A Thread
If today Wayanad is suffering due to a catastrophic landslide, Congress too has its contribution in one or the other way. One is reminded of how Congress-led United Democratic Front in Kerala in 2011 opposed the Madhav Gadgil Committee Report tooth and nail. The report categorically stated that the environment and ecology of the Western Ghats were under serious threat from human interference.

A renowned ecologist Madhav Gadgil in his report had strongly recommended that 75 percent of the 129,037 sq km area of the Western Ghats be declared as environmentally sensitive because of its dense forests and the presence of a large number of endemic species. But Congress politicians in Kerala were not ready accept the recommendations. If the Madhav Gadgil report had been implemented at that time, the fragility of the region, which today is witnessing death and destruction would have been acknowledged & human interference minimised.

But the report never came to implementation and some of the credit or we may discredit for its non-implementation also goes to Congress. Kerala then had a Congress-led UDF government led by illustrious CM Oommen Chandy. Opposing the report, the Chandy govt even went to the Supreme Court for a stay, though the apex court dismissed their petition. But Kerala government continued with its stand to rubbish the report.

Congress was even joined by Left Democratic Front, who even called for a hartal in the Idukki district of Kerala in the Western Ghats as part of the protest. Today Rahul Gandhi, and Priyanka Vadra, all have come forward to condole the loss of human lives in the tragedy, which surely is welcome. But one must ponder as to whether Congress had a political will to come forward for the cause of environment when it had power in its hands.
Thread Credit: @thapliyal75