say "culture", I mean it as
expressing a pattern of social existence. That is, culture tha
exists within a certain ecological system. I feel, culture is the
aggregate of the pattern of social behaviour and practices that
one can see in a given set of ecological conditions of human
existence. Any discussion on culture, therefore, has to
necessarily be linked to its ecology. 'Ecotypes', 'ecozones'and
'ecosystems'become central in such discussions. The question
of the cultural consequences of tourism, a capitalist industry, is
thus very much related to ecology.
While speaking of culture, tourism becomes crucial. This is
because tourist zones are ecologically sensitive zones. The
tourism industry has as its habitat or its context, ecologically
sensitive zones like rain forests, wetlands, mountain valleys
and mountain tops and the coastal tracts. These are the places
where one can see "ecosystem people" - people whose modes
of existence are natural and ecologically sustdinable. People in
such places do not seParate themselves from nature. Instead,
they relate to all living beings in their environment. Their
culture is conditioned by this world view - a bio-centric one.
According to this perspective, the biosphere and the human
habitat are closely related and keep interacting with each other.
One has only to make a list of cultures to observe that all these
exist in ecologically sensitive zones. My question is, "What
happens to such cultures when tourism grows there?" Tourism,
here, constitutes a new lifestyle, a wasteful lifestyle. It
constitutes a new, material culture that is a microcosm of the
urban culture- Wherever tourism grows, whether in the
wetlands, the mountain tops or the evergreen forests,
urbanisation follows it. The moment tourism arises in any
ecology, urban culture makes itself felt. This affects local
culture. If the local culture undergoes a serious, traumatic
change, because of tourism, the existence of the community is
under threat. What I am saying is that, culture is an expression
20
of a community's pattern of existence, the way it recognises
itself and forms a perspective from which it recognises others.
This pattern, this identity that lies in the culture of the people of
any ecosystem, is linked to their very mode of existence. This
identity is the sum total of their means of subsistence. It is this
that gets disrupted when culture undergoes change. The
question is not one of change in culture. The question is of
survival and the resistance, to change, which is such an
important part of survival.
Today, in Kerala, a grave situation exists in the evergreen
forests of the Sabarimala ecosystem. Sabarimala is a part of the
Vallakadavu range belonging to the Periyar Tiger Reserve. In
such a forested area, an urban complex can only be developed
in a low altitude terrain with slopes. We cannot build huge
concrete structures on/ say, undulating terrain like hills. So,
wherever hill stations are built as tourist centres, it is the low
altitude evergreen patches that suffer. This is exactly what has
happened in Sabarimala, where a portion of the forests,
christened "Rudravanam", is about to be destroyed. Here, 100
acres of low altitude evergreen forests are to be cleared to make
way for the construction of five huge construction structures
each to accommodate 5,000 people. One can imagine the
monstrosity of the set-up. About 2000 vehicles are to be
provided parking space below the buildings. The forest
department has given a clearance to the project because it
claims that the scheme will not seriously affect the forest eco-
system as there would be no clear felling of trees in the area .
Only the undergrowth would be removed and the fully grown
trees would be kept intact. To the planners the area would
look like a beautiful forest, even without the low level shrubs,
grass and creepers.
The idea is that these buildings will make the pilgrimage to
Sabarimala easier. People need no longer get exhausted
climbing up the hills. They can now go to Rudravanam and
relax there. After a shower, they can go at a leisurely pace to
the Sabarimala shrine for 'darshan' (worship) and return - all
without sweat. This route will attract more pilgrims to
Sabarimala and make it a prosperous centre of tourism. In the
second phase of development, there might be a ropeway from
the roof of one of the buildings to the temple! This way, one
can bypass the strenuous 'Pathinettampadi' which makes the
route to the'darshan'so difficult. After all, these are comforts
that urban people are used to. And they expect similar
conditions wherever they go. A pilgrimage lasts only for a few
days but typical urban facilities are expected where people can
still stay comfortably. It is precisely because of such
developments that the culture of a place gets adversely
affected. If urban facilities are simply transplanted on to an
alien area, then the nafural, environmentally-sustainable mode
of existence of the people living there gets disrupted. A
perfectly sustainable mode of living unnecessarily
supplanted by an ecologically harmful one. In Sabarimala, the
people depend on the evergreen forests to sustain their wild-
food economy. This will get disrupted by the introduction of
the urban complex.
