CPM, McNamara and Sunderbans

[Guest guest]

Dear Mr Clifton,

This is in reference to your comment, " Though the

CPM might not admit it in as many words, it has come a long way since the

sixties when Marxists had opposed the entry of former World Bank chairman

Robert McNamara to Kolkata on grounds that the US was trying to extend its

influence in Bengal through the world body. " The protest against McNamara,

as I know it, had more to do with his involvement with the Vietnam war as

the US Secretary of Defense than American hegemony in Bengal(of course that

was one of the reasons too). Here is a note : " McNamara's visit is still

talked about in Calcutta - the entire city erupted in flames in protest

against the 'war criminal', as the students called him. A solid mass of

people blocked his way from the airport to the city centre, and in the end

he had to be airlifted from the airport and deposited on the roof of the

American consulate. Students and workers fought pitched battles with the

police at the consulate, and most of McNamara's official engagements had to

be cancelled. Calcutta was one of the major centres for Vietnam war protest

in the world in the 1960s. McNamara obviously did not like the political

attitude in Calcutta and never forgot the personal insult. "

Of late a lot of American companies have invested in Bengal and it is of

concern that the World Bank has been invited to work in Sunderbans. If you

have read 'Spix's Macaw' by Tony Juniper or other related literature on the

environment, you will realise the record of the World Bank on environmental

issues in the developing world has been far from benign.

Thanks for bringing this issue to our attention.

Best regards,

 

 

 

 

On 7/8/08, Merritt Clifton <anmlpepl wrote:

>

> On July 1, I responded to Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee's

> suggestion of " pig rearing in the Sundarbans to increase the tigers'

> prey base, " as reported by Kolkata news media, by explaining why

> this was & is a bad idea, concluding that:

>

> In view that all of the above is reasonably well-known to

> anyone who has ever observed pig behavior in a forest, one must

> wonder how Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee came to hold a position with

> authority over wildlife, and why the reporters assembled to listen

> to him at the Writers' Buildings evidently did not ask him what

> interest he may hold in evicting tigers from the Sundarbans,

> developing the pig industry, and perhaps developing the Sundarbans

> in some manner, once it no longer holds tigers.

>

> Debasis Chakrabarti of Compassionate Crusaders Trust just

> forwarded this update--

>

> <

>

http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Help-me-develop-Sunderbans-Buddha-tells-\

World-Bank/332783/

> >

>

http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Help-me-develop-Sunderbans-Buddha-tells-\

World-Bank/332783/

>

> Help me develop Sunderbans, Buddha tells World Bank

>

> Sabyasachi Bandopadhyay

>

> Posted online: Tuesday , July 08, 2008 at 12:53:17

> Updated: Tuesday , July 08, 2008 at 12:53:17

>

> Kolkata, July 7 Barely 24 hours after Chief Minister Buddhadeb

> Bhattacharjee held his party's youth captive with an angry speech

> against 'American hegemony', he met officials of the World Bank on

> Monday and exhorted them to prepare an action plan for the

> development of the Sunderbans.

>

> Sunday's speech was aimed at members of the CPM's youth wing - the

> Students Federation of India - at its 32nd state conference. But it

> was business on Monday. Leading environment specialist with the World

> Bank, Erbesto Sanchez Triana, who is based in Washington told

> reporters after the meeting: " The chief minister has asked us for a

> detailed study of the Sunderbans with twin aims - poverty alleviation

> and the preservation of bio-diversity. We shall visit the area on

> July 9 and will stay for three days. We will submit the report in six

> months. "

>

> It is learnt the mode of funding the project will be decided after

> the officials submit the report. Triana said, " It may be a soft loan,

> or a grant. " The World Bank's participation was sought by CM himself

> when he had broached the subject of developing the area to Planning

> Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia. This was six

> months ago at a meeting on the 11th Plan. Ahluwalia had visited the

> Sunderbans following the proposal and nodded on the World Bank's

> participation.

>

> World Bank has done similar jobs in countries like Costa Rica,

> Tanzania, Indonesia, Thailand, to name a few. In the Sunderbans, the

> officials will look into soil erosion, breach in embankment,

> maintenance of the flaura and fauna, poverty alleviation,

> preservation of bio-diversity, power distribution and the improvement

> of communications and transport, to name a few. " The ultimate aim is

> to improve the condition of the people without disturbing the

> eco-system, " said a government official.

>

> Tailpiece: Though the CPM might not admit it in as many words, it has

> come a long way since the sixties when Marxists had opposed the entry

> of former WB chairman Robert McNamara to Kolkata on grounds that the

> US was trying to extend its influence in Bengal through the world

> body.

>

> --

> Merritt Clifton

> Editor, ANIMAL PEOPLE

> P.O. Box 960

> Clinton, WA 98236

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