Demanding stronger climate action from the state and Union governments in the wake of the severe flooding in Bengaluru recently, members of the climate justice movement Fridays for Future (FFF) Karnataka, the state unit of the All India Students Association (AISA), and other climate justice organisations staged a protest at the Freedom Park on September 23, Friday. The protest was organised as part of a global movement, #FridaysForFuture, launched by 19-year-old Swedish climate change activist Greta Thunberg, who had started skipping school every Friday to protest against inaction on climate change.
As part of the agitation, the protesters raised four major demands: the strengthening of environmental laws, providing and safeguarding the rights of the communities at the forefront of environmental conservation, implementation of democratic decisions for climate justice, and the empowerment of healthy public commons for everyone in the city. Speaking at the protest, founder of FFF’s Bengaluru chapter, Disha Ravi, called for serious and rapid action from the government on climate and environmental change. “It is not individual actions that caused heatwaves in India or the recent floods in Bengaluru. While the little steps taken by individuals for environmental issues help, it is not them who own oil fields or the ones who set the oceans on fire. Citizens are not at fault for the climate crisis, it is their responsibility to hold those in power accountable,” she said.
Geeta Menon, joint secretary of Domestic Workers Union, spoke to TNM on how the government’s idea of development has always been of big constructions such as dams. “For 75 years, political parties have been determined to support only certain sections of people. For them the jungle, jal and zameen (forest, water and land) do not matter at all. They are only concerned as long as they can make money out of it. Many tribes have been displaced over their projects. Their politics is not development, it is displacement,” she said.
Meanwhile, Devanahalli farmers, who have been on an indefinite protest at the Freedom Park since September 13, also took part in the protest. The farmers have been protesting against the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB), which has proposed to take over more than 1,770 acres of fertile farmland for the construction of the second phase of the Haraluru Industrial Area.
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