Similar is the case with other tourism zones. Take for instance,
the coastal tract. For example, the coast of Kerala which is
protected either by weak mangroves or by rock series. If huge
buildings are made on the rock series or the mangroves, it will
certainly affect the ecosystem. The rock series which now
guard against sea-erosion, will cease to be an effective barrier
against powerful sea waves. This will affect the nearby
agricultural regions. The immediate interior will be inundated
by sand. In the case of mangroves, it is well-known that these
act as barriers against sea-erosion. One can see the ecologically
.il-,,.Y:,n
fl
.IIEEP,
tif"4ffi*fi#"{jii*#lri}!j:*,.i,Sqi{ftifiiit*riii*}d1:{.tf1$,,Ffii,rj,lRlr;ir, ii!drtli{q#dwXmffi&*',Ang&W*g$rr,.#i
still sustainable nature of the pattern of subsistence in the life of the
people living along the coast. This has been so because the
pattern has evolved over centuries. They have been living this
way without any problems with their environment. It is such a
means of subsistence, one that is integrated with its ecology,
which is disrupted when tourism intervenes. The local people
and the ecosystem tend to get degraded. The same happens to
the implanted lifestyle.
It is not just one area that gets adversely affected. The entire
balance is upset. The coastal scenario is so integrated that a
major rupture at one point affects the whole coastal region. In
Kerala, we have very limited marshes and swamps along a very
weak line of mangroves and rock series. All these are inter-
related. If one particular component is affected, it tells upon
the very existence of the other components. It triggers off a
total collapse. Different economies, evolved unevenly, that still
live on in these ecotypes, are affected. It is this that I am
worried about when I say I am anxious about the degradation
or disappearance of a culture. I am not concerned with the
disappearance of culture in a romantic way. I am not saying
that culture should be preserved as a museum piece - that is a
capitalist perspective, one which envisages the marketing of
gets objects for gratification. I am not speaking at all of
transforming (reducing) culture to an object of gratification. I
am not bothered about whether a culture is able to gratify
people or not. The question is of conserving an ecologically
sustainable mode of human existence. When tourism enters
along with its material culture, functions, practices and
infrastructure, the economy-ecology symbiosis gets disrupted.
This leads to the tragic destruction of the communities on the
one hand and the ecological system on the other. Communities,
along with their community practices, community wisdom and
their culture - which is but a sum total of all these, disappear.
In the process, cultural diversity, like biodiversity, gets fatally
affected.
(This article was written by Dn Rajan Gurukkal, Director, School
of Social Sciences, Kottayam, Kerala.)
l-iii :l::l::.
sti'ii: :# :i.i::lr,;
.'
ii:il iiitii!.|
liX,
; i1t: ,l
;tii
21
 23. Environment and Wildlife - The Parisar annual Lecture
1992; Bittu Sahgal
-80443
Books 24. The Coastal Regulation Zone Notification in Goa; Goa
Foundation
01. An Introduction to Tiavel and Tourism; P N Seth & -80444
Sushma Seth Bhat
-
80370 25. Landmark ludgments ion Enviionmental Protection; M I
Anthony 80445
02. Culture Shock: a Guide to Customs and Etiquette - -
India; Gitanjali Kolanad
-8,0371 26. Understanding The Nilgiris; C P R Environmental
Education Centre
03. Tourism and the Environment: A sustainable -80446
relationship?; C Hunter & H Green
- 80373 Articles
04. Tourism and Politics: policy, power and places; C M Hall 01. Blue White and Green - A perspective on Tourism
-8,0374 Development in Sindhudurg; Aruna Bagchee;
Department of Tourism, Govt.of Maharashtra. 401310
05. Coastal Zone Managemeng T Beatley et al
- B 0378
(Spages)
-
06. GATS and Tourism - Agreeing on Trade and Tourism; 02. Discussion Paper; reality or rhetoric/ Ecotourism and
wTo rural reconstruction in South Africa; Eddie Koch;
-80385
UNRISD. (58 pages)
47. The Law relating to Protection of Coastal Areas; P B -401315
Sahasranaman 80387
- 03. Emerging mass tourism in the South- Reflections in the
social opportunities and the costs of national and
08. Unsuitable for Ladies-an anthology of women travellers; regional tourism in developing countries; by Krishna B
Jane Robinson 80396
- Ghimire;1996- A01319
09. Ancient Futures - learning from Ladakh; H Norberg- 04. Tourism in Kodagu - A sustainable industry?;
Hodge EQUATIONS ; 199 6.- A 01321 (Tpages)
-80397
10. Environmental Guidelines for Coastal tourisur
05. Challenges to shaping tourism in developing countries
Development in Sri Lanka 80411
through the reorganisation of world trade under the
-
shelter of the World Trade Organisation - preliminary
11. Tourism Management - a global perspective; ed. by G S
analysis; |org Seifert and Uwe Kleinert-A01329 (Spages)
Batra and A S Chawla 804f5
-
(This list was compiled by M.G.Sreekala, Programme Associate in-
t2. Dynamics of Modern Tourism; Ratandeep Singh 80415
- charge of the EQUATIONS Documentation Cell).

