Siddarth Sethia
*Centre’s notification seeking implementation of the report is anti-life and inhumane.
*We have rejected the Centre’s position six times in the past; our decision remains unchanged.
The Government of Karnataka strongly condemns the anti-people notification issued by the Union Government regarding the implementation of the Kasturirangan Report.
I wish to make it clear to the people of Karnataka that there has been no change in our stand that the report must not be implemented under any circumstances.
The notification issued by the Union Government declaring 1,449 villages across 10 districts in the Western Ghats as Ecologically Sensitive Areas (ESAs) has caused serious concern among lakhs of families in the State.
Keeping the interests of the people living in Malnad and the Western Ghats regions in mind,we have decided to discuss the Centre’s decision and explore solutions.We have also decided to convene a one-day special session of the Legislature for this purpose.
For centuries,the people living in Karnataka’s Western Ghats have built their lives by adopting a balanced way of living in harmony with nature and respecting the environment around them.
This close relationship between people and nature is what has sustained the vitality of the Western Ghats even today.
In such circumstances, attempting to displace people suddenly in the name of environmental protection is an anti-life and inhumane approach.
If the Union Government genuinely cares about protecting the environment,it must listen to the concerns and grievances of the people who have lived in the villages of the Western Ghats for generations.
It must also hold necessary consultations with the State Government and arrive at a consensus-based decision acceptable to all stakeholders.We certainly cannot accept such a unilateral decision taken without taking anyone into confidence.
So far,Karnataka has rejected the notifications issued by the Union Government seeking implementation of the report six times, and has also clearly communicated its position.
Despite this, the Centre’s repeated attempts to impose its stand on the people of Karnataka without listening to our concerns are contrary to the principles of federalism.
On July 31, 2024,the Union Government took a unilateral decision and issued a draft notification seeking implementation of the Kasturirangan Report.
Subsequently,at the Cabinet meeting held on September 26, 2024,under the chairmanship of then Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, the Government of Karnataka passed a resolution opposing the Centre’s notification and communicated the ground realities to the Union Government.
Now, once again,the Union Government has embarked on an unjust course of action that directly affects the lives and livelihoods of the people of Karnataka.
This is an issue that goes beyond party ideologies and political differences.I firmly believe that there can be no ideology greater than the lives and livelihoods of our people.
Therefore,I am confident that leaders of the Opposition will also support the decision we take in the House to prevent the implementation of this report.I also hope that Karnataka’s Members of Parliament will put pressure on the Union Government and persuade it to reconsider and change its position.
People living in the Western Ghats region need not be anxious under any circumstances.Your government stands with you.
As a government,we will sincerely make every possible effort within our means to prevent the implementation of the Kasturirangan Report.
