The Convincing Lie called Development

If I kill your child and compensate you with a teddy bear, then call you unreasonable and anti-development for complaining, what would you say to me?

Most of us... urban, educated professionals... believe development means good roads, skyscrapers, and beautified cities, all without having to pay bribes to get things done. Of course, the economics must work too: industries, SEZs (Special Economic Zones) must be set up; GDP, exports, and currency strength must all be strong. But what we often fail to see or realize is the cost of this cosmetic development on the millions living on the margins of our urban conglomerates.

We are made to believe it is perfectly justified that to build industries, SEZs, dams, highways, airports, or to mine coal and minerals, millions must sacrifice their homes, livelihoods, health, and even their lives. When they protest, they are branded anti-national, violent, divisive forces supported by foreign money to destroy India. They are then silenced or punished by the media, law, and government policy.

The 2014 Indian general elections were reportedly won on the development agenda. But whose development is it? The million-dollar question is: development for the rich, the upper middle class, corporations, and industrial houses... or holistic, sustainable development where every Indian has the right to dignity, livelihood, health, education, and the opportunity to fulfill their potential?

Many believe these are the same, assuming that as the wealthy develop, benefits will trickle down automatically. This is a convenient lie. The social trickle-down theory has long been disproved, yet it remains a popular mindset. In reality, to fulfill the development demands of the top 15 percent, the lives of the bottom 85 percent are being slowly sacrificed... and they are told it is for their own good. It reminds me of the Nazis telling Jews sent to concentration camps that it was for their own good.

You might ask, "Should we go back to the Stone Age?" No... but would you sacrifice nine of your children to fulfill the unreasonable demands of the last one? (Not that you would have that many!) That is what we are doing. To satisfy the greed of the bully brother... call him the market or corporate... we have been torturing and starving our other children, denying them their needs.

One example is forcibly evicting villagers and Adivasis from their homes and lands to give thousands of acres to multinationals for SEZs or industries. Governments claim compensation is given, but in most cases, this happens only on paper.

Dear friends, do not blindly believe the propaganda of false development. Let us raise our voices and use our influence to hold governments and multinationals accountable. We must not allow them to destroy our less fortunate brothers and sisters in the name of making our lives better. In reality, our lives worsen as we destroy forests, pollute the environment with plastics, and suffer from stress, cancer, heart disease, and other lifestyle illnesses.

I challenge you: do not agree to any development that strips others of their rights and dignity. True development guarantees dignity, sustainable livelihood, health, education, and the fulfillment of potential for every person. Development that takes these away from many to feed a parasitic market will eventually take away yours too. Then, when your children are abused, raped, or kidnapped for trafficking, there will be no one left to stand with or for you.

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out...
Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out...
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out...
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me...
and there was no one left to speak for me.
~  Niemöller

This version of a poem by Niemöller speaks about the silence of Christians during the early Nazi regime. It applies to us today. If we remain silent while homes and lives are taken in the name of development, tomorrow, when they come for you, there will be no one left to speak.

No development can be justified if it violates human rights. Our understanding of development must include sustainable use of natural resources and respect for the communities who have preserved them for generations. Without this, we lose non-toxic food, fresh air, and health. Then what use are malls and highways?

What Can You Do?

• Educate Yourself: Learn about people’s movements across the country fighting for their rights using constitutional and legal means. Don’t dismiss them as activists with no understanding of development. Indigenous communities demonstrate how to live in harmony with nature... we have much to learn from them.

• Be Aware: Look beyond popular media narratives. Search online for ground realities and stories from the perspective of the marginalized.

• Get Involved: Use your influence and rights as a citizen to demand justice. For example, visit www.videovolunteers.org and support campaigns that resonate with you.

• Step Out of Your Comfort Zone: Visit at least one area where people face difficult living conditions. Take your children with you to meet real people, so they understand these are not just numbers, but human lives worth sharing.