13. Infrastructure of Tourism in India; Ratandeep Singh

80416 hefollowing is the text of a Resolution passed by ISLAN
- UST / MALAYAHA MAKKAL MARUUAZHV U MAN MM,
t4. Development of Tourism and Tfavel Industry; P Dhar E NITGIRIS AND EQUATIONS, BANGALORE.
B,0417
-

15. Tourist India: Hospitality Services; Ratandeep Singh

B04r9 Valedictory function of 'ECO-Tourism
- (17.05.1997)
t6. Structural adjustment and Employment Policy-issues
and experiences; ].Toye We demand that Tourism should be regularised taking into
-80425 consiileration the socio, economic and cultural heritage of the
people of Nilgiris.
17. Ethical, Legal and Regulatory aspects of Tourism
Business; S S Malik 80428
- Toufism deuelopment has adversely affected the Enafuonment
18. Tourism management and marketing; the business of Ecology in the Nilgiris. We therefore demanil that no more
travel agency operations; A K Bhatia tourism centres be developed in the Niligiris district.
-8,0429
79. Adventure Tourism; SS Malik 80430 We appeal that all the income generateil through Tourism be
- used for the deoelopment works in the Nilgiris district.
20. Tourism Principles and Practices; Chris Cooper BM34
- We observe with grave concern that the cost of all basic goods
anil sercices steep during Holiday season in Nilgiris due to
21. Trading Places : Tourism as Trade; Tourism Concern
heavy inflow of the Tourists. This affects the local people. We
80441
- therefore demand the Government officials and district
administration to curb the dual price hike duting the seasons.
22. The ECPAT story; Ron O'Grady
-80442
22

A[re RNArive Exh ibirion
ON
Tounism nnd EruviRoNmENr
Oory
n "Alternative Exhibition on Tourism and
Environment" was held in Ooty from 13-20 March
t997. It was jointly organised by the Island Trust,
Kotagiri, the Malayaha Makkal Maruvazhvu Manram
(MMMM), Kotagiri and EQUATIONS, Bangalore. The
exhibition was inaugurated by Dr.Jeevanantham, President,
Tamilnadu Green Movement. A discussion was held on
tourism and environment in Ooty. The panelists were
Dr.Jeevanantham, Mr.R.R.Sivalingam, Chairman, Island Trust,
Kotagiri, Dr.N.K.Perumal, Director, Rural Development
Organisation, Mr.A.Rangarajan, General Secretary, Tamilnadu
Green Movement, Mr.M.Kumaravelu, Project Officer, C.P.R.
Environment Centre, Mr.Alphonse Raj, Executive Secretary,
Island Trust, Mr.Venkatachalapathy, Mr.N.Krishnamurthy and
Mr.K.T.Suresh, Co-ordinator, EQUATIONS, Bangalore.
The exhibits on display were concerned with tourism,
environment, health and herbal medicines. The material
included handmade posters (painted earlier by local youth at a
poster workshop organised by EQUATIONS), printed posters,
photographs of old, colonial Ooty and the new Ooty. A series
of photographs that had been documented by the EQUATIONS
team were part of the exhibition. There were also graphs and
statistics on the ecological changes in the Nilgiris Plateau, the
Coimbatore Plains, the Sigur Plateau and the Wynad Plateau.
Artefacts of the Todas, Irulas, the Nilgiri tribes, were also on
display.
