top of page

By:

Quaid Najmi

4 January 2025 at 3:26:24 pm

Thackerays’ ‘Taandav’ for trees, tigers

AI generated image Mumbai: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) President Raj Thackeray launched a sharp attack on the government for the systematic degradation of the state’s environment under the garb of development, even as the climate change poses a direct threat to the environment, economy, agriculture, public health and the future of both rural and urban centres. Questioning the state government’s claims of having planted millions of trees, he rued how the World Environment Day has been...

Thackerays’ ‘Taandav’ for trees, tigers

AI generated image Mumbai: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) President Raj Thackeray launched a sharp attack on the government for the systematic degradation of the state’s environment under the garb of development, even as the climate change poses a direct threat to the environment, economy, agriculture, public health and the future of both rural and urban centres. Questioning the state government’s claims of having planted millions of trees, he rued how the World Environment Day has been reduced to an annual ritual of tree-planting drives and clicking selfies for social media, though 90 pc of the saplings don’t survive even a day. “Only the government knows where those trees really are,” said Raj sternly. He recalled a "Blueprint of Maharashtra’s Development" he had proposed in 2015, in which he advocated how development without environmental sensitivity is hollow. Justifying, he said that the consequences are visible where roads, bridges and infrastructure projects are hailed as achievements, but even a short spell of rainfall can paralyze entire cities. Referring to recent reports on farmers returning from the fields after 10 am due to the scorching heat, Raj said that the worsening climate crisis has become an everyday reality. Citing official statistics, Raj claimed that extreme heat has caused productivity losses of nearly USD 159 billion and slashing of 160 billion work-hours annually in recent years. He mentioned the World Bank estimates that India’s GDP could plummet by 2.5-4.5 pc while 57 pc of the country’s districts sheltering 76 pc of the population stare at serious climate-related crises. Taking a swipe, he said while the governments boast about growth figures and economical rankings, they are silent on the staggering costs of environmental destruction. He questioned the development model “whether flooded cities, washed-away crops and unbearable summers” genuinely indicate progress. Claiming that Maharashtra was increasingly becoming unliveable for upto 8 months in a year, he said excessive monsoon rains disrupt rural life and urban floods cripple cities, while extreme heat make normal life a torture in summers in both urban-rural areas. Targeting the Centre, Raj alleged that nearly 173,984 hectares of forest lands were diverted in the past 11 years for mining and infrastructure projects to benefit the PM’s single favourite Adani Group. He said that these lands amount to 1,730 sqkm, or equivalent to the area of 16 Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) that is spread over barely 104 sqkm. Dissolve state wildlife board: Aaditya Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aditya Thackeray has accused the Maharashtra government for issuing a permit to carry out mining activity in the sensitive tiger corridor between the Tadoba-Andhari and Indravati sanctuaries housing the big striped cats. In a strongly-worded letter to the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) Member-Secretary Sanjay Kumar, Thackeray sought his immediate personal intervention, sacking the Maharashtra State Board for Wild-Life (SBWL), revoking the permit, and probe against the Chief Wildlife Warden & Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) M. Srinivasa Reddy for the alleged lacunae. Aditya’s two-pager says the permit has been granted for “scientific exploration and excavation/systematic recovery of low-grade iron ore in existing mines in villages Hedri, Bande, Parsalgondi and Round Parsalgondi, in the Etapalli taluka of Gadchiroli district”. Last January, Aditya – MLA from Worli – had first raised the issue saying that the proposed mine would create only 120 jobs, including 32 permanent, and the estimated output is pegged at 1.1 million tons in a year. Referring to two letters of Reddy – on April 28 and May 21 – the SS (UBT) leader claimed that in communications to the state government, the PCCF had changed his stance on the issue. Aditya said that in the first letter, Reddy had effectively opposed the government plans for mining activity but in the second letter, he took a somersault, ostensibly due to government pressures or some commercial interests, “the U-turn is disgraceful and detrimental to India’s national interest” – and this abrupt shift in stance must be investigated thoroughly. In view of the contrary stance of the PCCF Reddy, entrusted with protecting the wildlife but failing to defend the NTCA and NBWL, point to serious malfunctioning of the SBWL, and hence it must be dissolved, besides reviewing all its decisions in the past three years, particularly those pertaining to hazardous activities in sensitive areas, demanded Aditya. 444 tigers roam in 11,000 sq.km As per the Status of Tiger Report (2002), and the Maharashtra Economic Survey 2025-2026, the state boasts of 444 tigers prowling in the wild along with other menacing creatures. The state’s total protected wildlife network of 88 Notified Areas of National Parks, Sanctuaries, and Conservation Reserves - including 6 dedicated to the striped big cats – is spread over 11,092 sq. kms as per current data.

Police clear South Mumbai crowds

Mumbai: After a judge was forced to walk down a jammed road, the Bombay High Court vented its strong displeasure at the state government and the ongoing Maratha quotas protest organisers, even as the police swung into action to clear out the crowds at Azad Maidan defying the court orders.

 

Coming down heavily on the administration for ‘inaction’, a division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice S. V. Chandrashekar and Justice Arti Sathe took to task Advocate-General Birendra Saraf why the court orders were not implemented despite several days of disruption in Mumbai, plus its morning directives on the issue.

 

Saraf informed the court that the Mumbai Police had served a notice to the protestors, their leader and Shivba Sanghatana chief Manoj Jarange-Patil, making loudspeaker announcements, put up banners, etc., but some were honouring the court orders and others were ignoring.

 

“We have served a notice to Jarange-Patil… He being a very influential person can make a genuine effort to make his followers… Only his appeal can help disperse the crowds,” submitted Saraf.

