Environmental movements in the global South

Satheesh, Silpa (2021) Environmental movements in the global South. In: Diversity and inclusion in environmentalism. Routledge Studies in Environmental Justice . Routledge, Abingdon, pp. 66-77. ISBN 9780367567354

[img] Text - Published Version
Restricted to Repository staff only

Download (640kB) | Request a copy

Abstract

On 1 August 1998, protestors formed a human chain across the polluted stretch of River Periyar, circling the Eloor-Edayar industrial belt in Kerala. The river flowed in many different shades carrying the untreated industrial effluents from the chemical industries situated along its banks. The human chain was staged in an array of giant country boats controlled by the local fisherfolk. The event marked the beginning of an organised environmental movement against industrial pollution in the region led by Periyar Malineekarana Virudha Samithi (Periyar Anti-Pollution Campaign, PMVS hereafter). PMVS is a grassroots environmental movement constituted by poor and working-class members, including fish workers, farmworkers and daily wage labourers to fight against the release of toxic industrial effluents into the river. Almost 22 years later, on 22 April 2020, the frontline leaders of PMVS and Janajagratha (People’s Vigilante) lined up on Pathalam regulator-cum-bridge to protest the ongoing pollution in River Periyar, which started flowing again in many colours (Satheesh, 2020b). The strikingly similar events of the protests, organised decades apart, show how industrial pollution continues in the region unabated despite the prolonged fight for environmental justice. PMVS stands as an excellent exemplar of poor and working-class environmental movements in the Global South, which fight against the negative externalities created in the name of development.

Item Type: Book Section
Authors: Satheesh, Silpa
Uncontrolled Keywords: Environmentalism, Environmental movements, Economic livelihoods,
Subjects: Natural Sciences > Life sciences; biology > Ecology
Divisions: Azim Premji University > School of Development
Full Text Status: Restricted
URI: http://publications.azimpremjiuniversity.edu.in/id/eprint/2782
Publisher URL: https://www.routledge.com/Diversity-and-Inclusion-...

Actions (login required)

View Item View Item