A number of views on the subject emerged after the discussion.
Dr.Jeevanantham, President, Tamilnadu Green Movement, said
that tourism in Ooty had to be made sustainable and Ooty's
residents must be ready to fight for this objective. The people
of Ooty had to be cautioned against the ill-effects of tourism in
Ooty. In the environmental field, legislation regulating
environmental activities had been made possible because of the
awareness among people of such issues. Similarly, an
awareness of tourism related matters had to be brought among
the people. He felt that there was a belief among people that
tourism was the solution to economic problems. But this wrong
notion had to be dispelled
He further said that tourists visited places and left them but
seldom thought of the consequences of their visits on the lives
of the people in a tourist destination. To illustrate this, he gave
the example of the Nilgiri Todas - a unique group whose
lifestyle is disappearing because of the impact of tourism. He
felt that students and youth of the Nilgiris region had to be
informed of tourism issues. He described the exhibition as "an
eye-opener".
Mr.R.R.Sivalingam, Chairman, Island Trust, Kotagiri said that it
was for the first time that the subject of tourism ir-r Ooty was
23
being discussed thus. While other activities in the Nilgiris like
felling, poaching of animals and timber had received attention
in the past, tourism in Ooty was being addressed only now.
Ooty is part of the Nilgiris which is a sensitive biosphere
region. There is a close relationship between environment and
tourism and both affect each other. He said that it was not
possible to safeguard the environment and simultaneously,
expand tourism. There is a contradiction between the two
which the government had to address.
Mr. A. Rangarajan, General Secretary, Tamilnadu Green
Movement and a freelance journalist said that it was high time
an end was brought to conventional methods of tourism
promotion. There was a need for a renewed agenda for action
among NGO groups since one could not be complacent about
tourism issues in Ooty. He felt "the exhibition wakes you up".
Dr. N. K. Perumal, Director, Rural Development Organisation, said
that the information presented in the exhibition had to be conveyed
to the government officials. He said that hill-stations were called
"assets" and viewed as "engines of the economy." However, it had to
be understood that "tourism destroys tourism", he said. The Master
Plan for Ooty had been drawn up entirely by govemment officials
without consulting people or NGOs.
Mr.K.T.Suresh, Co-ordinator, EQUATIONS, Bangalore said that
he was speaking on behalf of "people who are travelled upon."
People who travel must take into consideration their impact on
the lives of the people in places that they visit. The
government's scheme of forming special tourism areas (STAs)
had created "large scale human zoos", he felt. These zones
negated the identities of people by forcing individuals to
conform oneself to a zone. An individual is compelled to
contribute to and remain within a zone or belong to nowhere.
He thought this trend of "zoning" people was a threat to the
plurality of identities that exist among our people. There was a
need for policy-makers to understand this. Unfortunately,
tourism policies were being formulated by people who travel
and not by those who "were being travelled upon."
On the concluding day, a resolution was passed by the Island
Trust/Malayaha Makkal Maruvazhvu Manram, the Nilgiris
and EQUATIONS, Bangalore. The resolution demanded that
tourism in the Nilgiris should be regularised taking into
consideration the socio-economic and cultural heritage of the
people of the Nilgiris. It said that tourism had adversely
affected the ecology/environment of the Nilgiris. Therefore, it
was demanded that no more tourist centres be developed in the
Nilgiris district. The resolution appealed that the income
generated from tourism be used for development work in the
Nilgiris district. It further said that the cost of all basic goods
and services rise steeply during the holiday season in the
Nilgiris due to the heavy inflow of tourists. It demanded of the
district administration, steps to curb the dual price hike during
the season.
The Valedictory function of the Exhibition was presided over by
Dr. Samraj, soil scientist. Dr. Vanitha Kumari of Bharathiar
University was Chief Guest. Others who spoke included
Dr. C. Maheshwaran, Dr. Kanikkaraj, Dr. K. Padmanabhan,
Mr. R. K. Ramachandran and Mrs. Puveneswari Packianathan.
The "Alternative Exhibition on Tourism and Environment" was
reported in the press and the electronic media. More than 1,500
people attended the exhibition during the week it was held.
WHERE IS TOURISM HEADED? Confusing signposts outside a privately-owned lodge near the Mudumalai Sanctuary in Tamilnadu

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