 

At this, Acting CJ Chandrashekar was visibly annoyed and asked: “So, you are relying on his popularity? Why can’t you implement our orders? You could have got it forcefully vacated… This is very serious, we are very, very unhappy with your conduct. Can we permit breach and violation of our orders, that too for days together?”

 

When Senior Advocate Satish Maneshinde said that his client had asked 90 percent of the vehicles to leave, the judges asked, “why are you (Jarange-Patil) still sitting there when you had only 24 hours permission”, demanding by what authority he was still camping at Azad Maidan.

 

Maneshinde contended that Jarange-Patil could not shift venues now nor take the crowds to any other location at this stage, and urged the court to adjourn the hearing till tomorrow.

 

While the court hearing into various PIL’s continued, Mumbai Police along with Rapid Action Force, Riot Control Police started clearing out the Marathas from the key areas of south Mumbai, with Deputy Commissioner of Police (I) appealing to the protestors to disperse, and cooperate with the police who are following the court orders.

 

Many demonstrators were seen complying, packing up their belongings, moving out the food and water supply trucks and vans and by late afternoon, signs of normalcy were evident, as the court matter was adjourned till Wednesday afternoon.

 

Turning attention to Jarange-Patil for his sit-in protest beyond the initial 24-hour period  granted, the court asked if there could be a solution if he camped at Azad Maidan with his 5,000 followers, but Maneshinde pointed out that the protest was absolutely peaceful though the police notice stated that some rules were flouted.

 

Meanwhile, as Ministers and government officials swooped to Azad Maidan, Jarange-Patil repeatedly said that he would not leave till the government grants quotas to Marathas under the OCB category, continuing the standoff.

 

Nevertheless, the court hinted at stringent measures in its order noting that Jarange-Patil may be held responsible for instigating and abetting his followers to flock to Mumbai beyond 5,000, plus he and others would be answerable to other serious issues involved.

 

The judges made it clear that “the Majesty of the Law” would be upheld at any cost and earned that “any breach of this court’s order shall not be tolerated and appropriate action will be taken against violators”.

  

Tough Court-Speak:

@ “We are reluctant to pass any coercive order since already a court order permitted you to sit there but you need to respect the rule of law too.”

 

@ “See how influential you are...You have a great influence on the masses...He cannot encash people like this...He cannot misuse his influence... We are not going to write this but you need to understand this...Also, the main (quotas) matter is pending in court, why did you not intervene there and make such demands now?”

 

Clearing protesters forcibly will cause disturbance during Ganesh festival: Raut

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Tuesday accused the Mahayuti government of creating anarchy and said forcibly removing protesters gathered in the city for the Maratha quota agitation would lead to disturbance in the state during the Ganesh festival.


Some are "working behind the curtain", he said, without naming anyone.

"Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis set his house on fire by engineering a split in the Shiv Sena, and he will now realise the mess he has created in the state. They (ministers) are from his allied parties. Some are seeking political gains through this agitation," the Rajya Sabha MP claimed.


He said Maratha protesters squatting in the city's streets are not infiltrators, terrorists or from other states.


Raut further disagreed with the Bombay High Court's order, asking activist Manoj Jarange to direct his protesters to vacate the streets.


Mumbai belongs to Marathi manoos and the high court needs to be sensitive towards the protesters, he said.


"If protesters are forcibly cleared, Maharashtra will be disturbed during the Ganesh festival," Raut said.


Mumbai police start removing protesters' vehicles

With the Bombay High Court on Tuesday directing Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange and his supporters to vacate Azad Maidan, the Mumbai police have begun clearing vehicles belonging to protesters parked in areas around the protest venue.


Deputy Commissioner of Police Pravin Mundhe, along with a large number of police personnel, was on the road requesting protesters to clear their vehicles parked along Mahapalika Marg near the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation headquarters and Azad Maidan.


Mundhe was seen using a public announcement system to request protesters, urging them to cooperate with the police.


Protesters, however, appeared to be resisting police intervention, citing that their vehicles, including trucks and tempos, carried essentials such as food and water.


Heated exchanges took place between the police officers and protesters, and an additional force of riot police was called in to tackle the situation.


Police personnel were also gheraoed by protesters at some spots.


Officials, however, pacified the protesters, assuring them of alternative parking arrangements and asking them to take some vehicles to Navi Mumbai.


Maratha protesters removed from CSMT

Security personnel on Tuesday removed Maratha quota protesters from CSMT premises, which they had been occupying for the last four days, officials said.


The move followed the Bombay HC order directing quota leader Manoj Jararnge and his supporters to vacate the nearby Azad Maidan by 3 PM.


GRP and RPF personnel, 60 jawans of the Riot Control Force, have been deployed at the busiest CSMT station in south Mumbai, a senior GRP official said.


Maratha quota protesters have been camping at CSMT for the last four days, inconveniencing passengers.

Protesters at CSMT suburban concourse and platforms were removed.


Protesters assaulted in road rage incident

A group of protesters gathered for the Maratha quota agitation was allegedly assaulted by unidentified persons in a road rage incident in Navi Mumbai, police said on Tuesday.


A case has been registered against 10 persons for the attack that took place in the Panvel area on Sunday afternoon, an official said.


He said that a pick-up van with protesters on board touched a car in front of it near the Deravali Bridge, following which a heated argument occurred between the driver and protesters.


After some time, the car driver called his associates, and they allegedly assaulted the protesters and fled the spot, the official said.


One of the victims, Chandrakant Thorandler, lodged a complaint with the police, and an FIR was registered under relevant sections of the Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) Act for assault and rioting, he said, adding that a probe is underway.

 

Comments

bottom of page