Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], September 22 (ANI): Legal Advisor to the Karnataka Chief Minister and Congress MLA AS Ponnanna on Tuesday stated that there is complete unanimity across party lines in opposing the Kasturirangan Committee report on the Western Ghats, emphasising that environmental conservation must not come at the expense of local livelihoods.
Speaking on the ongoing discussions regarding the Western Ghats, Ponnanna noted that while preserving the ecologically sensitive biodiversity hotspot is necessary, policy decisions cannot overlook ground realities.
"There is unanimity with regard to opposition to the Kasturirangan report and the consequential action that has been taken by the Central Government. Everybody agrees, and it is the need of the day also, that we must protect the Western Ghats. It is a very sensitive hotspot; this has been identified as a biodiversity hotspot. Therefore, we must protect it. But protection must be sustainable and balanced. It must also take into account the interests of the inhabitants, especially the farming community and plantation growers. That is the demand," Ponnanna said.
He criticised the inclusion of populated agricultural settlements within designated sensitive zones, demanding a fresh, ground-level assessment.
"Therefore, villages which are inhabited by people and which are completely dependent on agricultural activities, then you have failed to take the interests of this community into account. Therefore, we are demanding that you appoint an expert who will come up with a scientific report on how this biodiversity hotspot can be protected. Then that expert must come to the ground level, look at the realities there, and give his opinion. We all will join hands and protect the Western Ghats, not at the cost of agricultural activities, plantation activities and the lifestyle of thousands of people in this area," he added.
Reacting to the Karnataka High Court's directive constituting a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by senior IPS officer Alok Kumar to probe the alleged KPSC recruitment scam, Ponnanna raised questions regarding judicial overreach, noting that the state government will deliberate on the matter.
"This is a judicial proceeding, so I don’t want to comment too much about it. But the government will take a decision whether it is in agreement with this order or not. I am sure that the Home Minister, the Chief Minister, who is also the Home Minister of the state, will put their heads together and decide what is the course of action. If the government is agreeable to the SIT, they will agree to it. If they are not agreeable, then they must challenge the order. But the fact of the matter is that these are all in the realm of executive action. So, how much of judicial overreach it is, is a question that we must debate and decide," the MLA said.
Addressing the controversy and assembly ruckus yesterday over the rendition of 'Vande Mataram', Ponnanna asserted that the Congress party holds a clear and historically consistent position on the national song.
"Our stand is consistent. Vande Mataram was a call at the time of the independence movement to organise the people to fight for their independence. We are responsible for Vande Mataram being given to this country. It is the Congress party which sang Vande Mataram when Rabindranath Tagore attended this. So, you don’t teach us about it. We gave Vande Mataram to this country, and we firmly believe in the original position of Vande Mataram. That is, this country belongs to every section of society. You don’t bring some additional features into it to suit your convenience and then say, “Sing the whole.” We are not doing it. We are going to sing the original text, the text which was then written for the purpose of the freedom struggle, and we maintain that we will do so because we are the ones who gave Vande Mataram," Ponnanna asserted. (ANI)
"Identified biodiversity hotspot": Congress' AS Ponnanna says unanimity in Karnataka against Kasturirangan report; demands fresh ground study
