Wednesday, March 31, 2010

VEDANTA OF "AVATAR".........


Last week I saw the visual extravaganza “AVATAR...”

The story line was about infiltration of a technologically advanced human race into a Planet called “Pandora”. The Pandora is originally inhabited with human like living beings…The purpose of the infiltration was to mine a precious chemical called “unobtanium” which were deposited under the habitat of indigenous people. For this, the aboriginals have to be forcefully evacuated from their land, to which they owe their thousands of years of existence……

In the end, there comes an “AVATAR” along with natural forces fights back against the humans and reclaims the land…..

On the very same day, I have seen news printed in Economic Times printed on the front page itself. It’s about a mining MNC, Vedanta Resources which was successful in wooing Orissa government (or political babus….) and obtained license for mining in an area where a primitive tribal community is being inhabited for thousands of years. Economic times reflected the worries of the potential investor and the promoter of the company who was a business tycoon, Anil Agarwal as the margins may get affected if they can’t source mine from Orissa…

But my worries were different…I don’t remember the name of the tribe…neither I have seen them…..But I know it for sure ….

….that they are hungry….

….that they are helpless…..

….that they may not have enough to wear…..

…..and that their existence is in stake…………….!!!!!

Because these helpless people depends on the environment for their survival...Be it the trees, from which they can pluck fruits…Or be it the animals, which they can hunt...Or be it the land, where they cultivate….

…And More than that, how can they digest the emotional trauma on being kicked out of the very land they were inhabiting for centuries….the very land where their Gods blessed them…the very land where their dark devils bestowed curses on them…HOW CAN THEY…………………??????

I know……One day the last one of them will also die in far way land, where they will be “Rehabilitated” by the authorities...……

May be sometimes, we should remember that we are not here for ever…

…Vedanta will not be here forever…

….Neither neither our prestigious democratic nation nor the politicians in it…

….Time will change everything…….

.On the endless pursuit towards strengthening financial profit bottom lines, we are forgetting bottom lines of nature….

James Cameroon’s AVATAR is happening in front of us every time…

..Not in 2D or 3D…..but in real dimension itself….

…Every time helpless souls are being kicked out from their homes in name of development…

….And they are being killed if they open their mouth……

….And they are being called “terrorist”, if they resist………………..

Only difference is that there won’t be any “AVATAR” to save them…A perfect anti climax…………..

If I were a theist….

If I were not of the belief that “MAN CREATED GOD ONLY AFTER HE FOUND DESIRES AND FEARS ….”

I should have prayed…..to “GOD” :-

“MAY AN AVATAR COME …. LIGHT US IN THE TIME TO COME….”

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

We have single window clearances for mega projects. But when it comes to rehabilitation it's the same old story. Ours is a country with a 126 year old land acquisition law. The property rights of people were stripped off gradually.. Compensation to acquired land is not at all well defined.. And of course the emotional and cultural damage is never considered.