In the Name of God!

A new phenomenon has swept over the Palni Hills in the last decade. Religious fervor, which irrevocably translates into the establishment of large churches, temples and mosques. These unaesthetic structures are the direct outfall of zealotry on the part of the Chairman and Councilors of this little hill station.
Meanwhile, the natural resources and resident communities, are used and exploited. Natural resources are vastly depleted even though conservationists have been screaming from rooftops for years that these exploitative developmental practices will continue to lead to unprecedented ecological catastrophes the tenacious pincer of which will be felt more acutely by townships in the plains.
Dominant unsustainable development which proceeds unabated here, can be broadly categorized in two spheres:
1. The historic conversion of forest and pristine grassland in to plantation including wattle, eucalyptus and pine and entrustment of such large-scale deforestation to contractors and “jhum” cultivators and their aggrandizement. This was in the context of “ working” the forests for productivity and providing the paper and pulp industry with raw material.
2. The increased influence of domestic tourism and subsequent impact on land usage within the Kodaikanal municipality through rampant violation of the Master Plan for Kodaikanal and lack of basic civic amenities for the resident communities, leave alone the itinerant visitor.

The Impact of Historic Conversion of Forest and Grassland

An eastward spur of the Western Ghats, the Palni Hills occupy a maximum east-west length of 65 km and a maximum north-south width of 40 km. The total land area is approximately 2,068 sq.km. The lower ranges with more tree cover have been worked for coffee and other agri-based plantation crops. The vegetation cover proves a haven for avian and insectivore fauna. However, over the years, the Palaiyans, the aboriginal people of these hills have lost almost all of their original habitation. In the last century, besides losing their forest home, they have all more or less become serfs in the feudal, caste tainted agricultural system of land lordship... In addition to this, minorities here are caught between the manipulations and connivances of corrupt governmental authorities with large landholders in land grab schemes.
Religious fervor and bigotry have been a recent thrust within the framework of development. Every small village boasts of temples, churches and mosques, presumably come up to instill a devotion, which goes beyond simple belly filling. Today the prime target group for instilling religious devotion to is the migrant dispossessed from drought hit areas of Tamil Nadu, Sri Lankan refugees who have been rehabilitated and tribal communities.
It is understood then that conversion to another denomination using the mantra of economic gain holds the key to modern enslavement. An obviously well worked arrangement between the powers; it is initiated with the manipulation of land records.
“ Poromboke” or revenue land has no boundaries. Most areas around settlements and villages possess hazy records with local communities living in complete ignorance of the divisions. Thus land, which may even border large reserves of forest or pure supplies of water during summer are delineated overnight into places of piety. The buildings are distinctly unaesthetic and put extreme duress on water resources during construction for the communities around, especially during the long hard summer. When buildings are completed they are replete with cone loudspeakers. Two prominent violations occur here, the Hill Preservation Act, which strictly forbids usage of dynamite and the Supreme Court directive on noise pollution. With the ensuing Prayer Meetings, which are congresses from other parts of the state and world, stress on resources increases dramatically. In the years to come, a permanent settlement of migrants adds permanent stress on resources. leaving even less for the community.

