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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.

The Rome-Delhi Courtship

India and Italy are rediscovering each other as partners in a more fractured, multipolar world

Diplomacy often advances through the steady accumulation of modest alignments. The recent warming of relations between Narendra Modi’s India and Giorgia Meloni’s Italy suggests just such an incremental and pragmatic shift, one that is shaped by the pressures of a changing geopolitical order. An unremarkable bilateral relationship is now being recast as a partnership spanning defence, technology and maritime security.


Global Ambitions

Italy’s renewed outward gaze is central to this evolution. Long seen as a bridge between Europe, North Africa and the Middle East, Rome is reasserting itself as a Mediterranean power with global ambitions. Under Meloni, Italy has sought to balance its role as a founding member of the European Union with a more assertive foreign policy beyond the continent. Its recalibration includes deeper engagement with Asian partners, notably India and Japan, reflecting a recognition that economic dynamism and strategic weight are shifting eastwards.


India, for its part, has been receptive. Its own foreign policy has grown more expansive, driven by economic ambition and security concerns. A closer relationship with Italy offers both symbolism and substance: access to European technology, a foothold in Mediterranean geopolitics and a partner that shares its unease about overdependence on any single global power.


The trips by Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani and Defence Minister Guido Crosetto to India last month underscored a new seriousness. Agreements signed during these visits span defence cooperation, industrial partnerships and scientific exchange. The launch of an India–Italy Business, Science and Technology Forum signals an effort to anchor political goodwill in commercial reality.


Defence Ties

Nowhere is the shift more evident than in defence. On April 30, the two countries agreed to a bilateral military cooperation plan for 2026–27, laying out a roadmap for joint exercises, training programmes and closer institutional ties between their armed forces. Such initiatives mark a departure from the past.


With India pursuing co-production in defence under its Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliance) initiative, seeking to reduce dependence on imports while acquiring advanced technologies, Italy, with its sophisticated defence manufacturing base, is an attractive partner. Collaboration in aerospace, naval systems and advanced engineering offers mutual benefits by which India gains capabilities and Italy gains market access and strategic relevance in Asia.


There is a geopolitical subtext here. India remains wary of Pakistan’s role in regional instability and has quietly urged European partners, including Italy, to exercise caution in sensitive technological transfers. At the same time, both India and Italy share concerns about terrorism and have emphasised intelligence-sharing and coordinated responses as part of their expanding security dialogue.


Maritime security provides another arena for convergence. Italy’s interests are anchored in the Mediterranean, while India’s extend across the Indo-Pacific. Yet the two theatres are increasingly interconnected, linked by trade routes, energy flows and strategic competition. Discussions between the two sides have highlighted the importance of safeguarding sea lanes, enhancing information-sharing and coordinating responses to emerging threats. For Italy, engagement with India offers a presence in the Indo-Pacific.


Economic ties, though still modest, are poised for growth. Both countries see opportunities in sectors ranging from renewable energy and infrastructure to artificial intelligence and semiconductors. Academic collaboration is also expanding, with universities exploring joint research projects and student exchanges. Tourism, often overlooked in strategic discourse, may yet prove a useful lubricant, fostering cultural familiarity alongside commercial ties.


That said, this burgeoning partnership should not be overstated. Trade volumes remain limited compared with India’s exchanges with larger European economies such as Germany or France. Nor is Italy likely to displace India’s more established defence partners in the near term. The relationship is best understood as complementary rather than transformative.


Still, its significance lies in what it represents. In a world marked by intensifying rivalry between America and China, middle powers are seeking greater autonomy and flexibility. India and Italy, despite their differences in scale and geography, share an interest in a multipolar order in which influence is more widely distributed and partnerships are more fluid.


The prospect of a visit by Modi to Italy later this year may provide further impetus. For now, the Indo-Italian rapprochement reflects a broader truth about contemporary geopolitics: that distance is no longer a barrier to cooperation, and that unlikely partnerships can emerge when strategic needs align. The Mediterranean and the Indo-Pacific may be far apart on the map, but in the calculations of modern statecraft, they are drawing closer.


(The writer is a foreign affairs expert. Views personal.)

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