Prominent Congress leaders, including Minister Madhu Bangarappa, led a massive protest march in Tirthahalli against the implementation of the Kasturirangan committee's recommendations for the Western Ghats.

  • Congress leaders in Tirthahalli protested the Eco-Sensitive Area (ESA) notification of the Western Ghats.
  • Minister Madhu Bangarappa criticized the BJP's perceived hypocrisy regarding environmental policies.
  • The protest focused on the implementation of the Kasturirangan committee's recommendations.

In a significant political mobilization, leaders and workers of the Congress party took to the streets of Tirthahalli taluk on Monday. Led by School Education Minister Madhu Bangarappa and former Minister Kimmane Rathnakar, the protest march was organized to voice strong opposition to the implementation of the Kasturirangan committee's recommendations regarding the Western Ghats.

The march commenced at Binthla village, inaugurated by District Congress Committee president R. Prasanna Kumar, Sringeri MLA T.D. Raje Gowda, and district campaign committee president Ramesh Hegde. Throughout the procession, participants raised slogans against the Central government, specifically targeting the proposed Eco-Sensitive Area (ESA) notification, which aims to declare vast tracts of the Western Ghats as ecologically sensitive zones.

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Why This Matters

BozokMedia analysis shows that this protest is not merely about environmental conservation but is a strategic political move to highlight the friction between local land rights and central environmental mandates. The Western Ghats are a global biodiversity hotspot, and any ESA notification drastically alters land-use patterns, affecting agriculture and local livelihoods, making it a volatile electoral issue in Karnataka.

Addressing a public gathering at the conclusion of the march in Tirthahalli, Mr. Bangarappa pointed out that the Central government has already filed an affidavit before the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to implement the Kasturirangan report. He launched a scathing attack on the BJP, claiming their "green leaders" lack the moral authority to oppose the notification while their own MPs, including B.Y. Raghavendra, allegedly skipped crucial government meetings on the matter.

The tension between ecological preservation and the socio-economic rights of forest-dwelling communities remains the primary catalyst for political unrest in the Western Ghats region.

Former Minister Vinay Kumar Sorake added a layer of historical context, noting that during his tenure as a Minister in 2016, he had conducted village-level consultations and submitted a comprehensive report on the Kasturirangan recommendations. He alleged that the current Central government is now pushing for implementation without sufficient regard for those previous grassroots insights.

The event saw a wide array of leadership, including Malnad Area Development Authority chairperson R.M. Manjunath Gowda and Karnataka State Textile Infrastructure Development Corporation chairman K. Chetan. Kimmane Rathnakar emphasized that while he supports non-political environmental causes, he would strictly refuse to collaborate with BJP leaders on this specific issue due to their perceived inconsistency.

Did You Know?: The Western Ghats are older than the Himalayas and are recognized as one of the eight "hottest hotspots" of biological diversity in the world.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Kasturirangan Committee report?
It is a report that recommended designating a significant portion of the Western Ghats as Eco-Sensitive Areas (ESA) to protect the region's fragile ecology.

Why are Congress leaders protesting the ESA notification?
The protest is centered on the impact of these notifications on local residents' land rights and the perceived hypocrisy of the BJP-led Central government in its implementation process.