The Increased Influence of Domestic Tourism

Kodaikanal until the mid eighties was an unsung hill station. People who visited were either here for the salubrious climate or for the natural wealth that presented itself from every corner. When sudden moves by the government were made to promote Kodaikanal as prominent destination commercial forces completely took over the town. Overnight, streams, which hitherto flowed clean, became sewage rivulets. Large scale building activities commenced around the lake and its vicinity. The Kodaikanal Lake, an artificial lake created in the 1800s, is today a sad reminder of the direct fall out of power and money in the hands of a few greedy businessmen. Today, this important feeder and sustainer of townships in the plains is a polluted water body, which still continues to be extracted illegally and used for the benefit of the tourism industry – no holds barred.
The increase in tourism, see floating populations here exceeding some two to three lakh visitors in the summer months- in a town with a resident population of some 30,000 people! The religious powers that control and rule Kodaikanal have made no provisions for management of the ensuing vehicular pollution, the littering in forest areas of tourist interest or management of the mounting solid waste and garbage. In April 2002, women from the community of Prakashapuram, increasingly fed up of having to live with a thirty year garbage dump in their midst refused trucks to allow dumping in the locality. For thirty years, the community had borne with the nauseating odoriferous remains of dead animals besides the ubiquitous plastic and toxic waste, which lay heaped. However, the township which had it seems been waiting for such a protest quickly decided to move the dump to another destination.
The seeming agreeability of the municipality to the protestors, after they courted arrest was soon understood. The township had infact sold the land to the TNEB (Tamil Nadu Electricity Board), for construction of a new sub station for Kodaikanal. In addition to this the land, which was sold for a sum of Rs.33.35 lakhs, had not been cleaned or safely land filled. Today, the entire area of some 1.5 acres is built up with a sub station replete with an entire residential colony of employees including a bore well on the premises. Children and families of TNEB employees bathe, drink and cook in these waters.
A new dump was constituted in Seeradumkanal, a pristine forest, hitherto a quiet botanical paradise with at least three endemic species of flora and a perennial stream and marsh. A PIL was immediately filed in the High Court to stay the dumping in September 2002. However, the township in connivance with corrupt officials from statutory bodies declared in court that there was no land within wards to separate and segregate garbage providing safer disposal alternatives to resident communities.

Picture this; land use is open to conjecture until land records are available. When communities have no idea of land/water usage within their own wards and villages, how can they become guardians and care takers of the same? Meanwhile, all the 27 wards within the township have become havens for religious bigotry. In a town where a slaughterhouse for safe slaughter and disposal of offal is a faraway reality, places of prayer and cacophony are everywhere. The revenue records are skillfully manipulated and overnight owners appear with dubious records to conduct even more dubious activities, in the name of God!

On January 2004, a small community, which lives on the fringes of two important biological treasures, the Pambar Shola and the Vattakanal Shola, filed a Writ Petition in court with regard to one such gross monstrosity. The location was Dolphin’s Nose, an important tourist location. The church structure which violates almost every norm regarding building regulations under Chapter X A of the District Municipality Act of Tamil Nadu. The arrogance of the ruling powers are amply demonstrated in the following:
a) The respondent in the case is a Rev John Ayyadurai, who claimed that the building was infact a residential property and would be used for the same. However, the respondent is also the President of the Pentecost Society in Kodaikanal.
b) The respondent filed his papers for obtaining permission for construction only after the day the Writ was filed, i.e. 14/1/03. This was again because the petitioner wrote letters to the Collector to enquire on the permission status.
c) The respondent claimed that there were nearly a 1000 members in the Pentecost Society
within the hamlet while the actual population of Vattakanal are hardly 700 impoverished residents.
d) Road activity within forest areas are subject to EIAs, none of which were procured before building or tarring of the road leading to the “residence” of the pastor, leave alone building permission or valid building plans.
e) Dynamiting, an activity strictly forbidden in the hills, and installation of a temporary structure, which immediately put out loud speakers, which spoilt the peace, and tranquility of the hamlet added to the damage.
f) A small settlement which existed below the disputed area were dragged in to court as if to prove that building activities were no endangerment to the community and forest. The settlement incidentally comprises small thatch houses of a poor refugee community eking out a living through tourism, with an average income of Rs100/ day.
Following this response, the High Court on 3 March, 2004 ordered that “within two weeks, after having carried out a survey of the construction activities in and around Kodaikanal state how many such constructions had been put up with license in compliance with the requirement of Chapter X - A of the Act.” The directive also stated that the District Collector would cooperate and be bound by the order. The Secretary to Government, Department of Environment and Forest was also asked to submit a report to state the measures to be taken by the Government ensuring compliance. The Court also noted “ It is evident that rampant violations of these regulations will very soon reduce Kodaikanal to a state where it may no longer be regarded as a picturesque hill station.”
Though this can be perceived as a legal victory of sorts for citizens, construction activity has not stopped. In fact, today clandestine building activities continue in even in the night much to the chagrin of the community. Water scarcity is already hitting a new pitch and people and forest survive forsaken whilst God has become a commodity in the sinister hands of religious bigotry.

Meenakshi Subramaniam
Palni Hills Conservation Council, Kodaikanal