Development, Poverty, and the Growth of the Green Movement in India
Author(s)
Bandyopadhyay, Jayanta; Shiva, Vandana
Abstract
Before the pre-colonial era, indigenous economic processes placed few demands on natural resources, and the impact of the economic activity was too low to result in drastic environmental problems. However, with the advent of British colonialism, India changed drastically in its pattern and nature of resource use. Instead of being used to satisfy local needs, the natural wealth of India was exploited to meet the demands of western Europe. This article analyzes the effects of colonial intervention in the management of India’s natural resource. The main topics covered include opposition to water projects, development and the dispossessed, growth against survival, market economics vs the economics of nature and survival, technological choice and holistic ecology, and distorted concepts of efficiency.
